The QED Classic 42 Strand is the cable that started it all. Launched in 1975 as QED's first ever speaker cable, it is still in the range today as the entry point to the Classic series, sitting below the heavier-gauge Classic 79 Strand. It is an entry-level speaker cable that combines convenience with performance, and its figure-of-8 construction allows it to be used in the most demanding placement situations.
Sold Per Metre, Cut To Length
The price shown is per metre. Enter the number of metres you need and the cable is cut to that length from a 100m reel and supplied unterminated in one continuous run, so there is no waste and no need to buy a fixed-length pack. If you want to fit your own connectors, the cable is suitable for QED's ABS, Metal and Mini Airloc terminations. A full 100m reel of the black cable is listed separately.
Construction
Each conductor is made up of 42 superior-grade copper strands with a cross-sectional area of 0.75mm² (19 AWG) and a minimum stranded diameter of 1.15mm. The two conductors sit side by side in a figure-of-8 jacket with an outer diameter of just 2.7mm, which keeps the cable slim and flexible for routing along skirting boards, through trunking or behind furniture. This listing is for the black jacket; a white version is also available for installations where the cable needs to blend with white walls and skirting.
Performance
QED rates the Classic 42 Strand at a loop resistance of 0.046Ω/m, capacitance of 49pF/m and inductance of 0.75µH/m, with a dissipation factor of 0.0500. Its modest conductor gauge makes it best suited to shorter runs in hi-fi and home cinema systems; for longer runs or more demanding loudspeakers, the Classic 79 Strand offers a larger 2.50mm² conductor and lower resistance. Like all QED cables it is covered by QED's lifetime guarantee.
