Cardas Audio Clear Ethernet Cable

Clear Network Is Cardas's CAT-7 Ethernet Cable

An Ethernet cable carries data in packets, and built-in error correction means a damaged bit gets resent rather than heard as distortion. What still varies between cables is shielding against outside noise and how reliably the connection holds up over a longer run.

Cardas names its own Cat rating right in the product name: Clear Network, CAT-7 Ethernet. Cardas asks, of the category generally, who wouldn't want increased speed, increased bandwidth and less noise as network hard drives and higher-resolution streaming have raised the demands on an Ethernet cable.

Grade 1, 99.9999% Pure Oxygen-Free Copper

Cardas specifies 8x24 AWG conductors of Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen-free copper, arranged in shielded pairs, each pair carrying its own drain wire, for an outside diameter of 0.315 inches, or 8mm.

Foil and Braided Shielding, TPR Jacket

The bundle of shielded pairs is wrapped in a foil shield, then a braided shield over that, inside a flexible TPR (thermoplastic rubber) jacket. Cardas terminates every cable in Telegartner RJ45 connectors, hand-terminated by Cardas in Bandon, Oregon.

The Connectors, Explained

Clear Network ends in a Telegartner RJ45 plug on each end, hand-terminated by Cardas in Bandon, Oregon, which plugs into the RJ45 port on your router, switch, streamer or networked DAC.

Who Is This Ethernet Cable Best For?

• You want a Cat rating stated directly by the maker, not inferred — Cardas names CAT-7 in the product's own name, unlike the AudioQuest tiers in this category
• You value Cardas's own 99.9999% pure oxygen-free copper across your whole system — Clear Network uses the same Grade 1 copper standard as Cardas's interconnects and power cables
• You want double shielding, foil plus braided, rather than a single shield layer — that double-shield construction plus individual per-pair shielding is Clear Network's build
• You are feeding a reference-level networked streamer or server — Cardas positions this as the cable for network hard drives and higher-resolution streaming specifically
• You have no wired networking at all, only Wi-Fi — a streamer with built-in Wi-Fi is the better starting point; an Ethernet cable only helps once you have a router or switch to plug into

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug one end into an RJ45 port on your router, switch or network device, and the other end into the RJ45 port on your streamer, music server or networked DAC. Either end can go to either device.

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

Pairs Well With

An Ethernet cable is one link between your network and a source component. It usually joins these categories.

• Music Streamers — the most common source device an Ethernet cable feeds
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — many network-enabled DACs take an Ethernet input directly
• Home Theater Receivers — networked receivers stream over the same wired connection
• Power Conditioners — clean power for the same networked gear this cable feeds

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this cable really "Cat 7"?

Cat 7 and Cat 8 were never adopted as official ANSI or TIA standards, so the label describes a performance target, not a certified rating. The maker is upfront about this and says the cable's construction meets or exceeds the published Cat 7 and Cat 8 bandwidth specs regardless of the label's official status.

Why does Cardas name a specific plug brand?

Cardas terminates Clear Network in Telegartner RJ45 connectors, hand-terminated in Bandon, Oregon. Naming a specific connector brand rather than a generic RJ45 plug is consistent with how Cardas documents its interconnects and power cables as well.

Can a bad Ethernet cable damage my music files?

This is true of any Ethernet cable: network data travels in packets with built-in error correction, so a flawed connection causes a retransmission, not corrupted audio. What a premium cable changes is shielding against outside noise and connection reliability, not data integrity.

Do I need this if I already use Wi-Fi?

A wired connection is generally more stable than Wi-Fi, with no dropouts from interference or distance. If your source component has an Ethernet port, running a cable to it removes Wi-Fi from the equation entirely, whether or not you upgrade beyond the cable that came in the box.

Is there a step up?

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

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