Xiom An JaeHyun TMXi blades + Jykell & Hyde Z/H review

[Arkady]

Yes, there will be a difference in play if you are using same rubbers for the Pro version. The will give more dwell and vibration. Mostly the vibration is noticeable. Total weight will also be in the high of +190g if u are using max thickness for both sides and getting a blade which is on nominal weight.

Yes, I will use the same rubbers.
The difference in dwell time and vibration that you mention, is it only due to the bigger head size and thicker handle? Does it have any other difference in composition?

 

[Giangt]

Yes, I will use the same rubbers.
The difference in dwell time and vibration that you mention, is it only due to the bigger head size and thicker handle? Does it have any other difference in composition?

Mostly due to the head size. Composition is the same.

 

[doppelmoral]

Update:
Got a 88g Xiom TMXi Pro, did the frequency test, and got 1227 hz...
It's one stiff blade ngl.

How did it ultimately feel for you? Was it hollow, or crisp?

1227hz is alot lower than I expected, some people report 1350+hz on their tmxi pro with just 2g more of weight. yet you felt it was still quite fast and stiff?

I got a 88g tmxi pro incoming since I was able to get it cheap from 2nd hand market, curious about your impressions

 

[Migzkulit]

How did it ultimately feel for you? Was it hollow, or crisp?

1227hz is alot lower than I expected, some people report 1350+hz on their tmxi pro with just 2g more of weight. yet you felt it was still quite fast and stiff?

I got a 88g tmxi pro incoming since I was able to get it cheap from 2nd hand market, curious about your impressions

It did not have as much dwell as the w968 letters I have now. It really kicks in early. It did not feel all that impressive compared to the w968 letters.

The safety/defense, and weight of the setup with w968 letter trumps TMXi Pro.

While it has the better backhand, the big size makes it much harder to play backhand and move in and out of the table.

 

[doppelmoral]

It did not have as much dwell as the w968 letters I have now. It really kicks in early. It did not feel all that impressive compared to the w968 letters.

The safety/defense, and weight of the setup with w968 letter trumps TMXi Pro.

While it has the better backhand, the big size makes it much harder to play backhand and move in and out of the table.

Interesting, thanks for your insights. I never tried w968, so cannot compare with it. I just read saw the reviews from gan and tt11 blog, and they were really positive. But I guess, blades are just very subjective and ones playing level and skill must also be kept in mind.

For example, gan said the dwell is really good, but you mention it kicks early and is not as safe.

With your 88g version, were you satisfied with the speed / control ratio? And, did it feel hollow for you, or did your 88g blade have a nice and crisp touch?

I will probably receive my blade tomorrow , check how it feels and measure the frequency

 

[Migzkulit]

Interesting, thanks for your insights. I never tried w968, so cannot compare with it. I just read saw the reviews from gan and tt11 blog, and they were really positive. But I guess, blades are just very subjective and ones playing level and skill must also be kept in mind.

For example, gan said the dwell is really good, but you mention it kicks early and is not as safe.

With your 88g version, were you satisfied with the speed / control ratio? And, did it feel hollow for you, or did your 88g blade have a nice and crisp touch?

I will probably receive my blade tomorrow , check how it feels and measure the frequency

It still felt crisp, the speed/control ratio was still good but unwieldy just from the sheer weight. I was using Blue Sponge on it so that may play a role.

 

[doppelmoral]

For anyone interested, I tried the AJH TMXi Pro now. I usually use Hugo HAL.
My blade weighs 89g, 1240hz. Glued with H3 37 boosted on FH and Omega 7 Pro, the total weight is 187g. The blade is just beautiful and I love the design + the feel of the handle.

To be honest, at first, I didnt think that there was anything special about the blade when I warmed up. The feeling was comfortable and unlike ALC, it was crisp and more like ZLC feeling but without the sudden catapult when you hit hard. And my other first impression was, that the ball is just really slow. I could generate decent speed, but the pace was quite lacking. I must say that the more I played with it though, the better I was able to handle and understand it, and it grew on me. You really need a good whipping motion on FH with a relaxed stroke and then the ball becomes really fast and dangerous. It is true, this blade very linear, and I never played with a blade that linear before.

