The British audio company is bullish about the performance of its latest speaker cable, whilst at the same time acknowledging that even a top-notch speaker cable (as QED claims the XT40 is), won't get everyone hot under the collar.
Jack Fox, Armour Home (QED's parent company) brand manager, showed refreshing candour on the subject of cables: "Firstly, and without wishing to undermine our own headline, QED of course recognises that only a certain segment of the world's population is likely to get excited by the performance of a loudspeaker cable, no matter how good it is. This is a shame because the new XT40 is simply exquisite.
"XT40 clearly enables listeners to enjoy a higher level of performance from their hi-fi and home cinema systems, than when the same systems are wired with lesser cables. But also, and this is why this cable is genuinely exciting, XT40 unquestionably performs as well or better than 'rival' cables costing many times its price."
A bold claim, and one the company is happy for you to put to the test. The QED XT40 Challenge invites you to compare the new XT40 to any cable you like, "any time, any place, any price".
The XT40 speaker cable is part of QED's Reference Series and features the company's "X-Tube technology", which uses a novel cable construction to help reduce distortion and improve overall performance. The cable claims very low resistance, too, which QED says makes it ideal for longer distances,
The QED XT40 speaker cable will be available from mid-October for £10/m from authorised retailers worldwide.