Carbonex still worth buying?

[Toby]

Is cab rackets still worth buying??
with all these new MP, SP, Ti, and Iso rackets...
it seems that carbonex is out of date
Why is Yonex still producing it then?
what is so good about cab rackets that make it different from other new rackets.
or is it the other way around?
all the new rackets are just ways to persuade customers to buy the newer one and get a bigger profit because of the pricing?
because there is no big difference between a racket that has iso frame or not, one that has Ti or not or even the swing power technology?
Thanks for all your opinions
this will guide me in choosing the racket that i'm going to buy.

[paul]

I guess a lot of people still use carbonex (including me) because the balance and weight is perfect for a lot of players. It is interesting that Yonex completely discontinued the Aerotus range and yet carbonex persists.

At the end of the day if the racket is a good one it won't make much difference winning or losing. But a nice racket can help enhance your enjoyment of the game. When I try a new racket I'll ask my practice partner to see what he thinks the power is like when he receives the smash. Then I'll try defending the smash, then do some driving and then clearing. This gives an overall impression. The carbonex rackets may not perform the best in any of these areas (except defence) but most importantly the shuttle goes where you want because it is balanced and weighted so well.

Xia, Ji, and Taufik all use carbonex-20

I'm really interested though in the carbonex-23. Does the the ultra-modulus graphite give it a smoother feel than the old 20 ?
My friend who did the restringing at the All-England said he saw some Japanese players with carbonex-33 !

My pick of the best rackets is - Muscle power-100, iso-900(sx,ss), carbonex(20,21,9), slim-10 (only singles). The Ti-10 and Ti-swing power have too much vibration but still nice. The carlton rackets I've tried are nice but they seem a bit too head light.

[Toby]

i was thinking about buying a Cab 23, but not sure if it's better to get it or the Ti 7
I tend to play more doubles and like more control and power...
in singles, i need more defense and smash power.
I'm not sure if it's worth to spend alittle more money to get the more newer series Ti7 or the old series cab 23.
Do u have any suggestion Paul?

[clinton]

Hi all,

I've noticed many people in this discussion group mention the Carbonex 21. I've used a Carbonex 21 SP for the last 10 years, and love it... unfortunately, the shaft seems to be starting to warp (uknown reason... carbon graphite shafts shouldn't warp!). I was wondering whether this racquet is still in production, because I cannot find it in any stores where I live (Toronto, Canada).

So, I've ended up buying a ISO Swing Power 500, and it's okay... I've only played about 40 mins with it, so I may not be used to it yet.

[paul]

Thanks for asking me. I must admit I didn't hit with the Ti-7 I've only held it. It seems quite weighty compared to the ti-swing power. It has a slim shaft and seems head heavy. Probably a nice racket if it doesn't have too much vibration. If I had to choose one for doubles I'd get the cab-23 for doubles to get better control. But if the shop you go to has an iso900(sx) that's also a very good choice.

[Toby]

i was wondering what u mean by the vibration of the Ti7?
u mean like when u hit the birdie or when u hit it with the frame??
Also, isn't slim shaft better for smashing and power compared to a normal shaft?
is it better to get a normal Swing Power or a Ti Swing Power?? and i should choose the SS version right?
i do like a little head heavy since the one that i'm using is head heavy but it's kind of old now and the string is loose...
Ti7 isn't as head heavy as say...Ti 10 and Ti8 right?
Also, how many pounds should i string at?? and does it have to be different for the cross and main string?
Thanks a lot Paul!

[Cheung]

Have seen the odd Ca21SP lying around in stores in HK

[Toby]

When cheung posted some of the prices of rackets in Lexis, i was just wondering if that's including the string and string fee or not?
also, how much is a overgrip there?
Will they string a racket like say 21 on main, 23 on cross in 30 mins?

[kwun]

high end rackets usually come without strings. players can be quite picky on the strings they used. the choice of string is just as important as the choice of the racket!

[Cheung]

Most of the racquets come without strings and approximate prices are quoted as such.

[Ricky]

If Mr. Ng is there, you can have your racquet strung in 30 minutes. I just have my MP-100 strung there last week in less than 30 minutes (but the result is very good).

p.s. One more advice on string - if you can't afford to re-string frequently (you are in Canada, right ?), make sure you don't choose BG-85 even though it is my favorite. It wears out terribly fast.

[paul]

You can feel vribration when hittling the shuttle cleanly. It travels down to the handle. Some rackets dampen this vibration well and others don't. Sometimes a little vibration is OK because it gives more feeling for the shot. I guess it depends on your preference. I find Ti-10 and Ti-swing power have too much for my own liking however others may like it.

Yes I think slim shaft is much better for smashing. The SS version is good for singles but doesn't have enough weight in the head for doubles. Again this is my own opinion. Some people in this forum seem to think lighter means quicker reaction shots but I belive the general consensus between doubles players is head heavy is best.

The Ti-swing power and Iso-900 swing power are quite different rackets. The ti-swing power(sx) is lighter in the head than iso-900 and has more vibration. The iso-900 SS is fine for singles but all round the SX is better.

Personally I don't find the Ti-10 more head heavy than other yonex rackets (but it is well balanced) and I've never hit with the ti-7 so I don't know.

I string my rackets 23main 23-24 cross which is quite lose compared to some but tighter than this I lose feeling.

The very best racket in my opinion is either cab-21 or Iso-900(sx).

