Review: Xiom Vega Pro
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Topic: Review: Xiom Vega Pro
Posted By: JimT
Subject: Review: Xiom Vega Pro
Date Posted: 01/14/2010 at 11:23am
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Rubber: Xiom Vega Pro, MAX thickness, Red (on black sponge) Received for testing from http://MyTableTennis.com - MyTableTennis.com (thanks, Alex!) Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/JimT2008/XiomVegaPro# - XiomVegaPro Two of them I will insert right here   ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Replies:
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/14/2010 at 11:23am
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Color: Red Thickness: MAX Weight: 69 g (uncut) for 169 mm x 169 mm square (density: 0.24158818 g/cm^2) Tackiness: none Quality: very high (didn't want to cut it, so lovely it felt under my thumb) Sponge: carbo-black but doesn't feel very hard when pressed; as you can see from the photos, pips are positioned rather densely. First impression (pre-play): Hardness seems to be about the same as Gambler Outlaw (which was glued onto the other side of the same blade, 729 V-6). Feels a bit softer than Tenergy, for instance. I'll find out more about that when my friend with a durometer measures the hardness for me. Bouncing the ball on both sides shows that Outlaw is bouncier, reaction on Vega Pro side is for now kinda muffled compared to Outlaw - but it could be the well-known "just glued it on" effect. We'll see Actual review to follow... ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: bogeyhunter
Date Posted: 01/14/2010 at 1:37pm
http://img27.imageshack.us/i/vegapro3.jpg/"> ------------- www.NexyUSA.com We also carries Sauer & Tröger. Lissom O+EASY P 1mm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_65FLO2Lneo https://youtu.be/YgYFPJCBCr0 https://youtu.be/NeHp789Lb1c https://youtu.be/_65FLO2Lneo |
Posted By: Jeff(ATTC)
Date Posted: 01/14/2010 at 2:55pm
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I just received my Vega Pro, thanks Alex! I have a tournament in Dallas so I will not review it until after Saturday.
Jeff(ATTC) ------------- Bty Jun Mizutani ZLC FH: D80 BH: D05 |
Posted By: lildudejds
Date Posted: 01/14/2010 at 3:18pm
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Ive been using Pro and Europe since Friday, and I have been extremely impressed. I'm anxious to see what everyone else thinks. I hope to have my review up by tomorrow. ------------- Nexy Hannibal Tenergy 05 Tenergy 05 FX |
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/14/2010 at 8:45pm
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Well... I got some first impressions after hitting with Vega Pro for about 10 minutes. Basically, here is the main one - this is a slightly "tensorized" and non-tacky 729-08. And it costs 3 times more. Speed is good on fast hits and counters but not superfast like Tenergy or Outlaw. However when you try short gentle shots it feels dead as if it were a heavily tacky 729-08 and pushes the balls into the net. Topsheet is relatively soft, and you can feel the tension in there. Sponge is harder, closer to T-05. Spin hasn't impressed me so far - it's above average but not great. Serve is so-so. One positive distinction from 729-08 - you can certainly use Vega on your backhand. 729-08 is too tacky to be a good backhand rubber but Vega Pro doesn't have that quality and so it plays BH rather reliably and basically the same way it does FH. I will pair it up with Tenergy 05 on the same blade (putting T-05 instead of Outlaw there) and will do some more direct comparison. Perhaps Vega just needs some time to settle down, we'll see... ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: sadius
Date Posted: 01/14/2010 at 9:11pm
| You guys so lucky. I still haven't see my Asia yet |
Posted By: Hans Regenkurt
Date Posted: 01/15/2010 at 6:17am
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I have Vega Pro black max on a Donic EPox PowerCarbon blade.
To me the rubber feels as if it were a blue sponged Friendship 729FX, only harder and faster. Unfortunately there were only two thin layers of traditional glue beneath the rubber so it didnt stick to the blade properly and many of my shots went long and I wasnt as satisfied with it as I had hoped. To be frank the PowerCarbon blade is not too hard for a carbon blade and we had much better results with the Epox Off which is truely a very good blade and clearly heavier then the PC. I would say they are the same speed but the EO brings better things out of rubbers than the Epox PC. As a preliminary remark, I sort of detest any of the Tenergy rubbers  ....
So far it turned out that Vega Pro has a lower and healthier throw than either T64 or 05. It is a a bit softer than T05 but my be a wee bit harder than 64. It differs from Hexer and the likes in that it generates spin more from the topsheet and not so much the sponge. It could be described as a chinese rubber that is soft(er) and playable for a euro rubber player. Speed could be higher than T05 but I will test it today and tomorrow and will put it on Epox Off to see how they work together. Short game is good, spin on loops is maybe a bit less than Hexer but its faster and holds the ball for a little shorter time than Hexer. These are my impressions so far but I suppose it will get better when it sticks to the blade properly. |
Posted By: bogeyhunter
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 1:33am
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Used for 2 hrs, not enough to review this but here are what I experienced in 2 hrs.
