cardas golden cros vs golden reference

My 2 cents - I have tried AQ power cords and everything I put them on has more attack - including the bass - but a bright system will appear brighter yet - attack cloaks as brightness. I use Cardas Golden Ref pretty much everywhere - started here - tried others - always return here. System is ARC Ref phono, Ref2 Preamp, VT100 MKIII (or my own Tube amps), and either NHT 3.3 or Vandersteem 5A's. I get the same IC/PC decision independent of the back end I use. But AQ NRG5 does make a godd CD tone control - depends on what you are litening to and whether you really want to go that nuts :-) I'd rather find the right shelf for the component to tweak the sound of it and stick with cardas.

what about golden presence?

I use several Cardas products in both of my systems - 2 channel and Theater. I agree with most of the posts I have read about Cardas cables - The Golden Reference, Golden Cross and neutral ref or all very musical cables. The Golden Cross is absolutely warm sounding cable - I find them adding some mid-bass and are very smooth and forgiving - the Neutral Ref are more open but still musical and the golden Ref I find a mix between the Neutral Ref & the Golden Cross.

It depends on what you are using in your system. I have a Pass amp, Rowland Pre, and Ayon CD player. I primarily use Golden Reference. It is the speaker cable and all of the power cords. However, I use Golden Cross as the XLR interconnect between the CD player and the pre amp as it gives a shade more warmth. My cd player is detailed and the Golden Cross IC works nicely in that context. I preciously used Golden Reference but like the Golden Cross more as the IC.

George, that last line captures it so well:

"All we can do, is to search for an aesthetic view of calming completeness that engage our emotions."

Art

Jmlab926,
True but I feel is too hot in that topic for me to comment there. In my case the Nordost SPM REF. was on the opposite side : completely flat & uninvolving & it seems to me as a faillure attempt by it's designer to catch the perfect achromatic monitor cable. Instead of this, it perceived by my set-up as a balanced but lean, flat & emotionless, (by saying balanced I mean that the leanness was spread across the whole spectrum) unable to move my senses and as such, I find it as an unreasonable & worthless effort. I didn't hear more detail, just less of everything else !
I'm sorry for avoiding reply there, but I'm doing the same where in the fields of VPIs, Sonus Fabers, Koetsus, Benz, & some others, in the fear of ... admiers may want to eat me alive.
I cannot accept the logic that we can find the perfect achromatic "invisible" anything. All we can do, is to search for an aesthetic view of calming completeness that engage our emotions.

George

geoch

your comment on the cardas hexlink golden 5c is relevant to my topic
on this cable

For speaker cable ONLY !
I agree with all of them.
I used to have Hexlink Golden 5C, Golden Cross, SE 9 & on loan for 3 weeks the Golden Ref.
The later is the best but very expensive.
The Hexlink Golden 5C is the real treasure. The perfect medicine for agressive or thin sound. An absolute calming delight.
You may give a chance to SE 9 as is the more energetic with more dynamic projection of the rest, but is expensive also & somewhat restricted in bass.
I would not advice for the Golden Cross. It has limited focus & bass & is a little laidback.
All of them has very wide soundstage, silky detail upon a full but not speedy foundation.
I find out a fine synergy with Van Den Hul The Second but I would suggest a try with the new The Orchid as it is way better in everything while is keeping the carbon character.

Golden Cross sounded way too warm and coloured for my wadia 861 cd player jeff rowland 201 amps and B&W804 speakers that i use to own. Haven't heard GR.

If you can afford the Golden Reference, that is the one I would recommend. It is somewhat warm, without being too warm, (like the Golden Cross can be in some systems). The GR is a very good cable, with pretty good resolution.

My two cents worth.

Cross line is warmer and more forgiving than the Reference line. However the Reference line is warm and forgiving compared to a lot of other cables, so it is hard to make an absolute recommendation.

From what I have heard from users of the ICs it sounds as if the Golden Cross is a little sweeter than the GR but as always it will depend on the rest of your gear. I use the GR speaker cables but other ICs.