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Cardas Cold Forging

Has anyone tried the new Cardas option to have their speaker cable and connectors cold forged, making for a solid connection with no "connective" points with solder, etc. Sounds good in theory for line transmission, but can you hear any difference? If so what? I'm using Cardas Golden Reference.
pubul57
jfrech's avatar
jfrech
1,816 posts
 
pubul57,

try audiogon user lenny_zwik, i believe he had his golden reference sent back and reterminated. Pretty sure it's a nice improvement and worth it for lenny...
pubul57 OP
3,712 posts
 
I guess the idea is to eliminate a solder connection, but I
would think there are hundred between source through the
amp, including the ICs, got to wonder how it can make much
difference, but....

I called it cold forging, but it is really "Two Stage,
Compression Die Forging" where the copper of the cable and
the copper of the connector become one solid piece. This
connection "eliminates the Eddy Currents found in other
types of terminations by forging a perfect homogeneous flow
of conductor and connector." Well, that's the claim. So
there is theory and practice. Anyone tried upgrading the
Cardas cables with this process?
hifihvn
943 posts
 
It's a plain old fashion compression crimp that everyone has been using for years. I don't see why they even mention it. You could get 10k pounds of pressure with hand crimpers. There is nothing unique on the video. It's just a sales pitch. Any other company that has crimp on terminals most likely has the same connection, or better. Even budget generic ones. The die is replaceable for different terminals. All crimpers have dies. If they want to run a different size through, they just change the die to fit the different terminal. Old technology to the world. If there is anything different here that anyone with knowledge on crimpers has, please chime in. Google compression hydraulic crimpers, and you'll find a full variety. They're doing a double crimp with the terminal misaligned, in the video. That might be causing a worse crimp.Nobody is supposed to notice that, or they don't know better themselves. I have some Cardas, but I'm starting to wonder. Nothing new here.
jfrech's avatar
jfrech
1,816 posts
 
So it's amazing to me the opinions the fly around when the most important thing is how it sounds. Which no one seems to have heard here....at least I offered up someone that has heard it...

From watching the cardas video and having owned some of their cables, I doubt you can get that type of crimp by hand...unless your using some sort of manual hydraulic jack. That's heavy gauge wire and a serious spade....

Pubul57, keep searching for the truth here please and good luck
clio09
3,370 posts
 
I agree with Jfrech, it appears to be more than just your usual crimp.
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