Cardas Audio Crosslink Interconnect Cable - 2.5 Meter - RCA to RCA - Pair

What You Need to Know

What Is the Crosslink Interconnect Cable — What Does It Do?

An interconnect carries music between two pieces of gear. Like from a CD player to an amp. Or from a streamer to a preamp. The cable sends a small signal, called line level. Almost every home stereo uses these cables.

The Crosslink uses RCA plugs. RCA is the most common audio plug. The plugs are small, round, and color-coded. Red is the right channel. Black or white is the left. If your gear has these plugs, this cable fits.

Cardas makes eight interconnects. The Crosslink is the entry. It costs the least. But it is built with the same care as the Cardas top cables. The ones that go in five-figure systems. Same shop. Same hands. Same standards.

What's the Difference With Cardas Crosslink Cable

The wire inside is Cardas Grade 2 oxygen-free copper. It is 99.99% pure. Cardas uses Litz wire here. Litz means many tiny wires, each one coated. The coating stops the wires from rusting. It also keeps each wire apart from the others.

Inside each Litz wire, the strands grow in size from the middle out. The smallest sit in the center. Each new layer is bigger. The size jump follows the Golden Ratio (1 to 1.618). George Cardas earned two patents for this idea in the 1980s.

The strand layers also twist in different directions. Cardas calls this Crossfield. It helps the cable ignore noise. RFI is noise from radio, Wi-Fi, and cell signals. EMI is noise from power lines and motors. The Crossfield design pushes both kinds of noise away.

A tin-plated copper shield wraps the wires. The shield is a second line of defense against RFI and EMI. A flexible PVC jacket covers the whole cable. It stays slim and easy to bend, even in tight spots behind a stereo rack.

The plugs are Cardas GRCM RCAs. Cardas makes these in their own shop. Each plug is hand-soldered to the wire. The solder is Cardas Quad Eutectic Solder, a Cardas recipe used on most of their cables.

Cardas has been a family business for almost 40 years. George Cardas started the company in 1987. He used to be a phone-line engineer. He moved the shop to Bandon, Oregon in 1992. His daughter Angela runs it now. The Crosslink is hand-built there.

Where Does the Crosslink Cable Belong in Your System?

The Crosslink fits the kind of system most music lovers own. A real stereo. A home theater. A bedroom or desktop rig. It is built to be your first real cable upgrade.

• Good fit: Entry and mid-level stereo systems; home theater receivers; second or bedroom systems; desktop audio with a DAC and powered speakers; vintage gear with tight RCA jacks (the slim profile helps).
• Not a fit: High-end reference systems where a bigger Cardas cable matches the gear better; long runs over 3 feet between two pieces of gear, where balanced XLR (if your gear supports it) handles noise better.
• Looking to step up? The next rung is the Cardas Iridium, the first Cardas cable to use Grade 1 Ultra Pure copper.

Length: Use the shortest cable that reaches your two pieces of gear. Leave a little slack. The plugs should not be pulled tight. See the length selector above for the SKUs we stock. Need a length we don't show? Call us at 800-942-0220.

What About the Crosslink Warranty?

Cardas backs the Crosslink with a lifetime warranty. The warranty covers shorts, loose plugs, and other defects. It does not cover normal wear, scratches, or pet damage. Cardas honors this warranty out of their Oregon shop.

If your needs change later, Cardas can re-terminate the cable. They can change the plugs. Or cut a long pair into two shorter pairs. Pricing varies. Call us at 800-942-0220 or contact Cardas for a quote.

Pairs Well With

Building your system? Here are some natural matches for the Crosslink:

• Step up the Cardas ladder: The Cardas Iridium Interconnect is the next rung up and the first Cardas cable to use Grade 1 Ultra Pure copper.
• Matching speaker cable: The Cardas Crosslink Speaker Cable is the natural partner. Same family. Same value.
• DACs and streamers: Browse the DACs and digital sources at Audio Advisor.
• Integrated amps and preamps: See our integrated amplifiers and preamps.
• Phono stages: Connect a turntable's phono preamp to your line stage with a Crosslink.

Features & Specifications

Conductor

Cardas Grade 2 oxygen-free copper, 99.99% pure, in Litz construction. Two conductors per channel, each sized to Golden Ratio steps. Total 2 x 20.5 AWG.

Geometry

Twisted-pair Litz with Crossfield layer geometry. Natural cotton filler bound in FEP tape. Designed to push noise away from the signal.

Dielectric

Polyurethane jacket on each conductor. Cotton filler and FEP tape inside the cable.

Shielding

Tin-plated copper spiral shield. Helps reject RFI (radio, Wi-Fi, cell signals) and EMI (transformers, motors).

Connectors

Cardas GRCM RCA plugs. Machined by Cardas, gold-plated.

Termination

Hand-soldered with Cardas Quad Eutectic Solder in Bandon, Oregon.

Outside Diameter

0.303" / 7.69 mm. Slim profile fits tight spots and vintage gear.

Jacket

Flexible PVC outer jacket. Easy to dress behind a rack.

Available Lengths

Multiple lengths stocked at Audio Advisor. See the length selector above for current SKUs. Need a custom length? Call 800-942-0220.

Warranty

Cardas Audio lifetime warranty against functional defects.

Quick-Reference Specifications

See It in Action

Audio Advisor's own video tour of the Cardas factory shows how the Crosslink and the rest of the Cardas line are built — the same shop, the same hands, on every cable.

This second Audio Advisor video walks through the Cardas cable construction step-by-step — Litz strands, Golden Ratio sizing, Crossfield layering, and the hand-soldered terminations.

Professional Reviews

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