Clear Sky Interconnect

Cardas · Clear Sky

The least expensive Cardas interconnect with Matched Propagation conductors: transparent, dynamic, and the entry to the Clear range.

Price is for a hand-terminated stereo pair.

Build your cable

2 × 23.5 AWG
Cardas Litz conductors, Golden Ratio stranding
Braided
cross-field Litz geometry
9.3 mm
outside diameter
0.5–5 m
standard lengths, any length to order

Clear Sky uses two 23.5 AWG Matched Propagation conductors with a braided cross-field layer geometry, insulated in an ultra-thin FEP tape wrap. They form a shielded twisted pair held open by poly-e air tubes, with a tin-plated copper braid for the shield and an Alcryn rubber jacket.

Cardas describes it as transparent and dynamic with the Cardas richness, excellent in long or short lengths and suitable for any high-end system; it is, in their words, a cable that boxes above its weight. Standard connectors are the GRMO RCA or CE XLR.

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. Poly-e air tubes hold the twisted pair in air, and compressed air tubes keep the tin-plated copper braided shield and the jacket away from the conductors.
  • 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 2 × 23.5 AWG; Matched Propagation Kevlar-core braided Litz, ultra-thin FEP tape insulation
Geometry Shielded twisted pair with non-conductive poly-e air tubes bound in ultra-thin FEP tape; compressed poly-e air tubes suspend the tin-plated copper braided shield and jacket away from the conductors
Dielectric Ultra-thin FEP tape wrap on each conductor; poly-e air tubes
Jacket Extruded Alcryn rubber
Outside diameter 0.365 in (9.3 mm)
Terminations Cardas GRMO RCA or Cardas CE XLR
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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