[Toby]

yea, that's why i was thinking of getting BG 65 Ti, since it is durable and also keep the tension longer.
What's a good tension of the cross and main string if i want power and control

[Toby]

do u think the iso 900 is better than the Ti7?
also, will the SX provide enough weight in the head to be good for doubles also?
What happens if i get a overgrip on the Ti 7? will that reduce the vibration?
also, i like to have a racket with head heavy so that when i swing it, i can actually feel a little weight on the head.
when i tried out the iso 900 SA, the head seems really light which is not my favorite. will SX change dramatically from the SA in terms of the head heaviness and also the shaft's stiffness?
What is so good about Ti Swing Power compared to the Iso 900 since u said that there's more vibration and it is not as head heavy? Isn't that bad for singles and doubles?

[Alvin]

There are plent of Carbonex21 and Carbonex21 special around in stores in malaysia.

[cooler]

tyonex discontinued areotus because of high failure rate. The last one to go is aerotus 110 because paul-larson was using it.

[Ricky]

While some people like this string, I've my Slim 10 strung with BG65 Ti sometime ago at 24 lbs - the result is very disappointing. Honest speaking, I think I won't give 2nd chance to this string (this is just my personal opinion). For durable string, I would suggest BG80.

Regarding how manys you should use - I think this is no absolute answer. I personally find 24 lbs is the best for me. However I got friends whose strung at 22 lbs or 27 lbs.

[paul]

The iso-900(SA) is totally different from the SX version. The SA is so head light it's difficult to smash with any power at all. Like I said before the Iso-900(SX) is superior to the Ti-swing power(SX) in my opinion because the ti is lighter in the head and has more vibration. The hardest shuttle I ever hit was with a iso-900(SX) and it's good for singles and doubles.

I never tried the Ti-7 so I don't know what it's like.

[Toby]

when u string ur racket
do u have a higher tension in the cross than the main?

[Cheung]

One things is for sure, once u buy any racquet, after a while u will try other people's racquet and then think that one is better than your own.

Then Yonex will bring out a newer model and then u think that one is better than your present one.

If u don;t change your racquet for the above two reasons, the 3rd reason will be because u broke your racquet in a clash in doubles.

So whatever u get, I am sure u will have a different racquet in a year and a half!! Don;t worry about the really small details too much.

[Ricky]

Actually I really don't know, I just trust my favorite shop - after strung my racquets in various shops and found out they can string better, especially because the people who strung my racquets is also a very good badminton player.

Honest speaking, it takes several attempts to find out the best strength for yourself. It is very difficult to have the best string (for yourself) at the 1st time.

[chris]

I had read good write-up of Cab22 and am convinced of it. Had wanted to purchase one but at the same had also came across the newer series of Cab 23.
My understanding is that it is the same as Cab22 except with a muscle power frame.
1. Can anyone advise on the performances between Cab22 and Cab23 for
doubles ?
2. What tension for Cab22 and Cab23 using BG85 string ?

[chris]

I had read good write-up of Cab22 and am convinced of it. Had wanted to purchase one but at the same time had also came across the newer series of Cab 23.
My understanding is that it is the same as Cab22 except with a muscle power frame.
1. Can anyone advise on the performances between Cab22 and Cab23 for
doubles ?
2. What tension for Cab22 and Cab23 using BG85 string ?
3. Is it cheaper to buy the above racket in S'pore or KL and if so how much?

Thanking for your advices.

[Toby]

Which one is more durable?
BG 80 or the BG 65 TI?
Any big difference??
String here cost a lot, so want a durable strings taht keep tension also
planning to string at around 21-22 lbs

[holst]

I vote for BG65-Ti. It is a thicker string with Titanium coating. BG80 is thinner and the coating is not durable, it rubs through quite easily.

[MYSRH]

Why doesn't anyone mention about BG-68 Ti? While BG-65 Ti is 0.7mm , BG-68 Ti comes with .68 mm. It'll be good for smashing like BG-66, but more durable than BG-66. It has great repulsion, I think all titanium string should be great repulsion. But it required sometimes for me to adapt with this string when playing net, since it tend to repel high, and it has good control too.

[Ricky]

BG65-Ti should be more durable. In fact, I also believe that all Ti series strings are more durable. However whether you like it or not is another matter.

I've tried BG65-Ti and I don't like it, perhaps I should give it the 2nd chance ...

For BG68-Ti, I know someone who sells this string but told me that it is not good ..., at least not as good as BG85.

Finally, there is one shop in HK where you can get BG75-Ti (and BG95 as well). However I really don't like that shop (they have replaced my MP-100 bag with a normal Yonex bag last time) ...

[Ricky]

Toby, hopefully these (they summarize characteristics of all Yonex strings) may help (I hope you should be able to read those graphs even they are in Japanese) :

http://www.shuttle-house.com/MAIL-ORDER/String/yonex/YO-gutto-00-01.JPG

http://www.shuttle-house.com/MAIL-ORDER/String/yonex/YO-gutto-00-02.JPG

[Ricky]

Those coordinates should be (clockwise) : Responsive Power, Feel, Shock Absorption, Control and Durability.

[kwun]

the best string that i have used is the BG85. i wonder if anyone has done a fair comparison between the BG68Ti and that. BG85 and BG68Ti has similar thickness and if they feel the same, it will be a great string because of the more durable coating.

anyone? anyone? David?

[MYSRH]

I bought in Indonesia.