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21 May 2026
FutureShop is an authorised dealer for QED Cables. The Golden Anniversary XT is custom-made to length and terminated by our team using QED's 24-carat gold-plated AIRLOC banana plugs. Free cable burn-in is available on selected QED speaker cables via our Nordost Vidar burn-in service.
Our Verdict
The QED Golden Anniversary XT sits at a genuinely unusual position in the speaker cable market: the spaciousness and openness it borrows from the Genesis Silver Spiral geometry at a price that competes with cables lacking either technology. If your system needs scale and air rather than body and top-end weight, this is the cable the Hi-Fi News Editor's Choice verdict correctly identifies as exceptional value.
Quick Take
- The Golden Anniversary XT combines two technologies QED has never previously put in the same cable: X-Tube Plus (from the XT range, addressing skin effect) and Aircore (from the Genesis Silver Spiral, addressing proximity effect). The result is a hybrid that borrows spaciousness from the flagship while retaining the XT range's copper character.
- Character is open, spacious, and well-balanced. The soundstage is the cable's most distinctive quality. It is not the heaviest or most body-forward QED cable at this price; the XT400 does that better. Its strength is air, separation, and a rounded, forgiving presentation.
- Conductor: 99.99% oxygen-free copper blended with Ultra-Pure Ohno Continuous Cast Copper. Termination: QED AIRLOC Forté 24-carat gold-plated banana plugs using a cold-weld bond. Low-density polyethylene dielectric insulation for minimal signal loss.
- Hi-Fi News awarded Editor's Choice in August 2023, noting that the cable's technical specifications matched independent lab testing exactly and that its value relative to cables costing ten times more was "Golden".
- The Golden Anniversary XT Jumper Cables are available separately and pair naturally with bi-wire speaker setups, applying the same geometry to the inter-terminal connection.
- All lengths are custom-made and terminated to order at FutureShop.
A Celebration of Sound Excellence
QED has graced the audio world for half a century with innovations and advancements that have brought sound to life. As they celebrate their Golden Jubilee, introducing the Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable is a testament to their dedication and expertise. Not only does it encapsulate five decades of pioneering audio research, but it also represents an exceptional blend of high-quality performance and value.
Golden Touch to Your Audio Experience
At its heart, the Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable is more than just a conduit for sound; it's an experience. The soundstage it delivers is vast and enveloping, making any listening session a genuinely immersive experience. Each note is clearly defined, ensuring a level of detail and clarity that is unparalleled, especially at its price point. Whether you're revelling in your favourite tunes or engrossed in a gripping film, this cable has the ability to make the audio leap out and capture your senses.
The Sound of Excellence
What's particularly unique about this cable? The design combination lets through a beautifully rounded clarity from its forgiving, continuous cast copper conductors. Frequency presentation is well-balanced and tidily separated with an impressive depth. The obvious comparison is its cousin, XT400, which delivers more body and top-end detail without the spaciousness that Golden Anniversary XT borrows from its silver-plated elder sibling – Genesis Silver Spiral.
Sting's "Fields of Gold" aptly showcased its calibre. The delicate strings flowed seamlessly over crisp rimshots, and Sting's distinctive voice came through with nuanced grace. Transitioning to the vibrant "Dance Macabre" by Saint-Saëns, the opening chimes of the harp echoed with pristine clarity, segueing into powerful orchestral sections, a testament to the dynamic capabilities of the Golden Anniversary XT.
A Symphony of Technologies
The core of this cable feature QED's X-Tube™ Plus and Aircore™ technologies. The former addresses the 'skin effect' by crafting a hollow insulating rod around which the conductor material wraps. This ensures that high-frequency signals travel unimpeded, consistently performing across all audible frequencies. The Aircore™ technology, on the other hand, battles the 'proximity effect', which can tamper with the current distribution. The blend of these technologies results in a balanced sound output that is hard to find fault with.
A Conductor Like No Other
The inclusion of Ultra-Pure Ohno Continuous Cast Copper conductors adds another feather to its cap. This unique hybrid blend, comprising 99.99% oxygen-free copper and Ultra-Pure Ohno Continuous Cast Copper, ensures an enhanced signal path and impressive signal retention. It's a feature rarely seen at this price point, making the Golden Anniversary XT an enticing proposition for any audiophile.