Equipment : Nittaku Ludeak Power Pro + Prasidha Long A 1.1 mm + Xiom Vega pro 2.0 mm
Reviewer : Attacking chopper. Rated 2217.
1. First 5 minutes in warm up FH counter, missed most shots.....it's super fast. Faster than Blast - Renanos bright hard. Hitting horizontal way, not spinning it) and soft will make the ball jump out of the rubber fast.
2. Looping. Brush loop - ball curved over the net well and hooked down very quick. I never used Tenergy so can't compare but a friend, rated 2390, told me it had low throw like Chinese rubber and very spinny. A 2450 really loves the curve - hook thing. It allows him to hit harder.
3. Serve, push. Very bouncy. Couldn't control it for 5 mins then tried to push/flip kind of brush it and not let sponge comes in play. I controlled it better after that.
4. IMO - This rubber is designed for players with good technique and footwork. Without those, balls fly like bullets without curve and will likely go long)
Great in counter looping. I got the "grab" - "bite" and "release" feeling clearly when counter looping.
5. Have enough grip but not great when pushing over the table.
6. VERY difficult to chop with it. Even harder to "fish" or some call "guide"(See what Chen WX likes to do with his FH). The Tension topsheet makes it very difficult to control height and lenght of my "guide"
7. If have to pick what to use again NOW. I'd go with a little softer, a bit slower speed plus more tacky topsheet. Maybe Vega Asia?
Not bacause I'm a chopper but because I'm not skilled enough to make the most of it, see #4.
Will do more testings and will record some videos. ------------- www.NexyUSA.com We also carries Sauer & Tröger. Lissom O+EASY P 1mm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_65FLO2Lneo https://youtu.be/YgYFPJCBCr0 https://youtu.be/NeHp789Lb1c https://youtu.be/_65FLO2Lneo |
Posted By: Anton Chigurh
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 1:43am
Rated 2217 and not skilled enough to make the most of it? Yikes! I shouldn't even ponder thinking about maybe contemplating the idea of wondering about the day that I might try it.   I feel like I should rip the Vega Asia off my backhand right now.  It's actually not a bad idea... It's probably way too much for me. ------------- Neo H3 40D| Offensive S | Tenergy 80 |
bogeyhunter wrote:Posted By: bogeyhunter
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 2:55am
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This rubber is not forgiving, and from what I heard Ternegy isn't forgiving either. It depends of how you look at it. If your game based on loop, loop and loop kill then it's perfect.But my game is more of a control/spin type. Control is the most important aspect in my game. Spin is 2nd then speed. That mean I value "abilty to place the ball exactly where I want" more than speed of my loop.
PLUS we all know that in order to hit a QUALITY loop we need to be in position(hint...footwork) to loop and spin it(racket speed+good technique).
If you loop with speed but bad technique then it's likely that you will make unforced errors.
Note: with loopdrive, I feel like the ball has some wobble, not as much as produced by F-less LP, when it bound.
I will consider Asia version if Pro version is not for me. Will make decision after 1-2 months of practice.
Question to you, Anton. Let's say a 2200 plays a 1900 and score is 11-6.
What's the most likely scenario
A. a 2200 won most points, 7<, by looping.
B. a 2200 won most points by a 1900's mistakes? popping up serve return, bad loops, push into the net?
c. a 1900 would win the next set if he changes from Sriver to Tenergy? ------------- www.NexyUSA.com We also carries Sauer & Tröger. Lissom O+EASY P 1mm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_65FLO2Lneo https://youtu.be/YgYFPJCBCr0 https://youtu.be/NeHp789Lb1c https://youtu.be/_65FLO2Lneo |
Posted By: Anton Chigurh
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 3:23am
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My answer would be B, I suppose, if the two players' level is that "close". I definitely take your point, with gratitude. I hope you don't think my comment was being sarcastic. I truly was surprised to hear a 2200 level player say that they didn't think their technique was up to par for using Vega Pro. I suppose such honest self-appraisal and humility is a positive factor in reaching a 2200 rating.
As of right now, my game is based on loop, loop, and loop kill. Of course, I make a huge amount of unforced errors. I definitely need to work on my control. However, for personal enjoyment I prefer an athletic game. So, right now I'm hyper-focusing on my forehand and my footwork so I can loop, drive, and smash as much as possible. I know I need to focus on control and I often do; however, I like the aggressive game so my focus on control often takes a backseat to my focus on footwork, spin, and power.
