Cardas Audio Iridium Speaker Cable - 2.5 Meter - Banana to Banana - Pair

Cardas Iridium Suits Almost Any Amplifier and Speaker

Cardas says Iridium suits virtually any amplifier and speaker combination, for long or short runs, with a rich midrange, strong bass and smooth treble. It says Iridium performs like a product costing much more.

Cardas makes it by hand in Bandon, Oregon. Iridium is a 2x11.5 AWG twisted pair that is very soft and flexible for its size, so it is easy to route. Cardas fits its CGMS spades or CABE bananas by hand. This 2.5-meter length is about 8 feet long.

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

What Six Nines of Copper Purity Gets You

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.

Why a Cable This Size Still Bends So Easily

The two conductors are twisted together with natural cotton filler, bound in PTFE tape and insulated in FEP. An ultra-soft TPR outer jacket keeps the 0.415-inch cable easy to route.

The CGMS spade is milled from high-purity billet copper and plated in silver and rhodium. Cardas makes it in 6.35mm and 9mm sizes, with a slight 13-degree angle, and fits it by hand.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Andre Jennings reviewed Iridium for The Absolute Sound on August 24, 2017. He wrote, "The Iridium leaned toward being a bit more even in sonic distribution with a slightly warmer-than-neutral presentation."

Who Is This Speaker Cable Best For?

• You want one cable that fits almost any system — Cardas built Iridium to suit virtually any amplifier and speaker combination
• You have a long run, or a short one — Cardas says Iridium works well at either length
• You have highly efficient speakers — Cardas says Iridium pairs well with highly efficient loudspeakers
• You want a cable reviewers stand behind — The Absolute Sound's Fall 2024 Buyer's Guide lists Iridium as an Editors' Choice
• Your speakers have two pairs of binding posts — pair Iridium with a set of Cardas 11.5 AWG jumpers, which Cardas recommends for bi-wire speakers

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.

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 I use Iridium with bi-wire speakers?

Yes, with jumpers. Cardas recommends its 11.5 AWG or 9.5 AWG jumpers to join the two pairs of binding posts.

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 Parsec is the next step, a Star-Quad cable on a braided Kevlar core that can be built as a bi-wire.

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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