Have some mixed feeling about the 2025 catalogue. First of all, I have been a fan of Xiom for a few years now. They made great blades that were on par with quality made in Japan, such as Hugo HAL or ALX 36.5. And there has been always something special about them, like the HAL which does not use carbon and is very easy to use yet powerful, or the 36.5 which played like a soft viscaria.
Xiom has removed many products from their lineup. According to a vendor, the HAL has been discontinued because of material shortage. The 36.5 lineup (both ALX and ALXi) have also been discontinued according to XIOM Europe. Its a shame, because those blades could have become absolute classics. Since I am using An Jaehyun TMXi Pro blade, I was sad to hear that that blade also got discontinued.
Now, there are four new blades under Hugo's name. As someone mentioned before, they are 'all-in' on Hugo. First of all, I am confused by the new metrics they are using. I have absolutely no clue what the new stats are supposed to mean, that is for both blades and rubbers. The new Hugo blades fill the void for discontinued products such as AJH TMXi Pro, CDS TMX Pro. But, I am not sure if they will be really the same. Hugo TMXi Pro has a smaller headsize of 158x152, and if it plays like regular TMXi instead of Pro version (160x152), it will be a big disappointment.
I also have mixed feelings about the handles. Handles of all Hugo blades and Lee Seung Soo blades all look extremely similar. Yes, it is nice if they all have the same dimensions for the handle, because it will be easy to adjust from one blade to the other. But, Xiom was always creative with designs and fancy colors. They could have put more effort instead of using the stock handle from Xiom/Andro factory in Korea.
What I like is that there are 'Lite' versions with regular headsize for LSS TMX and LSS ALX. This is needed for many players who prefer lighter blades, since rubbers are heavy nowadays. Also, since there are new ALX and ALXi blades incoming, it would make sense that 36.5 lineup is discontinued. I know that these blades are still in the catalogue, but as mentioned before, Xiom Europe told me that they are discontinued.
Lastly, I am excited for the new sticky rubbers. Vega China+ and Tau 3 are very spinny according to their metrics, and should be cheaper being part of the Vega lineup. I was initially excited for the release of Omega 8 series, but since they only sell MAX thickness in Europe, I didnt bother to order a sheet. Initially, I wanted to try the successor of the omega 7 pro on my backhand.
I am curious which blade Hugo is currently using. His handle still looked like HAL the last events, but who knows. I am interested in the Hugo TMXi Pro only if it uses the same structure as AJH TMXi Pro (thinner core, reinforced veneer between trimetrix fiber and outer veneer). And, I am interested in the Hugo ALX Pro because the 36.5 ALX played fantastic. With the new headsize of 160x152, it could be even better (more stable and powerful).
Anyway, these are my thoughts about Xiom's 2025 lineup.
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