Radikal 2 (Upgrade) arrived

[Ben Webster]

I wonder why there are so few euphoric reports about the Radikal 2 (upgrade) here.

Radikal 2 has been running for me since last weekend.

I haven't listened to much of the LP12 in the past few months. I put that down to my new digital setup. The timing in particular was much better digital than LP12 (no, the setup was/is perfect).

In direct comparison, the LP12 played a bit chaotically; the musicians didn't play perfectly together, although it was still very rhythmic. Ok, that's whining at a very high level.

Has that changed with the Radikal 2 upgrade? Yes!

What has changed?

1) It just plays right.

2) The interaction of the musicians is now just as perfect as I was used to from my digital source over the past few months.

3) A light gray haze has disappeared

4) It played a bit "grainy" at first, but that completely disappeared after a few hours (it supposedly takes about 40-50 hours).

5) The Urika 1 also won thanks to the Radikal 2 (probably not least thanks to the new screws that improve the mass between the boards and the case). Looking forward to see, what Utopik will make.

Yes, of course, also the Radikal 1 was good. But there must be a reason why Linn developed the Radikal 2. Now I know the reason.

Highly recommended!!!

 

[Mr Kandid]

I wonder why there are so few euphoric reports about the Radikal 2 (upgrade) here.

Radikal 2 has been running for me since last weekend.

I haven't listened to much of the LP12 in the past few months. I put that down to my new digital setup. The timing in particular was much better digital than LP12 (no, the setup was/is perfect).

In direct comparison, the LP12 played a bit chaotically; the musicians didn't play perfectly together, although it was still very rhythmic. Ok, that's whining at a very high level.

Has that changed with the Radikal 2 upgrade? Yes!

What has changed?

1) It just plays right.

2) The interaction of the musicians is now just as perfect as I was used to from my digital source over the past few months.

3) A light gray haze has disappeared

4) It played a bit "grainy" at first, but that completely disappeared after a few hours (it supposedly takes about 40-50 hours).

5) The Urika 1 also won thanks to the Radikal 2 (probably not least thanks to the new screws that improve the mass between the boards and the case). Looking forward to see, what Utopik will make.

Yes, of course, also the Radikal 1 was good. But there must be a reason why Linn developed the Radikal 2. Now I know the reason.

Highly recommended!!!

Yes indeed and also the motor being held in by metal thread fixings now instead of set screw thread in plastic or resin motor body.
Happy with mine just waiting for Utopik roll out now.

 

[Moomintroll]

Yep, Radikal 2 is fantastic. I went from ARadikal to KRadikal2 and the improvement was obvious from switch on. As you say, it improves once the motor has run for while. I’m not sure how much the new screw arrangement contributes, as it’s a compliant interface between the motor housing and top plate. The new screws as much less likely to be stripped during fitting, or, more likely,refitting.

’troll

 

[akamatsu]

You mention timing. This is where I found impact on the music. I recall talking about how the timing of the NGKDSM had surpassed the LP12. Radikal 2 restored the LP12 as top source (most of the time).

 

[Wenge1]

Congrats on your upgrade - its a FAB improvement. However, I don't know about there being not being much/many reports of how good the Radikal 2 upgrade is. I had mine done quite a while ago now and wrote an extensive report, along with internal pictures, documenting just how good an upgrade it was. I also remember many others reporting how much they liked the Rad 2 upgrade around that time. Maybe there has not been much recently, but I do think that much love has been documented since its introduction .......

 

[Ron.P]

My Radikal2 is on order, so be prepared for a verbose review either way, since I'm feeling apprehensive about bang for buck.
In my case, it was largely advice from Thomas that pushed me off the ledge.
So either he and others will be thanked and praised, or they all better move to undisclosed locations. It should be installed very soon. (Yay!)

 

[Wenge1]

My Radikal2 is on order, so be prepared for a verbose review either way, since I'm feeling apprehensive about bang for buck.
In my case, it was largely advice from Thomas that pushed me off the ledge.
So either he and others will be thanked and praised, or they all better move to undisclosed locations. It should be installed very soon. (Yay!)

Just in case it's required I'm sort of glad we are separated by the Atlantic Ocean and then some .......

 

[sktn77a]

So, sounds like the Radikal 1 is a piece of cr_p?

 

[Moomintroll]

So, sounds like the Radikal 1 is a piece of cr_p?

