Home made Hydra

Yep - I made a Hydra (more expensive components than yours, but VFM nonetheless), and it easily beats my other attempts at plugboards & individual cables.
Some of the others gave smoother sounds, more bass, etc. but the Hydra gives everything.
IMHO, Hydra is definitely the way to go.

Paul Rowlands

I also use a DIY Hydra and found the results to be excellent, not least because it considerably tidied up all the cat's cradle of wiring around the place. Sounds better than my old plug-strip too, but then it should do really - far less fuses!

David

Syd,
You are right about the PRaT qualities of a Hydra. If you want the next cheap upgrade, replace your double socket (whether switched or not) with a single MK switchless socket. All being well this should bring a noticable improvement in the PRaT department.
Regards,
Tom

Guys

Based on the fact that I am hopeless at visualising the way these hydras look

And D.I.Y. is the way to go for me (money & location)

Can one of you post a picture or send it to:

geoff_phillipps@compuserve.com

advanced thanks and regards
GEOFFP

The Hydra was a creature with many heads, and these cables come close.
Someone did a photo a while back, I think, but can't remember the thread.
I don't have a photo of mine, but to describe it, there's a wall mains plug with a wire attached that goes to a plastic junction box.
Coming out of the junction box are six further wires, each with an IEC 320 plug on the end (eg. expensive Wattgate or cheaper Schurter).
In my case the connections inside the junction box are simply on a connector strip (looks like a 3x2 Lego block with screw terminals in the bumps on top and holes in the sides for the wires). All the lives are screwed together likewise all the neutrals and likewise all the earths.
Others have used solder to connect and tape to cover, but mine is easier for me if I want to experiment further.
I guess the big advantage of the approach is that it's eliminated a number of joins, connects and fuses.

Paul Rowlands

quote:

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Originally posted by TommyT:
Syd,
You are right about the PRaT qualities of a Hydra. If you want the next cheap upgrade, replace your double socket (whether switched or not) with a single MK switchless socket. All being well this should bring a noticable improvement in the PRaT department.
Regards,
Tom

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Hi Tom

Unfortunately a single unswitched socket would'nt take the 7 cables I need for my sistem. Double unswitched socket is what I need.

Yours in Music

Syd

To Paul & Gerard

Thanks for the help. I shall be D.I.Y ing this weekend.

Just a question on fuses and loading.
Presumably introducing fuses (other than what's back in the junction box after the circuit breaker) into the lines is a no-no so to save me sitting down with my calculator how many power supplies (internal to amps and as HiCaps etc can you run off of one hydra on a standard 13amp wall socket?

Note plugs over here are not fused.

regards
GEOFFP

regards
GEOFFP

Just a short update. The improvement in musicality now that the sistem has had time to warm up really is amazing. It just sounds so much more real. In fact this afternoon (Wednesday) I'll buy another Multiway plug and use it with the original cables on all my sources as I believe that the benefit of getting rid of so many fuses (one in each plug and one in the distribution block) will be better than the benefits of the RA Power cables I'm using. I will report back later tonight on the results.

Yours in Music

Syd

I made up my new four way hydra this afternoon with the original cables that came with the Linn Mimik, Denon tuner, Pioneer CDrecorder and the Nakamichi cassette was a captive cable anyway. Did'nt take long and none of the sources was off for more than the Minute to swap over the cables and the amps of course wer'e on all the time. I'll start with the Tuner as this was a slight but noticable improvement having an over all clearer and cleaner sound, much the same with the cassette but with an improved low end and again with the Pioneer. Overall then an improvement but not as great as with the Hydra on the 250,Hi Cap and Lingo. But still worth much more, IMHO than the £6.99 cost of the Multiway.
BUT the Linn Mimik was a different story. Harsh, overbright and brittle top end with increased sibilance and a noticeable increase in boominess. In otherwords an unpleasent change. When I had first purchased the
Mimik on ebay I just plugged the RA cable in and the original cable was left in the box. I noticed though when I got the Linn cable out that it appeared stiffer than other cables and when I removed the MK plug I found to my surprise that it was Solid core. Can anybody tell me if Linn are/were supplying solid cables at any time in the past few years?. The cable is all white(no writing on it) and it was very well made. Now I'm wondering if the cable really has'nt been used before and therefore needs to be burnt in or, as I suspect from previous experiments years ago, that the sound I'm getting is due to the solid core?. I hope that someone out there will be able to answer my queries. If it is the cable I can easily add a standard multistrand cable to the multiway. I will leave off doing this for a few days to see if their is an improvement.

Incidentally I experimented with Solid core cable for speaker and power leads when Jimmy Hughes, Alvin Gold and others were raving about them in Hi FI Answers years ago, about the same time they wer'e raving about DNM gear. At the time I found no increase in Musicality (the opposite in fact) and they imparted a bright headache inducing sound much as I'm getting at the moment.

