power duel - a final report

before i got the shunyata hydra 4, i didn't read a single review online so i am completely neutral in my findings. anyway, i don't think there is any review that compares richard gray and shunyata side by side yet (not in the detailed manner that i am doing here), and you are gonna read it for the 1st time here.

after close to a week of non-stop burning-in, the hydra 4 has somewhat stabilised. i even switched back to my richard gray 600S last night to confirm my findings.

here's my observations:

[1] ambience - hydra beats RGPC. hydra has slightly more musical freedom and air. it also has more bloom around the instruments and singer/s.

[2] imaging - RGPC is more precise and compact (sharper outlines) because it has less "juices" than hydra, which may or may not be a good thing. vocalist's mouth is sharper with the RGPC, hydra has slightly fuzzy outlines. in fact, many would prefer RGPC's imaging because it is more pin-point

[3] midrange - hydra is fuller whereas RGPC is leaner. RPGC seems to squeeze more "juices" from the "meat".

[4] highs - RPGC has more refined but leaner highs. Hyrda's highs are more robust and more raw. this is a no-win no-loser case.

[5] dynamics - hydra is a tad better than RPGC, especially the intertransient silences and constrast. this is an area where hydra wins by the (relatively) biggest margin

[6] bass - again, hydra has more tactile and livelier bass. it is not necesssary deeper but it is definitely livelier

[7] refinement - RGPC is definitely more refined, especially with acoustic materials.

[8] tonal colour - RGPC is more colourful (in my system, it is of golden hue which is quite addictive) and hydra is more bland, or some may call it neutral.

conclusion

hydra has more bloom around the images and it is also dynamically more exciting. music "breathes" with the hydra. there is a certain rawness in hydra's presentation that is very close to live music. it also retains more "juices" in the "meat". by comparision, RGPC seems drier, tighter (less relaxed), cleaner sounding with sharper images and more refined highs. RGPC can sound a tad anti-septic compared to the musically-flowing hydra. RGPC's presentation is pretty and beautiful while hydra is raw and energetic.

however, let me state that different systems react to power/AC treatment differently. one needs to really audition a few products in one's system before one can reach a conclusion.

[post-script]
it is obvious that i have outgrown RGPC's prettier-than-life presentation of music, while i am not completely bought over by the hydra yet. one thing for sure, the hydra makes me realized that i have been listening to a leaner midrange under RPGC. i really want fuller mids and a more natural presentation. the search and experiment continue...