Cardas Audio Clear Cygnus Tonearm Cable - 1.25 Meter - RCA'S to RCA's

Cardas Clear Cygnus Balances Cardas Musicality With Neutral Tonal Balance

A tonearm cable carries the phono signal from a turntable to a phono preamplifier, one of the most noise-sensitive links in the whole vinyl chain, since the signal here is far weaker than a line-level source. A premium cable differs from the plain lead a turntable ships with in conductor quality and shielding.

Cardas built Clear Cygnus to sit between Iridium and Clear: detailed without harshness, with strong low-frequency performance, aimed at listeners who want Cardas's musicality with a more neutral tonal balance than Iridium.

Matched Propagation Conductors, Star-Quad Geometry

Cardas says Clear Cygnus uses a Matched Propagation Kevlar core wrapped in Grade 1, 99.9999% pure OFHC copper with an SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions, insulated in a double-layered PTFE tape-wrapped jacket.

Air-Tube Shielding Borrowed From Clear

Clear Cygnus uses a Star-Quad four-conductor geometry with anti-static LDPE air-tubes bound in carbon-impregnated PTFE tape, Cardas says. An outer layer of PTFE air-tubes, scaled 1.618 times larger than the core tubes, suspends a composite shield of tinned copper and magnet wire away from the signal conductors. Gauge is 4x25.5 AWG, diameter 0.384 inches (9.76mm).

The Connectors, Explained

Clear Cygnus terminates at the turntable end in a Cardas S-DIN plug or a pair of RCA plugs, and at the phono-stage end in a pair of RCA plugs (Cardas's proprietary GRMO plug on the DIN version, described in plain terms as RCA-equivalent).

Who Is This Cable Best For?

• You want Cardas's musicality with a more neutral tonal balance than Iridium — Clear Cygnus sits between Iridium and Clear for exactly that reason
• Your turntable has a detachable DIN-style tonearm lead — the S-DIN-to-RCA version connects that lead straight to your phono stage
• Your turntable's tonearm wiring runs straight out to RCA plugs — the RCA-to-RCA version fits that connection directly
• You want Clear's air-tube shielding approach without Clear's flagship price — Clear Cygnus carries that same 1.618-scaled air-tube geometry at a considerably lower cost
• Your budget calls for Cardas's entry phono cable instead — Cardas Iridium carries a simpler Star-Quad construction at a lower price

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Connect the turntable end (RCA or Cardas S-DIN, depending on your tonearm's wiring) to your turntable or tonearm's output, and the RCA end to your phono preamplifier's phono input.

Then power up the system as usual. Other and longer lengths available. Call for prices.

Pairs Well With

A tonearm cable is one link in the vinyl playback chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Turntables — the source of the signal or ground point this cable connects to
• Phono Preamplifiers — the usual destination at the other end of this cable
• Phono Cartridges — the cartridge is what actually generates the signal this cable carries
• Stereo Amplifiers — many integrated amps include a built-in phono stage of their own

Frequently Asked Questions

Does direction matter when I connect this cable?

Where a maker marks a direction on a tonearm cable's conductors, connect it running from the turntable end toward the phono stage as marked, so induced noise drains away from the circuits it would otherwise disturb.

Is this cable balanced or unbalanced?

Unbalanced. Standard RCA and single-ended DIN connections are unbalanced; this cable is not a balanced connection unless its listing says otherwise.

How does Clear Cygnus differ from Clear?

Both share a Matched Propagation Kevlar core and 1.618-scaled air-tube shielding; Clear uses ultra-fine 41-to-39 AWG conductors, where Clear Cygnus uses a simpler Star-Quad geometry at 4x25.5 AWG, at a considerably lower price.

Is there a step up?

Cardas Clear is the next step up, Cardas's flagship phono cable, built for reference-level systems.

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