You can't beat the Van Damme range of speaker cables for value, they're excellent quality (ask PMC or the majority of recording studios etc.). I use the VD Blue and Hifi in my own setup. See vdctrading, it's available in 1.5mm and 2.5mm sizes. I personally think QED SA is an absolute pain to work with, it's stiff as hell!!
Yes, the QEDs were a bit stiff but you only need to set them up once and then you're good to go. Agreed that it does require a bit of patience to fit the cables nicely into the hole as it is a snug fit with no gaps.