Topic: Review : QED Qunex Silver Spiral interconnects

[netken]

Quite easily done, thank you
It's all in a day's work for the talented LAM SENG FATT, who rides to the tape easy squeezy on Silver Spiral in race four ...

ANYONE who calls him/herself an audiophile would have heard of the cable manufacturer called QED. This English company's first claim to mass market fame came about two decades ago in the form of the original 79 strand speaker cable, which was the first upgrade for many hi-fi kakis because it was relatively cheap, performed well and was great value for money.

Over the years, QED increased its product range to include interconnects, amplifiers, D/A convertors and even passive preamps. In recent times, however, the company has concentrated on making high-quality, award-winning speaker cables and interconnects its primary business concern. According to its website (www.qed.co.uk), the company now makes cables, interconnects, switches and multi-room systems.

The return of QED to these pages ... the Qunex has Lam all in a spiral.
Before I got hold of its highly-rated interconnects, the Qunex Silver Spiral, I had already read reviews giving the company top marks and knowing QED's impeccable track record, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. Even the packaging was attractive, with the wires bent into a 'Q' shape.

Q-ewl looks

I was suitably impressed just looking at the wire, with its silverish mylar wrap visible through the transparent PVC outer jacket. It certainly has a space-age look.

Based on dual co-axial spiral geometry using 99.999% silver-plated Oxygen-Free Copper (SPOFC) conductors and braids, the Qunex Silver Spiral is a hi-tech product derived from QED's extensive research into the science of hi-fi cables.

Each stranded conductor is individually insulated with low-loss foamed Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) dielectric, a material chosen to minimise signal loss and grain. Each conductor is then wrapped with mylar screening foil to reduce electromagnetic inteference (EMI) and radio frequency (RF) distortion. The braid, made of SPOFC too, is the next layer and this is kept in place by another layer of LDPE. The conductors are then twisted into a spiral.

Terminating the interconnects are really well-made Qunex reference locking gold-plated RCA connectors. The one-piece construction unit gives the entire product an impressive image; the connectors look real cool with their shiny grey finish.

Q sound

I made sure the little arrows pointed the directional design in the right direction and connected the Marantz CD63 KI CD player to the Audiolab 8000A integrated amp with them. Speakers used were the recently reviewed Canadian-made PSB Image 2B, connected to the amp with Goertz Veracity MI2 cables. Alphacore's Micro Purl Silver interconnects were used as reference.

When I played a CD featuring a duo playing flute and harp, there seemed to be more bloom on the harp. I dug up another CD -- Joni Mitchell -- which featured acoustic guitar and again the bloom was heightened. Acoustic instruments seem to sound richer -- or more euphonic -- with the QEDs. However, electric guitar sounded a little grainy, and horns tended to sound spiky.

The presentation is upfront, detailed and dynamic with stereo images pushed forward and there is a bias towards brightness, with little evidence of high frequency roll-off, while the bass is punchy.

However, there is a tendency for say, band members to appear to be crowding around between the speakers, with less spaciousness than I'd have liked. The slight compression of soundstage, however, did not detract from the quality of the interconnects.

At least one review by a British hi-fi mag said there was some sibilance to voices, but I examined this quite thoroughly with male (Paul Simon) and female (Celine Dion) singers and could not detect more sibilance than normal. Perhaps the sibilance was caused by some other element in the hi-fi chain like the speaker cables. In my case, the Goertz cables are very neutral.

Like the QED 79, the Qunex Silver Spiral is a good performer, but whether it represents value for money -- in Malaysia -- is another matter.

Model: QED Qunex Silver Spiral interconnects

Price: RM850 per metre pair

Distributed by CMY SOUND & VISION (03-243-9406), LG 090 Sungai Wang Plaza, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur./ e-mail: cmysoundvision@yahoo.com

For: Dynamic, punchy sound; good bass.

Against: Pricey (at least in Malaysia); some grain on upper-mid frequencies.

Source : http://202.186.86.35/audio/story.asp?file=/2001/3/29/audiofile/29qunex