BH was just really smooth from the beginning. AJH TMXi Pro BH is really nice, but the arc is a bit low. Maybe its because of the Omega 7 Pro, I am not sure. Both my success rate on loops and also short game were very good today, blocking was a bit difficult, but need more time to get used to it. Actually, my BH didnt seem too spinny but my usual practise partners had many problems with it, the combination of speed / spin on this rubber is very well balanced. But for some reason, brushing is really bad on O7P, the ball slips alot, and that wont happen on Omega 7 Asia. Might have to swap to that one at some point, but its heavier of course.

Well, what can I say. I feel like it needs alot of time to really understand the in and outs of this blade, but I feel like the potential was very high. Some of the shots that I landed in the high gears were outstanding with great feedback from the blade, and most shots in mid gear were very comfortable but lacking pace a bit. Two things that I struggled with were blocking and counter topspins. Especially counter topspin is really easy on Hugo HAL and I can just hit through the spin no problem, but I overpaced alot doing that on AJH during my first session.

Regarding the blade being heavy or unwieldy, considering it was my first session, I dont think it was too bad. It was only slightly headheavy, and I didnt feel bothered by the weight 99% of the time. But of course, I chose very light rubbers for my first try on this blade. Actually, the blade is slow in low and mid gears so I dont think its hard to play, but if you use more power, it becomes more difficult to control. To conclude, you get a linear blade with a very high ceiling and beautiful craftsmanship with the AJH TMXi Pro.

 

[doppelmoral]

Update after second session:

- Backhand is so good on this blade, but you need to squeeze your fingers on every shot to get amazing quality. otherwise the arc is low. AJH bh is very safe

- this blade has shown me how trash my Forehand mechanics are. I am tense during my swings, therefore my whip effect is weak. when I get a good shot on FH, the quality is unreal. otherwise, its mediocre at best. its extremely honest to play with AJH blade in that way

- short game is really great

overall, this blade is super fun to play with. I will keep grinding with it to get those powerful FH shots out of the blade

 

[doppelmoral]

Got myself a backup AJH TMXi Pro during black friday sale. I ordered a 90g piece, its sealed and my scale shows 91g.
After doing the frequency test, it showed ~1430hz. I am really surprised by that, because my other TMXi Pro (88-89g model) only showed a frequency of ~1240hz.

I havent tried the 90g piece yet but will do so later this week. Somehow it is hard to imagine for me that these two blades will feel similar, just based on the frequency test. But I am curious to try. Will update again

 

[Wrighty67]

Got myself a backup AJH TMXi Pro during black friday sale. I ordered a 90g piece, its sealed and my scale shows 91g.
After doing the frequency test, it showed ~1430hz. I am really surprised by that, because my other TMXi Pro (88-89g model) only showed a frequency of ~1240hz.

I havent tried the 90g piece yet but will do so later this week. Somehow it is hard to imagine for me that these two blades will feel similar, just based on the frequency test. But I am curious to try. Will update again

I had a 91g TMXi (non pro) that was 1394hz so your original pro is much lower than I would have expected.

 

[doppelmoral]

I had a 91g TMXi (non pro) that was 1394hz so your original pro is much lower than I would have expected.

I read a few reviews about the pro, and it seems like most people that own the pro version reported around 1300hz, while the regular tmxi (non-pro) seems to be avg. around 1400hz

I dont really know what is going on with my tmxi pro‘s, getting 1240hz and 1430hz respectively

I cant complain about my 88g piece though, as it plays beautifully with great dwell and control. It plays so well that it even replaced my dearly loved Hugo HAL.

For my 90g tmxi pro, I hope it wont play too differently. I am currenly boosting a H3N BS 39 and will glue the h3+o7p

 

[chinacurious]

I think your first TMXi Pro has unusally low frequency. My 87g TMXi Pro was 1335hz. Sealing also increases frequency afaik. By how much probably depends on substance and thickness.

