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British audio specialist QED celebrates its 50th anniversary in style, with the introduction of its Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable.
Celebrating QED's 50th anniversary, the Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable is the culmination of five decades of dedicated research, engineering, and audio expertise. It is the ideal upgrade for any hi-fi enthusiast who wants to experience the sonic benefits of a high-end speaker cable at a real-world price.
Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable delivers a truly immersive listening experience with an open, spacious soundstage and a level of detail and clarity that will leave you breathless. Whether you’re listening to your favourite music or watching a movie, Golden Anniversary XT can bring your audio to life like never before.
Gold. What so many have done in pursuit of it - that precious metal that wields so much power in the world. But this cable is not gold nor the most precious length of metal (a rather accessible £27 per meter for QED’s new Golden Anniversary XT).
QED marks 50 years in the cable game by combining their most innovative technologies: X-Tube – building up from their popular XT25, XT40i and XT400, and Aircore – filtering down from their premium Genesis Silver Spiral. X-Tube arranges conductors around (you may guess) a tube, while Aircore arranges these tubes around (you may not guess) another tube. All these tubes aim to control the Skin Effect, while Aircore also solves the Proximity Effect. Essentially, these designs even out resistance across the frequency spectrum. It’s all for clear, dynamic sound, resulting in a tremendously successful range of speaker cables.
The technologies may no longer be new, but the execution in QED’s latest offering is. Golden Anniversary retains the gauge of XT25, then twists these cores around two insulators – copying the geometry of the Genesis Silver Spiral but leaving out the silver – a hybrid of two highly acclaimed cables. Being less of a handful than the Genesis, its lighter gauge makes for a slightly more workable cable, but still substantially built with that premium colour of pouring Champagne (owing to its gold-colour shielding). But its most attractive property is its sound.
The design combination lets through a beautifully rounded clarity from its forgiving, continuous cast copper conductors. Frequency presentation is well-balanced and tidily separated with an impressive depth. The obvious comparison is its cousin, XT400, which delivers more body and top-end detail without the spaciousness that Golden Anniversary XT borrows from its silver-plated elder sibling – Genesis Silver Spiral.
Would it be banal playing a track with ‘Gold’ in the title for testing? Yes, it would. But Sting’s Fields of Gold was a perfect piece for assessing a cable of Golden Anniversary’s qualities. The strings drifted smoothly over the snappy rimshots, and Sting’s textured voice was given a light polishing.
On to Saint-Saëns energetic Dance Macabre, and the delicate opening chimes of the harp shine until the string’s chords are allowed to build climatically into the orchestral sections owing much to the dynamics afforded by the cable.
So, with 50 years of experience and at £27 per metre, it could be that QED may really have struck gold.
British audio specialist QED celebrates its 50th anniversary in style, with the introduction of its Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable.
Representing the culmination of five decades of dedicated and extensive research, engineering and audio expertise, Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable is the ideal upgrade for any hi-fi enthusiast who wants to experience the sonic benefits of a high-end speaker cable - but at a real-world price.
QED’s innovative and proven X-Tube™ technology places a cable’s conductive material around a central hollow insulating rod - and the result is the elimination of the ‘skin effect’ that would otherwise force high-frequency analogue music signals to the outside of the conductor. And by combining X-Tube™ technology with its equally effective Aircore™ technology, QED also reduces the ‘proximity effect’ that can disrupt current distribution in a speaker cable.
The result is X-Tube™ Plus: a ground-breaking cable geometry that ensures Golden Anniversary XT is a speaker cable with even, consistent performance across the entire audible frequency range.
Golden Anniversary XT uses a unique hybrid blend of 99.99% oxygen-free copper (‘OFC’) and Ultra-Pure Ohno Continuous Cast Copper (‘UP-OCC’) to give the improved signal path and outstanding signal retention of ultra-pure copper conductors - but at a fraction of the price. Thanks to class-leading research and engineering, QED Golden Anniversary XT is the most affordable and attainable speaker cable to exploit the advantages of the continuous-casting process, with this hybrid theoretically improving the path for transients and high-frequency detail not available using just OFC alone.
If a speaker cable is to perform to its maximum potential, it’s important that the dielectric material which insulates and protects the central conductors of the cable does so efficiently. Golden Anniversary XT uses a specially developed and formulated low-density polyethylene (‘LDPE’), which works in unison with the cable’s X-Tube Plus configuration to deliver a speaker cable that has high-efficiency and a dissipation factor that is barely measurable.
