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Cardas Clear Cygnus Interconnect

Cardas

Clear Cygnus Interconnect

$800 - $3,900

Cardas · Clear Cygnus

Four Matched Propagation conductors in a star quad, taking the construction of the flagship cables to a price most systems can justify. Organic, dynamic and neutral.

Price is for a hand-terminated stereo pair.

Build your cable

4 × 25.5 AWG
Cardas Litz conductors, Golden Ratio stranding
Star-quad
four-conductor geometry
9.8 mm
outside diameter
0.5–5 m
standard lengths, any length to order

Clear Cygnus Interconnect borrows the star-quad geometry and air-tube suspension of Clear Beyond, with four 25.5 AWG Matched Propagation conductors insulated in a double layer of PTFE tape rather than extruded PTFE. The composite shield sits on its own layer of larger air tubes, away from the signal conductors.

Cardas calls it very organic and dynamic, with a neutral tonal balance that keeps the Cardas character, and it works at almost any length in almost any system. Standard connectors are the Cardas GRMO RCA or CE XLR; the CG XLR used on Clear and Clear Beyond is available as a $400-per-pair upgrade.

Key technologies

  • Matched Propagation Technology. US Patent 7,674,973: the propagation rate of the conductor is matched to that of the dielectric through the conductor's internal geometry, so the signal is not smeared in time.
  • Ultra Pure Cardas Copper. Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen-free copper, drawn and annealed slowly through silver dies, then given a single poly-nylon coat to prevent oxidation and crosstalk between strands.
  • Golden Ratio scaled Litz conductors. Multi-stranded conductors in which each layer of strands steps up in size by 1:1.618 from the centre outward, a Cardas patent that controls strand resonance.
  • Air-tube suspension. Anti-static LDPE air tubes and carbon-impregnated PTFE tape hold the conductors in air; a second layer of tubes 1.618 times larger suspends the composite shield away from the signal path.
  • Made in Bandon, Oregon. Every Cardas cable is built and hand terminated at the Cardas factory on the southern Oregon coast, and carries a transferable lifetime warranty.

Choosing length and terminations

  • Measure component-to-component along the real path, including the drop behind the rack, and round up to the next half metre.
  • Use XLR when both components have true balanced connections; otherwise RCA. Cardas builds XLR and RCA versions at the same price.
  • A pair covers one stereo connection — source to preamp, or preamp to power amp.
  • Longer than 5 m? Cardas prices custom lengths by formula — call us for a quote.
Specifications
Type Analog interconnect, stereo pair
Conductors 4 × 25.5 AWG; Matched Propagation Kevlar-core Litz, double-layer PTFE tape insulation
Geometry Star-quad, four conductors with anti-static LDPE air tubes bound in carbon-impregnated PTFE tape; outer PTFE air tubes scaled 1.618× suspend the composite shield of tinned copper and magnet wire
Dielectric Double-layer PTFE tape wrap on each conductor; LDPE and PTFE air tubes
Jacket Ultra-soft extruded TPR
Outside diameter 0.384 in (9.8 mm)
Terminations Cardas GRMO RCA or Cardas CE XLR; Cardas CG XLR upgrade +$400 per pair
Lengths 0.5 m to 5 m standard (see selector); any length to order
Sold as Pair

cardas.com · Specifications and pricing from the Cardas Spring 2025 Retail Catalog. Cable lengths are metric; Cardas builds any length to order.

Where it sits in the range

Cardas interconnects run from Iridium to Clear Beyond; the Clear-range cables (Sky and above) use Matched Propagation conductors.

We stock or demo select Cardas lines and can order anything in the catalog, from Iridium to Clear Beyond.

Plan your cabling with Pearl Audio

Pearl Audio is an authorized Cardas dealer in Portland, Oregon, a short drive from the Cardas factory in Bandon. We can measure your runs, recommend terminations for your components, and special-order custom lengths and connector options. Call (503) 222-2599 or email sales@pearlaudio.com.

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