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Shame you didn't search enough, by all accounts the Hyperion Zoom IS as good as the primes so you could have saved a bucket of money. The general "zooms are bad compared to primes" rule that has become ingrained with photography these days is always a comparison of lenses with different apertures. An f2.8 zoom and f2.8 prime at the same focal length are typically very close in image quality, particularly across the middle of the shot. Any image loss tend to be in the corners. The Hyperion Zoom IS comparable to its primes from the various comparisons/reviews I found.
I've got both a Baader 2.2x barlow plus a set of Baader extension rings as well and I find the extension rings give me a slightly better image (tiny bit more contrast, tiny bit less chromatic effects on the edge of the moon) than the barlow. But my scope (only a 114mm newtonian) responds better at highest magnification with the barlow than with the extensions.
I was initially disappointed with my scopes viewing quality and was convinced they were badly aligned and no matter how must adjustments I made (trying various techniques) I still ended up with odd shaped stars and Mars. I took a gamble on the Hyperions and suddenly everything was clear, sharp and the right shape! It was the poor kit eyepieces that were failing me and I gave up on astronomy for a while because of it. The Hyperions transformed both scopes into very usable equipment and I still enjoy it more every time I look through them. I hope you find they transform your scope beyond your expectations too!
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