Author Topic: QED Speaker Cables XT Evolution  (Read 5939 times)

Offline qwerter

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QED Speaker Cables XT Evolution
« on: November 24, 2010, 11:16:30 PM »
Do you guys think that this will be an improvement from generic 14 gauge speaker wire?
http://www.qed.co.uk/193/gb/product/speaker_cables/xt_evolution.htm 

Offline kajak12

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Re: QED Speaker Cables XT Evolution
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2010, 11:18:59 PM »
Do you guys think that this will be an improvement from generic 14 gauge speaker wire?
http://www.qed.co.uk/193/gb/product/speaker_cables/xt_evolution.htm 
stay away from silver plated copper speaker cables anything plated to start with

get some 1mm round wire from bunnings electrical solid core and burn it in for at  150hrs cheap and makes a great cable for the $$$$
try that
still discovering the link between electronics and audio reproduction.so much to learn and so little time

Offline vitavoxdude

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Re: QED Speaker Cables XT Evolution
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2010, 12:00:54 AM »
Do you guys think that this will be an improvement from generic 14 gauge speaker wire?
http://www.qed.co.uk/193/gb/product/speaker_cables/xt_evolution.htm 

QED do offer good value compared to many cable vendors out there.  Ask around and see if anyone else has it locally.  14 gauge wire is heavy duty allready so what are you hoping to acomplish by changing what you all ready have?  If you want to increase the clarity a bit then single core can help, ribbon cables are even better IMO.  Budgets come into it some where and this is where the QED usually scores.  There have been postings on other sites as regards Ag plated cables, for some they work and others not.  Silver is a slightly better conductor but it can in an overly 'bright' sounding system push it too far along that path.  One of the great things about audio is you can experiment.

I remember reading that the bunnings extension cables (orange jacket twin and earth) usually used for electric lawnmowers comes out prety well as a speaker cable.  I have not tried this myself but for a very low price would suggest this might appeal.  Unless you describe what you actually want to achieve its difficult to recommend.  All of the wireworld cables offer good value.  I have had good results with multiple strands of OFC copper with a silver plating in the past, the club I helped run voted it ahead of a lot of expensive cables, system synergy is what its all about and I never blanket poo poo anything these days as it takes the fun outof experimenting :o
We all like different things so lets all agree to disagree and if any common ground is found then worship it.  Mine is the KD hence being present on this forum.

Offline qwerter

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Re: QED Speaker Cables XT Evolution
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2010, 10:37:56 PM »
Do you guys think that this will be an improvement from generic 14 gauge speaker wire?
http://www.qed.co.uk/193/gb/product/speaker_cables/xt_evolution.htm 

Unless you describe what you actually want to achieve its difficult to recommend. 
More details and clarity.

Offline qwerter

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Re: QED Speaker Cables XT Evolution
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2010, 10:38:59 PM »
Do you guys think that this will be an improvement from generic 14 gauge speaker wire?
http://www.qed.co.uk/193/gb/product/speaker_cables/xt_evolution.htm 
stay away from silver plated copper speaker cables anything plated to start with

get some 1mm round wire from bunnings electrical solid core and burn it in for at  150hrs cheap and makes a great cable for the $$$$
try that
I know I can hear the improvement during burn-in process, but is there any theory behind it?

Offline stevenvalve

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Re: QED Speaker Cables XT Evolution
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2010, 02:14:41 AM »
Do you guys think that this will be an improvement from generic 14 gauge speaker wire?
http://www.qed.co.uk/193/gb/product/speaker_cables/xt_evolution.htm 
stay away from silver plated copper speaker cables anything plated to start with

get some 1mm round wire from bunnings electrical solid core and burn it in for at  150hrs cheap and makes a great cable for the $$$$
try that
I know I can hear the improvement during burn-in process, but is there any theory behind it?
Now that will open a can of worms. like asking the meaning of life. there is lots of possibilities. where do we start.

Offline vitavoxdude

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Re: QED Speaker Cables XT Evolution
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2010, 03:08:27 PM »
Yes indeed Steve, where do we start!

More clarity and detail, well IMO you need to venture away from stranded cables and get into some solid core. Initially suggest some magnet wire as its coated in a thin insulator already, start at a single strand per conductor and work up until the sound is balanced from top to bottom , you'll probably end up at between 3 and 4 strands per conductor.  When final number reached (min 3) plait together.

The inductors made for speaker crossovers also make fine cables for high level use and once unravelled offer pretty good value for money being cheaper than by the metre from most.  Thare are several manufactures of flat ribbon inductors out there and they also do silver ones too but they are getting pricy.

A slightly more wacky cable can be made from refrigerent tubing  (pure OFC copper small bore 4mm OD) which can be air gapped using spacers, this will be like opening a huge window onto your sound but a lot of speakers just cannot handle the additional bass and go bloated in the bottom end; it's one of my favorites for bass duty as it maintains a good damping control due to very low resistance and skin effect of large surface area keeps the highs coming nicely too.
 
If DIY does not suit then beg / borro / steal (?) some DNM speaker cable as these offer good value and will possibly bring better detail than what you currently have.  More money to spend, then check out the wireworld range and the skies the limit thereafter.
We all like different things so lets all agree to disagree and if any common ground is found then worship it.  Mine is the KD hence being present on this forum.