Yours in Music

Syd

Final update

I've been of work today so started listening fairly early, 10am ish, and as the morning dragged on it got to the point that I was turning the sistem volume down all the time and some CDs wouldn't get more than a few minutes play till they came off. Horrible. Then in the afternoon I could take it no longer and pulled the source Hydra from the wall and just put in the RA Kimber yello cable in on it's own so just the Mimik on the outlet. What a difference, the music was just right again and I could relax and turn it up and ENJOY. I then got an old cable out and removed the Linn solid cable and replaced it in the Hydra and, thankfully still listenable. Not as ultimately as good as the RA Kimber Yello but 100 times better than the solid. Had a good look at the RA but it is just to thick and unwieldy to fit safely into the multiway. There's no use comprising safety for a bit better sound I feel.

So then over all conclusions.

1. A hydra with Naim components is a real no brainer. DO IT NOW.

2. Solid cables suck big time. I don't know if they hadn't been used and therefore need a good burn in but for the sake of my ears and sanity I'm not prepared to wait any more and see.

3. Non naim components, or perhaps just source components generally, will get a small though worthwhile improvement, overall a bit more revealing with increased clarity and low end resolution. Just more fun to listen too. Worth 7 quid?. You bet but I probably could go back to the original setup without too much complaints.

Your views on these changes would be much appreciated especially Linn owners on whether or not Linn are fitting solid core cables now or in the past.

Yours in Music

Syd

One last Final? update.

Over the last week I haven't been too happy with the sound of the sistem ( a bit lifeless and uninspiring) and I put it down to the cold snap. This afternoon I replaced the second hydra (all source) with the old mains block and specialist power cables and the sistem just swung.

Final? Final conclusion.

Specialist cables work wonders on Non Naim gear and can even overcome extra plugs/sockets/fuses in the way.

I'm now wondering if it is possible to ream out the cable clamps in the multiway plug to make it accept the much thicker cable from Kimber etc. Only problem is if it does'nt work then I've destroyed perfectly good pricey cables in the process.

Yours in Music

Syd

quote:

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Have you tried plugging it back to how it was? Are you still unhappy?

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I think that's what I said, and it's certainly what I did. And yes, I'm a happy chappy again.

Yours in Music

Syd

Hi Sid,
great to hear about your hydra experience.

To the Aussies on the forum, has anyone done an Oz version of the hydra or work on mains?

Dave

Just completed my own homemade hydra.
I now see what you guys mean'.

I had a classy distribution block with a built in smoothing circuit before. It is now running a few table lamps and occasionally the vacuum cleaner.

I also kind of agree with the statement that the hydra is'nt so effective for the other non naim stuff, but who cares the music sounds great.


Recipe
3 so called Metal earthing blocks with 7 screw clamped wire holes each = 1.5 euro
I piece of really large core mains lead with heavy duty plug already attached = 5 euro
1 plastic box = FOC since was already lying around.
A few bits of double sided sticky to fix the blocks in the plastic box
1 hour of patient wire stripping and solder tinning
A quick drilling session to make entry holes of appropriate size for the cables.

Eh Voila 6 power cables into one

Really the cheapest upgrade around. Thanks for starting me off with your posting syd

regards

Thanks Geoff

I hope the hydra you've constructed is safe as I dont like the sound of attaching things with sticky tape. I think a good quality glue would be safer.

Yours in Music

Syd

Syd

I guess I should be carefull not to lead anybody reading here astray. I was being a little bit economical with my description of the exact contruction.

The connecting blocks are screwed through the sticky tape into the bottom of the box. A plastic electricity outlet, blanking plate is screwed upwards at safe locations into the bottom of the plastic box, so there is no possibilty of the connecting blocks coming adrift and at the same time there is no visible outside access to the "live" screws in the connecting blocks.

Thanks for pointing that out.
GEOFFP

quote:

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Originally posted by Geoff P:
I had a classy distribution block with a built in smoothing circuit before. It is now running a few table lamps and occasionally the vacuum cleaner.

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Geoff,

humour me.

Listen to a couple of your favourite tracks, then unplug your fancy 'smoothing' block from the mains and listen again.

These smoothing circuits apparently affect the Naim kit just by being plugged in, even if the kit is not plugged into the block.

cheers, Martin

E-mail:- MartinPayne at Dial.Pipex.com

Martin

I tried as you suggested. I just about heard a difference but I may have imagined it, anyway it is not plugged in now.

One point. They have a different if somewhat scary approach to household electronics over here.
Normal living room wall outlets are NOT earthed! (only heavy duty ones like the cooker and washing machine are earthed).
The result all my HiFi gear is "floating". If you rest some sensitive skin such as underarm against the bare casework you get a little "tickle".

However there is no "hum" at all.

Any attempt to earth these supplies immediately trips the circuit breakers.

Am I living in a "house of death"? [It's only me , no family]

regards
GEOFFP

I think you need earth!

Paul Rowlands