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Review: Cardas Golden Reference Interconnect

Category: Cables

I have just completed comparing the Cardas Golden Reference interconnects with the Cardas Golden Cross interconnects from the cd player to the preamp. The Golden Cross interconnects have a warm, but detailed sound. The voices and the instruments all blend to make a nice overall presentation. On the other hand, the Golden Reference had incredible detail, but the sounds did not blend. It had a higher and overall separated sound. It seemed to be bright on my system for a Cardas cable. The midrange stood out more noticeably and just didn't seem to blend for an overall presentation. I do tend to like my music a little on the warm side, but detailed. I felt the Golden Cross was more appealing and much more balanced. I did several different comparisions using several different types of music, from jazz to rock over a week period. I bought the Golden Reference a few weeks ago and it seemed to change the sound in different ways than I expected. Therefore, I decided to compare the two interconnects before passing judgement. My overall opinion is as good as the Golden Reference is, for my system and tastes, I choose the Golden Cross.

Associated gear
YBA CD1 Blue Alpha CD player
Kora Eclipse Tube preamp
1960's Siemens Gold pin tubes
Monster Cable AVS2000 Voltage stabalizer
Pass Labs X250 amplifier
Martin Logan Assent Speakers
Cardas Golden Cross interconnects and speaker cable
Cardas Golden Reference power cords

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btstrg
jbatlanta
97 posts
 
oOOOOps. Please disregard my above post. It was for Golden CROSS, not Golden REFERENCE.
firedrums
71 posts
 
I have just added the Cardas Neutral Reference 3 meter speaker cable to my Rig and I just can't believe how much those cables improved my sound. The Bass had way more authority, the soundstage opened The whole sound smoothed out and became more natural and musical. I really could not be happier - even my wife hears the difference. My System is as follows: Krell 400xi Krell SACD Standard playing through Vienna Acoustics Baby Beethovens. I'm Using a Nordost Frey XLR interconnects between the Krells which I believe gives me Great detail - I would like to try the Cardas Interconnect just to see what that sound like. Thanx for the comments...TONY
arnaldog-5d0c
1 posts
 
I have used a Cardas Golden-Link HL cable for around 10 years connecting a Mark Levinson Power-amp and a Mark Levinson Pre-amp. Lately because of the corruption of one of my Mark Levinson amp channels I move to Krell KAV amplification and found that Cardas cable was inconsistent with the new system. I'm using the Proceed gel cable for 5 years but I'm not completely satisfied with it. My question is: it's advisable to move to Cardas again?
readargos
14 posts
 
Updating an old thread here. Irishhound made an assertion that was questioned, but not answered. The assertion was that when mixing Golden Reference and Golden Cross, Ref should not be used on the source component. It Cross on source end, Ref on amp end. 

There seems to be a theory that I only recently became aware of that.  Most people say to put your best wire on your source components, because what is lost at the source cannot be recovered later.  But the alternative is to put your best wire, in this case Golden Ref, on the amp.  I think this approach is based on the theory that if you have the best wire on the source, and it goes through worse wire in the middle, the better wire will get muddied and lose its coherency.  There's a constriction in the middle.  But if you put the better wire at the end, it is like a hose that gets wider as it goes, opening up more.  And because it is the better wire, it will preserve what's special about the wire on the source components, while enhancing them (by doing less harm).  But if you have the better wire on the source, they cannot be enhanced by the lesser wire going to the amp; they can only be restricted by it.
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