Airloc™ is a specially developed cold-weld system for permanently attaching QED Forté banana plugs to the company’s entire range of speaker cables, Golden Anniversary XT included. The most vulnerable area of the speaker cable chain is the physical interface between the cable and the speaker or amplifier to which it’s connected - without effective termination, oxidation can occur, degrading the cable’s performance. By using a cold weld crimp-type termination, Forté banana plugs offer maximum resistance to oxidation - for the lifetime of the cable - by effectively turning the cable and the plug into a single, unified object.
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"Switching to an LP of Barbra Streisand singing You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, vocals are well positioned in front of the orchestral backing, which is sparkling and clear throughout the performance. The sensitive emotions are brilliantly conveyed in the opening section and when Streisand winds up the volume as the song progresses, the overall sound is quite spectacular." (Read More...) Recommended Product - Hi-Fi Choice - October 2023 |
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"...compared to high-end cables costing 10x more, QED’s Golden Anniversary XT represents stunning value. It’s equally refreshing to discover a cable whose technical specification precisely matches that found in our independent testing. All of which contributes to the reassurance of a brand, and cable, offering no-nonsense sound and build quality at a great price. In the sparsely populated world of hi-fi bargains, this one is Golden!” (Read More...) Editors Choice - hi-fi news - August 2023 |
At Future Shop, we understand the importance of high-quality termination for achieving the best audio performance from your speaker cables. That’s why we offer two exceptional options: the trusted QED AIRLOC banana and spade plugs and the Elite Reference Series banana and spade plugs, both designed to deliver seamless connectivity and exceptional sound quality.
QED AIRLOC Plugs: A Proven Standard for Hi-Fi Performance
The QED AIRLOC banana and spade plugs have long been regarded as a benchmark in speaker cable termination. Featuring a cold-weld (air-tight) design, these plugs eliminate the need for soldering, ensuring a clean, reliable connection between your cables and audio equipment. This method creates an airtight fusion between the cable and plug, minimising resistance, preventing oxidation, and maximising signal transfer for pristine sound quality.
QED’s banana plugs incorporate a high-quality design, with 24K gold plating to enhance conductivity and protect against corrosion. The spade plugs, while lacking an outer metal barrel, still deliver dependable performance and an excellent connection for a wide variety of speaker setups. For audiophiles seeking trusted reliability and strong performance, QED AIRLOC plugs remain an outstanding choice.
Elite Reference Series Plugs: Next-Level Audio Connectivity
Building on the success of the QED AIRLOC plugs, the Elite Reference Series banana and spade plugs take performance and durability to the next level. Also featuring a cold-weld design, these plugs ensure an airtight, solder-free bond that delivers maximum signal transfer and long-term reliability.
The Elite Reference plugs are engineered with additional advantages that make them stand out:
Both the QED AIRLOC and Elite Reference Series plugs are excellent choices for ensuring the best possible performance from your Hi-Fi system. While the QED AIRLOC plugs provide trusted reliability and high-quality connections, the Elite Reference Series plugs offer enhanced conductivity, ferrule-free direct contact, and added durability with their premium materials and design features.
If you’re looking for a cost-effective and proven solution, the QED AIRLOC plugs are a fantastic option. However, if you’re seeking the next step in performance, versatility, and build quality, the Elite Reference Series plugs are designed to meet the demands of audiophiles who want the best from their speaker cables.
A Professional Plug Termination Service
Whichever plug you choose, you can trust Future Shop to professionally terminate your cables to the highest standard. Our experienced engineers ensure that each connection is secure, precise, and optimised for maximum performance. Both the QED AIRLOC and Elite Reference plugs are terminated using our high-pressure cold-weld process, guaranteeing airtight connections and minimising signal loss.
With these expertly engineered plugs, you’ll enjoy superior sound quality, dependable connections, and peace of mind knowing your audio setup is performing at its best. Let Future Shop help you create the perfect Hi-Fi experience with our range of premium speaker cable termination options.
From the dropdown menus' above, simply select the length of cable, the type of plugs required at the ‘Amplifier end’ and ‘Speaker end’ and click on the 'Add to Basket' button to add the item to your basket. Your cable will be dispatched as soon as it has been made by Future Shop's or the manufacturer’s engineers and has completed the specified burn-in process (if any), subject to Future Shop’s Terms & Conditions and stock availability.
QED is an award winning British company with over 40 years of experience in the audio-visual connectivity industry.
In 1973 Bob Abraham and Ian Vine founded QED Audio Products and changed the way people think about hi-fi cables. By the time QED 79 strand speaker cable was launched in 1978, it wasn’t looked upon as ‘just another speaker cable’ but was instead regarded as a serious hi-fi component, making a fundamental change in the way people thought about cables.
QED's reputation for innovation and technical excellence is known throughout the world. The latest computer-aided design techniques allow their research and development team to keep pace with technological advances and deliver products that achieve the highest levels of performance and reliability. This is why QED products are recommended by so many of the world’s leading hi-fi and home theatre equipment manufacturers.
