Cardas Audio Iridium Interconnect Cable - XLR to XLR

The Iridium Is Where Cardas's Best Copper Begins

Cardas Audio's Iridium is the first Cardas interconnect to use Cardas Grade 1 copper. That is the same 99.9999% pure conductor found in every Cardas cable above it. Cardas says the aim was a balance of detail and warmth. Each cable is hand terminated in Bandon, Oregon.

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

Six Nines, in Litz Form

Grade 1 is drawn to six nines of purity. It is built as Litz wire: many fine strands, each sealed in a clear SPN enamel so strands never touch or oxidize. Strand sizes step up in Golden Ratio proportions from the core outward.

Four Conductors in a Square, and a Two-Part Shield

Four conductors, each 24.5 AWG, sit in a star-quad: a square, with opposite corners paired. Cardas binds them in PTFE tape. Star-quad is a layout used to cancel induced noise. Cardas pairs it with a hybrid shield: a spiral of tin-plated copper plus a carbon-impregnated PTFE tape.

An FEP jacket insulates each conductor. The outer jacket is an ultra-soft extruded TPR, a thermoplastic rubber Cardas chose for feel and flexibility. The finished cable measures 7.62 mm across, the slimmest in the Cardas interconnect line.

The CE XLR: Machined Brass, Silver Contacts

Iridium 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.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Andre Jennings, writing in The Absolute Sound on August 24, 2017, found: "The Iridium leaned toward being a bit more even in sonic distribution with a slightly warmer-than-neutral presentation."

The Iridium also appears in The Absolute Sound's 2016 Buyers Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories & Music, where the magazine recommended it.

Who Is This Interconnect Best For?

• You want Cardas Grade 1 copper in a first upgrade — the same six-nines Litz copper runs through every Cardas cable above it, so that decision is made
• Your rack is dense with power supplies and streaming gear — the star-quad and the two-part shield reject induced noise, so the shelf stays out of the signal
• You dress cables behind a shelf — the 7.62 mm body and soft TPR jacket bend where you need them, so the plugs sit square
• You want a plug built like the cable — the CE XLR is machined brass with silver contacts and it locks into the jack, so it grips and shrugs off corrosion
• Your components have only RCA jacks — the Iridium XLR is balanced at both ends and will not fit an RCA jack. Choose the Cardas Iridium RCA instead, or call us and we will match the connector

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run the Iridium 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
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — DAC output to amplifier
• Music Streamers — streamer output to amplifier
• Speaker Cables — the last link to the speakers

Frequently Asked Questions

What copper is in the Iridium?

Cardas Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen-free copper, in Litz form with each strand enamel coated. Cardas uses this same grade in every cable from the Iridium up.

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 Iridium?

Cardas Parsec XLR is the next rung. It keeps the Grade 1 copper and the CE XLR plug, and adds a Kevlar core in each conductor and polyethylene air-tube insulation.

See It in Action

Audio Advisor's tour of the Cardas factory in Bandon, where the Iridium 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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Learn More

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