Thank you, I will. I'm more interested in a string that retains it's good playing qualities for as long as possible once it has settled in, not how well it holds it's tension, or how long it lasts. Right now I feel like AS has already lost a perceivable amount of it's playability after only 4 hours, but I'm not sure if that's because of the tension drop or because it is already dying out. I never tried BG66UM fresh, but have read many reviews where it starts to die quickly. An AS or 66UM quality-of-play string that retains those qualities for preferably 30 or more hours is what I'm looking for.
TLDR: Aerosonic is the best. Maybe try NBG98 at a higher tension and see if you like it. Yes, for me, Aerosonic is the best performing string overall. It is better in terms of feel/repulsion/control/touch and holding tension. The only thing that may be relatively lacking is power if you string it too high. And of course, durability is an issue. But for how thin it is, the durability is actually excellent. You may want to try NBG98 and string it a bit higher. I thought 98 was very good at 31 but went up to 34-35 and love it. Some strings play better at higher tension, NBG98/BG65/BG70Pro are prime examples. My go-to strings for testing rackets are AS @31lbs. and for high tension racket abuse, NBG98 @ 35lbs. The frame strength is also critical in tension holding as well. Example: I have a prototype racket, Toray 40T, frame based on a Brave Sword 12 (thicker), that is extremely strong. I have strung it with NBG98 at 35lbs. at least 7 times, and there was no damage (indentations) to the frame. I did rotate the grommets each time and on the 5th string job, replaced all the grommets. This frame strung at 35 feels like a normal racket strung at 25lbs.! It's been 6 months since I used the racket and the tension is still about 30lbs.; and the string feels relatively fresh, it's quite amazing. Unfortunately, the performance of the racket is lacking because the frame is so stiff, there is not much feel. But this racket is the beast of beasts, the strongest racket I have ever tried this side of 55T frames. I have had "soft" frames that drop lots of tension after a few days. So much so, the racket and string feel and play completely different. Random ramble: currently, material technology is here for strong, durable rackets. However, the grommet technology is lacking or just not used. Should rotate grommets after every string job if 30lbs. or higher.
You need to give AS another try, a fresh set. The most playable strings that hold tension well (relatively speaking): Aerosonic, NBG98, BG66UM, and LiNing No. 1. If AS doesn't do it for you, then I feel nothing may satisfy. Please note, I have not tested the latest strings (last two years) in any detail so I can't comment on those.
Since the LiNing No.1 has left a great impression on you, how is the newer LiNing No.1 Boost like in comparison? (If you've had a chance to try it out)
And don't forget about the new Victor VBS strings that are made by Ashaway. They are supposed to be vastly superior to the old ones.
Excuse me sir, I’d like to ask a question. Is it true that when you string the cross higher than the mains, you will would get more control, and when you string the mains higher than the cross, you would get more power?
Because Victor's website shows they are made by Ashaway, and Paul Stewart has tried them. Although maybe biased, he claims they are superior to the old ones. I'd like to see what others think about them.
This is where I got it from. Actually, it implies that Ashaway has been making Victor strings for a while. Is this wrong? https://www.victor-europe.com/index.php?page=saiten
I don't see anything implying or stating Ashaway makes Victor string. See the highlighted section, it says Victor and Ashaway have been co-branding partners for decades. Is there another link or more information? Thanks.
That doesn’t have to mean anything. Victor Europe is a separate entity than Victor Taiwan and has openly cooperated with Ashaway for the past couple of years. They have even shipped their rackets pre-strung with Ashaway Zymax strings for a good while now. Victor Taiwan never did there is no indication that there is any business relation between Victor Taiwan and Ashaway. There have been several assumptions regarding who is the OEM of the new Victor strings, but afaik there hasn’t been any proof so far.
In the final analysis, does it really matter who makes them? Sure it would be affirming to know that the premier manufacturer of strings does, but, Ashaway also makes some strings people don't like. I say, on with the testing, and let's find out how they stack up to the rest.
It doesn’t matter at all. Gosen makes really good strings, so does Ashaway, so does Yonex. I have no clue who makes the Li-Ning strings or if they produce them themselves. Doubt it though, since they are announcing them to be “made in Japan”. Would be interesting to get a list of all the OEMs of strings, so if anybody in here has some insight in that department, feel free to contribute.
What would be you recommendation for me - I currently play with a 4U Astrox 88S and string BG80 at 26 pounds. It works for me, just want to try something new I guess because I've never tried other strings. I read your glowing review about Aerosonic - and was wondering how it plays at sub 30 tension? I feel performance is only slightly more important to me then durability - while I play everyday I tend to string every 2-4 weeks.
+Aside from durability, Aerosonic is still the best string IMHO. +I recently started testing Aerobite and it's really good as well. It's more forgiving than Aerosonic, not as crisp but feels more solid. If you want max crispness and repulsion, go with Aerosonic. If you want something more forgiving (and durable), go with Aerobite. On another note, I just got some new Ashaway Rogue Duo; will test it on Friday...
Sounds too good to be true... Control : ∞ Repulsion : Epic Spin : Epic Interesting that the crosses are meant to be 5% LESS than mains.
They make the crosses extra grippy for control and spin? That goes against all that I've thought to be valid for hybrid setups...
