QED Airloc Metal Banana Plugs (8 Pack)

QED Airloc Metal Banana Plugs - Fitted at Audio Trends

The QED Airloc Metal Banana Plugs use QED's award winning loudspeaker cable termination method that achieves a cold weld between cable and plug using specialist QED equipment. Put simply, this is the best termination method to use with QED loudspeaker cables. 

What Is Airloc?

Airloc is a form of cold weld system that permanently attaches QED Airloc banana plugs to the entire range of QED speaker cables. One of the main reasons for choosing a QED speaker cable is the superior d.c. resistance characteristics offered by the exclusive use of 99.999% oxygen free copper conductors. It seems a shame then to ruin all this attention to detail by neglecting the most vulnerable area of the speaker cable chain - that of the physical interface between cable and amplifier or speaker terminals.

Seen under a microscope the surface of a typical copper strand is very rough and so using normal screw type terminals means the electrical contact is only made in a relatively small number of places. Add to this a layer of oxidation - which is inevitable if copper is exposed to the air for even a short time - and the combined resistance of the cable and its termination can creep back up to levels present in a more inferior cable.

By using a cold weld crimp type termination Airloc plugs squash the conductors and plug together to improve contact area and reduce resistance. Now, because all the air has been removed from the joint there will be no oxidisation of the contact surfaces either so the low resistance will remain for the lifetime of the cable. During the cold weld process the cable and plug become one solid piece of metal. Since the copper contact has been effectively removed from the resistance equation it only remains to concentrate on the plug to terminal resistance.

What Are Airloc Plugs?

The plugs themselves are made of solid brass which has roughly twice the resistivity of copper. For this reason QED's 4mm banana plug was devised so that its cross sectional area would be at least double that of the cable to which it was connected, effectively cancelling out the extra resistance of the plug material. QED then plates the connector with high purity gold which has a resistivity almost as low as copper but, more importantly, does not oxidise in air. The relatively smooth gold surfaces provide a larger contact area than the uneven copper strands in the cable and because the gold will never oxidise the contact surface remains clean and low resistance for life.

The new strengthened Metal Airloc plug pin section is designed to maximise contact area throughout the wide tolerance range encountered in 4mm amplifier and speaker sockets. Here some are quite tight whereas others are loose, so the spring loaded blade is designed to fit into smaller and larger sockets with equal insertion force. This means that the contact area is maximised and the connection remains uniformly tight. QED Airloc technology; guaranteed low resistance and strength - for life.

Our Review

These really are some of the best banana plugs available. Using the specialist QED crimping tool the metal of the cable and the metal of the plug are fused together into a cold weld which means once they're fitted these banana plugs are never coming off and will never get loose. The metal outer sleeve helps make these plugs something of a bargain, particularly considering the quality job they do.

Main Features & Specifications

• Four Red & Four Black QED 4mm Banana Plugs Pre-Fitted to a pair of Speaker Cables
• 24k Gold Plated Plugs
• High Copper Brass Body
• Airloc Cold Weld System
• Minimum Cable Size 0.75 mm2
• Maximum Cable Size 5.5 mm2
• Accepts entire QED Cable range
• Colour-Coded Metal Barrels
• Please Note: These plugs are only sold pre-fitted to cable purchased from Audio Trends. These plugs require specialist equipment to fit and cannot be purchased separately. Airloc plugs are compatible with the entire range of QED cables as well as some cables we sell from other manufacturers. Please enquire.

Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE