Cardas Audio Clear Sky X4 Speaker Cable - 2.5 Meter - Banana to Spade - Pair

Cardas Clear Sky X4 Opens the Door to Cardas's Clear Line

Clear Sky X4 brings serious performance to the most affordable end of Cardas's Clear cable line. Cardas based it on Clear Cygnus, and says the X4 version offers better resolution than the original Sky and suits a wider range of speakers.

Cardas makes it by hand in Bandon, Oregon. Clear Sky X4 is a 4x15 AWG cable with braided Matched Propagation conductors. Cardas solders on its CGMS spades or CABD bananas, and the X4 layout allows internal bi-wiring. This 2.5-meter length is about 8 feet long.

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

The Patented Idea Behind Every Clear Cable

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. Clear Sky X4's braided conductors sit on a fibrillated polypropylene core.

Where Cardas Stops Noise Before It Starts

The conductors are insulated in low-noise PTFE tape and an electro-dissipative dielectric, inside a very flexible Alcryn rubber jacket. Clear Sky X4 measures 0.720 inches across, and Cardas finishes it with custom printed shrink tubing.

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.

Who Is This Speaker Cable Best For?

• You want Cardas's Clear line at its most affordable — Clear Sky X4 opens the Clear range, with Matched Propagation conductors
• You want a cable for a wide range of speakers — Cardas says the X4 version suits more speakers than the original Sky
• Your speakers have two pairs of binding posts — the X4 layout allows internal bi-wiring from one run
• You want a flexible cable — the Alcryn rubber jacket is very flexible
• 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

What does X4 mean?

It is Cardas's upgraded Clear Sky, with four braided conductors. The new layout also allows internal bi-wiring.

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 Cygnus is the next step, with forged terminations and Cardas's braided Matched Propagation conductors on a Kevlar core.

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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