Reviews for QED XT40i Speaker Cable - Custom Length

I wanted some new cable for my Kef LS50s. I use my trusty Nad C350 as a preamp and a Nad C268 as a power amp.
I got some cable made up with banana plugs on both ends. They feel substantial in hand, and the way the plugs are connected is faultless.

They plug all the way home on the speaker side but not on the amp side.
I contacted Gary at Futureshop as I was sure I had made a mistake and should have gone with spades on the amp side.
Gary assured me that most amps on the market don't accept banana plugs all the way home and that it will all be fine, so not to worry. The cable itself is a marked upgrade to the cheaper stuff I had before. I was using a no-brand 79 stranded wire about 20 years old!

They did sound a lot brighter to me at first, but this has all settled a month or so later, and the initial harsh edge has gone.
Either that or my ears have just become accustomed to the new sound, and it was all just in my head!!!!

Overall I'm delighted with the service and with the cable. I would definitely use Futureshop again.

As a returning customer, I can confirm that FutureShop continues to offer excellent service.

The QED XT40i substantially improves cheaper cables and is worth the investment. It is noteworthy that the gauge \ conductor thickness is quite chunky, so it can be challenging to fit into some bare wire connectors \ your own plugs.

I bought the QED XT40i to partner with my new QED 3050i floor standing speakers, replacing some older QED Silver Micro cables. I wanted to control the bass more, open up the midrange and bring more clarity to the overall sound. I received excellent advice and first-class service from Adam, who told me to come back when I'd tried a high-quality sound source (Tidal, Qobuz etc.,) instead of my usual Amazon music through Airplay. Also, he recommended burning in the speakers for at least 40 hours or preferably longer.

After doing all that and noticing an increase in sound quality overall, I bought the XT40i's in custom lengths with the Airlock Forte Banana Plugs fitted. The courier delivered the cables the next day, and I was immediately impressed by their weight and quality feel. The difference in sound quality was immediately apparent when trying the cables for the first time.

The QED 3050i's sound fantastic. The bass is more controlled; the midrange is clearer and more spacious, while the upper frequencies and vocals are crisp and clear, yet smooth. I'm streaming through a Marantz PM7000N and swapping between Tidal (HEOS app), Qobuz (Mconnect app) and Amazon Music HD via Airplay on an iPhone. The advice and service from Mark were excellent, and I would highly recommend Future Shop if you're looking for cables and advice.

Super!!

The proof is there to be seen and heard. The quality of these cables looks and feels top-notch. The sound so far is open, crisp and the clarity is incredible.

Building a new hifi with confidence alongside QED Cables and interconnects sets the bar high. I'm looking forward to burning the whole set-up and the resulting overall sound.

I have to thank Futureshop for their use of insight into many products, reviews, and great customer service.

Excellent cable. Smooth, easy and efficient service. Used Future in the past, no doubt will do so again.

This is the second time I’ve purchased a QED XT40i speaker cable from the Future Shop. I’m delighted with my purchase, and the customer service has been excellent. The product arrived swiftly and well packaged. THANK YOU

Perfect custom length cable with nice Airloc plugs.

Excellent communication with the seller.

Very fast en detailed sound fir it's pricepoint. An absolute winner!!?

It's burning in.

I decided to try bi-wiring my KEF iQ7 floor standers to get a bit more balance and cohesion out of them; I've never been happy with the binding post linkage. I've been using QED XT300 as a single feed. Toying with getting a pair of XT400 to try bi-wiring, and I found the scarcity and price of it a problem. Instead, I opted for an entirely new set of cables, and the XT40i with QED Airloc terminations is what I opted for.

I didn't go for the full 96-hour burn-in, just 48 hours. Initially, things sounded harsh in the treble, and I wondered if I'd made a good decision. Then I realised that the second set of speaker terminals that I was now using on the amplifier, Audiolab 8000S, had never been used. Swapping over the feed and the shrillness disappeared, but the lower frequencies were not as good. Just as the speaker cable needed burning in, so too did the linkage to the second set of speaker terminals in the amplifier. Now, a few months on, the speakers sing very pleasingly. Definitely better than the single wire of the higher specified / cost XT300 I'd been using.

Ultimately a worthwhile swap to bi-wire; it just needed some time for the system to be optimal.

I speedily received my XT40i speaker cable; it was perfectly terminated and packed. It feels very solid, like it would last a lifetime. Mine was terminated with QED Airloc forte banana plugs that fitted very tight in the KEF Q350s and NAD D3020v2.

Glad I found professionals that know their job. Kind regards,