 

[doppelmoral]

I think your first TMXi Pro has unusally low frequency. My 87g TMXi Pro was 1335hz. Sealing also increases frequency afaik. By much much probably depends on substance and thickness.

I agree, but 90g version of TMXi Pro with a frequency of 1430hz is also unusually high.
To be honest, while I just bounced the ball on the naked blade, the feel, pitch and vibrations are totally different when compared to my 88g version.

I decided to search for a backup blade that has the same weight and similar speed to my 88g version, as the one I received is definitely very very different to my current one

 

[chinacurious]

Would be interesting to know how the frequency was before sealing. Maybe sealed to thick? Your first TMXi Pro is not sealed, is it?

 

[doppelmoral]

Would be interesting to know how the frequency was before sealing. Maybe sealed to thick? Your first TMXi Pro is not sealed, is it?

Both of my TMXi are sealed by the same store. So sealing is not the issue
There is just that much variety for TMXi Pro regarding speed / stiffness even though the weight difference ist just 2g

But as you said before, I think my 88g model is unusually slow, while my 90g model is unusually fast.

 

[doppelmoral]

I have been using TMXi Pro for about a month now, should be 30+ hours.
I am very happy with this blade. I have more feeling and stability than with the Hugo HAL that I played before. I think the linearity of TMXi Pro is what makes the difference for me. There is never something unexpected happening, my short game and loops are very controlled. I used the blade in both training and official matches, and my results have been good + I have more fun to whip my shots due to the bigger head.

In my mind, W968 structure was favoring FH shots, thats what I always read online. What surprises me about TMXi Pro is that the backhand is outstanding, it is that good. But the FH, I dont know but its a bit lacking. On middle gear, I get a bit of a hollow feeling and vibrations, and the ball is not dangerous for my opponent. Only if I use 70%+ power, the shots gain some decent momentum. But there is some missing 'zip' to it, which is weird because the backhand has this feeling.

I was wondering if its due to me having a lighter TMXi Pro (88g, 1240hz). Now my question to the w968 users here: How is the difference between w968 provincial in comparison to TMXi Pro? Is there a noticeable difference between the FH quality? The next logical step up from TMXi Pro would be w968, provincial is still kind of affordable. Is it worth it?

Cheers

 

[doppelmoral]

1240Hz seems unusually low for such a blade. What about the 90g version?

I had ordered a 90g backup, but it measured 1430hz, and the pitch was closer to a Viscaria. Just from bouncing the ball, it was clear that it would play completly different in comparison to my 88g version. I overall very much like my 88g, and am just looking for a bit more zip or pop.

Maybe I should have kept it and dont be so picky, but I just sold it. I was hoping to find something in the 13xx~ range, since that seems to be the average.

 

[Migzkulit]

I have been using TMXi Pro for about a month now, should be 30+ hours.
I am very happy with this blade. I have more feeling and stability than with the Hugo HAL that I played before. I think the linearity of TMXi Pro is what makes the difference for me. There is never something unexpected happening, my short game and loops are very controlled. I used the blade in both training and official matches, and my results have been good + I have more fun to whip my shots due to the bigger head.

In my mind, W968 structure was favoring FH shots, thats what I always read online. What surprises me about TMXi Pro is that the backhand is outstanding, it is that good. But the FH, I dont know but its a bit lacking. On middle gear, I get a bit of a hollow feeling and vibrations, and the ball is not dangerous for my opponent. Only if I use 70%+ power, the shots gain some decent momentum. But there is some missing 'zip' to it, which is weird because the backhand has this feeling.

I was wondering if its due to me having a lighter TMXi Pro (88g, 1240hz). Now my question to the w968 users here: How is the difference between w968 provincial in comparison to TMXi Pro? Is there a noticeable difference between the FH quality? The next logical step up from TMXi Pro would be w968, provincial is still kind of affordable. Is it worth it?