Furthermore, the low-loss, ultra-uniform dielectric insulation, crafted from specially developed low-density polyethene, couples with the cable's design to enhance its efficiency and minimise signal loss. And to ensure that this marvel remains untarnished by the passage of time, the Airloc™ Forté banana plugs, employing a cold-weld system, bond permanently to the cable, ensuring reduced resistance and better signal transfer.
Editor's Choice and Beyond
For those who relish the technical details, the accolades received by the QED Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable from Hi-Fi news editors speak volumes. Hi-fi news in August 2023 declared the Golden Anniversary XT as an Editor's Choice, emphasising its unparalleled value compared to high-end cables costing significantly more:
"Compared to high-end cables costing 10x more, QED's Golden Anniversary XT represents stunning value. It's equally refreshing to discover a cable whose technical specification precisely matches that found in our independent testing. All of which contributes to the reassurance of a brand, and cable, offering no-nonsense sound and build quality at a great price. In the sparsely populated world of hi-fi bargains, this one is Golden!"
Termination to Perfection
To ensure customers receive the best, the cable is custom-made to specifications and is expertly terminated using QED's 24 Carat gold-plated AIRLOC termination plugs. This solder-free, airtight fusion ensures optimal signal transfer, maintaining impeccable quality over time.
Where Does the Golden Anniversary XT Sit in the QED Range?
The article names three cables that belong to the same family lineage. The table below places them in context, drawn directly from the article's own comparative statements and confirmed product descriptions, to help you decide which is right for your system.
| Cable | Technologies | Sound character | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| QED XT400 | X-Tube. Conductor-around-tube geometry to control skin effect. | More body and top-end detail than the Golden Anniversary XT. Less spacious, more weight and physical presence in the sound. | Systems that sound lean or where bass body and top-end detail are the priority. A strong entry into QED's X-Tube range. |
| Golden Anniversary XT | X-Tube Plus and Aircore. The first QED cable to combine both. Ohno Continuous Cast Copper conductors. | Open, spacious, rounded, and forgiving. Well-balanced frequency presentation. Borrows the Genesis Silver Spiral's geometry without the silver conductors. Hi-Fi News Editor's Choice August 2023. | Systems that are already well-balanced and want scale and air. Those comparing to cables at ten times the price. The strongest value proposition in the QED range. |
| Genesis Silver Spiral | Aircore with silver-plated 99.999% OFC conductors. QED's flagship cable. | The Golden Anniversary XT's spaciousness with the added resolution, precision, and low-frequency grip that silver-plated conductors and QED's flagship construction deliver. | Reference-level systems where the Golden Anniversary XT has already been heard and the step up to silver plating is warranted. QED's most capable and most awarded speaker cable. |
If you own bi-wire speakers, Golden Anniversary XT Jumper Cables are available separately and apply the same X-Tube Plus and Aircore geometry to the inter-terminal connection, maintaining the cable's character throughout the speaker's crossover path.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the QED Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable is a testament to QED's unwavering commitment to audio excellence. It's not just a product; it's 50 years of audio heritage wrapped in a golden sheen of innovation and performance. Celebrate sound, celebrate QED.
For a comparison of what a speaker cable at a comparable price can do with a different design philosophy, focusing on phase distortion reduction rather than skin and proximity effect control, our Tellurium Q speaker cables review covers the Black and Silver families in the same price territory. And if you want to understand how a premium speaker cable performs within a fully rewired Nordost loom, our Nordost Leif 3 review covers the White Lightning through Red Dawn range on our Ayre/B&W reference system.
The QED Golden Anniversary XT is available now at FutureShop in custom lengths, terminated to order with QED's 24-carat gold-plated AIRLOC Forté banana plugs. Golden Anniversary XT Jumper Cables are also available. All speaker cables carry our 60-day money-back guarantee, with free cable burn-in available via our Nordost Vidar service. Not sure whether the Golden Anniversary XT, XT400, or Genesis Silver Spiral is right for your system? Get in touch with our team for free expert advice.
