Mating power cords with APL 3910

John, I asked about the source of the Hydra info because conjecture runs
rampant on the web. If you come across a bona fide review that
mentions the current limiting issue, please let me know. I'm fairly
certain the non current limiting aspect of the Hydra is advertised by
Shunyta as a feature of the unit. The following quote is from a
Soundstage review . "The Hydras do not limit current in any way, so they’re compatible with pretty much everything in an A/V system."

Howard, I was being a smart-aleck insofar as I am dubious about all the
system benefits attributed to power cords. I know you're very tuned in to
the sound of your system, so I give your comments considerable weight.
I just know that what you hear in your system has more to do with your
choice of components and their synergy than it does with power cords.

Grant,
Thanks for the clarification. I thought maybe you were retaliating for my snide comment about BMW's. Only joking, as I'm sure you knew.

It may make no sense to others, but I give equal weight to every part of an audio system. I've found that the difference between wanting to sell a component and getting that chill down my spine that sparks a unique intimacy with the music is at times settled by the rolling of a single tube, the introduction of an isolation tweak, or a change from one power cord to another. I wouldn't advise building a system around a power cord, though the wrong cord in a system is enough to destroy the synergy all by itself. As such, I'm left thinking that everything in the chain contributes equally to the end result. Like I said, it may not make sense to others, but in my experience even the choice of stick can make or break the drummer.

Howard, whatever works is what's important. I played with 5Bs, 3Bs, 7As
,7Bs and massive marching sticks the size of which I can't recall. Maybe
my adaptability to several stick sizes was an early indication to make my
living in another profession. :)

Happy listening.

From what i've seen and read about the Hydra's, they are simply very sturdily built power strips using high grade parts with built in parallel line filters ( like Audioprism Quiet Lines / Enacomm AC filters ) and heavy duty MOV's for surge suppression. Nothing more, nothing less. While i would not really call them "current limiting" by design, the outlets appear to be wired in "daisy chain" fashion rather than to one common point in parallel. Under very heavy demand, this wiring arrangement may cause voltage sag or fluctuations as one gets further away from where the AC feeds into the first outlet. In my opinion, all of the outlets should be wired back to the AC input jack independently of the other outlets for best results, but what do i know??? : ) Sean
>

If your short list is still open give theFoundation Research LC1 some consideration.

While not the most Esoteric of power cords, I think the real advantage of the Foundation Research LC1 is that it's a Bi-Directional filter, and filters the current in both direction.

The importance here is it back filters the noise that is being generated by the normal digital operation, and sent back out, down the power cord, and back into your power conditioner, where it can pollute your other components.

Because the F/R LC1 has it's own filter built into the cord, you can plug it directly into wall. This would eliminate any signature that may be imposed by your power conditioner, and if it's plugged into the wall there is less chance of your 3910's power supply being modulated by your amps larger power supply ... if they are both plugged into the same power conditioner.

From the Foundation Research site, visit and view the rest of the info there...

Rationale: The ac power line injects noise into audio equipment. A filter removes noise from the ac power line by presenting an impedance mismatch to the undesirable noise signal. An impedance mismatch reflects noise back into the power line. This fundamental behavior is that of a band reject filter.

Another source of noise is the audio equipment itself. The power supplies in audio equipment inject noise back into the power line. Large power supplies like those in power amplifiers tend to create more noise. A power amplifier delivers noise to a preamplifier plugged into the same power source. Digital components can also be significant generators of power line noise.