Hi all, does anyone have any review on the new re-release of the yonex carbonex 21? esp on the durability. i used to love that racket, but the problem was that it was too fragile. i'd love to know if yonex has improved it since. thanks, kwun
Wow, January 2002. And to think that I actually go and dig this thread out. Is the new Cab 21, blue and gold? If yes, I could give you some review on it.
Dear Kwun, New version (new YY logo) Cab 21 is less durable and less stiff than the old version (old YY logo). New version Cab 21 is lighter and more flex that the old one. In my opinion, the quality of new Cab 21 is still acceptable and new Cab 21's performance is still good, though its quality is a bit lower than before. It is still worth buying. It cost HK$450 (with free BG66 and stringing service) in Wan Kee in MongKok. On the contrary, some players may find its playability better than before for its lighter weight. It depends on player's preference. For me, racket's durability is not a problem, as long as I only play with tension 22lbs x 20lbs and seldom make racket clashes with others. According to my limited experience, graphite quality will deteriorate as time goes on, thus, one has to buy new rackets, even the old one is not broken.
thank YYFan, that was useful information. during much of my badminton development stage i was using a cab21, it will be interesting to try it out again. esp when cab rackets are so much more affordable than the new fancy MP stuff which i don't really like. wilfredlgf, love to read your review too. FYI who doesn't know, the cab21 first came out in the early 90s. it was top of the line racket then and before the time of the Isometrics. i had a couple of them but they both self-destructed pre-maturely (after only 2-3 months). i gave up on it based on the poor durability. however, i have since talk to friends who have the cab21 but bought later. they all say that the racket are bomb-proof so i guess Yonex has fixed the durability problem.
Dear Kwun, Not at all, it's a pleasure to share experience or opinion with badminton fans. I have both old Cab 21 and new Cab 21. I am satisfied with their performance. I find new Cab 21 better for its lighter weight, whenever I am not in good physical condition. New Cab 21's performance is something like that of Boron 2, anyway new Cab 21 is heavier and durable than Boron 2. Kwun, if you are looking for a durable Cab racket, I highly recommend the Cab 20 Ti Power, which has titanium mesh on the frame like Ti-10. Cab 20 Ti Power is not well-received in HK, maybe there are too many YY rackets models for selection. Although the appearance of Cab 20 Ti Power is not attractive, it is made of very good H.M. graphite - very stiff and robust. It is also a heavy racket. Thus, if one is a hard-hitter, I believe Cab 20 Ti Power is fine. I wonder why few, if any, review is on the Cab 20 Ti Power. Though I haven't try it before, I sense its solid feel and "mass" when holding it on my hand. In my opinion, Cab 20 Ti Power is even more stiffer than Cab 20 Power and Cab 22 - the two most stiffest Cab rackets in the past. Look foward to someone's review on Cab 20 Ti Power soon. Tks.
Well, the thread is like as old as the Great Pyramids, but I think I'm doing a service to BF by actually reading the really old threads and updating if possible. But the problem arise from the fact that some of the old threads may have 'duplicates' on a later date, causing it to become pretty redundant. Maybe kwun could actually set a rule that an aged thread without any replies are to be deleted. Saves on bandwidth etc. What sayeth thou?
I just bought a cab 21 sp recently, cos I'm not comfortable playing with the iso types. I have it string with bg80 24lbs. The first day I used it, the power and control was ok. It's not as stiff compare to the older version. Everything seems ok till I played with it on the 2nd day. Was warming up and stroking, on the 1st stroke, I can't seems to hit the birdie pass the midcourt, so I tried using more strength but no matter what the birdie doesn't seems to fly. Can anyone tell me why? I just remove the string and restrung it with bg 66 at 23lb/25lb today. Will try it again tmr and see how it goes.
one of our singapore group member is using Cab21 strung at 29/31 lbs he has used the racket for almost a year ... and i could see nothing is wrong with his frame.
thanks YYFan for the comment. wilfredgf, still waiting for your review of the cab21. there are a lot of versions of the cab2x. i have a cab22 which is identical to the cab20 power. i like the cab22 very much. perhaps i will give the cab20 ti power a try. and the cab21 as well for old time sake. and their prices are just unbeatable. with MP100/99 etc up at the HK$800+ price point, the cabs are a relative bargain.
Sorry about that, kwun. One of the main reasons why I didn't really remember this thread was the fact that I didn't really enjoy using the Cab 21. The only thing I can think of is that the Cab 21 is pretty powerful in comparison to Cab 20 but harder to control due to the weight which I think is head heavy. Smashes produced are great and yet I find recovery and defence pretty difficult with this racquet. I felt 'encumbered' (borrowing a term from Baldur's Gate...) I become too slow for my liking. I find fitnesse shots harder to do with the Cab 21. Well, I don't know if this qualifies as a review but there you have it. Thanks. p/s - On a related note ('cab explosion' : oval vs isometric), I still prefer this racquet to the MP55 and MP77 that I have had the chance to use ocassionally. I felt (note : felt) that there's more power in my game using the Cab 21 than the two MPs. This only goes to show that the Carbonex series is unlikely to get phased out anytime in the near future. Proven technology, household name, experience and testimony.
Dear Kwun, It seems we share the same perference. I like my Cab 20 Power very much, in terms of stiffness, balance and power. I have the following Cab rackets : Cab 20 Power, Cab 20 Tour, Cab 21, Cab 22, Cab 8 Ti Power and Boron 2 (many thanks to Mr. Double). I like Cab series more than the MP or Iso rackets, for the time being, I get none of MP rackets. If you have chance to try Cab 20 Ti Power, pls kindly post your review. Tks.
the carbonex series better stay, else Yonex will be making a lot fans mad. however, i am not sure as now armortec series just arrived, yonex now have carbonex, Iso, Ti, MP, AT series. seems to be a lot. i am not seeing many new Iso or Ti rackets now, nor do i see many new cab's either. i wonder what's Yonex plan? they phased out aerotus in most markets. will they decide to phase out cab, Iso, or Ti next? my guess is they will phase out Iso first. as the newer rackets are all implicitly isometric anyway. are there any production of Iso rackets from Japan anymore? i know there is the TiSP, but aside from that? the Iso VF series all come from Taiwan. YYFan, yes, i am starting to like cabs now. there is a certain control and spin to it that i find missing with Iso rackets. i have been playing exclusively with cab20 for the last two months (not by choice, but all strings on my other good racket snapped and i was too lazy to bring them to string). anyhow, i am getting quite used to my cab20. i just recently restrung my cab22 and will be using that more, i am looking for find it a partner as i only have one. unlikely that i will be getting any new rackets anytime soon. i have no plans to go visit HK until at least the end of the year. and i am on a buying freeze anyway... i hope the cabs in HK will wait for me.
Kwun, Don't worry. Cab in HK are many, especially in Mongkok. They are selling Cab 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 8, 9 Tour, 10 Tour, 15. ISO 800 Tour, 750 Muscle, Ti 3, 7, 7 LIght, 8, 10. I think they have load of stock. They will be there even you come back in Fall 2004.