ITC Korea and megaspin.net sent me this rubber for testing. The ITC 48 degree version is the newest Japan-made rubber in the market that is outside of Butterfly's range of products. The Ultra 48(U48) that I got was about 66 grams which is 1 gram lighter compared to the 45 degree version (U45). The closest rubbers I can compare the Ultra 48 is with the Nexy Karis H and Stiga Mantra H rubbers. The previous Powercell MP rubbers were good but they seem to be lacking in spin when compared to the ESN rubbers. They have plenty of spin and power but in terms of spin generation they still have a gap with ESN rubbers. To be fair they are already spinny but when compared to Tibhar MX-P they were a class lower. Now comes the Ultra 48 version in which they softened the topsheet a little bit to allow ball sinking and gripping. Initial thoughts on the total hardness seem to be medium and not medium hard because of the soft or medium soft topsheet.
I will directly compare the Ultra 48 with the mentioned rubbers from other brands because they are contemporaries although the Ultra 48 came out late last December compare to the Nexy and Stiga rubbers which came out earlier last year. I will also compare it with Tibhar MX-P since this is the benchmark rubber that people use aside from Tenergy 05. In terms of speed, the Ultra 48 seem to be equal in speed with Nexy Karis H and Stiga Mantra H. The difference is that the Karis H has the habit of being choosy about the blade it is used with. Usually the Karis H is harder to control with very stiff blades while the Ultra 48 and the Mantra H are not. The Ultra 48 is the most controllable rubber among the 3 mentioned when it comes to very strong shots inside and far from the table. If I compare it with MX-P, the Ultra 48 may edge out MX-P in terms of speed. In terms of spin, the Ultra 48 is the spinniest of the 3 rubbers with the Mantra H as 2nd and the least is Karis H. Some factors like blade being used or level of play and strokes may change but the Ultra 48 is very easy to produce spin compared to the Karis H. MX-P still have an edge in terms of spin but the difference between the 2 is not that big. The Ultra 48 produces a medium to medium high arc but it is mostly noted with its very long trajectory when spinning our counter driving away from the table which is also noted with Mantra H. Just like Daiki-made rubbers, spin is better produced by digging into the sponge and brushing the ball although in the backhand if I spin the ball using a thin brush, I can produce a level of spin like when I am using a spinny esn rubber but this is probably due to the stroke. The least sensitive to spin would be the Karis H and Mantra H. Overall, the Ultra 48 is awesome both in the forehand and the backhand. It can be an alternative of MX-P if a player is looking for a high level of spin and at the same time a balance of control and speed. Definitely, the Ultra 48 is only for advanced players with developed strokes and skills as this is a little bit too fast for beginners even if they will just a 2.0mm sponge thickness.
The Ultra 45 is toned down version of the Ultra 48. If the qualities of the Ultra 48 can be quantified into numbers you may say that the Ultra 45 is like the 48 with about 20% lesser speed, about 10% lesser spin but with more control and ease of handling. The U45 is comparable with the Mantra M and Karis M++. almost the same structure and design but somehow a different topsheet look with the Ultra 45 in which it has a matte look and not as shiny or bright red as the Mantra M or Karis M++. The speed of the Ultra 45 is above average and it is off compared to off+ for the Ultra 48. It has a low to medium throw when you are doing topspins with it. Spin is above average but the difference between the Ultra 48 and 45 in terms of spin is big. The Mantra M and the Karis M+ seem spinnier than the Ultra 45. It is still a good rubber that offers speed and control with good spin but I believe it is only best as a backhand rubber. Unlike the 48 version, the Ultra 45 seem to be catered more for developing or intermediate level players and the amount of power it can produce is not as big compared to the Ultra 48.