Nittaku Factive Review

All right, I just came back from the Joola website. Mamma Mia. I feel like a cuckoo now. In the 2017 catalog, it dawned on me that only a handful of models come with the Tensor logo. None carry the BIOS logo.

Golden Tango
X-plode
X-plode Sensitive
Energy
Energy X-tra
CWX
Badman Reloaded
Express ultra
Tango Ultra

That's it for the Tensors.

Does that mean the more popular ones like the Max series and the Rhyzm series are not Tensors?

I have always been under the impression that they are.

My head hurts.

Edited by zeio - 11/08/2017 at 5:38am

AndySmith wrote: I agree with what you say - it is confusing.  The Tensor logo used to be more common, and then individual companies started to market it as their own thing, coming up with their own jargon to distinguish their rubbers from other companies (even though it was obvious to those with eyes that they were made in the same factory and were very similar). Xiom Musa (the original) is another one worth looking at.  From TT11: <span style="color: rgb51, 51, 51; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">This is the first XIOM rubber without in-build TENSION effect so this rubber is perfect for the traditionally and control Allround and Attack Strategy.</span><span style="color: rgb51, 51, 51; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span> <span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span> <span style="font-size: 12px;">And yet it has the Bios logo.</span> IMO, Vega Pro is a Tensor, Musa III China I can't be sure.  <span style="font-size: 12px;">Ultimately, I go by the packaging and not the marketing jargon - it's more reliable.  Xiom are certainly hard to track sometimes, and their english language descriptions are often riddled with errors.  So maybe Xiom are wrong in their description, maybe not.  They aren't the most reliable of narrators, but their Musa line was started from the position of "non-tensor" but labelled as Bios, so there is that.</span> The lack of the Tensor logo doesn't mean that any specific rubber isn't a Tensor, sure, I totally agree with that.  But GA5 lacks it, GA8 has it, they were released at the same time from the same factory.  You can blame the general chaos of labeling if you want, but in the case of GA5 and GA8 (and based on the translated text from the link you supplied, which specifically states they are different things and they apply to the rubbers "respectively"), I'm going with GA8 is a Tensor, and GA5 is not.  GA5 is marketed is "all round", GA8 is not.  GA5 is much slower than most top-line ESN Tensors.

On the official site, the Tensor BIOS logos are listed below the picture for Musa.

https://www.xiom.tt/product/product_detail.php?id=29&cp=313

The back of the package from 2013 when it was first released reads exactly like the description on the site. No word on it being the first without built-in tension.

http://www.yoger.com.cn/product/141586.html


Vega Pro is definitely a Tensor. No doubt about it. Musa III misses both the Tensor and BIOS logos, yet the trademark Hyper Elasto alone means it is a Tensor, and the description says it comes with BIOS.

So which one do we go by? The logos? The synopsis?

Personally, I treat Hyper Elasto the same as Formula Donic - a trademark mess. Despite all that, is Formula Donic not Tensor?

As for Factive, it is listed under the same "Tension Series" category as the Fastarc series on the official site. Yet, G-1 is the only model that doesn't carry the "Spin+Speed TENSION" logo, but no one would deny that it is a Tensor, right?

For Goldarc 5 and 8, I treat it the same as the Xiom mess. In the official description, Goldarc 8 is said to be produced using Tensor technology but no word on BIOS at all, despite the logo on the package. Yet, BIOS is used to differentiate the Goldarc 5. What a mess.

Edited by zeio - 11/08/2017 at 4:06am

But if a company still chooses to use ESN's logos then I'll take it at face value for the time being and try to pin something meaningful to it.

I agree with your comments Andy, but usually in this situation the manufacturer specifies contractually that their logo must appear on the packaging, to create branding, and the logo has very specific meaning. It creates value for the manufacturer. In this case, it is an utter, confused mess. Some of it purposeful but some of it has to be a huge blunder by ESN marketing management. Their logos literally mean nothing other than sort of identifying the manufacturer, maybe.

Edited by richrf - 11/07/2017 at 8:55pm

AndySmith wrote: That said, I see where you are coming from.  We have "Tensor", and "Tensor Bios".  I take these terms to be two separate technologies - Tensor and Bios - and they are generally seen together in ESN rubbers (unless a company decides to rename the whole thing, making it near-impossible to work out what's going on).  Hence two logos.  Bios without the Tensor is a fairly recent thing, brought in when ESN started going after the "classic" market, hence one logo. No idea about "Tensor Bond".  I thought that was just a glue? edit - another one to think about - Joola Golden Tango.  It has the Tensor logo, but not the Bios.  Meaningful?  Maybe.

Nothing like branding without meaning. Someone in ESN's marketing department has done a darn poor job.

I agree with what you say - it is confusing.  The Tensor logo used to be more common, and then individual companies started to market it as their own thing, coming up with their own jargon to distinguish their rubbers from other companies (even though it was obvious to those with eyes that they were made in the same factory and were very similar).

Don't want to dwell on this too much, but "Bios" and "Tensor" are different and are not interchangeable.

Edited by AndySmith - 11/07/2017 at 1:56pm

I've wanted to give this a bash for a while, and it was on offer last week at TT11 so here we go.

Edited by AndySmith - 11/13/2017 at 11:04am