Cardas Audio Clear Coaxial Digital Cable

Clear Digital Is Cardas's Most Revealing Coax Cable

Cardas Audio's Clear Digital is the top of its coaxial digital range. Cardas calls it "the most neutral, detailed, and revealing coax cable we have ever produced" and builds it for high-end digital playback. It uses the Matched Propagation conductors of the flagship Clear line, hand terminated in Bandon, Oregon.

Matched Propagation Strands Down to 41 Gauge

The conductor has a Kevlar core wound with ultra-fine Grade 1 copper, 99.9999% pure, each strand sealed in clear SPN enamel. Strand gauges run from 41 to 39 AWG in Golden Ratio steps. Cardas calls the layout cross-field, and insulates it in ultra-thin extruded PTFE.

Ordinary conductors, Cardas says, let the electrical charge in the insulation lag behind the signal in the copper, and low-level detail smears. Matched Propagation winds the strand layers so the two move together. Cardas says that is why the Clear line sounds so open.

A Single Coaxial Conductor in Anti-Static Air Tubes

The geometry is a single coaxial conductor, 25.5 gauge in total, held in anti-static LDPE air tubes bound by PTFE tape wrap. Cardas says the design is a 75-ohm coaxial digital cable for S/PDIF. An ultra-soft extruded TPR jacket finishes it at 8.89 millimeters across.

The SRCA Plugs, Explained

Clear Digital ends in a Cardas SRCA RCA plug at each end. RCA is the single-pin plug on the coaxial digital output of most CD players, streamers and DACs. The SRCA is Cardas's flagship-tier RCA plug: high-copper non-magnetic brass, silver-plated contacts with a rhodium flash and a gold-plated screw-on cover, with a 9.5 millimeter cable opening.

Who Is This Digital Cable Best For?

• You are feeding a reference DAC — Cardas designs Clear Digital to complement the best digital equipment on the market, so it belongs at the top of a front end
• You already own Cardas Clear cables — the same Matched Propagation Litz conductors run through the whole Clear line, so the digital link matches the rest
• Your CD player or streamer has a coaxial output — the SRCA plugs fit the orange coax socket on most sources and DACs, so no adapter is needed
• You want a true 75-ohm line — Cardas builds Clear Digital as a 75-ohm coaxial cable, so the signal sees one impedance from plug to plug
• Your gear has BNC or AES/EBU sockets — an RCA plug will not fit them. Choose the Cardas Clear Digital BNC to BNC instead, or call us and we will match the plug

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug one end into the coaxial digital output of your CD player, transport or streamer and the other into the coaxial digital input of your DAC or receiver. Then choose that input on the DAC and let it lock to the signal.

Then listen. Other and longer lengths available. Call for prices.

Pairs Well With

A digital cable is one link in a digital chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Digital-to-Analog Converters — the receiving end of the link
• CD Players and Transports — the classic coaxial source
• Music Streamers — a streamer with a digital output
• Power Cables — clean power at both ends

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Matched Propagation?

Cardas's conductor design. It winds the strand layers so the signal in the copper and the charge in the insulation travel at matched speeds, which Cardas says stops the smearing of low-level detail.

What is a Litz conductor?

Many fine strands, each sealed in its own enamel coat. Cardas says the coating stops strands from touching and keeps the copper from oxidizing over the life of the cable.

Why does 75 ohms matter?

The S/PDIF standard runs on a 75-ohm line. Cardas says the specific geometry of its digital cables achieves 75 ohms, so the signal meets the same impedance from plug to plug and reflections stay low.

What is S/PDIF?

The Sony/Philips Digital Interface, the standard behind the coaxial and optical digital sockets on consumer audio gear. Over coax it runs on a 75-ohm line with RCA or BNC plugs and carries stereo PCM and encoded surround.

What warranty does Cardas give?

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

Is there a step up?

Not in the Cardas coaxial digital range we carry. Clear Digital is the top of that ladder. If you want to go further, call us and we will talk through the whole chain.

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