Cheers

Had a similarly low frequency TMXi Pro. The backhand of TMXi Pro is better but the forehand of w968 provincial has more punch.

 

[Grumms]

I had ordered a 90g backup, but it measured 1430hz, and the pitch was closer to a Viscaria. Just from bouncing the ball, it was clear that it would play completly different in comparison to my 88g version. I overall very much like my 88g, and am just looking for a bit more zip or pop.

Maybe I should have kept it and dont be so picky, but I just sold it. I was hoping to find something in the 13xx~ range, since that seems to be the average.

So much inconsistency for 200$ blades...

 

[TensorBackhand]

It has been a while since I did a review, but I have been busy working and spending time with my lovely daughter. I hope that you will enjoy my review.
I have been very fortunate to get hold on the new An JaeHyun TMXi blades from Xiom and would like to share my thoughts and review of the blades. For those who does not know AJH, he is a Korean national player that made his breakthrough at the WTTC where he became the bronze medalist in 2019. At that time, he was using a DHS W968 with H3 on the FH side and an European style rubber on the BH side.

Unboxing
The AJH TMXi blades comes in nice orange or bronze/green presentation box with the signature logo of AJH which I am not sure what should illustrate. Maybe the bronze color could be interpreted as his 3rd place medal in 2019, but that is up for you to decide. The prototype blade come with a silver inner box. Xiom “Beyond” is their new branding with a logo that reminds me of an infinity symbol. I am not sure what it means so it is left to the individual’s imagination what that should mean.

The first hands-on impression of the blades, I noticed that these blades were made in high quality. The edges at the wings are slightly rounded and the there are no fibers popping out as I have sometimes experienced from other TT blade manufactures. The finish is great as other TT premium brands, so thumbs up in that regard. At the top front side of the blade, there is a print of AJH’s logo together with his name and signature underneath. Further down above the handle Xiom’s new logo and branding “Xiom Beyond” is printed and on the left wing another AJH signature is printed. Xiom has printed two arrows on their blades and rubbers which are used for alignment marks for when gluing the rubbers on. I think that is a nice detail from their side. On the Pro version there is printed a “PRO” on the right wing and the inlays on the handle are red in comparison to the regular version where the inlays are gold. The color scheme is black and red which fit pretty well to the rest of the blade and in my opinion the overall design looks quite good.

In the end of the handle Xiom have started to put a metal gold emblem which looks flashy. Judge for yourselves.
Xiom R&D has developed fiber weave that is called TriMetriX where the composite layer is close to the core and thereby the abbreviation TMXi. The material consists of three fiber types which are

• Axylium
• Zephilium
• X-carbon

They all have their own properties and gives the AJH TMXi its unique characteristics.
Composition: Limba-Ayous-TMX-Ayous-TMX-Ayous-Limba

Here are the specs of the samples I received:
Custom blade
Weight: 91g
Thickness: 5.9mm
Handle size: 101x26x34mm
Head size: 160x152mm
1324Hz

An JaeHyun TMXi Pro
Weight: 90g
Thickness: 5.9mm
Handle size: 100x26x34mm
Head size: 160x152mm
1302Hz

An JaeHyun TMXi
Weight: 89g
Thickness: 5.9mm
Handle size: 100x26x34mm
Head size: 158x152mm
1410Hz

I wanted to start with testing the TMXi Custom blade which is said to be similar as the pro version and paired the blade with some new Xiom Jekyll and Hyde rubbers. On FH is the Z52.5 in black and on BH is the H52.5 in red both max thickness. By looking at the rubbers the Z type seem to be a semi tacky rubber and the H type has a protection sheet as it is claimed to be a hybrid rubber with a tacky top sheet.

The weight of the rubbers cut came out to be 54g for the Z and 51g for the H version. Total weight of the setup was 201g which is a bit heavy for my preference but having that said the balance of the setup was more in the center than towards the head.