Sorry, this is totally off-topic. I just wanted to reply to your comment. Thanks very much for the info!
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Posted By: Hans Regenkurt
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 8:04am
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I've played five hours with it - for two hours it was on Epox Powercarbon, for three on an Epox Off.
I agree that you need very good footwork to be able to use it with good results. Any time you are not in position, the ball will go long. I'm sad to make this conclusion but it is a hugely unforgiving rubber. I see the main problem of it in its behaviour: it does not respond linearly to the power the ball is hit with. On some shots the speed and spin and the flying path of the ball is perfect, this happens mainly when the incoming ball is approaching with medium speed: then you can put the ball anywhere on the table and these balls are very difficult for your opponent to return. The sponge works well, grabs the ball and the imparts very good spin. Here comes the bad part. When you are under pressure it is essential for you to be in perfect position. If you are as little as a centimeter late, the sponge will not grab the ball and you start wondering why you missed the table. It is just as bad as early tensors in this respect. THis puts the user in a great disadvantage against close to the table blockers because it is impossible to surprise an opponent who has managed to slow down your first attack. When they start moving you around the unforgiving nature of this rubber will draw a lot of errors from you. Brush loops are possible to perform and have very good spin, but they will be no problem for somebody who can handle them, and its user will again be in the position where the rubber will slow its users offensive game down. All in all I don't like it  Though it can produce very fast loops, it is sometimes very slow and almost impossible to control - not because of its user but because of the rubber. Against better opponents it is a self destructive weapon.
The distribution of its speed and control is very uneven. |
Posted By: bogeyhunter
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 10:26am
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I wouldn't say it's a self destructive weapon.
The top players at club, 2390 & 2450(top 100 in the US?), love it. It a weapon if users have good footwork, quickness and good technique.
Basically, it's like putting a lower throw Tenergy in a hand of good player and whooooo..... I don't wanna play him!!!!!
I heard W.Hanzel(#1 AUS) loves it too!! ------------- www.NexyUSA.com We also carries Sauer & Tröger. Lissom O+EASY P 1mm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_65FLO2Lneo https://youtu.be/YgYFPJCBCr0 https://youtu.be/NeHp789Lb1c https://youtu.be/_65FLO2Lneo |
Posted By: dalamchops
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 11:46am
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if tenergy's speed rating is a 9, then vega pro is like a 7. I don't know why people r all sucking its nuts. Even hexer is much faster than vega pro.
------------- Stiga Titanium 5.4 Cpen Andro Hexer Pips 2.1 Donic Acuda S2 Max |
Posted By: BHDoom
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 12:42pm
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black sponge always looks cool to me ------------- BTY Viscaria FL FH: Black BTY T05 2.1 BH: Red BTY T64 2.1 |
Posted By: manyaku88
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 1:03pm
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my friend who uses hexer on his bh on tbs, who just switched from T64 to vega pro (fh) yesterday, agrees completely with Hans, unpredictable, lack of power, feels chinese ------------- Blade: Bty BalsaCarbo X5 FL FH Bty Tenergy 05 2.1 BH: Palio Aeolus 45* 2.2 |
Posted By: Ciprian
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 1:29pm
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Would be interesting to see how many of people who bought this rubber ,will stick to it after testing.
------------- Xi Enting FH-Aurus Sound BH- Pryde 30 |
Posted By: lildudejds
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 2:12pm
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I'm having decent results with it. Lack of power isn't an option when using a blade like amultart, I don't need a super fast rubber. ------------- Nexy Hannibal Tenergy 05 Tenergy 05 FX |
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/16/2010 at 3:00pm
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I also do not think this is a speed demon. Its relative hardness can put off people who are very used to faster and much softer rubbers- so it looks like it is less forgiving and less controlling. However, my experience with Tenergy and Outlaw shows that a relatively advanced player (2000) can adjust his technique and still play with it pretty well - especially on attack. When it comes to controlled pushes, placement shots etc - bogeyhunter is right that this kind of rubber is worse at it than softer ones but that's where you have to adjust. Also, as I am playing this rubber on a very soft (yet offensive) blade, that definitiely helps me to control it better in short game. Will say more once I give it a longer testing - on Monday, I hope. ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: bogeyhunter
Date Posted: 01/17/2010 at 10:16pm
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2nd time using this rubber, about 3 more hrs.
I get to try this rubber against 1800-1900 player and I love it. I didn't need to place the ball in small spot and pretty much can wait to release Vega power. I guess what happened was that I didn't need to be fast and don't need to be in really good position to loop when playing with someone 300-400 point below.
