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What You Need to Know
What Is This Cable and What Does It Do?
This is an aftermarket power cable. It takes the place of the black cord that came in the box with your gear. Its job is to send clean, steady AC power from your wall outlet to your component.
Cardas Audio has built power cables for years. Iridium is the most affordable one they make. The Cardas power line runs from low to high: Iridium, Parsec, Clear Cygnus, Clear Reflection, Clear, Clear Beyond, and Clear Beyond XL. Iridium is a great place to start.
What's Different About This One?
Iridium is hand-built in Bandon, Oregon. George Cardas started the company in 1987. He used to work as a phone-line engineer. He holds three U.S. patents on cable design. His daughter Angela runs the company today. Cardas is a staff favorite at Audio Advisor — we use these cables ourselves.
Cardas makes its own copper. They draw the wire slowly in a special hydrogen atmosphere. This keeps the copper very pure. Other top audio brands use this same copper. So do science labs around the world.
Iridium uses two 11.5-gauge copper wires. AWG means American Wire Gauge. A lower number means a thicker wire. Thicker wires can carry more power. Each wire is "litz" — many tiny strands instead of one solid wire. Each strand has its own coating so they don't touch.
Cardas sizes the strands using the Golden Ratio (1:1.618). George Cardas patented this method in the 1980s. Cardas has used it on every cable since.
The wires sit in a PFA jacket. PFA is a kind of plastic, like Teflon. It keeps the cable safe and stable. The cable also has two layers of shielding plus a small filter at the IEC end.
The shields block RFI and EMI. These are two kinds of electrical noise. They can travel down a power cable and into your gear from the wall. Iridium uses a flexible Alcryn rubber jacket. It bends easily behind a rack.
Where Does This Cable Belong in Your System?
Iridium works on most everyday audio gear. It's built for the kind that pulls steady, modest current.
- Good fit: DACs, streamers, network players, CD players, preamps, phono stages, integrated amps, and small to medium power amps.
- Not a fit: Big high-current power amps, monoblocks, or power conditioners that need a 20-amp plug. Step up to Clear, Clear Beyond, or Clear Beyond XL for those.
Length: Use the shortest cable that will reach. Measure the real path the cable will take, not a straight line. Add a little slack. Shorter is better.
Hand-Built and Backed for Life
Every Iridium is built by hand in Bandon, Oregon. It comes with a Cardas lifetime warranty. Cardas can also re-end the cable if your system changes. They can swap connectors or change the length. Call us at 800-942-0220 for current re-termination pricing.
Pairs Well With
Building your system? Here are some good companions:
- Step up the ladder: When you're ready, Cardas Parsec Power is the next step. Parsec borrows its wires from the higher-end Clear Cygnus. It also adds noise filters on all three legs.
- Match the family: Cardas Iridium Interconnect and Iridium Speaker Cable were tuned to sound right with Iridium Power.
- Gear that benefits: Browse streamers, integrated amps, and CD players that match well with Iridium.
- Power conditioning: Iridium pairs nicely with any quality conditioner.
Features & Specifications
Cardas Grade 1 Ultra Pure Copper — Two 11.5 AWG conductors of 99.9999% oxygen-free copper. The same copper Cardas sells to other top brands and to science labs.
Litz Construction with Golden Ratio Strands — Many fine insulated strands per wire, sized to the Golden Ratio. A Cardas patented method used since the 1980s.
Crossfield Geometry — The strand wind direction flips on each layer. This helps the cable reject radio and electrical noise.
Double Shielding Plus Toroidal Filter — Aluminum/mylar tape and tinned copper braid. A small filter at the IEC end blocks more noise from the wall.
Cardas 3455R Connectors — Hand-soldered wall plug and IEC C13. Solid copper contacts plated with rhodium over silver. The plug grips standard outlets firmly.
Hand-Terminated in Bandon, Oregon — Every cable is built and tested at the Cardas factory.
Flexible Alcryn Rubber Jacket — Soft and easy to route behind a rack.
Lifetime Warranty — Cardas backs every cable for life.
Quick-Reference Specifications
| Conductor | Cardas Grade 1 Ultra Pure 99.9999% OFC, 2 × 11.5 AWG |
| Geometry | Litz, Golden Ratio strand sizing, Crossfield layer geometry, twisted pair with cotton filler |
| Dielectric | PFA tape |
| Shielding | Double shield: aluminum/mylar tape and tinned copper braid |
| Filtration | Toroidal filter at connector end |
| Connectors | NEMA 5-15P to IEC C13; Cardas 3455R, rhodium over silver over solid copper |
| Termination | Hand-soldered and crimped in Bandon, Oregon |
| Jacket | Flexible Alcryn rubber |
| Available Lengths | Multiple lengths — see selector above |
| Warranty | Cardas Audio lifetime warranty |
Frequently Asked Questions
What gear gains the most from a better power cable?
Most gear can benefit. Start with your power amp, integrated amp, or any digital source — DAC, streamer, or CD player. The cords that come in the box are made to a price. They meet safety rules but not audio standards.
What does the AWG number mean?
AWG means American Wire Gauge. A lower number means a thicker wire. Thicker wires carry more power. Iridium's 11.5 AWG is plenty for source gear, preamps, integrated amps, and most modest power amps. For very large amps, step up to Clear or Clear Beyond.
What length do I need?
Use the shortest cable that will reach the wall outlet or conditioner from your component. Measure the real path the cable will take. Add a foot of slack. Shorter is better.
How does Iridium compare to the cord that came with my gear?
Stock cords are built to a price and basic safety rules. Iridium uses thicker wire, much purer copper, real shielding, and hand-built connectors. We can't promise a sound change — that depends on your gear and ears. But the build is in a different league.
Will it work with a standard U.S. outlet?
Yes. Iridium uses a 15-amp NEMA 5-15P wall plug and a 15-amp IEC C13 plug at the gear end. It fits any standard U.S. household outlet and any audio component with a C13 inlet, which is most gear.
Can Cardas re-end this cable later?
Yes. Cardas offers a re-termination service. They can change the connector, the wall plug, or the length. Pricing varies. Call us at 800-942-0220 for a quote, or contact Cardas direct.
What's the warranty?
Cardas backs every cable they make for life. If anything ever goes wrong with the cable itself, they'll fix or replace it.
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