British cable specialist QED has introduced a new generation of its popular Performance Series, bringing a refreshed design, a new speaker cable and a significantly wider range of digital connections to the line. The QED Performance Series now spans 13 models, covering the key analogue and digital connections found in a modern hi-fi or AV system, from vinyl and CD through to TV sound and high-resolution streaming.
QED Performance Series: Nearly Five Decades of Cable Engineering
QED has been developing audio and AV cables for almost five decades, a history that reaches back to the 1979 QED 79 Strand, widely regarded as one of the first speaker cables developed specifically for high-fidelity reproduction. The new QED Performance Series continues that scientifically grounded approach, drawing on findings from the QED Genesis Report, the company’s ongoing research programme into how different cable parameters affect signal transfer.
The series also gets a visual refresh. A softer, more flexible TPE jacket makes the cables easier to install and route through a system, while new silver-grey connectors give the whole range a more modern, unified look. QED says this design language will extend to its Reference and Signature series over time, creating a consistent visual identity across the brand’s cable programme. Conductors use 99.999 percent oxygen-free copper throughout, with 24-carat gold-plated contacts on most models and nickel-plated connectors on the USB cables.
A Refreshed Design With More Digital Options
The standout new model in the QED Performance Series is the Performance Speaker Cable, a 2.5mm² design built around QED’s X-Tube™ Plus technology, engineered to minimise resistance and deliver even signal transfer across the full audio band. Factory-fitted, gold-plated QED Airloc™ connectors or spades provide a secure, long-lasting connection, and matching Performance Bi-wire Links are also available. The Performance Audio RCA interconnects have been updated too, combining QED’s Solid Complementary Conductor Technology™ with 99.999 percent oxygen-free copper conductors, extensive shielding and Ferrite Insulation Technology™ to reduce external interference.
The biggest change for the QED Performance Series is on the digital side. Alongside Digital Audio, Optical and Ethernet cables, the range now includes a full set of USB connections: USB-A to USB-B, USB-A to USB-C, USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-B, aimed at connecting computers, streamers, network players and D/A converters. All USB cables carry independent USB-IF certification, and the Performance Speaker Cable uses an LDPE jacket in place of the standard TPE for extra durability. Packaging has also been updated, with QED reducing plastic use in favour of recyclable, paper-based materials across the series.
The QED Performance Series also covers more specialised needs: dedicated Performance Subwoofer cables in three lengths, 3.5mm headphone extension cables for both jack-to-jack and jack-to-phono use, and a Y-SW adaptor for splitting a single phono output into two speaker inputs. Together with the existing HDMI and Toslink optical options carried over from the outgoing range, this gives installers and system integrators a single, consistent cable family to specify for almost any connection in a modern home cinema or stereo system.
Pricing and availability
The new QED Performance Series is available now through authorised QED dealers. The Performance Speaker Cable starts at €159 for a 2m pair, rising to €239 for 5m, while the Performance Audio RCA interconnects start at €69 for 0.75m. The new USB cables start at €39. In Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, QED is distributed by IDC Klaassen International Distribution & Consulting.
Key specifications
- QED Performance Series: 13 models across speaker, analogue and digital cables
- Performance Speaker Cable: 2.5mm², X-Tube™ Plus technology, LDPE jacket
- Performance Audio RCA: Solid Complementary Conductor Technology™, Ferrite Insulation Technology™
- New USB-IF certified cables: USB A-B, A-C, C-C and C-B
- 99.999% oxygen-free copper conductors; 24-carat gold-plated contacts (most models)
- Pricing from €39 (USB) to €239 (5m Performance Speaker Cable); available now
Best of High End previously covered in-akustik’s new 360 Connector generation for its Reference AIR cables, another recent high-end cable update. For full technical details, visit QED.
