Each sold separately

Stereophile Magazine "Recommended Component"

Advanced Design from Conductors to AES/EBU Plugs

Your digital audio equipment is only as good as the cable that carries the digital signal. Poor quality cables between your CD player and amplifier, or between your home theater receiver and sound processor, can have negative effects on overall sound. Meticulously engineered from 'head to toe' - from conductor topology to XLR connectors - Cardas AES/EBU is an outstanding cable, especially for the transmission of balanced digital cable signals.

This 110-ohm balanced cable uses 21 discrete 20.5 awg twin-axial generation 5C "Golden Section," constant "Q," and Crossfield-enameled litz conductors with Telfon and air suspension insulation. The center core conductor is literally "suspended" between five ultra-thin tube conductors. Custom-machined, premium Cardas AES/EBU connectors terminate the cable, providing superior performance with the most demanding components.

Ultra-Wide Bandwidth and Excellent Shielding

Cardas AES/EBU offers ultra-wide bandwidth and excellent shielding for superb data transmission. Ordinary cables can act as dipole antennas, both radiating and absorbing RFI and EMI interference, causing noisy resonance problems. Lightning incorporates George Cardas' Crossfield Construction in its manufacture. This sophisticated design reverses every other stranding layer to diffuse the dipole effect.

Constant Q Meets Golden Section

The Constant "Q" design of Cardas AES/EBU arranges different diameter conductors in ascending order of strand cross-section from the center toward the cable outer circumference. Conductors are sized according to Cardas' proprietary Golden Section Stranding, which earned the company an award for "The Most Significant Contribution of the Advancement of High End Audio in Cable and Accessory Design" from the Academy for the Advancement of High End Audio. In real world terms, the ground-breaking design reduces cable resonance produced by fluctuating current flow for a clearer, more in-focus sonic signature.

• 110-ohm balanced cable
• 21 discrete 20.5 awg twin-axial generation 5C "Golden Section," constant "Q," and Crossfield-enameled litz conductors
• Telfon and air suspension insulation
• Custom-machined, premium Cardas AES/EBU connectors

"Ultra-fast sounding, affordable datalink that bested all comers (other than the Orchid)"
-Stereophile Recommended Components, April 1999.

How do I know if Cardas Cables are right for my system?

Cardas cables sound very smooth with excellent bass extension. Higher frequencies are more relaxed and flow smoothly, - never hard or edgy. Sound staging and imaging are first-rate.

What types of systems benefit from Cardas Cables?

Virtually any system will sound better with Cardas: especially ones that sound "bright" or "forward," or are lacking in bass extension.

What improvements are there from the bottom of the Cardas line to the top?

Just about every aspect of performance is improved. More expensive Cardas cables are more linear, more efficient, and just plain sound better. Bass extension is deeper and more powerful. The midrange becomes more three dimensional, and upper frequencies are better defined, with more "air" surrounding each performer.

"My system is just not good enough for Cardas cables - especially the really high-end stuff."

We hear this comment all the time, and it's just not true. While high-end systems certainly require high-performance cables, entry-level systems can also be significantly improved with better cables. The differences are not subtle, and can even be heard on "boom-box" type portable systems. Never think your system is not good enough for premium cables. You can hear the difference - or your money back!

Cardas cables required extended break-in periods. Please allow at least 100 hours of play for proper burn-in of the cable. Many customers report that Cardas cables continue to improve even after 500 hours of lay.