The Core is a rework of the Titan LX. I have both the Titan LX Supreme and standard LX and MC has the full on Legend (last generation). The main difference from a practical standpoint is the Legend first is too heavy for travel and kind of clunky. The Legend does have the dive adjust knob which sticks with sand and she can never turn it becasue she drags her regs in the sand despite my providing nice bolt snaps etc. for her to clip off
. The Titan LX second stage is otherwise, the adjustment knob aside, identical and I have added the adjustment knob to my Titan set.
Overall the Titan (now Core) is the better regulator. it has ((% of the performance of the Legend and is lighter and has better hose routing in any generation. The best are the older cone shaped firsts but functionally they are all the same. The new Core does have some nice improvements in the second and the first is very travel friendly. All Titan LX and Core regs are friendly to travel.
I can buy any regs I want, as most of us can, I like and prefer the Titan LX to anything out there. It is the sweet spot in value and performance and has all of the Conshelfs legendary reliability and toughness. In order to outperform the Titan LX/Core you have to step up the game considerably though I do consider the Legend on par with Scubapro's best stuff snd Atomics. All the top regs from these three companies push the edge in performance, Apeks too. But, it is up to the buyer, if one is willing to pay a wheelbarrow full of money for an Atomics, what a sweet reg that is, go right ahead. But I can tell you that if you think there is a real world performance difference between it and a Titan LX/Core, I got some property on the moon to sell you.
The Titan LX/Core = 99% of the best performance and 50% of the cost (or less) and no regulator made is more reliable. When I spend lot's of money to get some place, and more importantly my increasingly valuable time, you can bet somewhere in my dive bag, no matter what other pretty face, cutie pie regulator I may have screwed on my tank, there is a Titan LX set (or on super rare occasion a Conshelf XIV) nearby ready to get to business when all the other stuff conks out and the stinky hits the fan and some SCUBA diving really needs to get done. Just say'n.
I do not know how many times, I have loaned it out either. Most of the time I bring my gear and MCs stuff ready to rock and roll, and I am not especially prone to malfunctions but I tote the Titan along for all the other people who seem to think the dive boat is a good place, or a sandy beach, to rebuild their regulators.
Nemrod