But a dealer told me Shunyata does not provide a cord with their conditioners.... it must be purchased separately. I guess he's correct as I see many questions about which cord for Hydras for either this or that applicaton... and that different Hydras' have different sonic attributes... Well how do you know if right off the bat you gotta add a Shunyata cord to it..Hydras, like other components, will perform better or worse with power cord changes. I use Hydra 2 conditioners, and the performance of my system improves with the addition of better cords feeding the Hydras. You can get excellent results with Python Alpha cords, but you can also use different brands. I have used the Python, and presently use DCCA Extreme Reference and Elrod EPS3 Signature cords. Frankly, I could've probably stopped with the Python Alpha.
How do you know the Hydra is working without using a top shelf cord? Simple. Buy an inexpensive 20a, 14 gauge, shielded power cord from Radio Shack or an electrical supply house and use it to feed the Hydra. You will probably hear some improvement in the system. If you do hear an improvement, you can be certain a better cord is going to ratchet up the benefits. If you don't hear any difference, or if the sound worsens, then you might try a starter Shunyata 20a cord like the Diamondback or Taipan Alpha. If that's not something you want to do, then move on to another product.
Buy a used Hydra and a used Shunyata power cord, and you'll be able to re-sell both with little or no loss. Basically, a free trial.