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QED XT3 X-Tube™ Mains Power Cable - UK Plug
£79.00 As low as £66.00 £55.00
SKU
QED XT3
12 Months
New
24 hours
If you're serious about your audio set-up and want to get the most out of your equipment, then the QED XT3 Mains Power Cable is an ideal option for you. Featuring a number of proprietary technologies, the XT3 cable is designed to reduce distortion and improve current flow in order to get the best sound out of your audio equipment.
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QED XT3 Mains Power Cable
If you're serious about your audio set-up and want to get the most out of your equipment, then the QED XT3 Mains Power Cable is an ideal option for you. Featuring a number of proprietary technologies, the XT3 cable is designed to reduce distortion and improve current flow in order to get the best sound out of your audio equipment. The XT3 is highly practical, being relatively thin and flexible compared to ordinary power cables. This makes it much easier to install and use in a range of settings.
In short, the QED XT3 Mains Power Cable is an ideal choice for those looking to get the most out of their audio set-up. With its combination of superior performance and practicality, it's well worth considering if you want to take your audio experience to the next level.
What QED say
QED is proud to introduce XT3 power cable, the latest in a new generation of audiophile power cables intended to complement its award-winning range of speaker cables and audio interconnects. Having introduced some of the very first specialist speaker cables and with over 47 years of unrivalled engineering excellence in the field of audio-visual connectivity, no other company can demonstrate such relentless dedication to research and development combined with analytical listening tests.
The new cord set features a number of proprietary technologies applied with regard to objective scientific research and subjective evaluation, to bring an audible improvement in performance.
As a result of X-Tube™ technology being applied to the XT3 power cable, fewer distortions caused by modulation of the impedance of the cable will affect current flow to audio equipment and so are less likely to find their way into the music.
Without a cable such as this to supply clean, noise-free current, many amplifiers can sound glassy and hard with less ability to respond to musical transients, giving a lack of dynamics and weak bass performance.
Finally, with the quality assurance of a fully typetested design, XT3 can be relied upon to safely bring audible improvements to audiophile source and amplification components alike.
X-Tube technology
QED XT3 power cables feature a specially adapted version of X-Tube™ Technology similar to that used in our speaker cables but specifically tuned to be appropriate for this new
application. The braided individual cores in the live and neutral conductors are made small enough that they are not affected by the eddy currents from adjacent cores which help contribute to the proximity effect.
Because they are effectively isolated from one another the carefully calculated twist rate of the strands means that no two conductors remain next to each other in the parallel configuration for more than a few millimetres, further enhancing the even current flow along the cable at all frequencies. The separate bundles are individually insulated using K130 PVC to control cable capacitance and provide the level of electrical isolation demanded by international safety standards, the whole arrangement is provided with a hollow LDPE core to control cable inductance. In this way the correct phase relationship between voltage and current is not altered by the cable parameters, further decreasing distortion when compared to an ordinary power cable.
Complete practicality
XT3 is designed to be as thin and flexible, and thus practical, as possible. Only the live and neutral cores have been given the X-Tube treatment described above - the earth core (required only under fault conditions) is left in a conventional geometry. And because X-Tube geometry enables the whole cross-sectional area of the cable to be kept to a tidy 1.5 mm sq, XT3 is supremely flexible and usefully slim despite its audiophile potential.
QED XT3 safety & type testing
There are many alternative brands of audiophile mains products on the market but even a cursory investigation reveals that many do not have the full set of required safety test reports and type testing certificates demanded by international legislation.
Rest assured, this is not the case with QED power cables. Because of the constraints which we placed on the design, the cordage fits into standard, high-quality plugs and connectors which fall into the parameters described by the harmonised standards.
In addition, the completed cord set including any additional overmould, covers and branded strain relief items added by us have been fully type tested to EN 60320, EN 60884 & EN 50525 by an accredited certification body and found to be fully compliant. Regular testing of the product at our production facility as set out in the annex to these standards is also carried out. A full test report is available on request from info@qed.co.uk.
Because mains plugs and connectors are not generally supplied as standard with gold plated pins, any that you might see for sale have usually been variously modified after manufacture by the reseller. This is not a good idea, as any type-testing certification which might be available for the product will have been invalidated by this process; effectively a new “type” has been created which is not the subject of the test report.
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"The overall performance with the XT3 is very involving and sophisticated... The modestly priced XT3 really does seem to free up my equipment to operate at its best" (Read More) Hi-Fi Choice Recommended - Product Review - August 2022
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"From the off, the first few seconds, I could hear a real sense of control from the QED. Actual coherence around the music. The drop in noise, the stripping away of rubbish and sonic gunk, allowed me to actually hear the music instead of ‘music + rubbish’." "Across the broad soundstage, the QED succeeded in providing instrumental separation where none previously resided." The Audiophile Man - Product Review - November 2022
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Specification
- Conductor type: X-Tube
- Metallurgy: 99.999% oxygen-free copper
- Cross-sectional area: 1.5 mm sq
- Ferrite jacket: 10% Zn/Mn
- Capacitance: 98 pF/m
- Inductance: 0.52 μH/m
- Loop resistance: 0.026 ohm/m
- Dielectric strength: 2 kV (ac for 15 mins)
- Complies with: EN50525; EN60320; EN60884
- Outer jacket: Black Pearl
- Nominal outside diameter: 11 mm
- Plugs: UK - MK Tough Plug 655 blk; EU - Martin Kaiser Schuko 516
- Connector: Martin Kaiser IEC C13 794
About QED Cables 
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).