I tried this rubber first time against 2400 level players and didn't do well because they were better and using new rubber played its part too.
Balls placement of 2400 and 1900 are totally different. Such a joy to play with it against lower level players
 . This rubber is definitely a beast if
1. User is skilled, quick and have power(gotta hit hard) to get the most of it.
2. Playing with lower rated players. No need to be very precise.
3. Have a good touch, solid short game. Short game is not a strong part of this rubber.
Overall - it seems like this is a rubber for who players who practice/play often(more practice = more skills?) and have good stroke.
Will I continue to use this rubber?
I'm a chopper so I need something a bit slower and softer, if tackier will be great, for more control. Might try Asia version.
At $38 a sheet, HELL YES!!!!! Can't beat its quality at this price.
Some video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q6200sWVww - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q6200sWVww
Next time I'll ask these 2 to test - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7cXkqb5CSw&feature=related - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7cXkqb5CSw&feature=related
 ------------- www.NexyUSA.com We also carries Sauer & Tröger. Lissom O+EASY P 1mm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_65FLO2Lneo https://youtu.be/YgYFPJCBCr0 https://youtu.be/NeHp789Lb1c https://youtu.be/_65FLO2Lneo |
Posted By: loopool
Date Posted: 01/18/2010 at 12:56am
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Here's my impression on this rubber..... Equipment Used: TBS-fh/Vega Pro Max. bh/tuned sriver EL Rubbers used b4: Tenergy05(its been awhile), IQUL, Outlaw,bryce, nimbus, SriverEL, Yasaka, Initial Impression: Sponge feels very hard, maybe not as hard as T05 but definitely harder than others i've played with. Its fast!! not to a point where you cant control, but fast in a controlable way. Serves: i couldn't tell it was spinny but, but opponent was keep hitting the net on my backspin serves. so i guess its pretty spinny. nothing special though Short Game: I thought it was very good...it was producing a lot of backspin on my pushes. its funny because, it wasnt affected by opponents spinny serves but your able return with good amount of spin.....weird... Looping/Counter Looping Very good....Highlight of this Rubber. heavy spin on loops and counter loops. you just have to make sure you have good strokes. need to go through the ball with good follow through. my opponents block was going over the table cuz of heavy spin. lifting/looping a backspin ball was the best part of this rubber for me. this is how i made most of the points, they could not keep it on the table because of the tremendous amount of spin. Serve a Backspin, wait for opponent to push back, and loop that ball back - end of point. counter loop/drives were very good with a lot of speed. (if my memory serves me correctly, T05 was a tad spinnier. but not 16 more dollars worth of spin). Smash:Very good ...fast and stable. i thought it was better than T05 i am definitely loving this rubber. still need some adjusting to do bcuz its faster than my previous rubber(TUNED IQUL). But the adjustments are making my forehand more consistent and deadlier. im able to swing all out like MaLong and keep it on the table!!!! this will surely stay on my FH. Very good rubber for $36. Recommand this for ppl wanting heavy spin, on a lower budget. Next...want to try Euro for backhand... ------------- TBS FH: TENERGY 05 BH: XIOM VEGA PRO |
Posted By: Jeff(ATTC)
Date Posted: 01/19/2010 at 1:16am
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Initial Impressions
Set up: Avalox P700 ST FH: DHS H3 NEO Black 2.2 BH: Xiom Vega Pro Red MAX Serve The natural rubber topsheet is very grippy and allows for serves to be low. The harder sponge allows the topsheet to do more of the work. Nice spinney serves. Push This rubber is good for pushing. When I�m going for the long flat and fast pushes, they land and they do so with speed and spin. Block Blocking with this rubber is better than Vega Euro. The harder sponge on Pro has more kick than Euro to send the ball over. Loop When looping Vega Pro produces loops with a lower throw than Vega Euro; it almost looks like the arch of my H3 Neo. Loops go deep onto the table and have good pace. When looping against backspin I can really load the ball up since the nice grippy topsheet can grab the ball, and the firm sponge will pop it back out. Jeff(ATTC) ------------- Bty Jun Mizutani ZLC FH: D80 BH: D05 |
Posted By: saif
Date Posted: 01/19/2010 at 1:54am
From where did you buy Vega Pro? ------------- TBS FH & BH: T05fx Tibhar Samsonov Alpha FH: Grip-S Europe BH: Rakza7 soft Victas Koji Matsushita FH: Tenergy 80 BH: Feint long III https://www.facebook.com/groups/5439549367/ |
Posted By: loopool
Date Posted: 01/19/2010 at 2:00am
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From MYTT shop.....when they had like 10% off deal .... not sure if its still avail. ------------- TBS FH: TENERGY 05 BH: XIOM VEGA PRO |
Posted By: Hans Regenkurt
Date Posted: 01/19/2010 at 5:31am
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After two more hours of trying I decided to take it off my blade and put Hexer back.
