Cardas Audio Clear Cygnus Interconnect Cable - XLR to XLR

Clear Cygnus Borrows the Flagship's Suspension

Cardas Audio's Clear Cygnus takes the air-tube suspension of the Cardas flagship, the Clear Beyond, and builds a more economical version of it. Cardas says so in as many words. It replaced the Clear Light in the line. Each cable is hand terminated in Bandon, Oregon.

Other length & termination options are available. Call us to discuss your needs.

Air Tubes Inside Air Tubes

The conductors are Cardas Grade 1 copper, 99.9999% pure, in Litz form with each strand enamel coated. Each is a Matched Propagation conductor wound on a Kevlar core, with strand sizes stepped in Golden Ratio proportions. Four conductors run at 25.5 AWG.

Four Conductors, a Composite Shield, and a Golden Ratio Gap

The four conductors sit in a star-quad, each inside an anti-static LDPE air tube. Carbon-impregnated PTFE tape binds the group. Around that, a second ring of PTFE air tubes, scaled 1.618 times larger than the core tubes, holds the shield away from the conductors.

The shield is a composite of tinned copper and magnet wire. A double layer of PTFE tape jackets the conductors, and an ultra-soft extruded TPR jacket finishes the cable at 9.76 mm across. The 1.618 spacing is the Golden Ratio again, applied to the gap rather than the strands.

The CE XLR, at the Top of Its Range

Clear Cygnus is the last Cardas interconnect to carry the CE XLR before the line moves to the reference CG XLR. The CE XLR is machined from high-copper, non-magnetic brass with silver-plated contacts, and Cardas solders it to the cable by hand in Bandon, Oregon.

Who Is This Interconnect Best For?

• You want the flagship's suspension in a normal rack — the Cygnus carries a more economical version of the Clear Beyond's geometry at 9.76 mm, so the idea fits without the bulk
• Your sources sit near power supplies and routers — the composite shield rides on its own ring of air tubes, so noise is rejected without loading the signal
• You want Matched Propagation with four conductors — the star-quad cancels induced noise, so the Clear line's timing fix arrives with a quieter layout
• You want a plug that locks — the CE XLR's latch holds it in the jack, and its brass body and silver contacts resist corrosion, so the connection stays clean
• Your components have only RCA jacks — the Clear Cygnus XLR is balanced at both ends and will not fit an RCA jack. Choose the Cardas Clear Cygnus RCA instead, or call us and we will match the connector

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run the Clear Cygnus from a balanced XLR output on your DAC, streamer, CD player or phono stage to a balanced XLR input on your preamp or amplifier. Keep left to left and right to right. Line up the pins and push until the latch clicks. Press the latch tab to release the plug.

Then leave it alone. Cardas says its cables settle with use, so plug in and listen.

Measure the Path, Then Add a Little Slack

Measure the route the cable will really take between your components, around shelves and behind the rack. Then add a little slack. As audio legend George Cardas puts it, "A cable that's just long enough usually turns out to be just not long enough." Keep the left and right cables the same length. We recommend a matched pair.

XLR on Both Ends, or Not at All

Balanced XLR works when both components have XLR jacks, and we recommend using XLRs whenever they do. If one component has only RCA jacks, use an RCA cable instead of an adapter. You only get the possible benefits of a balanced output with a pure XLR-to-XLR connection.

A Long Run Between Components?

If your amplifier and speakers sit far from your source, we recommend a long interconnect over a long speaker cable. A really long interconnect affects system performance less than a really long speaker cable.

When Is It Time to Upgrade?

An interconnect often stays in a system for years, so it is easy to overlook. Look again when something else changes: a new DAC, streamer or phono stage, a better amplifier, or a move to components with balanced XLR jacks.

Pairs Well With

An interconnect is one link in the chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Integrated Amplifiers — the usual input end
• Preamplifiers — source to preamp, preamp to amp
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — DAC output to amplifier
• Speaker Cables — the last link to the speakers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is air-tube suspension?

Two rings of hollow tubes. The inner ring holds each conductor mostly in air. The outer ring, scaled 1.618 times larger, holds the shield away from the conductors.

What is the CE XLR connector?

Cardas's own XLR plug, its standard balanced termination on the Crosslink through Clear Cygnus. High-copper, non-magnetic brass body, silver-plated contacts, hand soldered in Bandon, Oregon.

How long does break-in take?

Cardas says at most 200 hours, and usually half that. Its advice is simple: "Plug them in, leave them plugged in, and enjoy your life."

What warranty does Cardas give?

A lifetime warranty. Every Litz strand is sealed in enamel, so the copper does not oxidize. Cardas says that is why its cables last.

Is there a step up from the Clear Cygnus?

Cardas Clear Reflection XLR is the next rung. It moves to the CG XLR plug in a copper-colored finish, a suspended air-core twisted pair, and two composite shields.

See It in Action

Audio Advisor's tour of the Cardas factory in Bandon, where the Clear Cygnus is built and terminated.

Audio Advisor walks through Cardas cable construction, from Litz strands to hand-soldered plugs.

Need a Different Length or Connector?

The most popular configurations are shown on this page. If your system requires a different length or termination, call our audio experts. We’ll help you choose the right configuration and arrange a custom cable for your system.

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