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Cardas Audio's Crosslink is the entry to the Cardas interconnect line. Cardas built it for entry-level and mid-level stereo and home theater systems, and describes it as warm and forgiving but still detailed and musical. The copper is Cardas Grade 2, drawn to 99.99% purity.
Other length & termination options are available. Call us to discuss your needs.
Each conductor is Litz wire: many fine strands, each coated in a clear SPN enamel so no strand touches its neighbor. Strand sizes step up in Golden Ratio proportions from the center out, a Cardas signature. Two conductors run at 20.5 AWG, and the layers cross at an angle Cardas calls cross-field geometry.
The two conductors are twisted together around a natural cotton filler and bound in FEP tape. A spiral shield of tin-plated copper wraps the pair to keep radio and electrical noise out. A PVC jacket covers the whole cable. The outside diameter is 7.69 mm, slim enough for a crowded rack.
Crosslink ends in the Cardas CE XLR, the company's own XLR plug and its standard balanced termination here. The body is machined high-copper, non-magnetic brass and the contacts are silver plated. Cardas solders it to the cable by hand in Bandon, Oregon. The same plug serves every Cardas balanced interconnect up to the Clear Cygnus.
Run the Crosslink 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
An interconnect is one link in the chain. It usually joins these categories.
Cardas Grade 2, 99.99% pure oxygen-free copper, in Litz form with each strand enamel coated. Strand sizes are scaled to the Golden Ratio.
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."
A lifetime warranty. Every Litz strand is sealed in enamel, so the copper does not oxidize. Cardas says that is why its cables last.
Cardas Iridium XLR is the next rung. It moves to Cardas Grade 1 copper at 99.9999% purity and a four-conductor star-quad layout, with the same CE XLR plug.
Audio Advisor walks through how Cardas builds its cables, from Litz strands to hand-soldered plugs.
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.
Want to learn more about interconnects, RCA versus XLR, or cable break-in? Visit our Learning Center for guides, tips, and expert advice.
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