- Conductor type: X-Tube
- Metallurgy: 99.999% oxygen-free copper
- Cross-sectional area: 1.5 mm sq
- Ferrite jacket: 10% Zn/Mn
- Capacitance: 98 pF/m
- Inductance: 0.52 μH/m
- Loop resistance: 0.026 ohm/m
- Dielectric strength: 2 kV (ac for 15 mins)
- Complies with: EN50525; EN60320; EN60884
- Outer jacket: Black Pearl
- Nominal outside diameter: 11 mm
- Plugs: UK - MK Tough Plug 655 blk; EU - Martin Kaiser Schuko 516
- Connector: Martin Kaiser IEC C13 794
UK Delivery
1. We use Royal Mail 1st Class Services as a Standard Postage Option
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:
- Applies only to orders with £99 or more of items (including VAT at the UK rate), at FutureShop.co.uk
- 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 next working day services which deliver from 9.00am to 6pm within mainland UK (excludes Royal Mail Special Delivery Services and timed next day delivery services by UK Mail).
- Applies only to deliveries to addresses within mainland UK and Northern Ireland addresses. Applies only to orders that are to be delivered to a single Mainland UK delivery address.
- You will not be eligible for free delivery on your order if any items are cancelled or returned for a refund, bringing the total order amount below £99. Where items are returned, the refund due will be the cost of the item less any postage costs.
- We reserve the right to change or discontinue 'Free delivery on orders over £99 promotion at any time.
- FREE DELIVERY FOR ORDERS OVER £99 OFFER DOES NOT APPLY TO TRADE CUSTOMERS.
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.
2. Special Delivery UK - Guaranteed Next Working Day
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.
3. Channel Islands & Northern Ireland
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.
European Countries
Deliveries to EU member states are subject to 20% VAT. We offer the following shipping services:
- Royal Mail First Class International Untracked Airmail Services - Items are usually delivered within 10 working days.
- Royal Mail First Class International Tracked Airmail Services - Items are usually delivered within 3 to 7 working days.
- DHL Express International - Items are usually delivered within 24 to 48 hours. DHL orders must be received by 3:30pm for next day service to most destinations in Europe
- Federal Express International Priority - Items are usually delivered within 24 to 48 hours. FedEx orders must be received by 3.00pm for next day service to most destinations in Europe
- Federal Express International Economy - Item are usually delivered within 48 to 72 hours
Worldwide - Excluding UK & Europe
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:
- Royal Mail First Class International Untracked Airmail Services - Items are usually delivered within 15 working days.
- Royal Mail First Class International Tracked Airmail - Items are usually delivered within 10-15 working days.
- DHL Express International - Items are usually delivered within 48 hours. DHL orders must be received by 3:30pm in order to ship items the same day, subject to stock availability.
- Federal Express International Priority - Items are usually delivered within 48 hours. FedEx orders must be received by 3.00pm in order to ship items the same day, subject to stock availability.
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.
Free Cable Burn-In Service Option
We are pleased to offer FREE cable burn-in worth £50.00 on this cable for up to 96 hours, using our specialist cable burner.
The cable burn-in machine optimises the performance of the cables from day one. This means cables should be near optimum performance mode when you receive them, so you'll be able to make a performance assessment quickly rather than waiting 70 hours+ of usage. The results of conditioning cables are:
- improved sound staging
- increased detail
- overall more musical presentation.
Please select the 96 hour ‘burn-in option’ from the drop-down menu on the product page as this will fully optimise the cables.
Although it is not yet fully understood scientifically, the phenomenon of “cable break-in” has been experienced by many audiophiles. Interconnects, speaker cables and power cables seem to go through a conditioning period when used in an audio/video system and will sound better after many hours of in-system use.
The sonic differences between wiring that is broken-in and wiring that is not, are very audible in high-quality audio systems. The break-in process is believed to be due primarily to current flowing through the conductors of wiring components.
Dielectric stress caused by a voltage difference between the conductors is also believed to be of some benefit. The fact that it takes many hours of in-system use for wiring components to break in is primarily due to the low-level nature of audio/video signals from normal program material.
The cable conditioning machine was designed to produce signal levels far in excess of those seen in normal audio/video system use. Internally, the device contains a sweeping square wave oscillator that drives a very high-efficiency “H” bridge MOSFET switching circuit.
The signal levels produced by the cable conditioning machine are many times greater than that obtained under the most ideal of audio system conditions. The “stress” on the dielectric of the cable is also much higher than in normal use due to the higher output voltage. It should be readily apparent why results with the cable conditioning machine are often quite audible after as little as 24 hours of use.