Cardas Headshell Clear PCCER

A simple 3.8 cm wire between the cartridge and the tonearm: in theory, it shouldn’t change anything. In practice, it is the first link in the phono chain, the one through which the weakest and most fragile signal in the entire hi-fi chain passes. Cardas applies here the same technologies as in its high-end interconnect cables, condensed into a miniature format.

Copper as the starting point

Cardas has been manufacturing its own copper in the United States since the 1980s, a time when the availability of consistently high-quality raw material was a problem. The Grade 1 copper used here has a purity of 99.9999%, achieved through a proprietary process of successive purification and annealing. Whereas most manufacturers anneal copper only once by electrical resistance (fast and economical), Cardas proceeds in multiple stages in a reduction furnace. The drawing dies are diamond, not metal: metal dies wear out and deposit impurities on the surface of the conductor.

Each strand receives an SPN (Single Poly-Nylon) coating immediately after drawing, which protects it from oxidation and electrically insulates the strands from one another. This Litz technique prevents the corrosion that degrades unprotected conductors over the years.

Golden Ratio geometry and Cross-field construction

In the 1980s, George Cardas patented a strand arrangement inspired by the golden ratio (1:1.618 ratio). In a conventional stranded conductor, uniformly sized strands resonate at harmonic frequencies. The Golden Section arrangement places the finest strands at the center, with progressively larger strands toward the outside according to a progression based on the golden ratio. This “Constant Q Stranding” distributes energy differently across each layer and dissipates conductor resonances instead of amplifying them.

Cross-field geometry adds alternating orientation of the strand layers. A conventional cable behaves like a dipole antenna, emitting and picking up electromagnetic interference. By reversing the orientation of every other layer, Cardas reduces this antenna effect.

Connectors designed for the phono signal

The PCC ER clips are machined from solid non-magnetic brass. The choice of material matters: a magnetic connector would disturb the already faint signal from a cartridge (a few millivolts for an MM, a few dozen microvolts for an MC). Rhodium-over-silver plating combines the conductivity of silver with the wear and oxidation resistance of rhodium. Beryllium copper tension springs maintain constant contact pressure without fatiguing the metal.

The clips accept standard 1 mm and 1.2 mm pins, which covers virtually all cartridges and tonearm sockets on the market.

Installation and handling

The 3.8 cm length corresponds to the standard for headshell lead wires. Short enough not to hinder installation, long enough to allow adjustment of the tracking angle. The 33 AWG gauge produces flexible conductors that do not exert torque on the cartridge pins.

Assembly is carried out by hand at the Cardas factory in Bandon, Oregon. Each solder joint uses the brand’s in-house Quad Eutectic Solder and rosin-based flux paste.

Technical Specifications

Designation

• Set of 4 Clear Rhodium cartridge wires
• Cardas headshell lead wires with PCC-Rhodium cartridge connectors

Conductor

• Cardas 33 AWG multi-strand wire
  • Grade 1 oxygen-free pure copper, 99.9999% purity
  • Transparent SPN coating (Litz technology)
  • Gauges sized according to the proportions of the golden ratio
• Crossfield layered geometry

Connectors and finish

• Rhodium-silver plated construction
• Termination: Cardas PCC ER connectors (silver / rhodium)
• Length: 3.8 cm
• Factory termination for simple and secure installation
• Hand-finished assembly in Bandon, Oregon

Reference

• P31.16: 33 AWG PCC ER (silver / rhodium)