I can't really say which one is better, it all depends on how you enjoy the feel of your strings. From my experience, I've found BG80 Power to be softer than BG80. BG80 Power is more durable and I've found that I can smash harder with it as well. Overall I prefer BG80 Power but some still prefer BG80. All in your preference =)
I play it at 27-28lbs... tension holds well up to just over a month.. after that, I contemplate cutting them. With BG80, I'm used to seeing it break in the middle before the month is over.
Sometimes I cut them but not too often. I just notice a tension drop... otherwise I keep them because strings cost money and I don't grow money on trees . This is just for my style of play; I'm sure someone else has a different experience with these two strings.
Agree with above posts. I prefer 80P to 80 but just like the 66UM, it loses its freshness and has to be cut after 4-6 wks. ZM62 retains its freshness better and can go for 2-3 months before cutting. I'm currently rediscovering NBG98 but like the 80P, has to be cut after 4-6 wks.
No, not dead, but just not that fresh. It's perfectly possible to play till the strings break eventually, as most club players do. Had a player show me today his ZM67 which took 6 mths to break. I'm just being self-indulgent - I enjoy it more when my strings are as close to being as new as possible. But quite a few people on the forum seem to feel that way too. You could think of it as when changing shaving blades - new ones give you a better shaving experience, but an older blade is more a chore.
Completely agree; fresh strings are best. People still play on the same stringbeds until the point where their strings break. Competitive players are more sensitive to stringbed changes and over time, their stringbed affects their gameplay... resulting in forking out more money to get fresh strings again. For BG80P, I usually string it at my normal tension... with BG80, I string it a pound less than normal. So 27lbs vs 26lbs respectively.