What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Tonally rich and capable of conveying plenty of detail, but it could be a touch smoother
Pros
- +
Detailed and rich
Cons
- -
Could be smoother and subtler in terms of rhythm
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QED's Silver Anniversary XT had been lofting the 'first speaker cable upgrade' belt for ages, until Chord released its excellent Carnival SilverScreen. So, how will its replacement fare over the reigning champ?
Used in a reference system consisting of an Audiolab 8200CD player, Roksan Caspian M2 integrated amplifier, ATC SCM11 standmounters and Chord CrimsonPlus interconnects, all Award-winners, the QED Ruby Anniversary starts off promisingly with Primus's 1995 weird-fest Tales from the Punchbowl.
QED Ruby Anniversary: Performance
Kicking off with Del Davis Tree Farm, an unsurprisingly bass-and-drum-heavy staccato affair, the QED is fairly composed and reasonably fleet-footed. Notes start and stop quickly (though not with as much precision as the very best), and there's a lovely rich tonality to cymbals.
Sticking to a 1990s theme, Joan Osborne's guitar-led One of Us shows the Ruby Anniversary capable of a full-bodied sound, but still with that slight lack of precision when it comes to rhythm and dynamics.
Authority is the name of the game with this cable, though, and here it scores points over the Chord.
QED Ruby Anniversary: Verdict
On one hand, it does a really nice line in detail and richness – but on the other, it could be a touch smoother and subtler in terms of rhythm.
If your system doesn't have any components that veer towards the lean side, it could work very well for you. We think the QED edges it this time… but only just.
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