QED

QED REFERENCE Ethernet

$299.99

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Reference Ethernet

Handles the highest of high-resolution audio - and beyond.

Designed to provide the most accurate, most stable connection possible between networked devices. Perfect for connecting a high-resolution digital audio streamer to a local network, the Reference Ethernet has more than enough bandwidth to deal with the data rates required by 32 bit/384 kHz and DSD512 audio files. Painstakingly engineered, Reference Ethernet is a Class I Category 8.1 cable and can support 40G Ethernet - and so has the headroom to cope with even the most data-intensive applications

Engineering pedigree
QED has been designing and engineering superior analogue and digital cables for more than 50 years, and its new Reference Ethernet cable is informed by the results of the company’s exhaustive research into cable design since 1995.

"In short, this is a beautifully made Ethernet cable that works extremely well and will certainly not become obsolete in the foreseeable future."

Hi-Fi Choice, 5 Stars, Recommended Award

Key features at a glance

Specifically designed for high-resolution audio up to 32 bit/384 kHz or DSD512 quality
Complies with Class I Category 8.1 standard
Supports 40G Ethernet
Ferrite insulation, low-loss dielectric and gold-plated Telegärtner plugs combine to deliver
99.999% OFC, 24 AWG conductors with customised twist rates for lower inter-pair crosstalk
Arrives in stylish White Pearl finish

Specified to perform

An uncompromised specification and state-of-the-art engineering results in a cable with a maximum data rate of 40 Gb/s. This is well in excess of what is required to handle even the most demanding data streams, and means Reference Ethernet is easily able to cope with the highest of today’s high-resolution digital audio files and is future-proofed to handle whatever comes next.

Minimising crosstalk and insertion loss

In order to keep signal noise and crosstalk to an absolute minimum, Reference Ethernet uses 99.999 % oxygen-free copper twisted-pairs - with a dissimilar twist rate for each pair - to maximise noise-rejection characteristics. For minimal ‘insertion loss’ - which is the reduction of signal strength at the end of the cable compared to that at the start - Reference Ethernet uses an aluminium mylar wrap, within a foil wrap, within a ferrite-impregnated jacket. As a result, the cable comfortably exceeds the CAT 8 insertion loss standard. This over-specified arrangement also means Reference Ethernet easily outperforms the CAT 8 standard for ‘attenuation-to-crosstalk ratio’ which is an indicator of the margin by which it avoids introducing any errors into the data stream.

Reducing return loss

Reference Ethernet also performs way beyond the CAT 8 requirements where ‘return loss’ is concerned. Any impedance mismatch between the cable and the equipment it’s connected to can cause the signal to be reflected back and forth. Thanks to its precision-engineered, gold-plated Telegärtner plugs with 360-degree shielded die-cast zinc bodies, reflections are minimised and all of the signal is delivered to the load. The cable is finished in a stylish pearl white PVC jacket to compliment any hi-fi set-up.

Technical Specifications

Cable OD (mm): 9 mm
Plugs: Telegärtner Profinet CAT 8
Construction: F/FTP
Conductor size: 24 AWG
Characteristic Impedance: 100 ohm
Patch Cable Category: Class I CAT 8.1
Maximum bit-rate: 40 Gb/s
Colour: White Pearl