Author: armourpress

QED

QED announces future-proofed Performance HDMI Active Optical Cable for high-end 8K installations

Post author By armourpress
Post date 20 July 2020

British audio specialists QED has today unveiled the new Performance HDMI Active Optical Cable – a future-proofed HDMI cable designed for high-end home cinema installations and available in 20m to 50m lengths.

QED has been designing and engineering superior analogue and digital cables for over 45 years, as well as setting the benchmark for high-performance HDMI cables. With the new Performance HDMI Active Optical Cable, QED has developed a ground-breaking and staggeringly capable HDMI cable that meets and exceeds today’s high demands for AV equipment.

The QED Performance HDMI Active Optical Cable is designed for use in high quality custom installations and home studio environments that require longer lengths of cable. The cable features a hybrid arrangement that combines copper core with optical fibre to create a cable that resists data degradation even over extremely long lengths – from 20m to 100m – and which doesn’t require an external power supply to operate.

Compared with conventional HDMI cables operating at the edge of their length-restricted capabilities, QED’s Performance HDMI Active Optical Cable features reliable technology that delivers optimal performance over such long distances.

A fully future-proofed cable, the HDMI Active Optical Cable is perfect for use with high-end projectors and TVs featuring the latest technology. The HDMI Active Optical Cable is able to handle all current and upcoming HDMI 2.1 standards: it is fully compatible with 8K resolutions at 60Hz, 4:4:4 and can transmit data rates of 48 Gb/s over long lengths.

The cable is also compliant with HDCP 2.2 specifications and supports HDR, eARC, multi-channel audio formats including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, as well as next-generation game console technologies.

The cable features a Low Smoke Zero Halogen jacket and complies with rigorous UK and EU Reaction to Fire regulations, meaning the cable can be professionally installed and concealed securely within the structure of a building. Customers can have absolute confidence in the knowledge that the HDMI Active Optical Cable will function perfectly for years.

The cable has zinc-alloy HDMI connectors for enhanced durability and performance, while triple-shielding further protects the cable against interference for optimal signal quality.

Available to buy in 20m to 50m standard lengths, and custom lengths of up to 100m by special order, the Performance HDMI Active Optical Cable is available now at www.qed.co.uk. Download the white paper on HDMI Active Optical Cable for further details:

White Paper Download

Prices:

QED Performance HDMI Active Optical Cable, 20m – £499 / €625

QED Performance HDMI Active Optical Cable, 30m – £599 / €745

QED Performance HDMI Active Optical Cable, 40m – £699 / €875

QED Performance HDMI Active Optical Cable, 50m – £799 / €995

About QED

British audio specialists QED has been designing and engineering superior AV cables for over 45 years, with its QED 79 strand cable, released in 1976, widely recognised as the world’s first “specialist” speaker cable. Since then, the company has set the benchmark for high-performance HDMI cables, and has used extensive scientific research and computer-aided design techniques to ensure its products remain at the very cutting edge of technology.

For more information, visit www.qed.co.uk (UK) and www.qacoustics.com (US).

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QED

QED’s updated and improved Reference High Resolution USB cable now available

Post author By armourpress
Post date 4 May 2020

QED’s Reference High Resolution USB cable has been updated and improved with a slimmer, more flexible profile, and an enhanced performance that is designed to minimise jitter (timing errors) in the audio data stream between your digital devices.

British audio specialists QED has been designing and engineering superior analogue and digital cables for over 45 years, and the new Reference High Resolution USB is informed by the results of the company’s exhaustive research into cable design since 1995, detailed in The Genesis Report.

The Reference High Resolution USB is the state-of-the-art offering from QED and represents the pinnacle of the company’s understanding of complex cable application.

Available now in 0.6m, 1m, 2m and 3m lengths, the Reference High Resolution USB cable features full high resolution compatibility and is designed to deliver an enjoyable, musical performance for long listening sessions. It exceeds all the requirements for high resolution audio, supporting files beyond 24-bit/192kHz, as well as DSD and MQA audio file formats.

Key features and improvements include:

Impedance Controlled Data Lane
The QED Reference High Resolution USB uses a tightly controlled, 24 AWG, 99.999% oxygen-free copper twisted-pair geometry featuring low-permittivity, foamed-polyethylene dielectrics, which is uniformly bound by an aluminium/mylar wrap. This arrangement is not usually found in a USB cable and is similar to that used in QED’s high performance HDMI cables.

Because the impedance of the data lane is kept within strictly defined parameters, it exceeds the standard USB 2.0 specification by more than half. Therefore the jitter added to the audio data stream is kept to a minimum, resulting in a better timed musical performance and increases the enjoyment of actually listening to music.

Clean Path Audio Return Technology
The updated cable features complete isolation of the USB power and data lanes. USB cables carrying the charging currents and PC power generate noise alongside the audio data stream, which can have an adverse effect on sound quality.

To combat this, the Reference High Resolution USB uses a double layer shield comprising a 100% aluminium/mylar wrap and shield braid connected to the ground to complete electrically isolate the data and power. This results in cleaner, more precise and more accurate audio transmission.

