[Russtafarian]

On page 2, note the use of buss bars and some extra passive components (in yellow) on the backs of the outlets. Perhaps these are the "multi-element Venom noise filters".

Same stuff.  They now have yellow plastic caps to fit over the capacitors strapped to the outlets.

The DIY Felix filter is a better engineered design than this.

[TomS]

Same stuff.  They now have yellow plastic caps to fit over the capacitors strapped to the outlets.
...

Well then that's worth $1300 of it all by itself 

[Atlplasma]

A few years back I bought one of these new off of fleabay for about $110 (with batteries). Someone had picked up a pallet from a bankrupt distributor. Wish I had bought two.

[Devil Doc]

$1500 buys a lot of expectation and sight bias...until you open the cover.

Doc

[srb]

$1500 buys a lot of expectation and sight bias...until you open the cover.

My recommendation is to not take off the cover so that you can continue to enjoy the blacker background, tighter bass, extended airy treble, greater separation of instruments and more vivid video colors that you have come to enjoy.

Steve

[Atlplasma]

My recommendation is to not take off the cover so that you can continue to enjoy the blacker background, tighter bass, extended airy treble, greater separation of instruments and more vivid video colors that you have come to enjoy.

Steve

 

[GrantS]

Someone was nice enough to e-mail and point me to these comments.

Wow, this quite a tar and feather party and all without anyone looking into costs, reading specifics or asking why the unit appears as it does. Nothing in that original Hydra 6 was ever kept a secret. We have had open box units available at shows going on 10 years and we have published data on why a minimalist approach to power delivery makes more sense than current manipulation (to us).

There are pictures posted in Stereophile's show reports as well as other magazines with complete descriptions of  the parts and materials contained inside. There was never any mystery behind what our point of view is on power or even what our costs are to build the Hydras. I have spoken to hundreds if not thousands of customers over the years and laid out our cost structure, which is roughly x5 to x6 raw parts and materials, depending on the product and price point...less for the least expensive products, a little more for the most expensive. It balances to roughly x5

That particular Hydra 6 Euro has 6 schuko outlets. We use our own filter design of MPDA (multi-phase differential array) and that is described on our web. The buss-straps and wiring is all culled from the same CDA 101 copper that we buy in solid ingots and have drawn into all the wire configurations for all our products. We use a Carling electromagnetic breaker (an extremely expensive switch) chosen for its low resistance characteristics, and a TMOV for added protection behind the breaker and filter network. The chassis is all steel with a brushed aluminum faceplate. All assembly and workmanship is completed in Seattle Washington for all the products. The chassis and raw materials easily meet our x5 costs to get to the retail price.

We do not use universal pricing (inflate US retail to achieve one world-wide retail price) as has become common, so our retail prices in other countries are a bit higher than US retail. We stay very close to reality with costs versus price, so our products typically have high resale value and are well regarded.

The reason there's "nothing in the box" is by design; it is not a gross money grab construct, as so many have gleefully opined. Everything we do and why is explained in great detail in the technical section of our web--which includes a minimalist, parts and material-quality approach to AC delivery.  All Shunyata Research product designs for AC are intended to accomplish two objectives: Getting out of the way of peak-current delivery from the wall to power supplies is job #1 (minimal resistance, reactance). #2 is isolating or filtering noise that is generated and shared among electronics --and the smaller amount of noise that is ever-present on the power-line. 

There has been great care and research put into the parts, filter and wire development so as to avoid adding any resistance or reactance that may interfere with the intended function and makeup of electronics power supplies. That means we no longer use conventional capacitors. Testing and measurement revealed that inductors, coils, transformers or chokes do not belong in high-current AC distribution so we don't use them. NONE of those items are terribly expensive but sure, they can be heavy and that can give some satisfaction I suppose. I am not putting down any product that uses those, just sharing our POV.

It is disheartening to see so much tomato can throwing when we have put thought and effort into keeping our retail costs down. We also explain what we do and why with open boxes whenever we travel or attend shows. I understand why there are questions given the simple appearance and the difference in weight and look (no giant choke or transformer) and we don't mind answering the questions.

I just registered to post this since so many assumptions had been put forward based on few facts other than a photo. We've done the math. All of our retails are fairly derived. You can choose to believe what you wish or build your own home depot project. There are reasons we are well regarded by professionals in the recording, media and electronics manufacturing communities and its not because of smoke, mirrors or inflated pricing. We have good credibility with our customers world-wide because of how that unit looks, not in spite of it.

Anyone with specific questions is welcome to call me directly or find me at the Newport show this weekend.

Regards,

Grant Samuelsen
Shunyata Research

[rbwalt]

A power conditioner or power redistribution unit? looks like the latter.

[jhm731]

This is precisely why the savvy shysters pot their power conditioners, although they are likely to tell you that it helps reduce vibration induced microphonics.   

Like this one:

Transparent Audio PIR

[SoCalWJS]

Grant - thanks for taking the time to respond.

Will look for you this weekend in Newport to get more info on your (company's) POV on this issue as I am in the market for power conditioning.

[jeffreybehr]

I bought an Audience aR12 for $1750 used; this retails for $5K IIRC.  It's all passive, as are all the Audience p-cons, but it at least has lots of passive filtering in it.

