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Now the dust has settled - the Karousel

Ok, fitted the Karousel yesterday, left it spinning overnight and checked levelling e.t.c today. Have been playing lp’s since late morning. Everything else in system unchanged.
Well, I stand corrected. It is much, much better than a Cirkus+tranquility. Just playing Peter Gabriel’s debut. I’m not one for melodrama, but I’ve been listening to this album since it came out and I swear I’m hearing sounds that I’ve never heard before. So to answer the ordinal poster, yes it is worth it. Get one.
 
Great to hear.

I am having a change of heart re vinyl replay, I am not sure I want to throw any more money at it. Seriously considering doing a step back to a Rega P8.

This is nothing against my much loved LP12 but I just don’t play vinyl that much as I find the consistency & convenience of CD very compelling.
 
FWIW, BMW just announced a new type of motorcycle drive chain that utilizes a diamond-coating process, I wonder if Linn was referencing a similar approach:

“This enormous gain in comfort was made possible by using a new coating material for the rollers: tetrahedrally amorphous carbon (ta-C), also known as industrial diamond. This coating is characterized by extreme hardness and resistance and in this respect it is placed between the well-known DLC coating (Diamond Like Carbon) and pure diamond. In contrast to the metal surfaces used so far, the coating with the ta-C industrial diamond does not wear off. At the same time, this type of coating also offers a drastically reduced friction coefficient.”
 
Subito said:
FWIW, BMW just announced a new type of motorcycle drive chain that utilizes a diamond-coating process, I wonder if Linn was referencing a similar approach:

“This enormous gain in comfort was made possible by using a new coating material for the rollers: tetrahedrally amorphous carbon (ta-C), also known as industrial diamond. This coating is characterized by extreme hardness and resistance and in this respect it is placed between the well-known DLC coating (Diamond Like Carbon) and pure diamond. In contrast to the metal surfaces used so far, the coating with the ta-C industrial diamond does not wear off. At the same time, this type of coating also offers a drastically reduced friction coefficient.”
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Dunno m8, but I loved the nearly new Cirkus and the tranquility was I thought the last word and the final bit of my personal journey (40+ years and counting!). If it was just a little bit better I would of sold it on, well satisfied and smug. But it ain’t. It’s really really good. Bugger, anyone want a nearly new Cirkus and a tranquility?
 
Woodface said:
Great to hear.

I am having a change of heart re vinyl replay, I am not sure I want to throw any more money at it. Seriously considering doing a step back to a Rega P8.

This is nothing against my much loved LP12 but I just don’t play vinyl that much as I find the consistency & convenience of CD very compelling.
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I have only one issue with that! The loudness war! So many cd versions of favourite albums are brickwalled loud and that includes the hi-res downloads, unacceptable for me.
 
chris@panteg said:
I have only one issue with that! The loudness war! So many cd versions of favourite albums are brickwalled loud and that includes the hi-res downloads, unacceptable for me.
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I agree that recording quality is a factor on modern releases but you have to find a way to live with it; can’t be stuck in the past.

I was listening to Born to Run yesterday, a generally terrible recording from over 40 years ago. I still enjoyed listening to it.

We probably have systems which are plenty good enough to render our record collections accurately enough.
 
Woodface said:
I agree that recording quality is a factor on modern releases but you have to find a way to live with it; can’t be stuck in the past.

I was listening to Born to Run yesterday, a generally terrible recording from over 40 years ago. I still enjoyed listening to it.

We probably have systems which are plenty good enough to render our record collections accurately enough.
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Born to Run is a poor recording, probably deliberately so? But I mean modern mastering, where good vintage recordings have been brickwalled and are basically squashed and compressed to hell.
 
chris@panteg said:
Born to Run is a poor recording, probably deliberately so? But I mean modern mastering, where good vintage recordings have been brickwalled and are basically squashed and compressed to hell.
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Yes, fair enough but 2nd hand CDs are rather plentiful & cheap.

Just had an exchange with Lloyd Cole on twitter whereby he stated that Rattlesnakes in vinyl is actually a heavily compressed recording on vinyl & it lacks warmth! I’ve had this record for years & think it sounds great, just shows.

Born to Run is a really odd recording, it took them months of messing about before it was released. The title track sounds Ok, the ones preceding it less so. Springsteen always wanted his record to sound good on a car stereo.
 
Is that the original Rattlesnakes vinyl? The remastered version in 2015 - and released on vinyl as part of a box set last month - he says is closer to the master tape.

I've only played it once but on first impressions it sounded fuller, warmer and better than my original vinyl, and very different on Four Flights Up and Patience. There's been a bit of a heated debate about those tracks on Steve Hoffman's forum as some claim it's the remixed versions on there, rather than just the US remixed edition's liner notes that were copied (and irritatingly not corrected for the recent box set reissue).

The original CD I have of it always sounded a bit harsh to me.
 
The point for me though is as long as I'm able to, I'll play both vinyl and cd or digital, as for throwing more money at the LP12? That's a personal choice. Downsizing to the Rega if that suits your lifestyle then go for it.
 
deebster said:
Is that the original Rattlesnakes vinyl? The remastered version in 2015 - and released on vinyl as part of a box set last month - he says is closer to the master tape.

I've only played it once but on first impressions it sounded fuller, warmer and better than my original vinyl, and very different on Four Flights Up and Patience. There's been a bit of a heated debate about those tracks on Steve Hoffman's forum as some claim it's the remixed versions on there, rather than just the US remixed edition's liner notes that were copied (and irritatingly not corrected for the recent box set reissue).

The original CD I have of it always sounded a bit harsh to me.
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I believe it is an original or very early press, always sounded great to me. I have nothing to compare it to though. I’ve always thought the SQ on Mainstream to be very good also.
 
chris@panteg said:
The point for me though is as long as I'm able to, I'll play both vinyl and cd or digital, as for throwing more money at the LP12? That's a personal choice. Downsizing to the Rega if that suits your lifestyle then go for it.
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Yes, apologies if my tone sounded harsh. I’ve had an LP12 for over 20 years, as it stands I either keep it or go for something else. I will listen to a P8 & will get one if I like it.

I can’t really justify the Kore/Karousel given the amount of vinyl I play.

I’ve had a very set system for ages & I feel I need (or would like) to try some other choices.
 
chris@panteg said:
The point for me though is as long as I'm able to, I'll play both vinyl and cd or digital, as for throwing more money at the LP12? That's a personal choice. Downsizing to the Rega if that suits your lifestyle then go for it.
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I'm not sure what you're referring to? If you don't quote the OP isn't not always obvious.
 
First impressions are very positive, although I can't obviously say if the improvements I hear are due to the Radikal upgrade or the Karousel upgrade. Like a post above I'm definitely hearing new and unexpected detail in much loved and often played recordings. Seems a very popular path for many LP12 owners, according to my dealer, whilst the bearing (its much more than that) upgrade is free if you can afford to spend £3K on another upgrade
 
So I’ve finally had mine fitted and yes it’s as good as everyone is saying.

bass guitar is probably the most immediately obvious area of improvement with massively better definition and notes coming through that I’ve never before heard.

the break in the middle of squeezes cool for cats makes sense for the first time ever.
 
david ellwood said:
So I’ve finally had mine fitted and yes it’s as good as everyone is saying.

bass guitar is probably the most immediately obvious area of improvement with massively better definition and notes coming through that I’ve never before heard.

the break in the middle of squeezes cool for cats makes sense for the first time ever.
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You've shocked us David.
 
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