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PAD Aqueous 20th Anniv. vs Cardas Golden Ref. IC's

Would you consider an upgrade moving from Cardas G.Ref. to Purist Aqueous 20th Anniversary XLR interconnects?

I had all Cardas Golden Reference cables in my system before, then I upgraded power cords purchasing Kubala Sosna Emotion for the Accuphase DP700 and Purist Aqueous 20th Anniversary for the Luxman 509u.
Speaker cabkes (double pair-biwiring), balanced interconnects and 20A power cord for Purepower 3000 AC regenerator are still Cardas Golden Reference (I am planning to te-terminate the 20A p.c. with Oyaide P079-C279 gold plated plugs like those on the Purist power cords).

My system is solid state with (wonderful but still) digital source and B&W 803D speakers, so IMHO cables should stay on the warm side to avoid any coldness/hardness/edginess/forwardness/listening fatigue.

My aim is a full bodied sound with rich, natural tone and sweet but still extended, not veiled highs, I think I am very near to my "perfect sound".

I tried K/S Emotion XLR IC's but compared to my Cardas G.Ref. they sounded too much "neutral" to my ears; now I can purchase a pair of used Purist Aqueous 20th Anniversary XLR interconnects without auditioning them in my system.

I guess the Aqueous IC's sound like the power cord I use on my integated amp, but it would be better if I had some opinions of people who compared them with my Cardas Golden Reference.

If it can be considered a side-grade (expecially if I'd lose bass weight) I would save my money and keep my Cardas.

Many thanks
biggy79
biggy79 OP
64 posts
 
@ Zd542 : why did you get rid of the PAD?
In what parameters did you find the Cardas better than it?

Thanks
jfrech's avatar
jfrech
1,816 posts
 
I think if you moved up in the Purist line you'd hear significant improvements...such as Purist Venustas or higher...

The Proteous Provectus are a serious upgrade...as rsf507 suggests...
zd542
5,339 posts
 
The Purist is a wow cable. You put it in the system and you hear a big difference. Over time, though, you start to hear the weaknesses. For me, the biggest issue was the high frequencies. With copper, if you don't get it just right, there is a roughness to the top end. Its not bright, but a grainy or grit, type of sound. It was easy to hear with the PAD. The Cardas does it too, but not nearly as much. The only copper cables I've heard that completely eliminate this type of flaw are very well designed solid core cables. My AQ and Tara don't have that trait.

Another thing the Cardas did better was resolve detail. It just allowed more information to pass through it and the sound was much more balanced as a result of it.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that every system is different. Other people may not get the same results I did. Also, my system is more detailed than most, and that will be a factor too. Looking at the rest of your system, I can say that it doesn't have the detail mine does, but enough that you should be able to pick out what I didn't like about the PAD. Unless you can demo before you buy, I would look at a different cable, or just keep what you have. The Cardas is an excellent cable.
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