Cardas Audio Clear Reflection Speaker Cable - 2.5 Meter - Spade to Spade - Pair

Cardas Clear Reflection Blends Golden Reference Richness With Clear's Clarity

Cardas designed Clear Reflection to blend the richness and musicality of its classic Golden Reference with the clarity of Clear. It adds Matched Propagation technology. It is the only black cable in the Clear range, with copper-colored accents.

Cardas makes it by hand in Bandon, Oregon. Clear Reflection is a 12-conductor Tri-Quad cable, 12x11.5 AWG, with spades or bananas forged on at 10,000 psi. It can be internally bi-wired or tri-wired. This 2.5-meter length is about 8 feet long.

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

How Twelve Conductors Work as One Cable

Cardas arranges Clear Reflection's 12 conductors in three groups of four around an anti-static fiber core, with filler separating the groups. The bundle is bound in FEP tape inside a flexible TPR jacket, 0.680 inches across.

Like every cable in Cardas's Clear line, it uses Matched Propagation, covered by George Cardas's 2008 patent. Cardas controls the conductor's internal geometry so its propagation rate matches that of the insulation around it.

No Solder, Just 10,000 PSI of Pressure

The spades or bananas are forged on with 10,000 psi of pressure, a solder-free process in which the copper of the conductor and the connector fuse together as one, Cardas says.

Cardas uses its Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen-free copper, with a clear coating on every strand that Cardas says prevents oxidation. The company says its copper is mined in the Southwest USA and processed in the Northeast.

Each Litz conductor is built from many fine strands, each with its own coating. The smallest wires sit at the center, and each layer grows in size at the Golden Ratio, 1:1.618, Cardas says. Its Cross-field construction reverses every other layer.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Kirk Midtskog reviewed Clear Reflection for The Absolute Sound on August 18, 2015. He wrote, "I was charmed by Clear Reflection’s fluid, organized, detailed, and generally musically satisfying qualities."

Alan Sircom of hi-fi+ reviewed it on June 27, 2015, calling it "an excellent cable (both as interconnect and loudspeaker cable)".

Who Is This Speaker Cable Best For?

• You want richness and clarity in one cable — it blends Golden Reference warmth with Clear's clarity
• You drive big speakers with a big amplifier — Cardas says it pairs well with larger amps and demanding speakers
• You want a cable reviewers stand behind — The Absolute Sound named Clear Reflection a 2023 Editors' Choice
• Your speakers have two or three pairs of posts — it can be built bi-wired or tri-wired
• Your speakers have one pair of binding posts — order a standard listing, not a bi-wire one. Bi-wire versions need two pairs of posts on each speaker, so the standard cable is your fit

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Turn the amplifier off. Connect the cable to your speakers first, then to your amplifier's speaker outputs, red to red and black to black. Do the same for the second speaker.

The Measuring Mistake That Leaves You Inches Short

Speaker cable is cut for one room. Measure the path the cable will really take, around furniture and along the baseboard. Then add a little slack. As Cardas puts it, "A cable that's just long enough usually turns out to be just not long enough." Keep the left and right runs the same length, as Cardas recommends, even when one speaker sits closer.

Which Connector Holds Up Best Over the Years?

Spades clamp under a binding post and hold tight. Bananas push straight in, so they connect fastest. Bare wire fits almost anything, but we suggest avoiding it. Bare copper oxidizes quickly, and Cardas notes that copper oxide is not a good conductor. If you use bare wire, re-strip the ends when the copper darkens.

Two Pairs of Binding Posts? Here's What That Means

A bi-wire cable has four connectors at the speaker end instead of two. It is made for speakers with two pairs of binding posts. Your speaker's manual shows which links to remove.

Tighten the connections, power up, and play something you know well.

When Is It Time to Upgrade?

Speaker cable often stays put for years, so it tends to be the last thing upgraded. Look again when something else changes. Moving from bookshelf speakers to floorstanders is the big one. In our experience, about nine in ten people who make that move keep their old speaker cable. A stronger amplifier, a longer run, or darkened ends are the other signs.

Pairs Well With

A speaker cable joins your amplifier to your speakers. These are the categories on either end of it.

• Floorstanding Speakers — the best time to rethink your speaker cable
• Bookshelf Speakers — the speaker end in a smaller room
• Integrated Amplifiers — the amplifier end in most stereo systems
• Stereo Amplifiers — the amplifier end when you run separates

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Clear Reflection be bi-wired?

Yes. Cardas can build it internally bi-wired or tri-wired. Each listing's title says which it is.

Which end goes to the amplifier?

Cardas suggests installing its cables as if they are directional, so the signal flows the same way the text reads on the jacket. Turn the amplifier off, and connect the speakers first.

Does it need to break in?

Cardas says break-in takes at most 200 hours, and usually about half that. Playing music through the cable is the best way to do it.

What warranty does Cardas give?

Cardas backs its cables with a lifetime warranty covering bad or intermittent internal connections, shorts and loose connectors.

Is there a step up?

Cardas Clear is the next step, which Cardas calls the most musical and revealing speaker cable it has ever produced.

See It in Action

Audio Advisor visits Cardas in Bandon, Oregon, to show the solder-free compression forging Cardas uses on its forged speaker cable terminations.

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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