Armageddon musings: to Lingo 4 or Radikal Akurate?

I've not heard a Linn TT power supply better the naim one, but i have not heard the Lingo 4, thought gedden was better that radikal too, but I know others disagree.

Mario

The Radikal is a mighty fine bit of kit but the much cheaper Lingo 4 comes mighty  close in my opinion.

Richard 

I've only heard the direct comparison between Lingo 3 and 4. Enormous difference: like cleaning the window. My guess is that the Radikal is  more like taking the glass out, if I may extend the simile?!

I would have thought that Cymbiosis would have been able to demonstrate the difference between Lingo 4 and Radikal. Then you should let your ears and wallet decide. BTW do the comparison between Akurate and Klimax Radikal too. They have the same electronics, just in a different case. You will be amazed!

Cheers Clive. Peter told me of the difference the box makes, but I fear it is out of my price lesgue currently. Asgaard has taken something of a financial hit what with all my upgrades and  servicings. I tust his judgement regarding the Radikal, but will obvs. listen prior to purchase when the fiscal climate is right. 

Loki

Peter upgraded my deck earlier this year, I went for Lingo 4 as much on budget, it has lifted my LP12 beyond my NDX

Radikal may be my next step but the Lingo 4 on the right deck is superb and I am delighted with the results

I went from Armageddon to Lingo 4 a few months ago. The Lingo is in a different league. Buy with confidence. The only downside is used Amageddons don’t get great prices. My dealer has three, including mine, last time I checked.

Keith

So, it sounds as though my Lingo 1 is really holding back my LP12 

Alley Cat posted:

So, it sounds as though my Lingo 1 is really holding back my LP12 

Even more frightening it's 28 years old!

I think it was £500 so pretty good value at under £20 per annum 

Mine must be 28 years old too if that's when they were released.... I suspect I need to update to a Lingo 4 !!

Me too.  I bought my Lingo 1 in 1990 and it has given sterling service.  The Lingo 4 is very tempting, especially as it is far more affordable compared to the Radikal.

FME the Keel and the Radikal are the two most dramatic, if rather pricey, upgrades to the LP12. I've not heard the Lingo 4 but the Radikal was "night and day" against my earlier Lingo. I believe Peter Swain's view on the Lingo 4 v Radikal is, if I may paraphrase him, "close but no cigar".

BTW there is, perhaps unbelievably, a sonic difference between the two Radikal cases. The Klimax case seems to make the music more "natural", for want of a better word, particularly on vocals. Though I'm not sure whether I would have paid the premium over the Akurate level Radikal even if I had demoed them both at the time of purchase.

antony d posted:

Loki

Peter upgraded my deck earlier this year, I went for Lingo 4 as much on budget, it has lifted my LP12 beyond my NDX

Radikal may be my next step but the Lingo 4 on the right deck is superb and I am delighted with the results

Agreed AD. What a revelation!

Alley Cat posted:

Alley Cat posted:

So, it sounds as though my Lingo 1 is really holding back my LP12 

Even more frightening it's 28 years old!

I think it was £500 so pretty good value at under £20 per annum 

Time for an upgrade AD methinks! Good vfm indeed! Although, I wonder, does Linn have the same service backup for their electronics as Naim? Which then leads me to ask, is there anything on the 'geddon which requires a service, given that mine is 14 yrs old.

Loki posted:

Alley Cat posted:

Alley Cat posted:

So, it sounds as though my Lingo 1 is really holding back my LP12 

Even more frightening it's 28 years old!

I think it was £500 so pretty good value at under £20 per annum 

Time for an upgrade AD methinks! Good vfm indeed! Although, I wonder, does Linn have the same service backup for their electronics as Naim? Which then leads me to ask, is there anything on the 'geddon which requires a service, given that mine is 14 yrs old.

I no longer even have a local Linn dealer!

 

I no longer even have a local Linn dealer!

Ouch! 

bluedog posted:

FME the Keel and the Radikal are the two most dramatic, if rather pricey, upgrades to the LP12. I've not heard the Lingo 4 but the Radikal was "night and day" against my earlier Lingo. I believe Peter Swain's view on the Lingo 4 v Radikal is, if I may paraphrase him, "close but no cigar".

