evolution and revolution

in the history of mankind, evolution takes place almost every now and then. in the internet world, it is no longer evolution. players like google and youtube revolutionalize the way we work, we disseminate info and the way we entertain ourselves.

in audio, evolution takes place when you upgrade an interconnect, add some cones etc etc. to "revolutionalize" the sound, more often than not, you need to change your speakers or power amp.

never in my 19-year in hifi have i totally revolutionized my system's sound without spending a single sen. in the case of shunyata hydra 4 power delivery system, not only did i not spend a single sen - i pocketed another RM300 when i sold my richard gray 600s! of course, you may argue that i have already spent RM4,800 on the RGPC but that's to overlook the kind of momentous improvement the hydra brings to my system.

in the past, i used to be fixated with tonal balance that is glamourous - shimmering highs with plenty of sparkles, communicative mids and a bottom end that is tight and taut. and the RGPC was the answer to my prayers. it pushed the highs to a level unachieved before, at the same time, tightened the sound and image. i thought that was what i wanted all along.

until the hydra 4 came along and changed my entire perspective of good sound. whereas the RGPC is highs-centric (meaning it accentuates the highs a lot), the shunyata is mids-centric. hydra 4 imbues the music with a very meaty highs and mids and a bottom end that has very good dynamic contrast. music through the hydra is analogue-sounding (tho' i hate to use this phrase), natural, meaty, full-bodied and thoroughly musical.

the hydra restores my slightly skewed tonal balance to a point where the highs, mids and lows coexist as one cohesive and musical spectrum of sound. it makes many of the power treatments i used in the past (save for the ps audio power plant which i haven't got a chance to try) sound amusical and artificial in its presentation. the hydra also imposes the least sonic signature on the sound, which is the sole criteria
for me.

the hydra's highs are not overly extended like the RGPC's but it has body and substance and weight, which to me, is more real and like-life. the shimmers and sparkles are still there but not to the extent of stealing the whole limelight (like my previous sound). the hydra's mids are thick, textured and full-bodied. the lows have good weights and dynamic contrast, making intertransients more discernible. to top it all, the musicality of the sound is unparalleled.

in short, the addition of hydra has given me the best sound (the best tonal balance, no less) i have ever attained in my 19-year journey of sound. if you think good sound can be achieved within weeks or months, think again :-)

the hydra is both an evolution, in my tastes, and a revolution in my sonic achievement, in my hifi journey.

[post script]
the hydra is one hell of an animal to burn in. potential buyers must allow at least 200 hours (with signal flow, preferably with a fan connected 24 X 7) before it can sound magical. before that, the hydra can appear overly thick with rolled-off highs and slightly rough. patience is the keyword.