Since welcoming Cardas Audio to our portfolio, one question has consistently resonated with our customers: What exactly is the 'special' copper Cardas Audio uses?
So lets answer that question...
In the world of high-end audio, every component plays a crucial role in the faithful reproduction of music. And when it comes to cabling, few manufacturers command as much respect for their meticulous approach as Cardas Audio. While many tout "high-purity copper," Cardas takes this concept to an almost alchemical level, developing a proprietary copper that forms the very heart of their renowned cables.
So, what makes Cardas Audio's copper so special? It's a combination of unwavering dedication to purity, a unique manufacturing process, and an ingenious application of natural mathematical principles.
Beyond Purity Ratings: The "Grain" of Truth
George Cardas, the visionary founder of Cardas Audio, famously stated he was "forced into the copper business" due to the declining quality of commercially available wire. He understood that mere purity ratings (like 99.999% OFC) didn't tell the whole story. The structure of the copper, its crystalline grain, was paramount.
Cardas sources raw copper from specific mines and then subjects it to a slow, methodical drawing and annealing process. Unlike conventional methods that can "shred" the crystalline structure and introduce impurities, Cardas's proprietary technique ensures an incredibly smooth and uniform grain from the surface to the core. This is often done in inert atmospheres (like hydrogen-reducing atmospheres or pure steam) to meticulously control the crystal formation and prevent oxidation. The result is a continuous, contiguous grain that allows electrons to flow with minimal impediment – think of it as a perfectly paved, multi-lane highway for your audio signal.
The Golden Ratio and Constant Q Stranding: A Symphony of Science
The magic of Cardas copper doesn't stop at its purity and grain structure. It's how this special copper is then arranged within the cable that truly sets it apart. Cardas Audio famously employs the Golden Ratio (approximately 1:1.618) in the geometric stranding of their conductors.
This concept, found throughout nature from the nautilus shell (their logo!) to the human body, is applied to their multi-stranded Litz conductors. In these designs:
- Golden Ratio Stranding: The smallest wires are at the center of the conductor, with each subsequent layer increasing in size at a Golden Ratio step. This innovative technique, patented by George Cardas, is designed to mathematically eliminate resonant multiples and micro-resonances within the cable. By ensuring individual strands do not share common mathematical nodes or resonant points, they effectively cancel out the noise they might otherwise generate.
- Constant Q Stranding: This goes hand-in-hand with the Golden Ratio. "Constant Q" stranding significantly reduces the inductively stored and reflected energy that can lead to cable resonance, smearing, and coloration of the sound. It allows each strand to share the signal load equally, preventing non-linearity.
Litz Wire and Matched Propagation Technology: Preserving the Signal
Further enhancing their copper's performance, Cardas employs:
- Litz Wire Construction: Each individual strand of copper is immediately coated with a single poly-nylon layer after drawing. This crucial step prevents oxidation of the copper and eliminates crosstalk between individual strands, ensuring a clean signal path.
- Matched Propagation Technology (in their "Clear" line): This patented technology precisely controls the propagation rate of the conductor to match that of the dielectric material. This addresses issues of time-smear distortion, ensuring the signal remains intact throughout its journey and preserving musical integrity and dynamic range.
The Cardas Difference
The painstaking effort Cardas Audio puts into its proprietary copper and cable designs results in an audible difference. Cardas cables are renowned for their:
- Natural and Organic Sound: A hallmark of Cardas is their ability to reproduce music with a remarkable sense of realism and musicality, avoiding any harshness or artificiality.
- Detailed and Expansive Soundstage: The controlled signal integrity allows for a clear, well-defined soundstage with precise imaging.
- Deep and Articulated Bass: The superior conductivity and resonance control contribute to tight, impactful, and nuanced bass response.
- Smooth and Extended Treble: High frequencies are rendered with air and detail, without being fatiguing.
In essence, Cardas Audio's "special copper" isn't just about raw material; it's about a holistic approach to conductor design. It's the culmination of deep scientific understanding, meticulous manufacturing, and a profound respect for the integrity of the musical signal. For serious audiophiles, this dedication to the unseen alchemy of copper translates into an undeniably richer and more engaging listening experience.