BTW there is, perhaps unbelievably, a sonic difference between the two Radikal cases. The Klimax case seems to make the music more "natural", for want of a better word, particularly on vocals. Though I'm not sure whether I would have paid the premium over the Akurate level Radikal even if I had demoed them both at the time of purchase.

I visited Rearsby again yesterday to listen to a number of possible upgrade options for my LP12, Kore, Radikal Akurate, Nima, DV10x5 set up.

Frankly, I was kind of expecting to end up with either a Keel and Aro or perhaps a Urika1 phonostage. I walked away having swapped my RadIkal Akurate for a Radikal Klimax. Probably the last thing I expected to be doing, but the difference it made was fundamental. IMO it falls into the category of one PS simply being right and the other simply wrong. I think I’m obviously extremely sensitive to pitch stability ( n.b. Stability, not absolute 440hz pitch - I’m definitely not pitch perfect)  and any deviation/ flutter very quickly destroys for me the illusion that what I’m listening to is convincingly real music making. 

TBH, I’m very slightly peeved that, the way I hear it, it takes an outlay of £5k+ to achieve correct pitch, but now that I’ve achieved it, the reward in the palpability and believability of the music is so fundamental as to be indispensable.

ND555 remains on the horizon, but for now I’m utterly absorbed in rediscovering my Vinyl and mainlining genuinely moving musical experiences 

kevin J Carden posted:

bluedog posted:

FME the Keel and the Radikal are the two most dramatic, if rather pricey, upgrades to the LP12. I've not heard the Lingo 4 but the Radikal was "night and day" against my earlier Lingo. I believe Peter Swain's view on the Lingo 4 v Radikal is, if I may paraphrase him, "close but no cigar".

BTW there is, perhaps unbelievably, a sonic difference between the two Radikal cases. The Klimax case seems to make the music more "natural", for want of a better word, particularly on vocals. Though I'm not sure whether I would have paid the premium over the Akurate level Radikal even if I had demoed them both at the time of purchase.

I visited Rearsby again yesterday to listen to a number of possible upgrade options for my LP12, Kore, Radikal Akurate, Nima, DV10x5 set up.

Frankly, I was kind of expecting to end up with either a Keel and Aro or perhaps a Urika1 phonostage. I walked away having swapped my RadIkal Akurate for a Radikal Klimax. Probably the last thing I expected to be doing, but the difference it made was fundamental. IMO it falls into the category of one PS simply being right and the other simply wrong. I think I’m obviously extremely sensitive to pitch stability ( n.b. Stability, not absolute 440hz pitch - I’m definitely not pitch perfect)  and any deviation/ flutter very quickly destroys for me the illusion that what I’m listening to is convincingly real music making. 

TBH, I’m very slightly peeved that, the way I hear it, it takes an outlay of £5k+ to achieve correct pitch, but now that I’ve achieved it, the reward in the palpability and believability of the music is so fundamental as to be indispensable.

ND555 remains on the horizon, but for now I’m utterly absorbed in rediscovering my Vinyl and mainlining genuinely moving musical experiences 

Yikes!

kevin J Carden posted:

bluedog posted:

FME the Keel and the Radikal are the two most dramatic, if rather pricey, upgrades to the LP12. I've not heard the Lingo 4 but the Radikal was "night and day" against my earlier Lingo. I believe Peter Swain's view on the Lingo 4 v Radikal is, if I may paraphrase him, "close but no cigar".

BTW there is, perhaps unbelievably, a sonic difference between the two Radikal cases. The Klimax case seems to make the music more "natural", for want of a better word, particularly on vocals. Though I'm not sure whether I would have paid the premium over the Akurate level Radikal even if I had demoed them both at the time of purchase.

I visited Rearsby again yesterday to listen to a number of possible upgrade options for my LP12, Kore, Radikal Akurate, Nima, DV10x5 set up.

