Cardas Audio Clear Power Cable

Clear Adds Filtering Born From Golden Reference Power

A power cable carries the last few feet of AC from the wall into a component. It can't add power a component doesn't draw, but a poorly shielded one lets noise ride in on that current.

Cardas describes Clear as born from the ashes of its highly successful Golden Reference Power cable, with additional filtering the company says increases dynamics. It shares Clear Reflection's gauge and jacket but adds that extra stage of filtration.

Three 11.5 AWG Conductors, Additional Filtering

Clear carries the same 3x11.5 AWG conductor gauge as Clear Reflection, for an outside diameter of 0.610 inches, insulated in a PFA jacket. Cardas built in additional filtering beyond Clear Reflection's design, which it says increases dynamics, the legacy of the Golden Reference Power cable Clear descends from.

Double Shielding, Tin-Plated Copper and Magnet Wire

The cable is double shielded with tin-plated copper and magnet wire, the same shielding approach Cardas uses on the Clear Beyond cables above it. Tin plating protects the copper surface against oxidation over years of continuous use.

The Connectors, Explained

Clear terminates in a Cardas power plug at the component end, soldered and crimped with silver/rhodium-plated solid copper contacts, which locks securely into the IEC inlet on your amplifier, DAC or other component, and a standard NEMA 5-15 three-prong plug for the US wall outlet at the wall end.

What Reviewers Are Saying

HiFi+'s Alan Sircom praised the Cardas Clear power cable line in issue 66 of the magazine, calling out its sound quality across the series.

Who Is This Power Cable Best For?

• You already own a Clear Reflection and want Cardas's added filtration stage — Clear builds on the same conductor gauge with the extra filtering Cardas carried over from Golden Reference Power
• You are feeding an amplifier and want more dynamic headroom — Cardas says the added filtering in Clear specifically increases dynamics
• You want tin-plated copper and magnet-wire shielding for long-term stability — that is the shielding Clear shares with Cardas's Clear Beyond line above it
• You value a double-shielded, hand-terminated build in the upper-middle of the Cardas range — that is exactly the tier Clear occupies
• Your component draws light, steady current and Clear Reflection already covers it — Cardas Clear Reflection is the lower-priced cable one rung down

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug the Cardas end into the IEC inlet on the back of your amplifier, DAC or other component, and the male end into a wall outlet or power conditioner outlet.

Then power up the system as usual. Other and longer lengths available. Call for prices.

Pairs Well With

A power cable is one link in the chain from the wall to your gear. It usually joins these categories.

• Power Conditioners — filter the whole circuit; the cable feeds the last few feet after it
• Integrated Amplifiers — the high-current load most power cables are built to feed
• Stereo Amplifiers — another high-current destination for the heavier gauges in this range
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — a low-current source component that still benefits from clean, quiet AC

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does shielding matter on an AC cable?

Cardas builds its power cables to keep radio-frequency and electromagnetic noise from riding in on the AC line and reaching sensitive circuits. A ground wire without that shielding can act like an antenna, pulling in exactly the noise a power cable is supposed to keep out.

Do power cables wear out?

Every metal conductor oxidizes over time; it is unavoidable chemistry, not a defect. What varies is the rate. Denser, better-shielded conductors with quality plating oxidize far more slowly, so a well-made cable performs the same way for years instead of drifting.

Will this affect my system's ground safety?

No change to your safety ground. Every cable in this line keeps the full three-conductor path, hot, neutral and ground, exactly as building code requires. What differs from a stock cord is conductor quality and shielding, not the wiring topology.

Is there a step up?

Cardas Clear Beyond is the next rung. Cardas takes a bigger-is-better approach there: larger 10 AWG conductors and its largest power filter.

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