Update: yesterday night, informally tested: Aerosonic (@31lbs.), BG66-Force (@33lbs.) and Li-Ning No.1 (@33lbs.) and can only say, wow, life is good - no great! All three were among the best this Panda has tried. Li-Ning No.1 is the biggest surprise. It just plays so well all-around. BG66-Force was what was expected as it's very similar to BG66-UM. Aerosonic is a freak string, has the highest pitch sound of any string Panda has ever tried; it's excellent all-around, super repulsive for drives, crisp and such good feel. All three are excellent for smashing, not sure which is best yet because - again - this was an informal test. Will do a detailed test Friday and over the week and report back.
TLDR: Panda informally tested Yonex Aerosonic and BG66-UM, Li-Ning No. 1. All three are Panda approved, all three are so good.
Yes; the tension is going to be higher than normal because I prefer a hard feeling, crisp string bed.
So far with the new testing:
BG80Power: 34lbs.
BG80: 32lbs.
BG65: 35lbs.
NBG98: 32lbs.
BG66UM: 32lbs.
Ashaway ZM62 Fire: 32lbs.
Ashaway ZM65: 33lbs.
Ashaway ZM66 Fire Power: 34lbs.
Ashaway ZM69 Fire Power: 34lbs.
I'll have my assistant's preferences for comparison/reference as well.
Something I have learned recently, Yonex strings play supremely well at higher tension. If you know of other manufacturers or specific string that play well at higher tension, please list them, I will test those first, thanks.
Any updates on the consolidated list? The comparison is very useful. Many of us are using this as a guide.
I'll check around online to see who has Apacs string and if I have time, will review them; thanks.
Overall a good string. Medium feeling. Initially after stringing, very repulsive but poor control. After a couple of sessions the strings bed in and both control and repulsion are good. It stays like that for a while but then the strings notch against each other and it's only a matter of time until tension loss or breakage kills them.Can someone tell me their opinions on the Ashaway Zymax 66 fire power?
All strings tested at 32 lbs+ which is insane for non-professional players. Even for professional players with good techniques and physique, 32 lbs is high. Reviews are too heavily influenced by personal preference. While entertaining, I find it's impossible to relate to. Still, thank you for the time and effort!
Can't please everybody; had the tension been 24, people who use 32 would have complained.All strings tested at 32 lbs+ which is insane for non-professional players. Even for professional players with good techniques and physique, 32 lbs is high. Reviews are too heavily influenced by personal preference. While entertaining, I find it's impossible to relate to. Still, thank you for the time and effort!
Update: String ratings, uhhhh, such a pain now. Why? There can be a HUGE difference between freshly strung and once the string sets in.
The best example is BG80Power. It's so good freshly strung. After 3-4 hours of play it starts to get dull. After 10 hours, it's actually bad. It feels flat and soft. So it's no longer a string I use.
BG66 Force: is in the same boat as BG80Power but not as dramatic. It's very good initially but after 4-5 hours of use, it starts to feel flat. So this is another string I pass on.
If you like a softer, more spongy feel, then BG80Power and 66Force will be ideal after the string settles.
BG66UM: crisper, better and the feel holds better than 66Force.
Aerosonic on the other hand, it's great initially and after many weeks, even months, it's still relatively crisp, taut and responsive. It is the best overall performing string Panda has tried when all things are considered. The only negative is the durability.
NBG98: not as good as Aerosonic but probably my second favorite overall string. It's really good, it's just not as good as Aero.
LN1: is excellent overall. Not as good as Aerosonic and NBG98 but for its relative durability, among the best strings this Panda has tried. Initially excellent and after even 20 hours of play, still is decently crisp and still has pop.
ZM Fire 62/66/69: all very similar, very good overall; durable for its relative thickness but is a softer, more forgiving string and easy on the elbow, minimal stress. If you like this type of feel, you may want to give Fire a try.
The below ratings are current, they may change with time. They are my best approximation trying my best to keep all other things being equal such as playing conditions, relative/comparable string tension, same shuttles used (Yonex AS50), etc...
*Assumes the best string in each category scores 100/100 and the corresponding strings receive scores relative to that.
If 100% based on performance*:
1) Aerosonic in White (100/100)
2) NBG98 in Silver Gray (95/100
3) LN1 in White (92/100)
4) BG80 in White (91/100)
5) Ashaway ZM65 (88/100)
100% based on Durability:
1) BG80 (100/100)
2) LN1 (95/100)
3) Ashaway ZM65 (85/100)
4) NBG98 (75/100)
5) Aerosonic (65/100)
75% Performance, 25% Durability:
1) NBG98 (100/100)
2) BG80 (95/100)
3) LN1 (94/100)
4) Aerosonic (92/100)
5) Ashaway ZM65 (88/100)
NBG95 perhaps? If the string should still be playableHi Pepe, I haven't tried LN # 5, # 7 yet. BG-65Ti, relatively speaking (as always) is good at higher tension (30+). At 20-26lbs. it feels soft, and spongy but forgiving. It also drops tension faster than normal string. In say 2 weeks, it will drop significantly. If you like that kind of feel, go for it. 65Ti is durable, so is Ashaway ZM69 Fire.
Based on your information, cost and durability, another two to try are BG65 and BG70Pro. Both are great at higher tension for a thick string.
65 and 65Ti are worth considering when you are at those tensions.Cheers for the replies guys!
@DinkAlot
If DinkAlot had a choice between Yonex and Li Ning strings, which would you pick and why? LN#1 and BG-80 are my current guesses
@FeatherBlaster
Tried NBG95 a couple of times @34 lbs and at 28lbs, durability feels ok but the string has issues with feel and feedback; it conveys very dull information through the handle while hitting. Repulsion seems a bit odd too, it comes and goes, then returns in phases in relation to string life.
I wish Yonex made BG66 Force in 0.7mm or BG-80 Power in 0.75mm, that would seem like a decent intermediary solution.
That aside I have been considering Ashaway Microlegend (0.75 - 0.8mm) but have not been able to source these online from a reputable source and don't know if their performance is on par with the current generation of strings out there.