I know George Cardas through his charming daughter, Mary Cardas. Angela, his other daughter, skillfully grows the company while George continues to do what he loves best: explore, invent, and improve the ways we audiophiles may more fully enjoy our grand hobby. Though I have never owned any products made by Cardas Audio, I have been paying very close attention to their developments.
The Clear Beyond Series of cables is only a year old, and the XL Power Cord even newer. It includes the most complex construction I know, of backed by pages of patents by George that make all other cables look bizarrely simplistic in construction. Take a look at this link for more: http://www.cardas.com/clear_beyond_power_xl.php
Though containing hundreds of the purest copper strands, each and every strand is coated with single poly nylon and only touch each other electrically at the final connection point. The connectors are massive metal-shielded designs, but they’re also lightweight, and are the most advanced this reviewer has ever seen. A unique filter is contained within the construction of the wire just after the wall connector, eliminating EMI/RFI and noise from other sources.
The Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Power XL is a true and unabashed tour de force, and represents a level of genius clearly at the very heart this company.
Top-tier power cords are the best way to tweak a state-of-the-art system for maximum realism and definition. After tube rolling, cable selection and matching, suspension tuning, final equipment selections, speaker adjustments, and room acoustics, you may not quite have that timbral naturalness and background blackness that brings the system to life. For that final adjustment, try different power cords to bring out those important nuances. They often make extraordinary differences.
Nearfield System Results
Sources:
- MagLev ML-1 Turntable with Ortofon 2M Black Cartridge
- ModWright Sony 900 with Ultimate Truth Tube Modifications
- E.A.R. 324 Phono Stage
- Townshend Allegri+ Passive Preamplifier
- Four Restored Classic FM Tuners
- Marten Duke 2 Speakers/Form Subwoofer
I only had two Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Power XL cords to try, but made good use of their stunning technology and effect. In my nearfield system, I compared my two reference power cords for my E.A.R. V12 Amplifier (50 watts per channel, 100% tubes designed by Tim de Paravicini) to the Cardas XL. My most expensive power cord was cleaner and faster than my usual selection, but a bit too mechanical and crisp sounding with most material. My usual reference and the most utilized power cord I own was warm, inviting, natural, and very nicely detailed. One occasionally forgot it was a recording, not a performance, with this most-often-used PC.
The Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Power XL in combination with the V12 Amplifier yielded one of those unforgettable, you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me moments an audiophile never forgets! The XL was easily 25% more detailed, produced a blacker background, was smoother than my already smooth reference, and captured timbral realism beyond my ability to describe in English. Like the fictional Red Violin, maybe George has captured DNA and infused it into this power cord such that it reveals not just a great recording, but a great performance just a few feet in front of you. I had to remind myself, this was just a power cord change, not an additional super widget component. The resulting system improvement in realism and mellifluousness with just one Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Power XL was fantastic and unassailable.
Far-Field System Results
Sources:
- E.A.R. 912 Tube Control Centre
- E.A.R. 890 Tube Amplifiers (2)
- E.A.R. PB88 Tube Phono Stage
- 3 Turntables/4 tonearms
- E.A.R. Acute 4 DAC/Transport
- Alesis Masterlink
- 4 Restored Classic FM Tuners
- Stax 009 Headphones and Stax Tube amplifier
- Marten Bird Speakers/ REL Stadium 3 Subwoofer
With solid satisfaction in my phono sections, amplifiers, and preamplifier in this large complicated system, I turned my attention to the E.A.R. Acute 4 DAC/Transport. Though I have tube rolled, tried many top interconnects, and more, the digital section remained too far behind my phono sections in sounding realistic and truly natural. Not happy with any one top power cord, I employed a cocktail of power cords to bring out the best possible sound. It was the cord to the tube DAC that I focused on. I had already tube rolled the DAC and shuffled the cables, but not to my total satisfaction.
I installed the Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Power XL into the DAC leaving the transport with my best available power cord. Utilizing both JVC Jazz CDs and my reference SACDs, the comparisons began. It was deja vu. The Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Power XL brought the DAC to its potential, and even beyond that. The gap between the phono and digital performances truly diminished. A liquid elegance and fleshy musical beauty emerged from a previous coolness and thinness. Where a piano was somewhere in the background behind Coltrane's Sax, you could now measure the distance between them. There was more definition, more textural layering, and much more realism. My digital section became compelling, uber-listenable, and almost analog. All this magic happened from replacing a single power cord!
And That Bass
All frequencies in both systems were continuously even top to bottom. That said, bass definition was significantly improved over and beyond any power cord at any price in my experience. There was as much definition, layering, shaping, and power from 100 hertz and down as from 100 hertz and up. The improvement was both quantitative and qualitative. I frankly had no idea my speakers or tube amps had this much real layered bass definition at these lower frequencies. It was cause for a glass of fine cognac as I pulled out my treasured Telarcs and Reference Recordings. The Cardas Cable Clear Beyond Power XL is a breakthrough design, no doubt about it!
Cardas Cable Clear Beyond Power XL: Additional Notes
Unlike most other high-end cords, the Cardas Cable Clear Beyond Power XL is really flexible and easy to work with. Though a bit heavy, it is quite manageable and never pulled anything off a shelf or got in the way. It required NO break-in. I heard no change from the moment I plugged it in to over 200 hours use. The fit and finish is MoMA quality. I ordered two-meter lengths for testing, just in case the wire was hard to use. If 1.5 meters works, save the money. The claim that the XL benefits all components regardless of their power needs was correct in my testing.
Summary
The Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Power XL is an all-around winner. While it performs like an ultimate power cord in all the ways one would expect with its pedigree, it enhances realism bringing textural musical nuances to life. It does this at every frequency, with every instrument, vocals, drums, and ambiance. Everything becomes a performance, not just a recording. An unabashed breakthrough in power cord design, you absolutely must listen to it in your audiophile system. The better the system, the better the Cardas XL Power Cord will perform. Just wait until you hear what the XL does in your digital setup!
I am left wondering what the Clear Beyond interconnects and speaker cables might be like.
We are truly living in an audiophile golden age. My Gold Medal just went to George Cardas and Cardas Audio for the Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Power XL. Bravo and my highest recommendation for those who want the very best from their treasured components.
Clear Beyond Power XL
Retail: $2480 for 1.5 Meters, $2695 for 2 Meters
Cardas Audio, Ltd.
480 11th St SE
Bandon, Oregon 97411
541.347.2484
