The Driver

George Cardas' UltraLinear Driver features a Contour Magnet in place of the permeable pole piece found in conventional drivers.  This stops flux modulation distortion, and results in a uniquely musical listening experience.  Read more about the UltraLinear Driver here!

The Body

The Golden Ratio (1:1.618) can be found in nature, art, and nearly all Cardas products, from our multi-stranded Litz conductors, to our Oregon Coast Myrtle wood blocks.  The A8's brass ear pieces are machined with a Golden Spiral curve, which is both aesthetically pleasing, as well as acoustically neutral.

The Cable

The A8's cable uses Ultra Pure Cardas Copper, with two Golden Ratio scaled Litz conductors going to each channel.  The conductors are wrapped around a fiber core for durability.

With two discreet conductors going to each channel, the A8 can be configured for balanced operation with a simple re-termination, either before or after the initial purchase.

The Plug

Cardas A8 Ear Speakers are terminated with a 3.5mm (1/8") gold-plated stereo plug by default.  However they can be terminated for nearly any application, such as the balanced outputs of an Astell & Kern player, or the dual 3.5mm outputs of an Ayre Codex.  These custom terminations can be performed before or after purchase, for our standard re-termination fee.

The Box

A8 Ear Speakers are packaged in a sturdy, soft-touch two piece box.  Hold the top,and the bottom half slowly descends, revealing the Ear Speakers & their carrying case sitting in a lightly tinted molded plastic holder.  At the bottom of the box rests an envelope decorated with a spot-varnished Cardas Nautilus logo, holding a collection of cards featuring information about the A8 Ear Speakers, other Cardas products, and Cardas artwork.

From the company that started out 30 years ago putting premium cables in plastic bags (which yes, we still do to some extent), the new A8 offers a proper unboxing experience for today's internet savvy consumer.