[HiFlight]

Any thoughts on how they sound straight out of the Tera Player?  For some reason I keep looking at them, my wallet would be very happy if you could tell me it's a terrible pairing :etysmile:

The Cardas phones pair very well with my Tera. I alway use the 75 ohm Ety adapter with them for the best performance.
My apologies for your wallet!

 

[suicidal_orange]

The Cardas phones pair very well with my Tera. I alway use the 75 ohm Ety adapter with them for the best performance.
My apologies for your wallet!

Thanks - that's close enough to a bad pairing as the Tera fits tight in most of my jeans money pockets and adding an adaptor would be annoying size wise.  I'm dissuaded... at least until a pair comes up used

 

 

[HiFlight]

Thanks - that's close enough to a bad pairing as the Tera fits tight in most of my jeans money pockets and adding an adaptor would be annoying size wise.  I'm dissuaded... at least until a pair comes up used h34r:  

The Ety 75 ohm adapter is very small and adds hardly anything to the carry package. The adapter itself is about 3" away from the Tera plug.

Very much like just plugging in a standard headphone, in fact the adapter is much less bulky than the Cardas cable.

 

[BRCMRGN]

Out of the box, they sounded awful. 200 hours of burn-in and WOW! 

 

[Mediahound]

The Ety 75 ohm adapter is very small and adds hardly anything to the carry package. The adapter itself is about 3" away from the Tera plug.

Very much like just plugging in a standard headphone, in fact the adapter is much less bulky than the Cardas cable.

 
Got a link to the adapter? I'd like to check it out.

  Out of the box, they sounded awful. 200 hours of burn-in and WOW! 

 
Agreed. My only complaint is how heavy the cables are. I think they are likely even overkill for IEMs. It helps to use some sort of clip to clip them to your shirt. 

 

[HiFlight]

Got a link to the adapter? I'd like to check it out.

Agreed. My only complaint is how heavy the cables are. I think they are likely even overkill for IEMs. It helps to use some sort of clip to clip them to your shirt. 

HERE is a link to one such adapter. There are others quite similar to be found,

 

[Burju]

Oh my....listening to Etta James' Ball and Chain......She has an unbelievable voice, so powerful.

I can't believe this thread are not buzzing with more praise. Well.....I am loving 'em.

Have a Happy New Year everybody.......Cheers

 

[justin b]

I totally agree...a few months with these and I am smitten. Yes, the cable is heavy and a bit long, and the ear pieces themselves being brass are also heavy, but who cares! The tone and timber and soundstage are phenomenal. I simply stopped looking for another IEM. These just do it for me and make my music so enjoyable and I can listen for hours. My poor Audeze cans are being ignored, the cardas are that good. The buzz may be over but these little transducers are the s*%t. They are a solid value and every headfier should seek a pair out for a listen.

 

[audionewbi]

I like to give this another go, now days I appreciate darker easy to listen signature more than brighter analytical one. It is alot less distracting and lot more engaging. 

 

[ericp10]

I kind of like being a part of the few who "gets" the Cardas (although that doesn't help the company, but oh well).

 

[DannyBai]

I was listening to it just the other day and loving that thick, lush sound. Vocals are great on the Cardas.

 

[audionewbi]

Sound signature is so personal and majority of us in here like us to be overwhelmed with every single detail. Lately I've noticed how such tuning can be problematic for me. 

First of all even my very modest and cheap and simple stereo setup I have on my desk is a lot more engaging than all the gears I have. There is something on just playing the music and having it come out of my head. Next to that I have noticed I isten to the entire track when I listen to music like that but where I am listening to my IEM or headphone fatigue always plays a role. Some have incredible detailing but become sibilant and some have amazing bass and mids but poor fit. 
At the end I think in IEM world I like to have at least one IEM that does not have an offending and distracting signature, something that will not overwhelemd my ears and distract me with all the other stuff that takes places in the background (live chamber recordings). While it can be fun for those who listen for that but I find it distracting most of the time. 
 
I believe cardas tuning aimed to remove high frequancy fatigue and just play the music without getting in the way of the music.

 

[H20Fidelity]

I do agree with the above however find it terribly hard to accept darker signatures, mentally, matter how hard I try I'm very susceptible to the tonality difference and my brain instantly and continually rights off darker gear as lower sound quality but as said above I pay in early fatigue for preferring brighter sound sigs. I do enjoy a pair of Yamaha studio monitors that I find a little dark and can adjust but it's a tricky game I dislike playing when switching between gear.

 

[audionewbi]

I do not mind it now days as long as the mid-bass is not the key player in the overall tuning. I think for most of us we are programmed to hate darker signature as it is something that is beat like. I think there is a general linking between audiophile sound been ultra revealing with incredible detail and dynamic in upper freq. I honestly do not know what is the ultimate reference of headphone is (etc) but all I know I have allowed the hobby take away from the joy of music itself and lately I have found myself to like a less distracting sound than something like the CK100pro or the ER4S. 

From memory cardas certainly had a nice relaxing sound to it. My only problem is the driver build quality. Maybe I was unlikey with my pair but I am just too scared to get another pair and go through that long burning in process (which does work for cardas) only to have the same issue developed again.
 
I have a pair of yamaha studio monitors too. Hopefully one of these days I can get a nice XLR DAC source for it. I am happy with their overall presentation, it is just that adjusting volumes on them is a bit of a pain, overall I am happy with them. Had them for well over 2 years now. 

 

[justin b]

I have now spent several months with the cardas and I simply in love with them. I share the same sentiment about fatigue with IEMs but I do like a session with my ER4s Etys from time to time, especially when checking new music for its quality. That detail is good for that. With the Cardas, other than the physical feeling of them in my ear canal, I get zero fatigue. I can listen to full albums, even going to sleep with them in, and that is a testament at least to me of their enjoyable, lush sound.

Out of my portable rig, an AK-100 RWAK/s with and ALO International, I always had to EQ for different headphones. With my Audeze LCD-2 I have to crank the bass, scoop the mids and drop off the highs. I have to tweak it in a similar way with the Etys. But with the Cardas, the default flat response from the DAP with no EQ is perfect. If I go back to my LCD-2 I have to engage the EQ or it sounds very off. So, for me the Cardas are ideal. No need to EQ, no lurking trying to find the next new thing to buy. I'm just enjoying the music now and focusing on getting more music and more listening in. They have gotten me back to enjoying the music not being preoccupied with the equipment. When mine wear out, if they still make them, I will surely get another pair. Just in case I may buy a second set now just to make sure I have them. To me they are that good. I may one day get a set of customs made but for now the Cardas has me enjoying the music and that's what it's really all about, isn't it?