I lost so many points using Vega Pro that I could hardly beat people whom I usually beat 11-4. I wouldnt recommend it to anyone.... But the good thing is that Vega Europa is very good and I am curious to try VEga Asia because if it is consistently stiff on all shots and can produce the same speed as VEga Pro then it could be a promising rubber. |
Posted By: manyaku88
Date Posted: 01/19/2010 at 6:10am
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vega pro max black, uncut 67.7gr, cut to TBS 47gr, it's heavy
------------- Blade: Bty BalsaCarbo X5 FL FH Bty Tenergy 05 2.1 BH: Palio Aeolus 45* 2.2 |
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/19/2010 at 11:12am
I also think it is pretty good on BH. It's so-so on FH, spinny and all that but nothing impressive that separates it from many others. On BH however it plays consistently good, better than average pricey post-glue-era rubber. ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: Jeff(ATTC)
Date Posted: 01/19/2010 at 2:41pm
Jeff(ATTC) ------------- Bty Jun Mizutani ZLC FH: D80 BH: D05 |
Posted By: addoydude
Date Posted: 01/20/2010 at 3:01am
| My Vega Pro and Asia both 2.0 just arrived. Will post a review when I have tried it. |
Posted By: kelvinyoong
Date Posted: 01/20/2010 at 7:11am
Which type of glue will you be using on them? ------------- Andrzej Grubba AN Sriver 2.1 Sriver 1.9 |
Posted By: addoydude
Date Posted: 01/20/2010 at 8:07am
| don't know yet. i have butterfly water glue and regular non-speed glue. is it safe to use non-water glue? |
Posted By: kelvinyoong
Date Posted: 01/20/2010 at 8:20am
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I wish that non water glue can be used but i really don't know. If you have to use water base maybe best to use Haifu WSB or Nittaku Finezip. Butterfly Free Chack is hard to remove from the rubber. ------------- Andrzej Grubba AN Sriver 2.1 Sriver 1.9 |
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/20/2010 at 12:33pm
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I used Elmer's Rubber Cement and I don't see any problems with my Vega Pro.
------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: kelvinyoong
Date Posted: 01/20/2010 at 5:55pm
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Can't get Elmer's in Malaysia. No one sells it. But it may be available in Singapore as i have seen some DIY shops sell Elmer's products but didn't see No Wrinkle Rubber Cement or i would bought one immediately. I guess using Haifu Speed Glue will kill this cool looking rubber. @addoydude: you might have to look at the bigger DIY shops because i didn't actively search for it. They have 2 versions of rubber cement. If memory serves me correct, it should be this one. http://www.elmers.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?item=975§ionid=1&catid=1 P.S Sorry for derailing this topic a bit. Back the Vega Pro reviews  ------------- Andrzej Grubba AN Sriver 2.1 Sriver 1.9 |
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/21/2010 at 2:16am
Yes, that's the stuff. I bet in Malaysia you can get something very similar. ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/21/2010 at 2:26am
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My friend the engineer finally measured hardness of the Vega Pro rubber. It's around 36 for the topsheet and 28-29 for the sponge which is amazingly low - the sponge however is very porous indeed, and feels very soft. Springy though... Anyways, I played with it today once more and I should say - this is not a rubber for me. First of all, a tensor-like catapult effect is there and it bugs me to heck. Second, I guess the combination of harder topsheet and soft sponge provides for some pretty strange bounce once in a while - and that probably on top of the catapult. it's quite decent on both FH and BH - but it's for tensor lovers only. In comparison with Tenergy 05, I should say that T-05 is certainly harder, with a somewhat higher throw, a bit faster yet. Here is a short comparison table, and I threw in Outlaw since I use it a lot and for an extra data point. (here << sign means that one number is noticeably less than the other, and < sign means a smaller difference) Speed: VPro << T-05 < Outlaw Spin: Outlaw < VPro << T-05 Control: T-05 < VPro << Outlaw Throw angle: Outlaw << VPro < T-05 Weight: Outlaw << T-05 = VPro Catapult: T-05 < VPro (Outlaw is linear rubber, no catapult) Hardness: VPro << Outlaw < T-05 Tackiness: none for all three, V-Pro being the most glass-like of them ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: thethinker
Date Posted: 01/21/2010 at 2:56am
| Jim, I had the same reaction to Vega Asian as you did with Vega Pro. I didn't want a soft sponged rubber and Asian is even softer with more catapult effect I assume. Nice review though. |
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/21/2010 at 11:40am
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I will give it to a clubmate of mine who is playing with LKT Torrent so he is used to a catapult. He will play with it and give me some more impressions on the rubber. Then, just for the heck of it, I will put it on Dexter as soon as it arrives. Just want to see if perhaps a different blade will make a difference for both Vega Pro and T-05. So far I didn't like either one of them on my Friendship V-6. ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: addoydude
Date Posted: 01/23/2010 at 1:35am
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played 2 hours with my vega pro 2.0 FH and vega asia 2.0 BH. Blade was Xiom Aria. overall impression is quite good. i think i got distracted from really appreciating the rubber because it was drastically heavier than my previous setup (Omega 3 Asian 2.0 and Omega 3 Euro 2.0). Racket weight was 184grams, not too heavy, but i came from 170grams with the O3s.
