The QED Airloc Metal 4mm Banana Plug is the premium tier of QED's award-winning Airloc speaker cable termination system, sitting above the ABS-bodied QE1810 in the range. Where budget plugs rely on simple screw-tightening against rough copper strands, the Airloc system uses a cold-weld crimp process to permanently fuse the plug and cable conductors into a single piece of metal — eliminating oxidation at the joint and minimising resistance for the lifetime of the cable.
Airloc Cold-Weld Technology
At the heart of the plug is QED's Airloc termination process. When applied with specialist equipment, the crimp squashes the cable conductors and the plug body together with sufficient pressure to drive out all air from the joint. The result is a gas-tight cold weld in which all contact surfaces are permanently sealed against oxidation. According to QED's own measurements, the joint resistance reaches its minimum value at full crimp pressure and remains there — unlike screw-type terminals, which lose contact area over time and admit oxygen to the copper strands.
Forté Plug Design
The plug body is made from high copper brass — chosen because its cross-sectional area is at least double that of the cable it connects to, effectively compensating for brass's higher resistivity relative to copper. The entire connector is plated with high-purity 24k gold, which combines resistivity close to that of copper with a complete resistance to oxidation, ensuring the contact surfaces remain clean and low-resistance for the life of the installation.
The plug pin features QED's spring-loaded Forté blade, engineered to accommodate the wide tolerance range found in real-world 4mm amplifier and speaker sockets. Whether a socket runs tight or loose, the blade expands or compresses to maintain maximum contact area and consistent insertion force — a practical advantage over fixed-diameter pins that may make poor contact in oversized sockets.
Metal Housing
The colour-coded metal barrel distinguishes the QE1910 from the ABS-bodied QE1810. The barrels are available in red, black, yellow, and blue for polarity and channel identification. The Metal plug accepts a minimum cable cross-section of 0.75mm² and a maximum of 5.5mm², covering the full QED speaker cable range.
| Plug Type | 4mm banana plug |
|---|
| Termination | QED Airloc cold-weld crimp |
|---|
| Body Material | High copper brass |
|---|
| Housing | Metal (colour-coded barrel) |
|---|
| Plating | 24k gold |
|---|
| Compatible Binding Posts | 6mm and 8mm |
|---|
| Minimum Cable Size | 0.75mm² |
|---|
| Maximum Cable Size | 5.5mm² |
|---|
| Available Colours | Red, Black, Yellow, Blue |
|---|
| Sold As | Single |
|---|
