QED Golden Anniversary XT Speaker Cable Review

A Celebration of Sound Excellence

QED has graced the audio world for half a century with innovations and advancements that have brought sound to life. As they celebrate their Golden Jubilee, introducing the Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable is a testament to their dedication and expertise. Not only does it encapsulate five decades of pioneering audio research, but it also represents an exceptional blend of high-quality performance and value.

 

Golden Touch to Your Audio Experience

At its heart, the Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable is more than just a conduit for sound; it's an experience. The soundstage it delivers is vast and enveloping, making any listening session a genuinely immersive experience. Each note is clearly defined, ensuring a level of detail and clarity that is unparalleled, especially at its price point. Whether you're revelling in your favourite tunes or engrossed in a gripping film, this cable has the ability to make the audio leap out and capture your senses.

 

The Sound of Excellence

What's particularly unique about this cable? 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.

Sting's "Fields of Gold" aptly showcased its calibre. The delicate strings flowed seamlessly over crisp rimshots, and Sting's distinctive voice came through with nuanced grace. Transitioning to the vibrant "Dance Macabre" by Saint-Saëns, the opening chimes of the harp echoed with pristine clarity, segueing into powerful orchestral sections, a testament to the dynamic capabilities of the Golden Anniversary XT.

A Symphony of Technologies

The core of this cable feature  QED's X-Tube™ Plus and Aircore™ technologies. The former addresses the 'skin effect' by crafting a hollow insulating rod around which the conductor material wraps. This ensures that high-frequency signals travel unimpeded, consistently performing across all audible frequencies. The Aircore™ technology, on the other hand, battles the 'proximity effect', which can tamper with the current distribution. The blend of these technologies results in a balanced sound output that is hard to find fault with.

 

A Conductor Like No Other

The inclusion of Ultra-Pure Ohno Continuous Cast Copper conductors adds another feather to its cap. This unique hybrid blend, comprising 99.99% oxygen-free copper and Ultra-Pure Ohno Continuous Cast Copper, ensures an enhanced signal path and impressive signal retention. It's a feature rarely seen at this price point, making the Golden Anniversary XT an enticing proposition for any audiophile.

Furthermore, the low-loss, ultra-uniform dielectric insulation, crafted from specially developed low-density polyethene, couples with the cable's design to enhance its efficiency and minimise signal loss. And to ensure that this marvel remains untarnished by the passage of time, the Airloc™ Forté banana plugs, employing a cold-weld system, bond permanently to the cable, ensuring reduced resistance and better signal transfer.

 

Editor's Choice and Beyond

For those who relish the technical details, the accolades received by the QED Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable from Hi-Fi news editors speak volumes. Hi-fi news in August 2023 declared the Golden Anniversary XT as an Editor's Choice, emphasising its unparalleled value compared to high-end cables costing significantly more:

“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!”

 

Termination to Perfection

To ensure customers receive the best, the cable is custom-made to specifications and is expertly terminated using QED's 24 Carat gold-plated AIRLOC termination plugs. This solder-free, airtight fusion ensures optimal signal transfer, maintaining impeccable quality over time.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the QED Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable is a testament to QED's unwavering commitment to audio excellence. It's not just a product; it's 50 years of audio heritage wrapped in a golden sheen of innovation and performance. Celebrate sound, celebrate QED.

 

 

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