No, just not as good as Radikal 2…

 

[Coalboy68]

I’m waiting for the new power supply before upgrading to Rad2

 

[Ben Webster]

So, sounds like the Radikal 1 is a piece of cr_p?

The sound is very similar (beside the gray haze) but the timing (and interaction between the musicians) is really cr_p.

Some people don‘t care about that and listen only to sound, resolution and other HiFi things. For them, there is no need to upgrade and can keep the money.

 

[Mr Kandid]

So, sounds like the Radikal 1 is a piece of cr_p?

The motor fixing arrangement was anyway.
The rest made up for it in the meantime.

 

[Wenge1]

So, sounds like the Radikal 1 is a piece of cr_p?

The sound is very similar (beside the gray haze) but the timing (and interaction between the musicians) is really cr_p.

Some people don‘t care about that and listen only to sound, resolution and other HiFi things. For them, there is no need to upgrade and can keep the money.

There is no way I would describe the Radikal 1 as crap. Or indeed make a such general statement that it not worth getting based on one area that a particular poster finds significant.

The Radikal one is, IMHO, significantly better than any version of the Lingo and many, many LP12 owners have also come to this conclusion. Of course, that conclusion is not universal as nothing in musical reproduction ever is: each person should make their own mind up after a demo.

A second hand Radikal 1 would be a great upgrade over a Lingo - again, in my opinion

 

[Ben Webster]

There is no way I would describe the Radikal 1 as crap. Or indeed make a such general statement that it not worth getting based on one area that a particular poster finds significant.

The Radikal one is, IMHO, significantly better than any version of the Lingo and many, many LP12 owners have also come to this conclusion. Of course, that conclusion is not universal as nothing in musical reproduction ever is: each person should make their own mind up after a demo.

A second hand Radikal 1 would be a great upgrade over a Lingo - again, in my opinion

There are also some LP12 owner who prefer Lingo 3. But as always: everyone has a different taste.

And most of the postings/findings are individuell experiences. Of course they could not replace an own demo but should be allowed in a forum where everyone can share his experience.

 

[Wenge1]

There are also some LP12 owner who prefer Lingo 3. But as always: everyone has a different taste.

And most of the postings/findings are individuell experiences. Of course they could not replace an own demo but should be allowed in a forum where everyone can share his experience.

I agree with everything you said above .........

 

[Ben Webster]

To explain my post: years ago when the Klimax Radikal 1 was available I replaced my Lingo 2. But at the same time I replaced two Lintos with Urika and installed also a new tonearm (Ekos SE ?).

The whole upgrade was a huge step at least soundwise. So I was very happy with Radikal 1.

But in the last months I updated my digital chain and recognized what the LP12 can and what not. We compared several kind of music LP12 vs. Digital (hoping that the source was the same) and recognized, that the interaction between the musicians with digital is much better than the LP12.

But last weekend the Radikal 2 fixed this problem.

I just want to share this to engage every Radikal 1 owner to make his own comparison.

Of course: Klimax Radikal 1 is Klimax Level (even if I know three people wo downgrade from Radikal 1 to Lingo 3). And all these Lingo/Radikal things are on top level.

 

[akamatsu]

There are also some LP12 owner who prefer Lingo 3. But as always: everyone has a different taste.

And most of the postings/findings are individuell experiences. Of course they could not replace an own demo but should be allowed in a forum where everyone can share his experience.

And don't take people's opinions as absolute truth. I find it much healthier to treat various opinions as data points. Also considering the sources of these data points. I look more at setups than at kit. Not everyone has the financial means to buy the top spec kit. But I think it's within most everyone's reach to set up their systems properly. Taking you, Ben as an example. You don't have the latest kit, but your setup seems to be impeccable. Yours is one I'd like to listen to some music on. Your choice of music.

 

[sktn77a]

Of course, I was joking. But some of the superlatives and enormous improvements described would suggest that the original .........................

 

[Moomintroll]

Of course, I was joking. But some of the superlatives and enormous improvements described would suggest that the original .........................

…was also better than what came before?

’troll

 

[Ben Webster]

Of course, I was joking. But some of the superlatives and enormous improvements described would suggest that the original .........................

It‘s always difficult if somebody „unknown“ (system, how he hear, how concrete he can describe things) share his experience.

And every individual experience could only an impulse for thinking.

And: at some point (maybe also because of budget restrictions) we should be happy with our system. There is always a better one (in- or outside the Linn world) but if you‘re happy, you can be happy.