When comparing the sponges of the Z and H rubbers it was obvious that the sponge of the Z rubber was more porose and the H rubber sponge was denser like a traditional Chinese rubber.
When bouncing a ball on the Z rubber it felt as traditional European rubber with a bouncy hard sponge as the H rubber was not near so bouncy as the Z rubber and felt similar to a Dignics 09C.

The handles of the blades felt very comfortable where the custom and pro versions felt a bit larger than the regular version. From insider information, it is said to be that the handle sizes of the custom and pro versions are made to AJH own specs. The handle of the regular version felt similar to the Viscaria for comparison.

During my review I will be comparing the AJH custom blade to the DHS W968 number version from 2015.

Drive
When hitting the ball with FH, I could immediately feel the blade with the combination of Jekyll & Hyde Z and H rubbers, that this setup would be fast and definitely faster than the W968. The FH side with the Z rubber was bouncy, but even with a sponge hardness at 52.5 deg it had a nice feel with a small vibration feedback and decent amount of control. The BH side was slower and felt harder, but this was anticipated as the sponge was denser. Here I should be more active on the ball when driving and with the H rubber it had more gears. I would rate the vibration feedback from the blade to be somewhere between the W968 and Viscaria.

Loop
When looping with the Z rubber on FH the ball had medium arc. I could sense some vibration from the blade and the dwell was good when looping, but not as much as the W968 blade in comparison. When really engaging in the loops I could really feel the additional power of the TMX layer contributing to the speed on the ball. The larger head size and Limba outer ply would be contributing to the dwell. On the open-ups with the FH, I had a pleasant experience as I could utilized the setup on both fast and slow balls. The semi tacky surface of the Z rubber did also benefit to grip the ball on the slower shots. The FH side was also very suitable when looping away from the table at medium distance.

Switching to the BH side with the H rubber, I observed that the arc was low-medium.
Close to the table loops was really controllable with high spin due to the tacky surface of the rubber. I could do open-ups on slow downspin balls with a high percentage and a great amount of spin where my partner often would block the ball out. Away from the table I had to should put more effort into the shots if I wanted to engaged the sponge of the rubber to add speed.

Block
The passive game with the TMXi custom blade was surprisingly good. On both sides I experience the setup to be controllable especially with H rubber on BH. On hard flat hits I often had the experience with very hard rubbers that the ball would drop when blocking passively, but that was not the case with the H version rubber. The consistency when blocking was very high due to the large, sweet spot of the blade. I could do punch shots and chop blocks with the BH side with high percentage which I had a harder time to do with e.g., D05 which I normally use on my BH.

Short/Flick
In the short game I would expect the setup to be a bit more uncontrollable due to the blade was faster than the W968. To my surprise the setup was just the opposite on both touch shots and long pushes.
In this area of the game, you also get good vibration feedback from the blade. When doing banana flicks with the BH, I could do it with a good percentage. The tacky surface of the H rubber helped in this type of shots together with the additional flex from the blade. It was also nice to do FH flicks with the Z rubber, but I needed time adjusting and be careful not to overpower the flicks. Could be because I am used to using H3 on the FH side.

Conclusion
The Xiom An Jaehyun TMXi signature blades comes with a price tag for both the Pro version at 185 EUR and the regular version at 132 EUR. Prices are converted from Xiom Korea website. The blades are well-made with a with high quality on par with other premium brands like Butterfly, Stiga, Tibhar, Victas, Andro etc. The design of the blade is quite decent with the black and red colors followed by the gold tag in the end of the handle. In my opinion you get a very good deal for both versions and if you have large hands then go for the Pro version.

I would recommend the blade for experienced all-round players that are looking for a blade that is faster than the DHS HL5 or W968 and has the properties of an inner fiber blade. A two-winged looper that wants a controlled offensive and defensive game close to mid distance from the table and likes the dwell and feel of a Limba outer ply blade.

I just tried this blade and it is excellent. Nice feeling, good catch, and a bit of snap too.

It has better feeling that Long 5 for me, more feedback and less dampening