I tried the Hydra with my EVo amp and linn CD player. The EVo sounded better plugged into the same wall outlet as the Hydra than pluggied directly into the Hydra. The cable that sounded the best was the TG Audio HSR A, I did not try the Whale Elite. The soundstage was huge but it seemed to have a curtain over it that masked inner detail and transients. The curtain was slight and without the Hydra, the soundstage shrank in width and depth. Maybe it wasn't broke in but it was a demo that I had to wait quite a while to receive.
