Reviews for QED Reference Optical Quartz Cable

I just received the cable. I immediately removed the old one and plugged in this glass fibre optical cable. The sound has gone to another world!

Punch-Bass is tight, vocals are mellow, and the sound range is wider than before. I hope the sound will be better after the burn-in!

I don’t know why the sound of my equipment using optical fibre cables is better than that of coaxial cables. In the past, I used Audioquest Eagle Eye coaxial and an optical that cost about US$40. I always feel that the sound of the optical fibre cable is more pleasant to my ears, so I invested in Optical (bought this QED Reference Optical Quartz Cable). Sure enough, optical fibre has better sound than coaxial in my system.

Mine is LEAK wooden cdt+ Cambridge DAC 200M to Amplifier. Although fewer people use optical fibre cables now than before, and they have switched to coaxial cables (some cdt/cd without optical output), No matter what, I am very satisfied now!

Thank you to the Future Shop for the fast shipping and service!

Excellent cable, dynamics and rhythm. It could be slightly more transparent, but I'm nitpicking.

Great detail and dynamics retrieval, but I was shocked when I started 192khz pieces from my Primare np5 streamer. It started to stutter to an "unlistenable" level. My coax cable doesn't have the same issue, neither does my other cheap optical cable. No idea what I'm doing wrong.

This is a superb product. The sound quality is detailed and sweet. I thoroughly recommend this cable.

Excellent.

More detailed sound!

Worth the money. I am using the cable from the streamer to the external DAC, and it provides a somewhat bigger stage, clear sound, and tonal quality that is somewhat on the warm side.

I had bad experiences in the past with other optical cables as they changed the sound into a really cold, kind of ear-screeching sound, but this was different. Also, Futureshop packed the goods so well that I received the cable with no harm. Very good seller.

Highly recommended.

Definitely worth the money. Like going from a £400 CD player to a £600 CD player.

Details and new layers appear.

Comparing the:

Missing Link/Vinyl Passion Dark Art 75 Ohm £90 (0.75m)
QED Reference Optical £87.95 (1m)
Gothic Audio Pure Silver Harmonic 75 Ohm £145 (1m)

I will use these cables with a CXC CD transport, Denon PMA-A110 amp, Slingshot speaker cable, and Monitor Audio Silver 8 speakers (not as revealing as the MA Gold 300 on my main system).

I don't know whether "burn-in" is a thing. For reference, the Dark Art is run-in, and the Gothic is brand new and burnt-in with (new) optical, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Dark Art 75 Ohm vs QED Reference Optical

I found that the sound was similar. The Dark Art was slightly veiled, dark-toned and flat by comparison, and I preferred the QED, but the difference was only slender.

QED Reference Optical vs Gothic Pure Silver 75 Ohm

I had high hopes that the Gothic would reveal something I didn't realise was missing with the other cables. However, confirmation bias was on strike, and it sounded just like the QED Optical. I couldn't really tell the difference. If anything, it was marginal.

I concluded the QED just about edged it, but I wouldn't be confident calling which was which in a blind test.

Does the Job and Quick Service

Happy with product, service and delivery time.

Although I expected an increase in sound quality between various other cables I have been using and the QED, I was not expecting such a dramatic improvement.

Vocals are more precise, the base is definitive, and I hear different instruments in soundtracks. Great cable and worth the investment.