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Applications for Shunyata Hydra ?

New to powerconditioners. Did some research thru friends and dealers and the shunyata Hydra seems to get a popular vote.
My question is, considering the Guardian and the Hydra series. the price of the hydra seems to be double over the guardian series. Is the difference well worth it ?

If to use hydra /guardian, which of the components are best plugged in there ? I have a cd player, pre-amp and a power amp.

I also read that hydra/guardian has to be used with the shunyata 20 amp powercords. Which model of their 20 amp cord is best place to begin ? and does it make a whole lot difference using the higher model up which can cost as much or more than the hydra unit itself. Also if i already have some aftermarket power cord (other brands that are used in my components ) would it be compatible with the hydra ? ex. PS Audio powercord from cd player plugged into hydra 8 ?

Last but not least, what are the improvements expected from using hydra/guardian ?

Thank you for inputs.

Noli
nolitan
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lak's avatar
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lak
4,690 posts
 
Do you have dedicated circuits for your system along with high end AC outlets?
That’s were everyone should start. From there it’s a matter of personal preference, opinion, and equipment needs. In other words all high end equipment doesn’t sound the same good/bad/indifferent on the same power conditioners.
warrenh's avatar
warrenh
2,299 posts
 
Since my new rig (SET amp and SETpre amp now vs integrated SE tube amp before) I plug my Pre amp and cdp into a two outlet Audio Magic going into a dedicated line and my amp I skip the power conditioner and use just the dedicated line. Works for me. If I was going to power condition only one? I would do the source. Prices are contingent on how far and complicated it is to get to your breaker box. It's a labor thing..If you can go for the $$ it is worth it. I'd go with the dedicated outlets before doing any power conditioning. Your electric journey may end there, however I have found that quality power conditioning is like giving a steroid injection to a dedicated line. let us know how it goes.

BTW, as Tvad said, there is oodles of power conditioning info in the archives. You'll be reading all day.

warren :)
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,443 posts
 
haven't tried the new Guardian.
Using Hydra4 right now. Had 2 Hydra2 units before. Your cdp and preamp will benefit from Hydra. Your amp may or may not. My McCormack amps benefitted from Hydra but my Pass amp does not. I preffer this amp run directly from the wall.
With Hydra I noticed blacker backgrounds, reduced noise floor and overall it lets you hear a bit deeper into the music. Soundstage is improved as well.
Hydra and Guardian use 20amp power cords. The IEC inlet on the Hydra and Guardian is 20amp and is different from the conventional 15amp IEC plug, so your PS Audio cord, if it has a conventional 3-prong 15amp IEC plug, will not work with Hydra.
There are different power cords that can be made with a 20amp IEC end, so you can experiment. I used Shunyata Taipan Alpha with the Hydras and it was good.

But if you run the search on Hydra you will come up with lots of info and lots of opinions on PCs and everything else.
Have fun.
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