When I received the Hydra, the first thing that struck me was how nice and substantial it felt in hand. It was a beauty too.

Of course, the proof is in the pudding. I plugged it into my well-loved but errant Audeze LCD 3. It is a very good headphone. However, coaxing it to perform up to the level i know the drivers are capable of is always difficult. I plugged it into my Cavalli LAu and I was blown away: the LCD 3 seemed to convey the music more effortlessly: the nuances of the vocals were very apparent from the outset. The soundstage seems to have increased – I know that Audezes and soundstage don’t go together according to conventional wisdom but the LCD 3, and even the LCD 2.2, benefitted greatly from the Hydra. The soundstage was not just wider but the depth was nicely layered as well. All of a sudden, there was much more nuances and information coming through the LCD 3. The timbre that was conveyed was excellent. And most importantly, there was impressive note weight overall. The trebles are smooth while the bass is now as organic is I have heard from the LCD 3

What I can say is that the Hydra has now helped banish the thought that’s always been at the back of my mind: sell the LCD 3. 🙂 The Hydra has opened up the LCD 2.2 and 3 so much that I can honestly say that the LCD 4 can wait while I enjoy my existing Audezes afresh. 🙂