want to buy a new reg

[KD8NPB]

when i told him what i was looking for that i wanted a cold water reg that i can grow with and eventually be able to use nitrox with and possibly wreck diving in the future and that i was looking at possibly the titan lx supreme he told me the apex line was just as good that the xtx40 was a slight better breather than the titan lx supreme and an all around great reg and them being owned by aqualung had great cust. service and parts avail. and the price for the reg and octo was good about 460 and change

---------- Post added January 18th, 2014 at 10:12 AM ----------

the reg i have now is not and xl or lx

Both the XTX series and the new Titan LX balanced 2nd stage regulators receive top marks for performance.

However, the XTX 1st stage is overbalanced...I don't think the Titan is.

That's $780 in reg set you have. Good deal.

 

[halocline]

However, the XTX 1st stage is overbalanced...I don't think the Titan is.

This 'overbalanced' crap is really nothing more than a marketing ploy. First, it's not actually over 'balanced' it's over 'depth compensating'. A balanced 1st stage is one in which the IP does not change from full tank to empty tank. The 'overbalanced' bit uses an oversized environmental chamber with a piston-of-sorts to transfer changes in ambient pressure such that as depth increases, the IP goes up more than the exact change in water pressure. The claim is that this results in better breathing at greater depth.

However, it doesn't work that way; since these first stages must be paired with balanced 2nd stages (or else they could free flow at depth) the balancing mechanism in the 2nd stage simply diverts the higher IP and increases the cracking effort to match.

Then there is the claim that higher IP means more flow, which is technically true but irrelevant in this case because any of these first stages can flow far more air than the 2nd stage (or even two) can. So what you've got is a 2nd stage that still limits the amount of air flowing and a cracking effort that self-adjusts to negate any increase in IP.

The best performing 1st stages are ones that deliver an extremely constant IP (over ambient) regardless of depth and tank pressure, and more importantly, have superior aerodynamic properties through the HP valve to lessen IP drop during demand. In this sense it's very hard to argue against the MK25. Good thing none of this really matters for diving enjoyment!

 

[kevsil]

well finally decided and bit the bullet i went with an apex xtx50 reg din ds4 first stage and xtx40 octo, it should be gettin in next week

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

well finally decided and bit the bullet i went with an apex xtx50 reg din ds4 first stage and xtx40 octo, it should be gettin in next week

You made a great choice. I have the XTX 50 and it is a great reg.

 

[Agility]

You can always have the XTX 40 converted to a XTX 50.
I prefer being able to detune my necklaced octo to prevent it from freeflowing while still having a really perfectly tuned second stage when I switch to it.

 

[decompression]

They are a very good reg, I've used Apeks for years, also HOG/titans/dacor/scuba pro and others. Just for fun, find a picture of Pascal bernabe on the deepest dive and see what regs he's using......


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kevsil]

You can always have the XTX 40 converted to a XTX 50.
I prefer being able to detune my necklaced octo to prevent it from freeflowing while still having a really perfectly tuned second stage when I switch to it.

how do you go about converting the 40 to a 50

 

[keyshunter]

how do you go about converting the 40 to a 50

Just add the breathing control knob to the second stage of the 40. About a 5-minute job, but I warn you that knob is quite expensive. If you do not do your own servicing, to save labor costs it is probably best to have the knob added during a service.

 

[ams511]

It would probably be cheaper to purchase another XTX-50 with the setup than convert the XTX-40. You have more leverage with the dive shop when you make a bulk purchase then when you service the regs. I would ask for a discount. You can buy a knock-off knob from eBay but it is the knob for the TX series. The seller says it fits the ATX and XTX regs but it doesn't have the micro-adjuster. Another option would be to watch eBay for a deal on a ATX-50 and take the knob off the one. You could either rebay it or keep it as a backup.