What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Another fine interconnect from QED, but it remains a few short steps off class-leading cable status
Pros
- +
Speed, clarity and precision are all top class
- +
fine build
Cons
- -
Not as musically involving as the very best at this price level
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
There's something we just don't understand. Over the past decade or so QED has dominated most areas of the cable market.
It's won more of our speaker cable Awards than any other company and done much the same with HDMIs, component cables and even Scart leads.
When it comes to interconnects, though, the company rarely makes the top grade. Take a look back at our reviews and you'll mostly find a steady stream of four-star ratings suggesting competence and real ability, but not the star quality of the top performers at the price point.
The new Signature Audio XT interconnect doesn't change things.
This is a good cable, very good in most areas. It has a brilliantly lit sound that delivers masses of detail in as clean a manner as we've heard at this price level. Dynamics are bold, and its speed and agility excel.
Sounds class-leading, doesn't it? Well, it would be if it conveyed rhythms in a more convincing manner and delivered greater bass authority. As it is, it's another QED interconnect that gains admiration rather than love.
