QED Silver Anniversary

[icehockeyboy]

It has been the in thing in the last few years to knock this speaker cable, but can I just say how wonderful it is being used as cable jumpers!
I did try it quite a while back, but recently re installed some new bits, and detail retrieval is stunning, with non of the nasty tizzyness and bass robbing effect when using it as an actual speaker cable in it's own right.
I've been up the after market jumper route, and this is an amazingly great and inexpensive way to go. :)

[The Grand Wazoo]

Not that I want to piss on yer cornflakes, Craig, but did you know there's a cheaper and better sounding way to do this?
The best jumper is always the same as your speaker cables. Better still, use your actual speaker cables by stripping back some insulation at the right distance from the end so you can clamp them into the other set of terminals.

[prestonchipfryer]

The best jumper is always the same as your speaker cables. Better still, use your actual speaker cables by stripping back some insulation at the right distance from the end so you can clamp them into the other set of terminals.

What a bloody good idea! Why haven't I thought of doing that.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Glad to help mate!

[hifi_dave]

Been doing that for customers for years. I tin the ends to stop the wire from fraying and splaying out.

Costs nothing - no wonder I'm not rich.:doh:

[The Grand Wazoo]

Costs nothing - no wonder I'm not rich.:doh:

Ah, but you'll surely go to heaven Dave!

[Effem]

It has been the in thing in the last few years to knock this speaker cable, but can I just say how wonderful it is being used as cable jumpers!
I did try it quite a while back, but recently re installed some new bits, and detail retrieval is stunning, with non of the nasty tizzyness and bass robbing effect when using it as an actual speaker cable in it's own right.
I've been up the after market jumper route, and this is an amazingly great and inexpensive way to go. :)

If my memory serves me well, it was me that started banging on about just how dreadful QED SA was and suddenly everyone agreed with me, when before that it was 'the' cable to buy.

What surprises me the most with your post Craig is that I discovered this when I bought a pair of Castle Conways from Technobear. He brought them down to my house, I plumbed them into my system and they sounded really off song. I knew my system was fine and I knew the Conways should be sounding better than they did according to folklore, but being speakerless at the time I paid Mr Technobear and away he went. Listened for around 10 minutes and peered around the back at the speaker terminals to find some white wire acting as jumpers instead of the standard plates. I whipped them out and put in some scrap silver wire I had, which improved the sound a hundred fold. I emailed Chris and asked what the heck that wire was and he said "QED SA".

I thought "Well, if a three inch length of it can royally screw up a fine sounding speaker like the Conways, what would a few metres of it do?", so I bought a two metre pair and sure enough it wasn't pleasant. I had never heard anything from the QED stable before so I then bought some Genesis which was sublime. How can a cable so popular as QED SA sound that way? I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that since I raised the matter lots of folks also didn't enjoy the sound and those that had used it for a number of years were shocked at the sound improvement when I told them to change it - for anything.

[hifi_dave]

It was/is a dreadful cable IMO. I remember buying a reel when it first came out and we preferred the cheaper stuff, whatever it was called. I told the distributor my findings and the reel was replaced but the second was just as bad. As I recall, we gave it away in the end..:rolleyes:

[Alex_UK]

If my memory serves me well, it was me that started banging on about just how dreadful QED SA was and suddenly everyone agreed with me, when before that it was 'the' cable to buy.

Well I was certainly "chastised" by DJSR for using the stuff back in August '09, and soon got rid of it which was a dramatic improvement... Still using the Belden I sourced from Mark Grant nearly 2 years ago, and don't really see the need to change - tried 2 different flavours of the Belkin, but the 5000UP Belden still won the day.

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3560

[icehockeyboy]

I agree with most of the replies, and of course I am aware of the old stripping back the wire and stuffing it through the two holes job.....ooo er missis! The Problem there is the Belks have some fine banana plugs on them, so not going to take 'em off.

Absolutely right everyone, the SA used as a total speaker wire not only robbed bass out of a system, but was, as I said before tizzy in a tin tack way, hence I have not used it like that in a good 5 or 6 years....I think! But I am sticking to my guns with my thoughts on it as a jumper.
But don't forget my occupation for the last 30 + years, hearing damaged to an extent! :)

[hifi_dave]

'Hearing damaged' !!!

