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Cardas: Cross vs. Reference and Clear

Anyone out there prefer the old Cardas Cross line to the Reference line (Neutral Ref, Golden Presence, Golden Ref) or Clear?  I read that some preferred Cross to Golden Cross because Cross had bigger soundstaging and dynamics, while Golden Cross was more laid back/reserved, even if Gold Cross was more refined.  

Similarly, Clear has been disliked by some of the faithful for stepping too far away from the traditional Cardas house sound.  In fact, with Clear Reflection, Clear Beyond, and perhaps Cygnus (the newest entry to lineup as of this writing), it seems that Cardas has reincorporated more of the warmth, or romance, of their older cables.
readargos

Showing 2 responses by readargos

readargos OP
23 posts
 
Thanks, tooblue.  If you recall, what did you like better about Cross?  I have owned Quadlink ICs, and currently have Golden Ref, Neutral Ref, and Golden Presence ICs (sets of each - I'm glutton for punishment, I guess).  Previously owned Neutral Ref speaker, but currently using Golden Ref.  Had a short-term loaner of Quadlink speaker from a friend before I got Neutral Ref speaker.

I have heard Cross sound good in other systems, but never tried it in my own.
readargos OP
23 posts
 
Thanks, stringreen. As you might guess, I've found Cardas a good match in my system, although I do hear them as being less transparent than some competitors.

A friend has been using Cross for years. He recently added a pair of Clear Light.  In direct comparison, he reports that Light maybe sounds a little louder at the same volume, with maybe more detail in the upper frequencies, but that they are very close overall. His system is solid state, as is mine. 

My experience with Cross and Clear (M) has been limited to the power cords in my own system. 

Cross was a mainstay in the Cardas lineup for nearly 20 years if I'm not mistaken. Altough Quadlink was replaced by Parsec, as yet, there is no direct replacement for Cross in the new lineup. I find that curious.
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