Experience with some other Loki rubbers - Arthur China, GTX Pro (inc)

[gensay]

I didn't like Pro 05 at all, and Rxton 7 was underwhelming for me too

I'm currently using Telson Power, I feel it's more like an outer blade. I don't mean it isn't good, but I want more slow and spinny setup, so I decided to try a Limba top blade for more dwell time.
At first, I thought Fangbo B2 would be a good fit for me. But a few AliExpress sellers told me that DHS blades are usually heavier. I doubt I can play well with over 185g C-Pen setup. Nowadays the rubbers are heavy as well. So I was looking for 80-85g weight in the blade and chose the Pro 05. I am okay with the stiff blade, but it is too fast, I will shop for another one.

 

[lodro]

(personally, I don't believe in the "burn-in", I can play immediately with all my rubbers).

Me too, maybe another way of saying "burn-in" could be : "getting used to the new rubber and adapting to it" 😁

 

[lodro]

BTW, the exchange rate in bundle deals is strange. I normally browse items in CAD and pay it in USD. I ordered this with another cheap rubbers, for sure, paid in CAD.
I think this can be a good BH rubber.
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it could be once they also make it in red. Not for me though , I like my BH rubbers hard and not bouncy, i use commercial H3 for that. Rxton 3 Pro on the FH works a treat for me though. Bought a few before Loki is going to fuck it up again. 😁

 

[TensorBackhand]

I'm currently using Telson Power, I feel it's more like an outer blade. I don't mean it isn't good, but I want more slow and spinny setup, so I decided to try a Limba top blade for more dwell time.
At first, I thought Fangbo B2 would be a good fit for me. But a few AliExpress sellers told me that DHS blades are usually heavier. I doubt I can play well with over 185g C-Pen setup. Nowadays the rubbers are heavy as well. So I was looking for 80-85g weight in the blade and chose the Pro 05. I am okay with the stiff blade, but it is too fast, I will shop for another one.

How is the Telson Power? Is it quite stiff or does it have good feeling?

Can you compare the stiffness to the Pro 05 or another blade you have?

 

[gensay]

it could be once they also make it in red. Not for me though , I like my BH rubbers hard and not bouncy, i use commercial H3 for that. Rxton 3 Pro on the FH works a treat for me though. Bought a few before Loki is going to fuck it up again. 😁

I bought this for my son many months ago. I felt the rubber had some tackiness and a nice bounce.
I also prefer the hard and sticky setup on my BH for now. But I will also try a more soft and speedy setup on a slower blade as well. I rarely hit flat shots, I usually loop from my RPB.

 

[gensay]

How is the Telson Power? Is it quite stiff or does it have good feeling?
Can you compare the stiffness to the Pro 05 or another blade you have?

Please note that I am using C-Pen, I probably have a different perspective on evaluating blades.
I am mostly looping from my FH and RPB.

1. Butterfly SK carbon with Xiom Vega rubbers.
The blade was thin but stiff and fast, and the feeling was annoying and the vibration lasted long. I didn't like the soft rubbers. So I sold it.

2. Sanwei F3 Pro with Big Dipper (38d) and Moon 12 (Medium-hard)
I liked it. It has a woody feeling and I felt it grabs the ball quite well when I loop. It was not slow for me. I had a plan to put J3A on my FH and put the Big Dipper on my BH. But my clubmate liked this setup and I sold it to him.

3. Telson Power with J3A (39d) and BD (38d)
I prefer its crisp and direct feeling from Koto. It's fast (1400Hz) and stiff IMO, so I decided to try harder rubbers. It's been working well for me so far. When I hit fast loops, it produces enough speed. But I sometimes feel it has less dwell time especially when I try slow spinny loops. I think it's close to the outer ALC blade and it produces a lower arc than F3 Pro.

I recently ordered the Yinhe Pro 05 and Rxton 7 (40d & 37d). I will have an idea of what characteristics I will like on the blade.
So far, I like

• not too fast
• more dwell time
• higher arc

I don't think I will try outer carbon blades soon. I am interested in DHS Fangbo B2 and 301Z.
And also Telson CNF as well. I am expecting it to be slower than ALC. But I can't find many reviews on this.

 

[TensorBackhand]

Please note that I am using C-Pen, I probably have a different perspective on evaluating blades.
I am mostly looping from my FH and RPB.

1. Butterfly SK carbon with Xiom Vega rubbers.
The blade was thin but stiff and fast, and the feeling was annoying and the vibration lasted long. I didn't like the soft rubbers. So I sold it.

2. Sanwei F3 Pro with Big Dipper (38d) and Moon 12 (Medium-hard)
I liked it. It has a woody feeling and I felt it grabs the ball quite well when I loop. It was not slow for me. I had a plan to put J3A on my FH and put the Big Dipper on my BH. But my clubmate liked this setup and I sold it to him.

3. Telson Power with J3A (39d) and BD (38d)
I prefer its crisp and direct feeling from Koto. It's fast (1400Hz) and stiff IMO, so I decided to try harder rubbers. It's been working well for me so far. When I hit fast loops, it produces enough speed. But I sometimes feel it has less dwell time especially when I try slow spinny loops. I think it's close to the outer ALC blade and it produces a lower arc than F3 Pro.

I recently ordered the Yinhe Pro 05 and Rxton 7 (40d & 37d). I will have an idea of what characteristics I will like on the blade.
So far, I like

• not too fast
• more dwell time
• higher arc

I don't think I will try outer carbon blades soon. I am interested in DHS Fangbo B2 and 301Z.
And also Telson CNF as well. I am expecting it to be slower than ALC. But I can't find many reviews on this.