Definitely harder than the O3s. Even the vega asian feels harder than the O3 asian. The O3 topsheet is more supple and really bites the ball. The Vega also has good grip but with the harder topsheet there's not as much feeling of catching the ball, holding it, and then catapulting it out like with the O3s. Vega Asia is a bit faster than the O3 Euro but probably same as O3 Asia. O3 Pro probably has more top-end. On the lower end of the gears the Vega performed much better than the O3s. O3s were too bouncy. Blocking seems less explosive than O3 by a bit but more control. Right now I still like the feeling of the softer O3s except for the short game. Vega wins on short game but O3 wins on all others -- just my first impression. As I said, the caveat here is that there was a big weight difference, so I was suddenly playing with a racket that's 14grams heavier, so vega suffered the comparison just by being less nimble and sluggish to handle. |
Posted By: loopool
Date Posted: 01/23/2010 at 1:52am
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I'm pretty sure its not a great idea.....but i tuned my Vega Pro with JUIC Ecolo Shot. Just wanted to soften up the sponge a bit. First tested on the extra rubber after cutting. the top sheet did not seem to separate from the sponge. so i went and tuned the rubber. It feels softer....loops better, spins better. just about everything is better. Its probably not good for the long run,,, ------------- TBS FH: TENERGY 05 BH: XIOM VEGA PRO |
Posted By: debraj
Date Posted: 01/23/2010 at 8:27am
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CloseMid FH:
Tenergy 05?
Vega pro?
Mark V HPS?
------------- 729-F1||Rhyzm-P(FH)|| Rasant Grip orRhyzm-P max(BH) http://youtu.be/y9y9nE9g778" rel="nofollow - vid1 http://youtu.be/xqNy786yGOs" rel="nofollow - Vid 2 |
Posted By: bozbrisvegas
Date Posted: 01/24/2010 at 6:22am
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thanks for the review JimT
I realise you are reviewing from your point of view, which seems to hate catapult, interesting.
I'm still thinking Vega Pro sounds like Hexer.
Neither can come close to my baby ------------- Grubba Variant ALL fh: Hurricane 38 degrees MAX bh: tensor MAX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQgNPkpILsg&list=PL9V-XUSPJgk-loYl2zRhQZ29lsAK7tdLX" rel="nofollow - Watch me playing TT |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 01/24/2010 at 10:44am
| The sheet I tried was a lot slower than Hexer, even slower than Barracuda. These various rubbers that have sponges that look a bit like Tenergy do not all play alike, that is for certain. Of course, the three Tenergys are all different too, so it is not that surprising. The sheet of Vega Pro I tried was so dead and non-linear that I almost wonder if I got a defective sheet or something. |
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/24/2010 at 6:31pm
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No, I think you are right - it is not too lively, not too fast and rather non-linear. A non-starter for me... alas. ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: bestpong
Date Posted: 01/24/2010 at 10:23pm
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I put the Xiom Vega Pro Max black on my Yasaka Maxwood Off+ blade.
My current U.S.A.T.T. rating is mid 1900's (but can beat a lot of low to mid 2000 players) , but over 20+ years ago, it was almost 2100. Stopped playing TT in 1977, and came back in 2000. Then stopped playing from 2003-2005, and got back to it again in 2006.
Played for about 2 hours yesterday, and about 3 hours today.
My impressions:
The packaging looks very nice. Once I opened it up, I was impressed with the quality of the topsheet; it has a nice shine to it, not tacky, but skeptical about the black sponge, which seemed a little porous, compared to other rubber/sponges I've used. However, the sponge seems to have some similarities with T05 max I have on my other Yasaka Maxwood blade.
