Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Interconnect Cable - XLR to XLR

Clear Beyond Is Cardas with Nothing Held Back

Cardas Audio's Clear Beyond is the company's flagship interconnect. Cardas says it brings noteworthy gains in spatial imaging, dynamics and low-frequency impact over the Clear. The Cardas musicality stays. Each cable is made to order and hand terminated in Bandon, Oregon, by Cardas's senior technicians.

Other length & termination options are available. Call us to discuss your needs.

Strands Down to 47 Gauge

The conductors are Cardas Grade 1 copper, 99.9999% pure, drawn to strands between 47 AWG and 39 AWG and built as Litz wire. Each is a Matched Propagation conductor on a Kevlar core, with strand sizes stepped in Golden Ratio proportions. Four conductors run at 26.5 AWG.

Star-Quad, Two Rings of Air Tubes and a 13 mm Body

The four conductors sit in a star-quad, each inside an anti-static LDPE air tube. Carbon-impregnated PTFE tape binds them. A second ring of PTFE air tubes, scaled 1.618 times larger than the core tubes, holds the composite shield of tinned copper and magnet wire away from the signal.

Each conductor wears an ultra-thin extruded PTFE jacket, and an ultra-soft TPR jacket finishes the cable. All of that adds up to an outside diameter of 0.511 inches, or 13 mm. It is the largest in the Cardas interconnect line. Cardas says no Cardas interconnect is as demanding to build. So it is made in small quantities.

The CG XLR, Redesigned for a 13 mm Cable

Clear Beyond ends in the Cardas CG XLR, the company's reference cable-mount XLR. It is a three-piece threaded design in high-copper, non-magnetic brass, with silver contacts under a rhodium flash. A fourth solder pin bonds the shell to the body, and a red or black O-ring marks the channel. Cardas redesigned it to take the Beyond's 13 mm body.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Herb Reichert, in Stereophile's Gramophone Dreams column on August 11, 2022, wrote that with the Clear Beyond "the apparent volume of the recording venue expanded dramatically."

Alan Sircom, reviewing for hi-fi+ on July 31, 2017, found that "Beyond is exceptionally good at those 'inter-transient silences'." He closed with "Very highly recommended!"

It is a Stereophile Recommended Component in the 2025 and 2026 editions, and a hi-fi+ Editor's Choice for 2024.

Who Is This Interconnect Best For?

• You are finishing a reference system — the Clear Beyond is the top of the Cardas line, so there is no further rung to wonder about
• Your rack radiates — the composite shield rides on its own ring of air tubes, so noise is rejected without loading the signal
• You want plug and cable from one shop — CG XLR and cable are both Cardas, machined and terminated in Bandon, so one maker stands behind the assembly
• You keep cables for decades — every Litz strand is enamel sealed and Cardas backs it for life, so nothing corrodes and no clock is running
• Your components have only RCA jacks — the Clear Beyond XLR is balanced at both ends and will not fit an RCA jack. Choose the Cardas Clear Beyond RCA instead, or call us and we will match the connector

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run the Clear Beyond from a balanced XLR output on your DAC, streamer, CD player or phono stage to a balanced XLR input on your preamp or amplifier. Keep left to left and right to right. Line up the pins and push until the latch clicks. Press the latch tab to release the plug.

Then leave it alone. Cardas says its cables settle with use, so plug in and listen.

Measure the Path, Then Add a Little Slack

Measure the route the cable will really take between your components, around shelves and behind the rack. Then add a little slack. As audio legend George Cardas puts it, "A cable that's just long enough usually turns out to be just not long enough." Keep the left and right cables the same length. We recommend a matched pair.

XLR on Both Ends, or Not at All

Balanced XLR works when both components have XLR jacks, and we recommend using XLRs whenever they do. If one component has only RCA jacks, use an RCA cable instead of an adapter. You only get the possible benefits of a balanced output with a pure XLR-to-XLR connection.

A Long Run Between Components?

If your amplifier and speakers sit far from your source, we recommend a long interconnect over a long speaker cable. A really long interconnect affects system performance less than a really long speaker cable.

When Is It Time to Upgrade?

An interconnect often stays in a system for years, so it is easy to overlook. Look again when something else changes: a new DAC, streamer or phono stage, a better amplifier, or a move to components with balanced XLR jacks.

Pairs Well With

An interconnect is one link in the chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Preamplifiers — source to preamp, preamp to amp
• Stereo Amplifiers — the power amp end of a separates system
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — DAC output to preamp
• Power Cables — clean power at both ends

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CG XLR connector?

Cardas's reference cable-mount XLR. A three-piece threaded brass body, silver contacts under a rhodium flash, a fourth solder pin to bond the shell, and a red or black O-ring to mark the channel.

Why is the cable 13 mm thick?

Two rings of air tubes and the composite shield take room. Cardas says the shielding and air-tube suspension are what bring the body to 0.511 inches.

Does the 13 mm body need an adaptor with XLR?

The balanced version needs none. Cardas redesigned the CG XLR to take the Clear Beyond's 13 mm body, so the cable ends in the plug alone.

How long does break-in take?

Cardas says at most 200 hours, and usually half that. Its advice is simple: "Plug them in, leave them plugged in, and enjoy your life."

What warranty does Cardas give?

A lifetime warranty. Every Litz strand is sealed in enamel, so the copper does not oxidize. Cardas says that is why its cables last.

See It in Action

Audio Advisor's tour of the Cardas factory in Bandon, where the Clear Beyond is built and terminated.

Audio Advisor walks through Cardas cable construction, from Litz strands to hand-soldered plugs.

Need a Different Length or Connector?

The most popular configurations are shown on this page. If your system requires a different length or termination, call our audio experts. We’ll help you choose the right configuration and arrange a custom cable for your system.

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Learn More

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