Let me know how the Telson Power compares with the Pro 05.

I found the Pro 05 way too stiff and lacking in feeling and grab.

 

[jk1980]

Me too, maybe another way of saying "burn-in" could be : "getting used to the new rubber and adapting to it" 😁

That is incorrect. You can basically measure the bounciness of a rubber right out of the package and after a few weeks. The results vary quite big most of the time. I had rubbers that were very controlled at first and looked to be great in the short game only to be just as bouncy as regular esn tensors after a week.

 

[Grumms]

That is incorrect. You can basically measure the bounciness of a rubber right out of the package and after a few weeks. The results vary quite big most of the time. I had rubbers that were very controlled at first and looked to be great in the short game only to be just as bouncy as regular esn tensors after a week.

It's not burn-in, it's wear.

 

[lodro]

That is incorrect. You can basically measure the bounciness of a rubber right out of the package and after a few weeks. The results vary quite big most of the time. I had rubbers that were very controlled at first and looked to be great in the short game only to be just as bouncy as regular esn tensors after a week.

lucky you, got yourself a cheap Tensor rubber that way

 

[jk1980]

It's not burn-in, it's wear.

that was not the argument. The point made was that the rubber does not change and it is just the person getting accustomed to the rubber which changes perception. This can be measured easily to be false since there are very few rubbers that are pre/factory boosted that do not change their behaviour after at least 10 hours.

 

[gensay]

This can be measured easily to be false since there are very few rubbers that are pre/factory boosted that do not change their behaviour after at least 10 hours.

Although I am not sensitive, I have experienced this with some of my Big Dipper and Jupiter 3 rubbers after a week of play.
If it's due to the factory booster running out, that's strange to me, too, because the booster makes the sponges softer, right?

 

[M4rc0H]

I have now played about 5 hours with the Telson 100 on the backhand and the top sheet is separating slowly from the sponge - quite clearly at the edge + bubble.
Strange, I never had this problem with my two sheets of LAC.

 

[lodro]

I have now played about 5 hours with the Telson 100 on the backhand and the top sheet is separating slowly from the sponge - quite clearly at the edge + bubble.
Strange, I never had this problem with my two sheets of LAC.

Not strange at all, it's typical Loki

 

[lodro]

the booster makes the sponges softer, right?

Generally speaking you "might" be right but the sponges all behave so different this rule does not completely apply.

 

[turbozed]

Although I am not sensitive, I have experienced this with some of my Big Dipper and Jupiter 3 rubbers after a week of play.
If it's due to the factory booster running out, that's strange to me, too, because the booster makes the sponges softer, right?

Boosters make the sponge softer by expanding the sponge. But before they've evaporated, the pores in the sponge are filled with the booster fluid. A damp sponge is going to be more dead than one with air in the pores. Playing for a few hours with it might move around the liquid enough where the residual can fully evaporate.

When the rubber feels fully alive then the sponge is expanded to its maximum state. After a few weeks or months, the sponge will lose it's spring again as the repeated impacts smush the sponge down and it just doesn't expand back again the way it used to. At that point you need to reapply booster or just adjust slowly to the less lively rubber.

Is this what really happens? I have no clue, it's just a theory I made up.

 

[JustANoob]

Finally tested the LAC on two viscaroids: DHS PG6X (harder) and FZD ALC (softer):

1) Short game - good. The rubber is more 'linear' than H3 Neo, it's a bit less dead on touches, but it's fine because any extra effort logically transfers into speed increasement (which isn't high), so it's easy to control the ball.
2) Slow (spinny) topspins - bad. When I executed such topspins using my wrist, the spin was mediocre, but when I engaged the torso, the spin was good. So yeah, opening with slow wrist-loops is bad--the person either counters easily or blocks to an uncomfortable position.
3) Powerful topspins - good. The arc is below average, so the ball dives pretty well. However, the ball doesn't accelerate off the table like it does with H3 Neo (pretty much no other rubber has this effect, IMO), so it was easier for opponents to return.
4) Serve - good. Once again, it's much worse than H3 Neo (reverse pendulum with H3 Neo is sometimes half of my points won) but still pretty good when compared with other hybrids or ESN rubbers.
5) Flat hit - good. Better than Jupiter 3, Battle 2 Gold, and way better than H3 Neo which is the worst in that department.
6) Blocks - very good. I was surprised how well LAC soaks the spin, blocking was very effortless like with European hybrids.
7) Countertopspin - excellent. In fact, I didn't expect the rubber to perform this well when countering. It soaks the enemy spin and creates its own spin when you engage the torso (which is inevitable during countering). And you don't have to go through the ball as much as you have to do with H3 Neo.

Conclusion: I have yet again tried to find an H3 Neo replacement, because H3 Neo requires regular boosting. So I tried LAC without a booster, and it was a worse rubber, all things considered. I am sure LAC would play better after a couple of layers of boosting, but the whole point of trying this rubber was getting rid of boosting forever.

So far which unboosted rubber has been closest to h3 boosted for you?

 

[TensorBackhand]

So far which unboosted rubber has been closest to h3 boosted for you?

Have you tried DF Volant? That is excellent unboosted rubber. Probably the best

 

[JustANoob]

Have you tried DF Volant? That is excellent unboosted rubber. Probably the best

Have not, any recommendation on the hardness?

 

[RomanAngerer]

So far which unboosted rubber has been closest to h3 boosted for you?

Nothing was ever close to the same venomous ball that a boosted H3 produces (trajectory dive and acceleration).

But in terms of speed, Jupiter 3 Tour and Battle 2 Gold were the fastest and playable without boosting. Also, the spin was decent right outside of the box.