Floating Ferrite Insulation
The QED Reference High Resolution USB features a unique integral Zn/Mn floating, ferrite jacket. This absorbs high frequency noise signals generated both internally and externally, and works to create a much quieter electrical environment in and around the cable so that jitter within the audio data stream is minimised.Read the QED Reference High Resolution USB white paper for more details:Download

Like all QED cables, the Reference High Resolution USB comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Prices:

QED Reference High Resolution USB 0.6M – £74.95 / €95

QED Reference High Resolution USB 1M – £79.95 / €100

QED Reference High Resolution USB 2M – £89.95 / €110

QED Reference High Resolution USB 3M – £99.95 / €125

To learn more visit www.qed.co.uk (UK) and www.qacoustics.com (US)

About QED

British audio specialists QED has been designing and engineering superior AV cables for over 45 years, with its QED 79 strand cable, released in 1976, widely recognised as the world’s first “specialist” speaker cable – a product that demonstrated how cables could have a tangible impact on audio performance. Since then, the company has used extensive scientific research and computer-aided design techniques to ensure its products remain at the very cutting edge of technology. That rich heritage and constant drive for innovation underpins QED’s latest products. All cables deliver an enhanced sonic performance without compromising on their competitive price points.

For more information visit www.qed.co.uk (UK) and www.qacoustics.com (US)

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QED

QED has defined hi-fi cables since 1973 and now ensures the best quality audio and visual performance, whatever your system or budget…

Post author By armourpress
Post date 1 October 2018

Good cables make a world of difference to any audio or visual system. Alongside performance, it’s important to get the right size, form and feature set for your tech in a world of fast moving innovation, from Hi-Fi to TV, wireless speakers to home cinema systems. The right cable works brilliantly through performance and convenience – spend a few minutes selecting the right one for your system and room and you’ll be able to hide it but have a constant reminder of the job it is doing every day.

QED allows you to pick and choose the right cable for you so you can enjoy your system and ensure it’s hitting the performance the designers of your system intended. This statement is true of a £200 system as much as a fully fledged audiophile hi-fi set-up or impressive home cinema.

Cable types explained

Analogue

These cables come in two forms – speaker cables for connecting your loudspeaker to an amplifier and interconnects for hooking up source components such as a CD player, tuner, turntable, amplifier or a phono stage for dedicated vinyl fans.

Digital

Digital cables generally come in four types, HDMI (see below), optical, Coaxial and data. Optical, coaxial and data cables connect digital audio signals from the digital output socket of devices such as Blu-ray/DVD players, CD players, set-top boxes and games consoles to amplifiers and digital-to analogue-converters (DACs). Data cables are designed to transmit high definition digital audio between USB audio components, such as a computer, storage device and DAC.

HDMI

This single digital cable is designed to connect audio visual sources such as a Blu-ray/DVD players, set-top boxes, games consoles and home cinema AV receiver to a digital TV.

QED speaker cable range

QED has been at the forefront of the speaker cable technology since it was founded in 1973, introducing the first ever specialist speaker cable, the QED 79 strand, in 1978. Its speaker cables has won more What Hi-fi? awards than any other single brand, while every speaker cable comes with a lifetime guarantee. This longstanding British company offers a wide range of speaker cables and interconnects – from entry-level to audiophile-grade – to suit all budgets and system types…

QED Micro (£2.50 per metre)

This entry-level compact cable sports a low-profile to seamlessly integrate into any listening environment under carpets and around door frames.

Recommended interconnect cable: QED Profile Audio (from £22.95)

QED Original (£4.50 per metre)

This budget cable has double the cross sectional area of the QED Micro to increase the fidelity of the signal between the amplifier and loudspeaker.

Recommended interconnect cable: QED Performance Audio Graphite (from £24.95)

QED Performance XT25 (£6.50 per metre)

Similar in design to QED Original, this entry-level hi-fi cable features the company’s proprietary X-Tube™ technology, enabling each frequency to pass with equal ease for a more balanced sound.

Recommended interconnect cable: QED Performance Audio Graphite (from £24.95)

QED Reference XT40 (£10 per metre)

A hi-fi-grade cable that features a larger cross sectional area than the XT25 to reduce resistance and further enhance signal quality. Like its Reference series sibling it also features X-Tube™ technology. This cable is also available in the UK and US in 2 metre (£109.95/$129.99) and 5 metre (£169.99/$129.99) models.

Recommended interconnect cable: QED Performance Audio 40 (from £44.95)

QED Reference XT400 (£25 per metre)

Adopting X-Tube™ technology, this is the ultimate affordable speaker cable upgrade for high end systems.

Recommended interconnect cable: QED Reference Audio 40 (from £94.95)

QED Signature Genesis Silver Spiral (£45 per metre)

Thicker than the XT400 this audiophile-grade speaker cable introduces QED’s innovative Aircore™ technology that eliminates resistance at high frequencies which has a detrimental effect on the fidelity of the sound you hear.

Recommended interconnect cable: QED Signature Audio 40 (from £189.95)

QED Signature Supremus (£140 per metre)

QED’s flagship reference cable boasts the largest cross sectional area of pure copper ever incorporated into a QED loudspeaker cable. This enables Supremus to deliver the ultra-low resistance needed to ensure perfect fidelity of the musical signal. It also features Aircore™ technology.

Recommended interconnect cable: QED Supremus RCA (tbc)

All QED cables feature:

99.999% Oxygen-free copper to increase conductivity for a purer sound. The XT400, Genesis Silver Spiral and Supremus models feature silver-plated copper for an enhanced performance
Low-loss low density Polyethylene jacket that minimises electrical energy loss in the cable insulation which can adversely effect the sound compared with cheaper PVC alternatives
Airloc™ plugs. QED proprietary technology that provides a strong, cold-weld join which eliminates oxidisation of the contact surfaces for a more robust connection over the lifetime of the cable

To learn more visit www.qed.co.uk (UK) and www.qacoustics.com (US)