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Cardas Golden Reference vs Magnan Signature vs MIT S1.3 Loudspeaker Cables

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Posted on November 16, 2014 at 03:29:05
Mikey8811
Audiophile

Posts: 188
Joined: June 4, 2011
Hi

My speaker cable shortlist is as follows:

Cardas Golden Reference
Magnan Signature
MIT Shotgun S1.3 (I would prefer the Magnum M1.3 but too expensive)

Feed back much appreciated from anyone with expereince with either and/or all the above.

Amp is Krell FPB 200c and speakers Vienna Acoustics Klimt The Kiss, interconnects Cardas Golden Cross.

Thanks in advance.

 

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RE: Cardas Golden Reference vs Magnan Signature vs MIT S1.3 Loudspeaker Cables, posted on November 17, 2014 at 11:06:52
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
If you like the Cardas sound, look into the companies newer cables/cords.

 

RE: Cardas Golden Reference vs Magnan Signature vs MIT S1.3 Loudspeaker Cables, posted on November 18, 2014 at 05:45:48
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
Another thought;
Call The Cable Company and consult these guys about the various models.

 

RE: Cardas Golden Reference vs Magnan Signature vs MIT S1.3 Loudspeaker Cables, posted on November 18, 2014 at 07:06:44
Mikey8811
Audiophile

Posts: 188
Joined: June 4, 2011
I have contacted the Cable Co. I am not in the US and cannot avail myself of their lending services.

They keep recommending Audience 24SE which I understand is on the lean side.

 

RE: Cardas Golden Reference vs Magnan Signature vs MIT S1.3 Loudspeaker Cables, posted on November 18, 2014 at 09:02:11
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7331
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000



- All cables must be properly treated on a burn-in device.

- I do not have any experience with Magnan, so I'm not at liberty to comment.

- Check all of my reviews of MIT's products. Pay close attention to the pros and cons, especially regarding how you can or cannot accommodate the bulky and heavy network boxes.

I have extensive experience with Nordost's car-priced Odin line. Reviewers fall all over themselves, in praising this line. Indeed, if your cable goal is to make signal transfer as close as the speed of light, the Odin is yours.

However, in reproducing your sources' musical attributes and character, MIT's upper-end models can outperform the vaunted Nordost Odin.

- I have had several Krell pieces (though not the FPB-200c), and all worked well with the appropriately-matched (using the incorrect impedance will make the music lose focus and mess up the transients) MIT interconnect/speaker cable.

- Also check out my reviews on Cardas products.

- The Golden Reference speaker cable is a very good product, 180-degrees different from their awful GR interconnect. At all costs, steer away from the poor-sounding (congested, opaque, colored, boring) Golden Reference interconnects.

- The problem is, Cardas' Clear series is much more accurate than the GR. If you are going to stick with Cardas, I would suggest getting the Clear interconnects, and one of their cheaper speaker cable models. Then make sure you run these cables on a burn-in device.

- Do not do the reverse, where you get subpar interconnects but a state-of-the-art speaker cable (e.g., Clear Beyond). All that does is reveal the shortcomings in the interconnects.

The Audiophiles' DJ,
-Lummy The Loch Monster

 

RE: Cardas Golden Reference vs Magnan Signature vs MIT S1.3 Loudspeaker Cables, posted on November 18, 2014 at 10:34:29
Mikey8811
Audiophile

Posts: 188
Joined: June 4, 2011
Luminator

Thanks for your reply.

I have searched your blog and can find reviews for MIT Evo 350 speaker cables, Magnum M1.3 Proline interconnects, M3.3 biwire speaker cables.

It is pretty hard to search your blog as the keywords "MIT" lead to all other reviews where the MIT's are mentioned - many of them, coupled with the episodic manner of reviewing necessitating many forward click through's

Your impressions of MIT gel with what I have heard about them although not in the context of my own system and I am told by many that they are a good match for Krell amps, taming the treble which can sometimes be bright. As I mentioned, I can only afford the Shotgun range and an older Shotgun S1 as it is, not even the current S1.3. I understand that the Magnum range improves on that quite a bit but alas it is beyond my budget. Have you any experience with the Shotgun S1?

I am testing the Cardas Golden Reference speaker cables in my system and right now find they are a good match with the drawbacks being they can sound veiled and a bit slow on some material.

I have found that buying interconnects and speaker cables are a crapshoot - one can only manage a guess at best but until you try them in your own system and room, it is pretty difficult to tell if they match.

Thanks

 

RE: Cardas Golden Reference vs Magnan Signature vs MIT S1.3 Loudspeaker Cables, posted on November 18, 2014 at 11:16:41
ErikM
Audiophile

Posts: 96
Location: New Jersey
Joined: November 13, 2004
I'd look into the new Cardas Reflection.. It's supposed to be forgiving like the GR but have resolution approaching the Clear..

 

RE: Cardas Golden Reference vs Magnan Signature vs MIT S1.3 Loudspeaker Cables, posted on November 18, 2014 at 12:27:23
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7331
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000
My advice is always the same. Before anyone make any changes to her cabling, she absolutely must treat her current/existing cables on a proper burn-in device. And yes, ALL of the myriad MIT cables my friends and I have possessed have possessed zero instances where they would not be treated [OTOH, Tara Lab's power strips just don't want to be treated].

Right have on AA, you can search the reviews for mine on, for example, Cardas and MIT.

It does take some effort, to find someone who has a cable burn-in device from the likes of Nordost, Hagerman, and audiodharma. But wouldn't you rather do that, than waste thousands of dollars on new cables?

It takes experience and maturity, to understand that the limiting factor is the source. If the source isn't capable of producing XYZ, then no cable can magically make XYZ appear.

Sticking the Nordost Odin interconnect on the CAL Sigma II was fun. But did that let us find out where the Odin's limits were? Not even close.

These cable looms are a serious investment. Take the time to use a cable burn-in device. Then borrow a bunch of cables. Then ask yourself critical questions, such as:

Do they come in the right lengths for my needs?
Are they too stiff, heavy, or unwieldy?
Do they look like they'll last?
Do the connectors have poor ergonomics?
Does the product look ugly?
Are they difficult to clean?
Cables are all sonically compromised, but do those compromises lie in areas which don't bother me?

In the end, it doesn't matter what my or anyone else's value system is. If a product has a character you don't like, say NO, and move on. If a product checks off things you need and like, then that's all that matters.

 

The truth, of course, is that you can't predict what will work well..., posted on November 19, 2014 at 14:20:29
jonbee
Audiophile

Posts: 1993
Location: Seattle
Joined: June 26, 2001
without using them in your particular system. I trade cables a lot; they all sound different, and synergize in unexpected ways. Think cooking, not programming.
Buy quality cables cheaply if you can and be prepared to sell those that simply don't get you the results you are looking for. Paying a long price for cables is a good way to drop a lot of $ in this hobby, unnecessarily.
In my case, after using dozens of brands and models, I find Wywires for analog, Wireworld's latest series 7 for digital has given me the best outcomes- superb transparency, with very low coloration and obfuscation.
For cheaper brands, Grover Huffman ZX or Clear Day will get you a long way toward the best at a great price, particularly used. I prefer them to a lot of $$$ cables. Of course, they sound different from each other as well.
With cables, even more than other elements, matchups are everything.

 

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