CES 2011

Audiophile sensibilities have long found a comfortable home inside George Cardas’ head. Also in George’s head for the past two years has been the design of a single-driver, dynamic in-ear monitor that would fulfill his desire for a non-fatiguing portable listening experience. The as yet unnamed little gems are just entering production, and are expected to retail in the $300–$500 range. A quick listen confirms that George has indeed managed to do something quite special: glorious midrange. I gladly accepted a sample pair for review; I reckon I’ll be spending a good chunk of time with George’s thoughts and sound in my head very soon.

Jason Victor Serinus adds: I asked George about the ear buds: “I decided that if I was going in, I would make the very best the first time around,” he declared as he invited me to try his set. Deciding not to dwell on how many people’s ear wax I was sharing, I compared their sound to the fabled Sennheiser HD 800s, outfitted with prototype Cardas Clear headphone cable.

The Cardas earbuds had a very different presentation, with a fatter midrange and impactful bass. While most Cardas cables except their HDMI are made in California and terminated in Oregon, the earbuds and drivers are made in China. “You can’t make them in the US because people have lost their ability to deal with tiny little things,” George offered by way of explanation.