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Xiom Musa 3, Vega Intro & Vega SPO |
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yogi_bear
Forum Moderator Joined: 11/25/2004 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 7219 |
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Posted: 02/03/2018 at 11:07pm |
Musa 3
This is surprisingly a very under rated rubber in the market. With
the attention much on newer and faster ESN rubbers, the Musa 3 seem to be not
given much attention by players. There are ESN rubbers that were released by TT
companies that are in the mid-ranged cost of 30-35usd but seem to have
older generation topsheets with newer sponges glued to them. The Musa 3 seems
to be different that the topsheet is unlike its predecessors and that it is not
a slow rubber with less spin but rather it is surprisingly fast and bouncy. At
close inspection, the Musa 3 is a medium soft rubber. You can feel the softness
when you are pressing lightly against the topsheet but not as soft as a Vega
Elite. It is closer to the softness of Vega Europe. The Musa 3 is very fast and
bouncy in the sense that people who have tried it seem to think that it is
faster than the Acuda S2 or Bluefire M2 but slower than MXP or Rhyzm 48. The
Musa 3 is like a classic Japanese rubber that is spin-elastic. It feels like an
improved classic rubber like Mark V but the spin and speed are marginally
higher. Spin is very good and it is high. If the likes of the Omega V pro or
Euro and even the Omega VII Pro have very high or extreme level of spin,
the Musa 3 has high amount of spin. I would put it as having the same
level of spin with Acuda S2 or Bluefire M2 but feels softer. The throw is
medium to medium high arc when looping. The ball digs deep into the sponge and
topsheet when looping producing a very good amount of spin. The power is
good up to middle distance from the table. I feel the power diminish at
about 6 feet away from the table. It is more intended to be a close to the
table rubber that is excellent for quick attacks, controlled blocking and
flicks and drop shots. The Musa 3 is an all around rubber that can
basically do any type of shot being an offensive rubber. If the Vega Series
like Europe, Asia, Japan and Pro versions were o be phased out in the market,
the Musa 3 can actually replace all of them because it is as good as those
rubbers mentioned. I would suggest this to players are budget conscious that
want to have the best value their limited budget can buy. Even higher level
players can actually use this effectively as a backhand rubber. This was tested
with the Zeta Offensive Carbon blade at 63-64 grams uncut weight for the rubber. Vega Intro
Xiom has introduced this rubber suited for beginners and
intermediate players to some extent. People would always be recommended with
Mark V 2.0mm or Sriver 2.0mm when they are starting out to improve or develop
their table tennis skills. I would say Mark V and Sriver have slowed down
greatly when used with polyballs. The Xiom Vega Intro fits the description of
ann all around rubber for beginners or advanced beginners. At 2.0mm it can be
used by people who have taken up the sport for the first time, at max thickness
it can be used up to the intermediate level probably as a backhand rubber. The
Vega Intro is not a slow rubber but it is bouncy enough to give you the speed
needed. The speed and spin is slightly higher than Mark V but has the control
of Sriver- EL. The sponge hardness is a little harder than Vega Elite and
softer than Vega Europe. The spin is above average. I have tested this with the
Xiom Zeta Offensive 7 ply all wood blade. The Vega Intro can smash, spin and
block perfectly near the table. if you go past 4 feet from the table, the power
of the Vega Intro decreases. This is relatively cheap at 25-30 USD retail
price. The Vega Intro has an uncut weight of 62-63 grams.
Vega SPO
The pip structure is very grippy but
it is not as grippy as a Stiga Radical which feels tacky when you are first
opening it out from the box. In terms of spin, you can push-chop with it with
heavy amount of spin and it feels spinnier than TSP Super Spin Pips and RICT
802-40. Backhand topspin opening against underspin seem to be very good both in
the forehand and backhand. A friend of mine who is not a short pips user tried
the Vega SPO as his forehand rubber because he is usually inclined to slap and
contact the ball deeply against the sponge. Apparently he was able to easily
use the SPO as a forehand rubber because he could easily slap the incoming
balls with underspin. This is an indication that the SPO is not hard to use. I
like it as a backhand rubber because it is easier to use than the RITC 802-40
and Stiga Radical because of the RITC 802-40's lesser grip and the Stiga
Radical's unpredictability. The SPO's effect is more predictable when to expect
heavy pin or no spin from it. It could attack really well because the pips can
grab the ball better compared to common short pip rubbers that has lesser grip.
A good knuckle effect is also observed with punch blocking and the ball
sometimes float low and slows down when you are blocking against it
sometimes disrupting your timing. The speed is fast at 2.0mm and much more at
max sponge thickness. There is a big gap with the their speed. If you compare
the speed, Royal and SPO seem to have equal speed but I cannot conclude enough
with the Raystorm. |
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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS
ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor, ITTF Level 1 Coach |
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Dream1700
Super Member Joined: 12/02/2017 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 410 |
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Typo in the title: "Venga".
I hope Xiom will phase out 80-90% of their rubbers. "8 rubbers per manufacturer" should be the new rule.
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Force Pro Special 7ply
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yogi_bear
Forum Moderator Joined: 11/25/2004 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 7219 |
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I do not know if the Vega series are still being produced but even if they are, the Musa and Intro seem to be good enough to replace them.
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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS
ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor, ITTF Level 1 Coach |
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