SPRING/SUMMER	2003
Page Two

New Stuff

SHANLING: Introduced at the 2003 Winter Consumer Electronics Show (and mentioned in the last issue of SoundBites) were the new amplifiers from Shanling. The SP-80’s were a real hit with visitors, who were entranced by their stunning good looks. The sound in the room was good,  I was eager to try the amps in a controlled environment to judge their true character.
        The SP-80’s arrived here in mid March, along with the new Shanling SCD-T200 CD/SACD player (see the Digital section for more info). An obvious pairing, I teamed the Shanling duo with a pair of Totem Forest’s, all tied together with the new Shunyata interconnects and speaker cables. From the first track I was impressed.
        Totem speakers reproduce a phenomenal sound space. They offer a holographic presentation as convincing as anything I’ve heard for at least three times their price (I’ll tell you a story sometime about having them in the same demo room with the superb Wilson WATT/PUPPY…). I mention this because, to take full advantage of their strengths, the system’s front-end must be up to the task. The Shanling combo certainly is! Depth and width; it’s there, but so is a remarkable sense of the space and air that communicates the original venue.
        Here’s another cute trick. The SP-80’s offer remote volume control! They can function as an integrated amplifier is a simple one source system.
        Did I mention the Shanling amps are gorgeous? I guess I did, but it bears repeating as these things are both magnificently styled and beautifully finished. The industrial design, attention to detail as well as fit and finish are all superb, the equal of anything remotely close to the price point.
        For the price, the Shanling SP-80 amplifiers are a certifiable bargain. For $2495pr you get what are certainly some of sexiest looking amplifiers on the Planet. More importantly, the sound is wonderful. I think you need a pair!

SHUNYATA RESEARCH: If you're not already, please sit down. Ok, now it’s safe to read on. After much anticipation, the new line conditioner from Shunyata is finally here!
        More than any other power line product, the Shunyata Hydra redefined our concept of what a line conditioner could do, earning countless accolades and an almost a mythical reputation in the process. Earlier this year, Shunyata realized that cost increases in materials and labor made it impractical to continue producing the Hydra. Yet, even before Hydra’s reign came to an end, Shunyata's ever vigilant Caelin Gabriel set out to craft a product that would persevere its tradition. The fruits of that labor take shape in the form of the all-new Hydra 8.
        A great deal has been learned since the original Hydra  was conceived. Designer Caelin Gabriel employed that knowledge to improve the concept. Enhancements include: TRIDENT Power Protection System (Shunyata Research exclusive), VENOM noise-reduction filter,  FeSi-1002 patented (US#6,545,213) noise-reduction compounds,  2400 watt  continuous power rating,  advanced Carling Electromagnetic Breaker,  8 cryogenically treated Hubbell outlets, massive CDA-101 cryogenic grade copper buss array and dual chassis (case within a case) construction.
        The hotly anticipated parcel arrived here just a few weeks ago. Our UPS driver sensed something special must be in the box when I yanked it from the raft of “lesser” packages stacked on his trolley and tore into it. I was never a patient sort. My fervor must have suggested to the poor man that the package contained a powerful mind-altering drug that I needed to satisfy an insidious habit! Little did he know (he, he, he), he was right. Damn, that guy is perceptive!
        Though it quickly found a home in one of the systems here, I bit my lip and left the beauty alone to “cook” for a few days before sampling. Fast forward one hundred hours.
        I noticed a tremendous similarity between the Hydra 8 and its predecessor, the Hydra. The refinement, lack of grain, soundstage expansion and background silence were all readily apparent. So too was a characteristic that I found so appealing in the Hydra (and unique among line conditioners); a sense of what I call ebb and flow.
        I find the attribute hard to describe because it both connects and separates musical notes. Notes are separate in that they are distinct entities, each with a clear beginning and end. But more importantly, each is connected to the next in musical terms. Another way to express the thought is that ebb and flow serves to translate both the emotion of the music as well as the technique of the musician. The ability of the Hydra 8 to meld both of these attributes is beguiling.
        The Hydra 8 seems to have a tad better sense of air and sparkle at the top end than did its departed brethren. In my system, that’s a plus.      
        I could go on for pages, but I suggest you read any of the countless reviews on the Hydra, and you’ll understand what the Hydra 8  is all about. Better yet, let me send you one to try. $1995.

 ANTIQUE SOUND LABS: Power and finesse; two terms that are often contradictory when describing amplifiers. You get one or the other, but rarely both in the same product. Low level information is often lost in many high wattage amplifiers; an area where lower powered designs excel. Smaller amplifiers usually lack dynamics, heft and scale. What to do? Have a listen to the Antique Sound Labs Hurricanes, and they’ll quickly dispel those assumptions!
        These amplifiers provide the muscle you’d expect from 200 watt mono blocs, yet they uncover a wealth of low-level detail, revealing much of music’s inner structure. The phenomenal Hurricane mono bloc power amplifiers are astounding in their sheer musicality and ability to resolve subtle information.
        The Hurricanes capacity to convey a sense of air and space is startling; as good as (maybe, just maybe, better than) any amplifier I’ve experienced. One hears easily the trailing edge of the dynamic envelope, as each note gradually decays into silence. That’s fun stuff.
        Harry Pearson in The Absolute Sound (Issue 140) raves about the Hurricanes, awarding them his top honor of five stars! He writes: “Perhaps once in a decade an amplifier comes along that achieves and entirely new level of musical realism, one that forces the reviewer to redefine the state of the art in reproduced sound.”
        Not given to hyperbole, Mr. Pearson was genuinely impressed by the Hurricane's. You should read his entire review to gain a full appreciation of his admiration for these splendid amplifiers.
        Amplifiers of this pedigree are expensive, right? Indeed they are, so it’s a bit of a surprise that the ASL Hurricane’s are so reasonably priced. Is $4400.00 for the pair reasonable? Nope, it’s downright cheap!
        Try ‘em, you’ll like ‘em!

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