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Yinhe M201 Review

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AndySmith View Drop Down
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    Posted: 11/09/2018 at 11:25am
A few months ago I gave the Yinhe M202 a try from http://www.ttequipment.co.uk.  It was a great blade, but a touch too fast for my needs so I put it to one side, but I liked the overall concept/feel and wanted to try more from the same range.  Dean sourced this M201 for me which follows the same design (PLC, cheaper alternative to ZLC, next to the core), but has a dyed koto outer.  Yinhe market this as the slowest of the 4 main models, so I was hopeful.

Physicals

My M201 is 5.8mm in total thickness, 150 x 157 head size, 88g weight, FL handle.  My guess as to the composition would be:

Dyed Koto - Ayous - PLC - Ayous - PLC - Ayous - Dyed Koto











Bigger images available here - photobucket

The quality of the construction is just like the M202 - very good, had to sand down the wings slightly, handle is a little smaller than average but not tiny like some Nittaku or DHS blades can be.  The QC and finishing is superb, with the composite layer being very tidy all around the blade.

Impressions

During a basic topspin drive warm-up, the speed feels a touch slower than the M202, very close to a Waldner Senso Carbon (but with a harder and stiffer feel), noticeably slower than a Viscaria/Boll ALC/Vega Pro/IF-ALC.  I'm surprised by how obvious the stiffer and slower nature is when compared to the M202 actually - on inspection it's only the outer ply which seems different, but I suspect something else may be going on internally to slow it down.

Looping is more linear than the M202, giving the impression of lower flex.  It performs well enough when looping and I found it easier to control, so consistent looping against block was excellent.  From distance it lacks a little punch but it's still very capable, and harder/faster rubbers pair well for mid-distance topspin.

Short game is good.  The harder feel adds sharpness in comparison with the M202 but it doesn't add too much bounciness and the slightly lower speed helps to keep the ball short in spite of the outer ply's responsiveness.

Blocking/driving is very strong.  The additional stiffness and hardness work very well here and the blade has a rock-solid dependability.  It works incredibly well when countering or active blocking from close-in.

Overall

The M201 is another excellent inner composite blade at an amazing price point.  When compared to the M202, it lends itself a bit more to a close-in, allround attack style.  The speed isn't overwhelming, but it offers solid off- performance with a decent sweetspot while retaining enough wood feel to provide feedback.  I've been using it for the last two months, and from the very first session it felt like a great fit to where my game is at the moment.  It's become my main blade.

In this kind of blade class, the best comparison I can make is to the DHS H301.  The M201 feels a touch stiffer/more linear in comparison but the overall speed is similar.

If you're looking for a dependable, inner-composite blade with real-world off- speed at a reasonable price then I'd definitely recommend having a look at this.


Edited by AndySmith - 11/10/2018 at 7:13am
This was a great signature until I realised it was overrated.
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Dream1700 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dream1700 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/09/2018 at 2:40pm
is the handle similar to Waldner Senso Carbon?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ericd937 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/09/2018 at 7:08pm
The headsize looks small. Is that the case? 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dream1700 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/09/2018 at 9:07pm
M201 is impossible to find for sale on the web. The store Andy got it from does not ship to US.

**edit: found one: Prince of Table Tennis


Edited by Dream1700 - 11/09/2018 at 9:39pm
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cole_ely View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cole_ely Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/10/2018 at 1:45am
Well written. I'm in kc but it seems like mine was two-tone.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AndySmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/10/2018 at 7:17am
Originally posted by Dream1700 Dream1700 wrote:

is the handle similar to Waldner Senso Carbon?

I think the M201's handle is slightly smaller, but only by tiny bit.  It doesn't have a V1/V2 void either though, so the balance is pretty similar.

Originally posted by ericd937 ericd937 wrote:

The headsize looks small. Is that the case? 

I think that's because my pictures are at a slight angle.  I've added the size to the review now - 150x157, so pretty standard really.
This was a great signature until I realised it was overrated.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cole_ely Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/10/2018 at 10:04pm
Standard yinhe shape like W series I believe.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Greenfield Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/11/2018 at 12:15am
Has anyone tried M101 and M102 ?
It would be nice to read review of whole colection
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TTEquipment.co.uk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/11/2018 at 8:55am
Originally posted by Dream1700 Dream1700 wrote:

M201 is impossible to find for sale on the web. The store Andy got it from does not ship to US.

**edit: found one: Prince of Table Tennis

The main reason we do not have a shipping option to the USA is that it tends to be more expensive due to higher shipping costs and any sales taxes that you may have to pay when importing.

In the USA you have Cole who can and does sell Yinhe blades, so I would always recommend trying him first, but if you still struggle then please drop us a line and we will always do our best to help. Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TTEquipment.co.uk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/11/2018 at 8:59am
Originally posted by cole_ely cole_ely wrote:

Well written. I'm in kc but it seems like mine was two-tone.

Cole, wasn't your two-tone one the M901 ? Smile


Originally posted by cole_ely cole_ely wrote:

Standard yinhe shape like W series I believe.

They are indeed identical sized.  In fact, I have yet to stock a Yinhe blade that has different dimensions.

If you check out our product pages, we do measure and show the dimensions of each blade that we stock.  If we don't, then tell us as we may have missed it off the page Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote darucla Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/11/2018 at 10:47am
The construction does indeed look like a DHS H301.

Is the M202 similar but with a limba face?

Yinhe seem to have a two-tier distribution policy, as it is very difficult to find these on Aliexpress: although XVT show the M202, it, along with several other items offered by XVT, doesn't get found by the site search engine.  It's not sufficiently cheaper to make the wait worthwhile though.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TTEquipment.co.uk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/11/2018 at 12:43pm
Originally posted by darucla darucla wrote:


Is the M202 similar but with a limba face?


@AndySmith did a review on this site for the M202...

Yinhe M202 review

p.s. forgot to mention... .yes it is a Limba outer ply on the M202 Embarrassed


Edited by TTEquipment.co.uk - 11/11/2018 at 7:38pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tinykin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/11/2018 at 3:05pm
How does the Yinhe Pro Feeling compare? I notice that composite layer is called Volcaryl fiber.
I suspect that the 2 would be similar with the Pro Feeling tending to be about 2-3g heavier
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SmackDAT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/11/2018 at 4:15pm
I always switch to blades slower than Viscaria/TB ALC speed and then realise how much worse I play. I think everyone has a blade speed they are comfortable with, and using anything slower would detriment their playing level. Good that you have found the speed level you like
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote icontek Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/11/2018 at 7:14pm
Originally posted by SmackDAT SmackDAT wrote:

I always switch to blades slower than Viscaria/TB ALC speed and then realise how much worse I play. I think everyone has a blade speed they are comfortable with, and using anything slower would detriment their playing level. Good that you have found the speed level you like

When you say "worse" do you mean game scores or something else? (consistency, ability to hit winners, etc)


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dream1700 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/11/2018 at 7:30pm
Originally posted by AndySmith AndySmith wrote:

...
In this kind of blade class, the best comparison I can make is to the DHS H301.  The M201 feels a touch stiffer/more linear in comparison but the overall speed is similar.
...

I was under the impression that H301 is OFF to OFF+
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AndySmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/12/2018 at 4:19am
Originally posted by darucla darucla wrote:

The construction does indeed look like a DHS H301.

Is the M202 similar but with a limba face?

Yinhe seem to have a two-tier distribution policy, as it is very difficult to find these on Aliexpress: although XVT show the M202, it, along with several other items offered by XVT, doesn't get found by the site search engine.  It's not sufficiently cheaper to make the wait worthwhile though.

Yes, M202 looks the same by eye but with limba.  Like I mentioned in the review, I was interested in the M201 because Yinhe mention that it's the slowest one of the main four Mars blades, and I was surprised how different it was.  The M202 is a fair bit faster in the higher gears and it was slightly too much for me with harder ESN rubbers (R47, Hype KR was the setup I used back then).  The same setup on the M201 was super though.  Is that just down to the outer being limba?  If so, I'm shocked I tell you!

I first saw the Mars range on Tak9, but their pricing is very high (and shipping from Korea is expensive too).  Then they were kicking around on Ali, and Dean started to stock them which was perfect for me being in the UK.  And then stocks seemed to dry up everywhere, but now they're starting to appear again.  I wonder if Yinhe have just done another production run of them?

Originally posted by Dream1700 Dream1700 wrote:

I was under the impression that H301 is OFF to OFF+

DHS have an "unsual" (I could be less polite and call it silly) speed rating system with OFF blades ranging from OFF to OFF++++++++++++++.    I can only really work from experience, and the H301 I tried wasn't hugely fast at all, although it did seem to have a higher top speed than the M201.  I prefer the M201 overall (it has a super-smooth, solid feel too), but they're similar in many ways.

Originally posted by SmackDAT SmackDAT wrote:

I always switch to blades slower than Viscaria/TB ALC speed and then realise how much worse I play. I think everyone has a blade speed they are comfortable with, and using anything slower would detriment their playing level. Good that you have found the speed level you like

+1!

Some of this can be down to playing level, some down to style.  Probably both in my case.  These days I play worse with Viscaria-types (or faster) bearing in mind the rubbers I use, the fact that I stay closer to the table than I used to, and my level dropping off as I get older / less healthy.  If I was more mobile and played further away from the table, Viscarias would still hold some appeal of course!  My becoming a knackered old carthorse doesn't make them bad blades all of a sudden.

I still get beaten by players who use much slower equipment then me - allround classics with unboosted H3N on both sides.  They're just better players, with setups which are in tune with what they do at the table.  Being comfortable with and confident in your setup is the key.
This was a great signature until I realised it was overrated.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AndySmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/12/2018 at 4:22am
If any users of good repute in the UK/EU want to test out the M201 or M202 (or both) send me a PM!  I've got a couple of new M201s to use as my main and backup, so the blades I originally bought from Dean are available.  I'm really interested to know what others make of them.
This was a great signature until I realised it was overrated.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Magic_M Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/12/2018 at 7:06am
I am interested in a test of the M201.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote patelaaaa Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/12/2018 at 2:14pm
Guys, just fyi- Yinhe 'M' line of blades are listed in princett, prott. Prices are reasonable. Probably, who ever is interested give a try and let us know your review. I'll stick to my DHS H301 for now and not really interested trying a different blade (tried switching over to Darker speed but after a couple of days, went back to H301. The speed 90 was not really my kind of blade). 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cole_ely Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/12/2018 at 4:38pm
I've got some too. Also an hlc one.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote M.Hoang Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/16/2018 at 3:44pm
Tks for your review! Iam finding a blade for near table style and having a good backhand. I saw Yinhe M101 has the structure similar to Viscaria - the blade that famous for great backhand, and Yinhe M102 also has the similar structure- limba instead of koto on the top layer. So do you know about them? Or Yinhe M201 or M202 is better for me? Cool
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote darucla Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/20/2018 at 6:14am
I tried the 201 last night in free practice. Using an old H3 National BS and a GTX Pro from Loki.  It is beautifully finished, the handle being very smooth.

Comparing with the DHS H301 with GTX Pro on both sides, the Yinhe is noticeably faster, and the carbon layer much more obvious (it feels less like a wood blade that the 301 does).  However, within those caveats, I could play with it fairly easily, drawing back a little power, but basically with the same shots.  There is a tendency to feel the shots pinging off the blade, rather than the blade and I actually doing the work, if that makes any sense.  But all the parameters of which people speak, like throw and arc seem very similar.

It feels faster than my Viscaria with Tenergy 05/64, which, given that the carbon layer is inner, surprises me a little.  I often feel that Yinhe blades are faster than I think they are going to be (my first experience was with an N9, which scared me so much I haven't tried it for 2 years).  My Yinhe V-14 Pro is very close to a Viscaria in feel, speed, everything except the weight.

I need to try it some more, but at the moment, I would stay with the 301.  As I get older, I may feel the need for a bit more speed, so I'll persevere for a few more practices.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote M.Hoang Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/20/2018 at 7:21am
many tks to your review. Iam finding the feeling with those blade and want to buy some of them =). As you say, m201 - that is rated speed 8 by production- is quicklier than viscaria. I am interested in m101- speed 10 by production. So, i think speed of m101 is so high DeadDead
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote AndySmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/21/2018 at 4:34am
I'm surprised by the speed - I did think that the M202 was faster than the Viscaria, but not the M201.  Just goes to show - it's always worth getting as many opinions as possible!
This was a great signature until I realised it was overrated.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote M.Hoang Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/21/2018 at 2:14pm
i really want to know about M101 and M102. M101 is similar to Viscaria - a blade that is very good at backhand - my forte. Cool
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote assam Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/12/2019 at 6:15pm
Hi Andy, how do you compare it to the Donic Crest AR+?
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