You should have stated that at the start..:eyebrows:

[Tim]

'Hearing damaged' !!!
Is it damaged due to listening to QED SA Craig ;)

[DSJR]

The thing is, WTF gave it awards every year for several years and many of the sevenoaks shops wouldn't seel anything else, as it was an easy sell - QED Micro too, which is re-dressed bell-wire of the finest audio. Remember too, that SA's most popular time was with the AV fraternity, where the mily-white colour of the cable sort of went with the acres of beech coloured flooring and furniture, unlike the far superior, but ghastly blue coloured Cable Talk 3.1 or dirty-cream 4.1, which was in a totally different league IMO.

Oooops, I'm remembering two years of my working life I'd rather forget :(

[hifi_dave]

Ah, the selling power of WTF..:eyebrows:

[icehockeyboy]

Is it damaged due to listening to QED SA Craig ;)

Ha ha! No, it's down to my profession, 30 plus years of wearing headphones in the studio, way too loud may I add, and club pa systems!

And then you wonder why I need the enhanced top end of SA! :lol:

[Effem]

Ha ha! No, it's down to my profession, 30 plus years of wearing headphones in the studio, way too loud may I add, and club pa systems!

And then you wonder why I need the enhanced top end of SA! :lol:

Enhanced top end of SA? Sheesh man, you would be far better off kicking in yer bass cones mate :lol:

[technobear]

Yes, I'm afraid it's true. I did fall for the reviewers recommendations and bought QED SA because it was obviously the best I could buy for £5 a metre :o

I now know different of course. It's harsher than a harsh thing on a harsh day. The much cheaper Van Damme cables outperform it easily. I moved on to Silver Mithril (which I still have knocking around here somewhere - superb cable).

In my defence, the rest of the system I bought at that time were all bought because they were What Hifi 5 Star products - a Sony CDP-XE300, Denon PMA250SE and Mission 731i's. That was and still is an excellent budget system. I wonder how much better it could have been without the QED SA? :doh:

[icehockeyboy]

As I said before, used as a complete cable, its rank, but just as a set of jumpers, it hits the right spot for me! :)

[Yoga]

Awesome!

Just realsed that the speaker cable I'm using in my lounge hi-fi is the QED SA! I've always been disappointed by the sound of it, so I'm hoping the fat Belkin stuff I ordered (from Tims bargain thread) will bring it back to normal.

It's always sounded tinny and flat (it shouldn't, Denon 2310 feeding Kef IQ5 SE's). Can a cable really do that much damage?

I hope so :D

[icehockeyboy]

Yes it can, despite many people saying to me "how can a cable kill bass"....it did for me!

I still say it has a place in my set up, although only for jumper duties!

Having said that I use it on my centre/dialogue speaker in my separate AV system, where it's theoretical bad traits are put to good use.
:)

[icehockeyboy]

I take back the praise I heaped upon the SA as cable jumpers!

I just found two short lengths of Chord Ley Line which I replaced the SA with, and it blew the QED stuff away!

I'm now looking through all my old cable collections to see if I have a long enough piece to use on the centre speaker of the AV set up now! :)

[technobear]

IHB, the world would be a much duller place without you :lolsign:

[worthingpagan]

Go and get yourself enough solid silver speaker cable to bi wire your speakers, you'll never need to worry about jumpers or cable upgrades again ;)

[icehockeyboy]

Go and get yourself enough solid silver speaker cable to bi wire your speakers, you'll never need to worry about jumpers or cable upgrades again ;)


Hi Mark, as mentioned elsewhere, I am not convinced that bi wiring makes a jot of difference, although I will keep a look out for some short lengths of some solid silver wire to use as jumpers! Suggest where I should be looking please?
:)

[worthingpagan]

Hi Mark, as mentioned elsewhere, I am not convinced that bi wiring makes a jot of difference, although I will keep a look out for some short lengths of some solid silver wire to use as jumpers! Suggest where I should be looking please?
:)

You can buy your own .06mm solid silver wire and ptfe, places like ebay, and make your own. Or there's a bloke called "dogsplodge" (real name Mick) who sells lengths made up on ebay. it's not cheap Craig, but once you've heard it i'll be suprised if you ever want to change cables again. As far as bi wiring goes, i stand by my findings that it does make a difference :cool:

[Effem]

I take back the praise I heaped upon the SA as cable jumpers!



Pardon? :ner: