CARDAS Fans: Golden vs. Neutral vs. Presence?

I just went from Zu Gede ICs to Golden Reference. The improvement was quite noticeable across the spectrum. I'm using it with McIntosh and the Mc is nice and smooth to start with. I was originally planning to buy GC but my dealer talked me into GR. They're about the same price.

I'm happy with the GR. GC are well-known for being smooth. If I still had my Krell I would have got the GC for sure but with my Mc it might have been overdoing it. Spending the $$$ on the GR surely made me a believer that you can keep improving the sound with cables but it costs.

I had tried a lot of $200 and under cables and the GR was a clear step up from all of those. I don't think you could go wrong with GC - they sell almost immediately used on Agon. I could understand reviewers saying GR are bright if their system already tends that way. I spent a lot of time and money getting away from the harsh highs.

Probably any cable would sound decent with the Mcintosh IMO. What components are you using? It really depends on the synergy the cable will have with the components. And Usblues is right - you'll get a slew of responses all recommending something different. I would stick with well-characterized brands where you can read a lot of different opinions on a single model, e.g., Golden Cross. You'll get a feeling about the sound if you read enough different opinions about it. I wouldn't trust a single "professional" review.

Having owned the original Golden Cross for over a decade I upgraded to the recent configuration of The Golden Reference last year and noticed more detail in the mid range in my system. Other than that they are about the same but the detail brought fourth by the Golden Reference was worth the money spent having bought them here used on Agon. I also upgraded all my Power Chords from The Hex Chord by Cardas to the Golden Reference. This made the backround more black,more silent for the instruments to emit from.

I've used and auditioned a lot of cables from a lot of companies over the years (top of line to midgrade) and I continue to come back to the Golden Refs. I find the Golden Refs are pretty much neutral sounding cables, perhaps just a touch warm. They pretty much communicate what the rest of your system is doing (wonder why people claim they're anything from overly warm to lean).
They are not a cable that jumps out at you in any department, there are cables that are more detailed, quieter, airy, spacious, etc. The GR's just kind of cover all the bases nicely, you can build a nice musical system around them. Want some more air and spaciousness add a bit of silver somewhere, need more bass, get some PAD Dominus, I could go on and on.
The Golden Cross have always been too warm and lacking in detail when I've tried them, YMMV.

Quite a difference in opinion. Just as I found on searching the net on these.

I wasn't even asking about the Golden Cross, but I appreciate the opinions. That cable seems to have many admirers. From my understanding, it has an engaging, pleasant sound that lacks some detail and is a bit rolled off on the highs. People especially like it who find it makes their older, less than perfect recordings sound more pleasant.

It is interesting that two gentlemen here moved on from Cardas and really don't like it. I have found other similar comments on Audiogon and other sites, as I have found high praise as well.

It seems the Golden Reference IC gets higher marks than the speaker cable. Some consider the spkr. cable a bit heavy in the bass, but the "body" vs. "mouth" emphasis thing is what I wonder about. I do know what that reviewer was talking about, because I hear this in other components. Rather than hearing the resonant cavity of the throat, or guitar or violin body, certain components emphasize the "lip" sound or the sibilants or attack on the notes, to the detriment of thinning out the important resonant component, which gives body to the sound, sounding less electronic and more real.

I certainly welcome more comments. And I've heard from no one regarding the Neutral Reference or the Golden Presence.

I've owned both the golden reference and the neutral reference and both in interconnects and speaker cables. IMHO the golden reference is better in all respects. In my system, the major difference is that the golden reference has very good body and timbre. The neutral was quite veiled and timing was muddy - again, limited to my system(s) experience. I can recommend the golden reference, but the neutral is not my cup of tea at all. Also, I feel the moniker of "neutral" versus "golden" and its implication that the "golden" is warmer and less neutral is inaccurate. The "golden" is simply a better cable and therefore my conclusion is that the "golden" is also more neutral than the "neutral" since it interferes less with my perception of the music. Last, none of the Cardas cables IMHO are super detailed, fast or super transparent. However, the golden reference does timbre and body very well, especially in a system that is already too bright. Of course, limited to my experience and subjectivity. Jeff