QED offer a range of connectivity products spanning from both consumer and installation cables, wireless products and switching devices to satisfy every audio visual need.
QED is Europe's number one award winning connectivity brand and has won more prestigious cable awards from ‘What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision’ magazine than any other brand (Awards 1981–2013).
Orders received before 4.30pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) are usually dispatched the same day by FIRST CLASS post (unless premium postal or timed courier services are selected), subject to stock availability. Over 98% of our orders are usually delivered the next working day including Saturdays.
Standard delivery is usually within 2-3 working days, although 98% of all orders are delivered the next working day including Saturdays . In extreme cases, such as delivery to the Highlands and Islands, this may take 3 days.
All items are fully insured and come with an invoice from Futureshop.co.uk. We use the Royal Mail for delivery of small packages and DPD or Interlink Express for items that weigh over 2KG. Items over 2KG are fully insured and will usually be delivered within 48 hours of placing your order Monday to Friday subject to stock availability. For International orders, we use FedEx Services where customers have selected this option.
Please note, special orders for non-standard cable lengths or custom-made cables may be subject to longer delivery time-scales. This may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
We offer 'Free UK delivery on orders over £99' subject to the following terms & conditions:
Free Delivery on orders over £99 utilises Royal Mail First Class postal service for items weighing under 2KG. For items weighing over 2KG, we use DPD or Interlink Express next working day services which deliver from 9.00am to 6pm within mainland UK.
Free Delivery for orders over £99 excludes Royal Mail Special Delivery Services and timed next day delivery services by DPD or Interlink Express.
We have 99.9% of the UK covered With Royal Mail Next Day Special Delivery. We guarantee delivery to most UK addresses by 1pm the next working day. This includes Northern Ireland, Jersey and Guernsey. Some places take longer to deliver to but we still guarantee delivery within three working days by 5.30 PM.
For the Next Day Special Delivery service, orders must be received by futureshop.co.uk by 4.30pm weekdays. Orders after the 4.30pm deadline cannot be guaranteed for same day dispatch.
Please note, Royal Mail Special Delivery for next working day may not be possible where non-standard cable lengths are ordered. If this is the case, the item will be shipped via The Royal Mail Special Delivery service as soon as the cable is custom made.
For orders weighing over 2KG, we reserve the right to ship items using Next Day Pre-Noon Courier Services where Royal Mail Special Delivery option has been selected.
We accept orders from all Channel Islands including Alderney, Jersey, Guernsey and Sark. Unless you select a premium service, Items weighing under 2KG are delivered using our standard UK delivery option above. For items weighing over 2KG, a surcharge may be applied for all deliveries to the Channel Islands as well as Northern Ireland.
Deliveries to EU member states are subject to 20% VAT. We offer the following shipping services:
Deliveries outside of the EU are not subject to 20% VAT and so the 20% tax on items is automatically deducted when you login or register.
We offer the following shipping services:
Where the actual weight of the package significantly exceeds the shipping cost charged on orders, we may write to you for an additional shipping charge. For larger orders, items may be shipped in multiple packets.
Please take note of the following details regarding our cable burn-in service:
The Nordost VIDAR cable burn-in machine integrates three key functions into one operation:
The VIDAR employs a proprietary combination of composite and complex signals to condition the cables. These signals comprise ultra-low and ultra-high frequencies, extending beyond the range of video frequencies. The signal moves back and forth along the cable, penetrating deep into the core with ultra-low frequencies and traversing the surface with ultra-high frequencies. This transmission method generates beat harmonics between the two complex waveforms, which permeate all layers of the cable. The circuitry of the VIDAR also drives electrons from the conductor into the insulation area, neutralizing electrical charges.
The ultimate outcome of conditioning cables with the Nordost VIDAR is improved sound staging, increased detail, and an overall more musical presentation in your audio system.
Now, you may wonder why cable burn-in is necessary. During cable manufacturing, gasses become trapped as insulation is applied over the conductors. Additionally, new cables often possess high electrical charges, resulting in a brittle and bright sound that lacks the desired detail and depth for music production.
When cables undergo burn-in, the trapped gasses are dissipated, and small impurities in the conductor metals begin to exhibit diode-like behaviour, favouring current flow in a specific direction.
Here are the physical effects of the burn-in process:
When cables are properly burnt in, you can expect the following audible changes in your audio system:
At Future Shop, our goal is to maximise your satisfaction. That's why we offer a free burn-in service on all our cables before they arrive at your door, enabling you to sit back and enjoy the benefits of properly conditioned cables in your audio system.
READ MORE ABOUT THE NORDOST VIDAR CABLE TREATMENT
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