Yes, there are a lot of fake Cardas. I personally got a pair. I bought a pair of 1/2M XLR Golden Reference a few years ago. They have no logo on the connectors. The seller told me they were re-terminated by the dealer. I didn't suspect anything at that time. Some times later, I saw a message on Cardas website about the counterfeited cable so I sent mine to Cardas to authenticate and it turned out they are completely fake.
If you aren't sure, I suggest you contact Cardas and have them authenticated. |
There are better cables that would yeild more money than counterfiet Cardas. I am willing to bet that some of the fakes may even sound better than the real thing. Sorry I have taken in on trade Cardas cables in the past and sent them back to have the termination fixed. Of course I tried them in my system once they were shipped back from Cardas just to find out old school Oxygen free copper Radio Shack 1m RCA interconnects beat the crap out of authentic Cardas Golden Reference 1m RCA cables, " Atleast in my system". |
There were a lot of Nordost counterfit cables for a while too. |
..yes Thesoundhouse....and on My system real Cardas is the worst sounding cables I could find....anything is better...tried lots and lots of them. I have heard Cardas sound ok, but on MY system they were awful...the power cords are the worst of the bunch. |
We have seen a LOT of fake KONDO cables......and people have spent good money for these fakes! |
I've thought the same thing. The Kimber site also has a blog entry talking about fake Kimber cables being sold on eBay and Audiogon. And the pictures they have of the fakes? They look totally indistinguishable from the 'real thing' to me (as in ... I'd have probably fallen for them hook, line and sinker, at least based upon their appearance ...). |
Cardas 'fakes' started when Cardas was the hot calbe to buy, and one of the most expensive. Now, with so many other expensive brands, Cardas has fallen off the radar in some ways. But plenty of Fake Cardas was sold. Nice thing is Cardas will verify if a cable is genuine, if you send it to them.
The Kimber.. mostly 8TC i would be concerned about, and recently way too many Hero are showing up. I personally would never again buy a 1 meter Hero used, or "so called' new, off any internet site that was not an official Kimber dealer.
Then the mysterious 8AG showing up. i would never trust buying such an expensive wire.. It is just a bit too 'funky'
So those are the main Kimber to worry about. IMO
THe 'fake' AudioQuest are actually probably real, just illegal grey market stuff.
Others i do not know. The Asian fakery market can be very, very good at making a reproduction. AND the bigger the target, the more fakes can be pumped into the market. |
There have been reports of counterfeit Tara Labs and NBS cable in the past. If you send a used Tara Labs cable to the company to be examined, and they find it to be counterfeit, they won't return it to you. |
Elizabeth brings up a good point on the Kimber - the fake 8TC cables look like dead ringers for the real thing (to me, at least). But the $2000+ 8AG you see for sale (oftentimes, but not always, from sellers in SE Asia) *does* indeed look a bit suspect.
And, per Gslone's post above, I guess I'd think twice before sending suspect cables to Tara Labs for verification ... ("hey, give me my fake Taras back!...") |
Sidssp - How did the fake cables perform before you suspected that they were not genuine? Did you get a real cable to compare? |
Steveaustin: think twice before buying any used or new cable from Asia or Asians. I can say that cause I'm half Asian... ha-ha. |
Gslone,
That's a pretty stupid comment about Asians. I hope you are not serious. |
Gsclone , being 100% Asian, I understand your comment. The fact is, the bulk of the counterfeits do come out of China and also Russia. The fakes are also very good copies now. I am amazed to see what is being produced and how good the fakes are now. This includes high end furniture, lighting.
Ever see So called Japanese cd pressings on ebay being sold as new,cheap from China? Most are fake, but have the OBI and look perfect. I mention, as i am a big collector of Japanese music pressings.
The low cost of labor I believes drives this, and of course greed, lack of respect for intellectual property .
What does scare me is to read what Tara labs is doing . So if i send then a cable for evaluation or repair, and they claim it is fake, not made by me, they will still keep it, game over? If so, thanks for the tip....I will never buy a cable from them, new or used. |
@Mceljo, I have another 1M GR which I bought from a Cardas dealer and frankly I can't hear any difference. |
Sidssp - So maybe the fakes are a better copy that Cardas would like to admit? |
Sfstereo,
DO SOME RESEARCH... PLEASE!!!!!
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@Mceljo, It is possible. It also raises a question. What if (I am not saying it will) at some point in the future Cardas decided to source its cable from the same source which made the fake? Than, what is real and what is fake? |
At what level have the Tara Labs cables showed up Air series The One, 0.5,0.8 or higher up the ladder? |
Who has the last laugh of you pay for counterfeit cables with counterfeit money?
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Get Purist get a great sounding cable. |
If you go to Cardas website they sell their cable in bulk form on reels. Maybe fake pertains to the fact they were not manufactured in house.
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Cardas are not bad cables. Some have been used in best of show at the electronic shows so they can not be that bad as you say. lol Everything is system dependent. |
Seems the fake cable problems are less complained about, and less discussed than when this thread was started back in 2011.Still it pays to be cautious about buying used cables. The seller having the receipt? and the certificate or whatever is used to prove genuine. Watch for particularly expensive cables lacking the presentation box, etc. (IF YOU bought a $8000 cable, would you throw the fancy box away?) Nearly all major cable brands now have a proof of some type the item is authentic which can be sent along with the product. My Cadas have small forms with a serial number. Kimber has the serial number on the plastic presentation case.As it is, I STILL no longer buy used cables
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