[Mastergill]

I'm a big fan and happy user of Cardas cables since many years and i will need to improve my INTERCONNECT cable one of these days. I'm wondering if somebody have ever tried the very high priced Transparent Audio OPUS MM.
I think it cost around $4k for one meter!. I think i will never put that much money into one cable but I would like to know if the Cardas Golden Ref. ( at less than $1k / meter ) can stand against it ?.

 

[KR...]

Well, if you are willing to buy $4,000 ICs, why not get the very best? The Nordost Valhalla which retails for $3,000 a meter but can be found used for much less.

 

[Mastergill]

Thank for the answer, but i didn't said that i'm willing to pay $4000 for Interconnect. I just want to know if there's a big difference between a Cardas Golden Reference at $900/ meter and a Transparent Audio at x4 the price !

Anyway i will stick with Cardas, i've always find them incredibly transparent plus i need only half a meter and i think Transparent Audio don't do that length.

Well sorry if my English is not perfect but you know French people...

 

[KR...]

The Cardas Golden Reference are some of the best cables that money can buy, so don't worry about it. $4000 for an all copper IC (Transparent Audio OPUS MM) doesn't seem like a very good deal to me anyway.

 

[kuma]

I've tried their Reference XL and some of the entry level cables ( music link or something? )

Transparent Audio Cables, in general, has a nice smooth liquid sound over all and does soundstaging thing extremely well. But, they tend to be a tad slow and lack transient bites. XL was nice and all but, I kept thinking where did my bass go? Opus might be a completely different animal, but, I doubt they let go of their *house sound*. I don't know why those networked cables always sound like that.

Cardas Golden Reference probably has a better balance between bloom and transient.
They are good all-round cables. They don't do anything particularly specutacular, but they don't do anything that bad, either.

BTW, I think the cost of Opus is 35K/meter or something silly like that.

 

[Howie]

Ya OPUS MM should be more like $30+K. Transparent apparently "voices" these cables with your specific gear. In any case few have obviously owned them to give you many reviews but knowing guys with highend gear they've only heard good things about the OPUS MM interconnects. Do they beat out the Vahallas? I don't know anyone who has done a comparison. But I do know someone who has Opus MM speaker cables and prefer them over the Vahallas. When you're at this level you're not really going to talk about "how much of a difference".

You won't find many who would rate the Cardas Golden References in the top tier of cables though. The questions are whether you would like them in your system and whether they're a good buy. Cardas cables have a sonic signature to them. As with other cables it really is system and taste dependent. I would try them out against other cables in the price range. No need to rush into things blindly.

I have no experience with the Golden but I do have experience with the Vahallas and they really are excellent cables. I believe they are very neutral cables (although they do have a sonic signature as well). But they have to be in the right system. They may give the impression that they are thin sounding when they're simply letting the music through. Cardas will give you a more laidback and warmer sound.