Channeling the ‘Spirit’

  By Hanzerik | March 12, 2012 - 22:59 | Personal
Leave a comment

I’ve taken an expensive plunge – my most expensive ever since starting table tennis – and upgraded to a Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit blade, with a straight handle; yes, the straight handle fascination is still with me, to the point of searching high and low for reliable dealers for one. To imagine I even seriously toyed with the idea of getting a Xiom Stradivarius, reputed to be very similar to the TBS, just for the straight handle.

In any case, I didn’t expect wonders from the blade, probably because my previous equipment wasn’t lacking much in the way of feel or spin, just top-end speed. I haven’t had much time with the TBS, having broken it in for about a week or so, but I noted a slight increase in low-speed shot control (Over the table and the like), probably due to the arylate-carbon weave as opposed to just the Keyshot Light’s arylate. All

Feel

Can’t really tell the difference outright between the KSL and the TBS. I can definitely feel the stability on moderate-power shots, and the same familiar ‘numb’ feeling on heavy spin shots with low speed, but otherwise it doesn’t make a world of difference. I don’t expect the arylate-carbon to provide any more feedback than a pure arylate weave, but I haven’t lost any control in my short game. In fact, I daresay I’ve gained a little more confidence in attempting trickier shots.

Power

Definitely a distinct difference between the two blades here. The TBS generates a healthy amount of flat-hit power without requiring a lot of weight transfer motion, just enough to maintain proper form and quick recovery. Power on spinny shots (sidespin/topspin loops) is likewise enhanced, although I’m not sure if it’s just the fact that I’m using a slightly different technique or that it’s a 7-ply blade.

Spin

Haven’t had enough time to fully explore this aspect, but either one doesn’t appear to be any more or less spin-capable than the other. With the TBS, however, it is quite a bit easier to put moderate to high spin and moderate speed into the shot without necessarily having to ‘pick’ between one or the other. Evidenced by the fact that what would usually be a slow-speed, high-spin shot is now a moderate-speed, equally-high-spin shot, using the same stroke. Still blockable, just that now the speed is more of a threat than with the KSL.

Speed

Definitely the TBS, no contest. Anything hit dead-on comes out that much faster, especially flat smashes. Not really my style of playing, as I usually only flat-hit on flick-kill shots, or if I see an obvious smash. Needs to be explored further.

Verdict

Was it worth the money? Hmm, depends on your perspective. I prefer a solid, controlled offensive game as opposed to an all-out offense game, so I rely on being able to build the pace up to the point where I can open a steady, non-killer attack. Also, upgrading from a 3+2 arylate blade, to a 5+2 arylate-carbon blade, it’s definitely a step up for me, and quite worth the money.

If you’re going from anything not in a similar range, you’ll definitely need some adjustment to appreciate the potential of the blade. If you’re already used to a composite blade in the same range, then you should be able to adjust fairly quickly.

Deus Ex Human Revolution – Endings and Thoughts

  By Hanzerik | December 24, 2011 - 08:53 | PC Gaming
Leave a comment

(Updated 02 January 2011, added thoughts)

Having finished Deus Ex: Human Revolution at last, I found some nice thought-provoking concepts in the game that I think mirrors real world. In fact, a few such thoughts were portrayed in the 2009 film Surrogates. Issues regarding the boundary between human-technology integration, ethicality of actions done through a non-sentient being and so forth. DEHR allows you some form of choice in the way some things are accomplished, although unlike Dragon Age (1) and both Mass Effect games (All 3 from Bioware), you don’t really alter the course of the game that drastically. Instead, you get to choose, at the end of the game, what ending you want, regardless of your stance(s) throughout the game. Kind of pointless to do it this way, oh well.

I’ve thrown together transcripts of Adam Jensen’s monologues after each ending (presumably to justify his course of action), and my own thoughts on the matter (Pending). If you have not finished the game, spoilers ensue. If you proceed with reading after the pagebreak…well, you were warned.

(more…)

Updated Impressions – Audio Technica M35

  By Hanzerik | December 23, 2011 - 17:01 | Computers & Technology
Leave a comment

After getting some 40 hours of use on these pair of ‘phones, here’s the updated impression:

Bass: The bass seems to have evened out, not so in-your-face, but still very much felt and heard. It seems to have ‘moved back’ a little, almost like they traded an up-front spot for something more wide-sweeping. Positive change for me.

Mid-frequency: Not much noticeable change, maybe due to a lack of in-depth EQing.

Treble: Again, not much in the way of noticeable change, but the ‘sharp’ feeling seems to have lessened, to the benefit of clarity. Still undecided on the soundstage for this.

Comfort: I’m beginning to notice a slight tendency for the earcups to press on the rear of my earlobes. Not to the point of being uncomfortable, but it warrants occasional adjustment, especially if you’re prone to sweating. It gets a little warm in the ears after a while of extended listening (3+ hours continuous usage will definitely see this occur; over an hour of you’re in a warm area). The ATH-M50 stock earpads are definitely better in this sense. Clamping force is lessened (due to extended wearing), but doesn’t compromise in terms of isolation. I attribute this to the close fit of the earcups.

External noise/sound isolation: Without music through, they still leak a tiny bit of sound in, but otherwise unchanged from the first impressions.

Portability: They’re excellent in this respect. Folds up nicely, doesn’t feel like they’d break or loosen due to repeated transportation and folding.

Final comments: Very much satisfied with ‘em, price and all. Next in line, looking at a pair of Shure SRH440. Auditioned them a while ago, but since I lacked a serious pair of ‘phones to compare them to, I couldn’t tell if they were really good. I’ll be hauling the M35 to my next pre-purchase audition session, for a good side-by-side comparison with familiar tracks. Easier to tell ‘em apart this way.