Cardas Cables @Headroom - Page 3

My Cardas headphone cable hasn't arrived yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to getting one in my rig again. I can't believe some of you are already receiving them. That was unbelievably quick!

What did arrive today were one-foot cross sections of four different Cardas cables (Golden Cross interconnect, Golden Reference interconnect, Neutral Reference interconnect, and, yes, the headphone cable).

I going to try to take a picture of these cross sections, but it's going to be very tough to capture the details. If you saw the cross sections of the Golden Cross and Golden Reference in my Neutral Reference review, you can rest assured that the actual cross sections are true to them. The headphone cable, though a simpler design than the much thicker interconnects, is still quite impressive. From what I can tell, here's what it looks like to me under a magnifying glass (I'll have to confirm these details with Cardas, but I'll try my best here):

(starting from the outside jacket and moving to the center)

• Blue urethane outer jacket
• Teflon binding
• One layer (maybe two) of spiral shielding
• One layer of what looks to be Teflon graphite composite shield
• Teflon binding
• Inside the above layer of Teflon binding are four main conductor groups, arranged symetrically (like four corners of a square, but I believe they're twisting along the length of the cable), each group made up of Golden Section, Constant Q Crossfield conductors (and each group consisting of what look to me like three different sized subconductors). Each of the tiny subconductors is, I believe, individually coated with an enamel "Litz" coating.
• Each of the four main conductor groups also appears to be insulated within Teflon tubing

Again, I'm not positive about these details, and I'm comparing what I see in this physical cross section of cable with the illustration in their catalog to determine what the labeled parts likely are.

For such a small-diameter cable, it is a surprisingly complex design.

For more information on Constant Q and Golden Section Stranding, I will finally add that Appendix to the Neutral Reference review with some additional line drawing cross section illustrations they e-mailed me.

jude - when is the Golden Cross review due to be posted?

They just arrived today (along with the Golden Reference and a Golden Reference power cord). The reviews of those will be a few months away. Also in that second batch of cable reviews will be products from two other companies.

amazing! I really expected the headphone cable to be a couple of twisted pairs, maybe with some sort of shielding, and then urethane jacket... I look forward to the pics!

Driftwood

I can't promise pictures, mostly because of the challenge of getting a pic that even begins to capture the detail of the cross section. Imagine cutting your cable and trying to take a photo of that tiny little cross section. Might be a challenge. I'll at least give it a try though.

I may try hand-drawing the cross section if I can't capture the detail with my crappy digital camera.

How are you liking your Stefan Equinox? Those are next on my to buy list besides a bunch of CDs. Also, do you think you could get in touch with Wayne to lend you a Bolder Type 2 so that you can do a comparison with the Golden Cross?

I mean, I'll be doing this myself when I have the money, but I always love to read your opinions. Thanks to you and kelly for helping me realize some common sense, I think I'll get the brickwall, then the beefy 2 outlet one when I get my Cary CAD-300SEI.

Wow, I just got my cardas cable today.

DAMN it sounds good.

Maybe it's because I haven't listened to my HD600's for some weeks(been using ksc 50's) but I am in a state of shock.

Ok, compared to the Clou there is more detail, and the sound is so natural and gentle, geez it's just a little BETTER all around. It's insane how wonderful these sound, and not just the cable but the headphones, I was starting to forget what good sound was! I don't know about the rest of you guys but that large midbass hump seems to have been reduced at least somewhat in my system. Bass just seem much more controlled.

Alright so now the HD600's cost me 220 used + 150, and I think they are a better value at that price then they were at 220 stock.

Jude wasn't kidding man, these cables straight kick butt.

Thanks for giving us first dibs headroom!

HD600's rock!

ai0tron, does the cable affect the midrange and treble? If so, how? Does it change the way vocals sound? Thanks.

OH yeah, clarity baby. Voices are very real, they have a very pure clean tone. I hate to say it, but previously the HD600's were a bit honky on things like trumpets, that's gone, in favor of a smoother more realistic and listenable sound. The midrange is definately more detailed, more refined all around. But still so liquid and joyous. There was something with the old cables, it was like a powdery sensation almost, that seems to be gone. They remind me of the R10's in their natural presentation of detail. These cables are definately not as bright as the CLous. But the presentation is not dark whatsoever it's just cleaned up, in fact the presentation seems brighter, it's just not that kind of slight screechyness on the top end. CONTROL is the one word that comes to mind.

Oh baby, ok I realize the bass issue now, I thought the bass was great before, the bass has much more tone and definition now, it's making me feel giggly. This is so cool.

Transparency to the recording has been increased by alot. What was once a nice recording of a piano, I can feel the mic's straining to keep up with the dynamics.

Mind you I am having trouble determining what is an improvement over the KSC 50's and what is an improvement over the CLou cables.

Low level details seem to be better too.

Let's just say I feel like my child had been kidnapped and was returned today. AHHHH sweet bliss of the HD600's!

It's like somebody with really small fingers is making the music in my head.

Woah, i just ehard something totally wacky on this burn I made!! It's like a high pitched tone around 16,000hz. There is definately more detail, oh it's so clean and pure.

Detail is unreal with these things. And the way it's presented is perfect.

ai0tron,

I'm glad they're working out for you, man. Yeah, I try to be very careful in my reviews to tell it as I hear it, and to try to keep the rhetoric to a minimum. Admittedly, I use a lot of flowery metaphors and similes, but I try to be very careful about not over- or under-selling something with them -- I try to simply use them to convey what I heard. What's my point here? My point is that this isn't a magazine where I can write a review and then publish only those reader responses that I feel like publishing. This joint is a discussion forum and you guys can essentially self-publish and rip me a new one in real time, real fast; so I find myself editing my reviews a billion times before I actually hit "submit", and trying to keep them as real as possible. Still, I don't expect everyone to hear it as I did.

Again, I'm glad it's working out, man. And I'm supremely jealous because mine hasn't arrived yet!

The one thing you said that I am really feeling right now is that comment about how the treble was splashy with the Clou cables. There is definately more detail with the cardas but that splashyness is not there at all. That for me has been the best improvement so far.

But there is definately something about the sound all across the board that has changed, it just seems cleaner.

The clou cables were distorting somehow I think. They were dropping details and leaving behind a little bit of grainyness. I think the stock cables had been doing this also. This cardas cable seems so insanely clean for somereason.

So and fresh and so clean, clean.

Ergonomically this thing is superior to the clou as well. I dig the blue color. Flexibility and WEIGHT are no longer an issue, I'm thinking what a relief it is not have that clou tugging on me all the time.

Whatever the naysayers say, I believe in cable upgrades. PERIOD. No ifs ands or buts anymore. It's a fact, cables make a difference.

So, any idea when HeadRoom will be selling Stefan Equinox cables?

I was a bit skeptical about the cable upgrade and figured if I don't like it (which I probably will not), I can just return them. Man was I wrong! I can hardly believe that the difference can be this obvious. Needless to say, I'm keeping them.

I just switched from the Red Cloucable to the Cardas.I am able to turn up the volume and not hear the splashy treble the Clou's had. All the detail in the music is still there. Excellent Cable!!!!!!!!!!