Speed: Definitely slower than T05 or Gambler Outlaw. If I were to rate the 3 rubbers, it would be T05 max >Gambler Outlaw max >Vega Pro Max
However, like someone else previously posted, it has a lower gear when hitting touch shots, which is an ADVANTAGE over the other 2 rubbers. I was having trouble with touch shots with both T05 and Outlaw, but with Vega Pro, I had no problem.
Spin: T05> Vega Pro > Gambler Outlaw
I thought it definitely was not as spinny as the T05, but my opponents were telling me that Vega Pro seemed deceptively spinny, and some of them said that they were having more difficulty returning my serves when I used Vega Pro, compared to T05 or Gambler Outlaw.
Looping: Vega Pro > T05 > Gambler Outlaw
This is where I thought Vega Pro was excellent! I really liked how T05 and Gambler Outlaw played when I looped; T05 had a higher thrower than Outlaw, but the speed was pretty close. However, due to their high speed, I didn't have a really good control, but when I tried the Vega Pro, I definitely had better control, and didn't lose too much in terms of speed nor spin. I'd say speed wise, about 90-95% of T05 and Gambler, but due to slightly being slower, better control.
Smash: Vega Pro > T05 > Gambler Outlaw
When hitting flat smash shots, I thought Vega Pro again was the best, comparing it to T05 and Gambler Outlaw.
Pushing/Flips: Vega Pro > T05 > Gambler Outlaw
As stated above, for performing the touch shots, such as pushes or flips, I thought Vega Pro was the best for me.
Blocking: Vega Pro > T05 > Gambler Outlaw
Vega Pro is excellent for blocking. I had some trouble blocking with T05 and Outlaw due to both of these rubbers being so bouncy, but with Vega Pro, I had better control with the blocks.
I've tried the Vega Pro, both on F/H and BH, and they were excellent for either one.
I've just received the Vega Asian Max Red and put it on another Yasaka Maxwood, and played for about 3 hours.
Speed: Vega Asian Max is definitely faster than Vega Pro, but less spinny. It almost felt like playing with T05, with slight lesser throw, but better control.
Blocking was even better than Vega Pro, but pushing and flipping shots were a little more difficult, compared to Vega Pro. It was as difficult as using the T05 or Gambler Outlaw.
Looping: A lot faster with slightly lower throw than Vega Pro.
Spin: Less spinny than Vega pro, but still has some spin, according to my opponents when I pushed or served with Vega Asian.
I think I've found my rubber/sponge combination for now.
I just hope these rubbers last as long as T05, because so far the durability of T05 is really impressive! I try out different combinations of rubber/sponge on different blades, but so far I've found the T05 to be the most durable rubber I've used since getting back to Table Tennis i 2000, after almost 20+ years of being away from the sport.
Will keep you guys updated as to how the Vega rubbers hold up.
Anybody have a good review of Vega Euro because I might want to try that one as well.
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Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/25/2010 at 11:22am
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Thanks, bestpong, that's a nice big review! ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: manyaku88
Date Posted: 01/28/2010 at 2:54pm
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http://www.presports.com/xiom-vega-pro-rubber-p-1654.html?zenid=569210762e573d82b972d0fb257c2b88
they say available from 5th february ------------- Blade: Bty BalsaCarbo X5 FL FH Bty Tenergy 05 2.1 BH: Palio Aeolus 45* 2.2 |
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/29/2010 at 11:15am
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My clubmate (around 1500 USATT) played with my blade (Galaxy W-1) with Tenergy 05 on one side and Xiom Vega Pro on the other. He commented that he liked Tenergy more - better reliability and more spin, which he likes. Still, on BH Vega Pro was quite decent. He was comparing it with LKT Torrent that he usually plays and, of course, he mentioned that Vega is heavier. Spin, he believes, is about the same for Torrent and Vega Pro - same about hardness, but he will re-check on that info by measuring his Torrent's hardness. More or less, he feels that Vega Pro might be a slight improvement on Torrent but he is not sure if it's worth almost triple the price. As for Tenergy 05, he is a bit more enthusiastic but again, compared to 4 times the price he intends to stick to Torrents for now. He didn't feel much catapult there but I suspect that he compares Vega's behavior to Torrent's so they must be not too different in that regard. That is it from me. My Vega Pro is now on its way to bestpong who intends to give us some more info on it and play with it more as he likes it a lot (see his detailed review above). ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: Kalin
Date Posted: 01/29/2010 at 11:51am
------------- Setup: Blade:BTY Viscaria FH:Andro Rasant (1,9 mm Blk)BH:Soulspin P12(1,8 mm Red) |
Posted By: debraj
Date Posted: 01/29/2010 at 12:02pm
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JimT,
good to see someone who still plays torrent. i had a good feeling about that rubber... but deserted it for 2 reasons, - losing surface grip too soon - non linearity in mid range the great thing of course is that that rubber got the sponge hardness absolutely right. nothing is better. now question... when he says an improvement on torrent, does it mean the speed glue effect is minimal? because on my hexer i found the glue effect is quite prominant... and vega pro has the same DNA ------------- 729-F1||Rhyzm-P(FH)|| Rasant Grip orRhyzm-P max(BH) http://youtu.be/y9y9nE9g778" rel="nofollow - vid1 http://youtu.be/xqNy786yGOs" rel="nofollow - Vid 2 |
Posted By: JimT
Date Posted: 01/29/2010 at 12:12pm
He didn't play a lot with Vega - under an hour, and he is still a a developing player, so his feelings were rather vague there. I myself noticed the catapult right away but this is no wonder since I play with linear rubbers. My understanding was that effect was more or less on par with Torrent. ------------- Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member Say "no!" to expensive table tennis equipment. Please... |
Posted By: bogeyhunter
Date Posted: 01/29/2010 at 2:10pm
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I myself noticed the catapult right away but this is no wonder since I play with linear rubbers. I noticeed the BIG catapult right away too, actually a little too much than what I like.