Frankly, I was kind of expecting to end up with either a Keel and Aro or perhaps a Urika1 phonostage. I walked away having swapped my RadIkal Akurate for a Radikal Klimax. Probably the last thing I expected to be doing, but the difference it made was fundamental. IMO it falls into the category of one PS simply being right and the other simply wrong. I think I’m obviously extremely sensitive to pitch stability ( n.b. Stability, not absolute 440hz pitch - I’m definitely not pitch perfect)  and any deviation/ flutter very quickly destroys for me the illusion that what I’m listening to is convincingly real music making. 

TBH, I’m very slightly peeved that, the way I hear it, it takes an outlay of £5k+ to achieve correct pitch, but now that I’ve achieved it, the reward in the palpability and believability of the music is so fundamental as to be indispensable.

ND555 remains on the horizon, but for now I’m utterly absorbed in rediscovering my Vinyl and mainlining genuinely moving musical experiences 

Beautifully articulated: the art and craft of upgrading!

Just wondering still if the armageddon needs a service? 

Pitch accuracy is a pain and easy to get fixated on.

I’ve had no particular issues with it, either using the Armageddon or Lingo 4. The problem I can’t solve so easily is inaccurately drilled centre holes, even with an expensive aluminium case for the power supply. My dealer tells me the Klimax sounds better than the Akurate but I’m very happy with the the Lingo 4 which makes the Armageddon sound dull by comparison.

Keith

Alley Cat posted:

Loki posted:

Alley Cat posted:

Alley Cat posted:

So, it sounds as though my Lingo 1 is really holding back my LP12 

Even more frightening it's 28 years old!

I think it was £500 so pretty good value at under £20 per annum 

Time for an upgrade AD methinks! Good vfm indeed! Although, I wonder, does Linn have the same service backup for their electronics as Naim? Which then leads me to ask, is there anything on the 'geddon which requires a service, given that mine is 14 yrs old.

I no longer even have a local Linn dealer!

Have you tried the Class A service and upgrade by all accounts it really lifts the Lingo 1's performance and with p&p costs about £150.

kevin J Carden posted:

bluedog posted:

FME the Keel and the Radikal are the two most dramatic, if rather pricey, upgrades to the LP12. I've not heard the Lingo 4 but the Radikal was "night and day" against my earlier Lingo. I believe Peter Swain's view on the Lingo 4 v Radikal is, if I may paraphrase him, "close but no cigar".

BTW there is, perhaps unbelievably, a sonic difference between the two Radikal cases. The Klimax case seems to make the music more "natural", for want of a better word, particularly on vocals. Though I'm not sure whether I would have paid the premium over the Akurate level Radikal even if I had demoed them both at the time of purchase.

I visited Rearsby again yesterday to listen to a number of possible upgrade options for my LP12, Kore, Radikal Akurate, Nima, DV10x5 set up.

Frankly, I was kind of expecting to end up with either a Keel and Aro or perhaps a Urika1 phonostage. I walked away having swapped my RadIkal Akurate for a Radikal Klimax. Probably the last thing I expected to be doing, but the difference it made was fundamental. IMO it falls into the category of one PS simply being right and the other simply wrong. I think I’m obviously extremely sensitive to pitch stability ( n.b. Stability, not absolute 440hz pitch - I’m definitely not pitch perfect)  and any deviation/ flutter very quickly destroys for me the illusion that what I’m listening to is convincingly real music making. 

TBH, I’m very slightly peeved that, the way I hear it, it takes an outlay of £5k+ to achieve correct pitch, but now that I’ve achieved it, the reward in the palpability and believability of the music is so fundamental as to be indispensable.

ND555 remains on the horizon, but for now I’m utterly absorbed in rediscovering my Vinyl and mainlining genuinely moving musical experiences 

My other half has the same sensitivity to pitch I was adjusting the speed on a Lenco GL75 last month using only an iPhone app which is surprisingly accurate and she could easily tell the difference between 44.9 and 45rpm where I could not but she is also more sensitive to any changes in my system and just has better hearing than me which can be very annoying when I'm up to no good but great when it comes to upgrades.

Just get a Klimax Radikal - less is less