Performance sits at the centre of the QED cable range, above the entry-level Connect series and below the Reference and Signature tiers. It is the speaker cable QED positions for most systems built around good separates, and this listing supplies it unterminated and cut by the metre, so a run can be made to the exact distance between amplifier and loudspeaker.
Conductor and Geometry
Each conductor is stranded 99.999% oxygen-free copper in a 10 × 19/0.13 mm configuration, giving a 2.5 mm² (14 AWG) cross-sectional area and a loop resistance of 0.017 Ω per metre. A large, low-resistance conductor matters at the loudspeaker end of the chain: it allows the amplifier to keep firmer control of the drive units, which helps preserve dynamics, detail and accuracy across the frequency range.
The conductors are arranged using QED's X-Tube Plus™ technology. At higher frequencies conventional speaker cable is affected by skin effect and proximity effect, both of which raise effective resistance and distort the way current is distributed through the conductor. X-Tube Plus is designed to promote a more even current distribution, so the electrical behaviour of the cable stays consistent from bass to treble rather than changing with frequency.
Dielectric and Jacket
A low-loss LDPE dielectric separates the two conductors. LDPE is specified in place of cheaper insulation because it stores and releases less energy over each signal cycle, and the measured dissipation factor is 0.0009 at 10 kHz. Parallel capacitance is 26 pF/m, loop inductance 0.56 µH/m and characteristic impedance 147 Ω. The translucent white jacket measures 3.96 × 9 mm, a flat twin profile that routes neatly along skirting boards, and the two halves part easily at the ends so each conductor can be dressed to its own binding post.
Supplied by the Metre
This version is supplied unterminated and sold per metre, which suits custom-length installations and anyone who prefers to choose their own connectors. It can be terminated with QED Airloc™ banana plugs or spades, which are fitted by a dealer or installer using a cold-weld process that forms a high-conductivity joint resistant to oxidation, or connected bare directly to binding posts. Factory-terminated lengths fitted with Airloc plugs and spades are produced by QED as separate items; this listing covers the cable only.
Where It Fits
QED intends Performance Speaker Cable for first serious hi-fi systems, for upgrading from the cable supplied in the box, and for connecting integrated and power amplifiers to loudspeakers. It also suits stereo systems built around turntables, CD players and streamers, home cinema front and surround channels, and installations where one cable specification is used throughout.