------------- www.NexyUSA.com We also carries Sauer & Tröger. Lissom O+EASY P 1mm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_65FLO2Lneo https://youtu.be/YgYFPJCBCr0 https://youtu.be/NeHp789Lb1c https://youtu.be/_65FLO2Lneo |
Posted By: addoydude
Date Posted: 02/10/2010 at 4:59am
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update after 2 weeks (12 hours of play). Vega Pro is slower than Asia. I'm using Asia on the backhand. I think Pro is easier to use, more spinny, and more bite.
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Posted By: Hans Regenkurt
Date Posted: 02/10/2010 at 6:13am
Can you tell me what makes Asia more difficult to control? When I had Pro the source of all troubles for me was its non-linearity. I have no problems playing with Roxon 500. Is Asia faster on all shots or just hard ones? How much faster is the Asia? |
Posted By: addoydude
Date Posted: 02/10/2010 at 7:11am
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this is just comparing Asia vs Pro. Pro is easier to control because it is slower and bites the ball more. Compared to previous Tensor from Xiom (Omega III) both Vegas have more control.
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Posted By: Hans Regenkurt
Date Posted: 02/10/2010 at 10:48am
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Thank you.
The higher speed sounds good so I have a sheet of Asia max coming. |
Posted By: bozbrisvegas
Date Posted: 02/10/2010 at 4:20pm
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Last night I had my second brief 10 minutes using vega pro on my friends blade. This time it was his timo boll spark. I really thought wow, this is really easy to loop, it felt much better than the hexer on my ishlion, so I'm thinking pairing the Hexer or the Vega is essential.
Timo Boll spark felt reaaaaaaaaallllly nice. Or was it the Vega Pro that made it so good? hard to tell but it would seem that they were perfect together near and about a metre from the table. ------------- Grubba Variant ALL fh: Hurricane 38 degrees MAX bh: tensor MAX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQgNPkpILsg&list=PL9V-XUSPJgk-loYl2zRhQZ29lsAK7tdLX" rel="nofollow - Watch me playing TT |
Posted By: tomaca
Date Posted: 12/04/2010 at 7:24am
| After 1 month of intense game made me a small balloon,so much about the durability of rubber,I have heard that I'm not the only one with this problem |
Posted By: jonyer1980
Date Posted: 12/04/2010 at 8:11am
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What a coincidence! I was just complaining about it a while ago....
Look at mine´s:
http://www.forotm.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=1768 - http://www.forotm.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=1768
I´ll try to upload some clearer pics in a while... ------------- Rosewood V FL Nittaku Fastarc G1-FH Stiga DNA Pro-S MAX BH Avoid any Butterfly stuff... at abusive prices. Raw power without control means nothing |
Posted By: tomaca
Date Posted: 12/04/2010 at 8:17am
mine is three times higher
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Posted By: jonyer1980
Date Posted: 12/04/2010 at 8:24am
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this pic isn´t clear, its higher than it really seems ------------- Rosewood V FL Nittaku Fastarc G1-FH Stiga DNA Pro-S MAX BH Avoid any Butterfly stuff... at abusive prices. Raw power without control means nothing |
Posted By: tomaca
Date Posted: 12/04/2010 at 8:48am
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at BH using vega asia After a week looked like it was 1 year old. What is the situation with vega Europe ? |