The initial inductive filter...


...and the 'triangle-filter' caps...


A high-quality 20-Amp hydraulic/magnetic circuitbreaker/on-off switch.  A Voltage indicator, also serving as an 'on' lite, is visible below the breaker.


The initial capacitive filter...

Also visible is the GDT surge protector and a resistor.

Twelve electrically separate and individually filtered (both inductively and capacitively) outlets...


All double-14g. (= 11g.)  wire with crimp-on (automotive-type, I believe) solderless connectors.

[Quiet Earth]

Wow, this quite a tar and feather party

Yes, welcome to Audio Circle. Thanks for posting your position, although once you've been lynched the damage is done.

The picture looks like it says Hydra 2 on my monitor, but you say it is Euro 6 so I believe you. Not that it matters because you made your fundamental point very clear both here and on your website, which is why I asked for more data earlier.

I'm not sure if this thread is really going to help anyone.

[decal]

Folks need to research before they buy. Don't buy something then bash the mfgr. after you see something you don't like. When you start this nonsense on a forum, folks that have no idea what they are talking about jump on board and things get ugly fast. Like Mr. Samuelson stated, Shunyata has always been upfront with how their equipment is constructed (I know this to be a fact because I checked out their offerings). No, I didn't buy any of their equipment so don't start with the fanboy crap. A little research could have prevented all this negativity.

[Æ]

Folks need to research before they buy. Don't buy something then bash the mfgr. after you see something you don't like. When you start this nonsense on a forum, folks that have no idea what they are talking about jump on board and things get ugly fast. Like Mr. Samuelson stated, Shunyata has always been upfront with how their equipment is constructed (I know this to be a fact because I checked out their offerings). No, I didn't buy any of their equipment so don't start with the fanboy crap. A little research could have prevented all this negativity.

I don't think you have the right to tell anybody what to, or not to say with regards to any specific manufacturers products. That privilege, responsibility belongs to the Facilitators.
I once bought a preamp after reading a Stereophile recommended review for the unit. Was I ever disappointed when I opened it up and had a look inside. Opening it up is research!

[jtwrace]

I think it's clear how many feel and the manufacturer has posted his position.  It's very important though to be respectful to one another including the manufacturer who I must say handled himself with class. 

[werd]

A power conditioner or power redistribution unit? looks like the latter.

Pretty much. If that thing does anything else other then provide 6 outlets of wall power I'll eat cow pattie.

[decal]

I don't think you have the right to tell anybody what to, or not to say with regards to any specific manufacturers products. That privilege, responsibility belongs to the Facilitators.
I once bought a preamp after reading a Stereophile recommended review for the unit. Was I ever disappointed when I opened it up and had a look inside. Opening it up is research!

I have just as much right to say what I feel as you just did. If I don't please explain what makes you special.

[rw@cn]

I think that this thread has shown that folks are too lazy to do research about products and too quick to draw conclusions.

[DTB300]

Love it when people look at something and draw a conclusion based on looks alone...

Anyway...had bad snow/ice here and a branch fell ripping the power from our house (screw that holds all lines to house).  Lost one leg of power to the home when it got ripped out, 1/2 of the circuit breakers tripped, a 15 watt night light shone like a 100 watt bulb. (I think the power people said I lost the neutral leg to the home)

In our music room, but on a different circuit, the computer audio system (2.1 with sub - speakers connect through sub) got fried and it was plugged into a name brand protector.   

In this same room is my rig and I have over $15k of front end equipment plugged into my Hydra-6.  Hydra got trounced by the hit, but EVERY PIECE PLUGGED INTO THE UNIT survived without a problem.  And the best thing through all of this is Shunyata repaired the unit for free - even though I was a second owner.

$1500 for this piece.....Priceless....

Also, when the H6 was being repaired by Shunyata I had the front end plugged into a generic Micro Center power strip (sold for computers).  Rig sounded like Poop....when the H6 returned and the front end was plugged back in, the music magic returned.

I own both Shunyata and Running Springs PC's and feel the Running Springs is a bit better than the Shunyata units.  But have tried many other PC's talked about here and then even more....I keep coming back to Shunyata and Running Springs as my PC of choice.   

If the $1500 price is too high, Running Springs has their Elgar at $1k.

[mtodde]

I've had a Hydra 6 for about 3 months now. Compared to the Monster Power HTS 5000 Mk II it replaced the Hydra 6 does feel pretty light in terms of weight but not performance. When I bought it I was living in a 120 year old house that really needed an update to the electrical system and after a few days of burn in with a window AC unit attached I put the Hydra into my system. The difference wasn't subtle...the Monster was definitely limiting current. Even my now ex gf heard the difference as did the friend that bought the Monster from me.

I'm not going to say the $1300 I paid for the unit new from Music Direct (with a Shunyata Diamond Back Platinum cable thrown in) will be a great value for everyone but for me it seems to be worth what I paid. Yes it was a little disappointing that it didn't weigh 100 pounds but I'll take performance over hardware porn any day of the week. Too often I think we feel bigger is better and forget that the simplest circuit designs are usually the best.

Based on my own personal experience I would not hesitate to recommend Shunyata products to someone interested in power conditioning.