Review: Xiom Vega Europe

In-Depth Review

Initial Impression: My sheet uncut weighs about 62g. The sheet feels a little bit jiggly like Tenergy. The Vega Euro topsheet isn't as grainy as Tenergy but it feels more coarse than rubbers like Bryce Speed FX, Sriver G3 FX, etc.  It feels very grippy. The black sponge shows through the red rubber slightly, giving it a completely different look than any rubber I've seen. The pips are large. They are smaller than T25 pips, and spaced closer together. I'd say the pips are a cross between T25 and T64. And they are tall like T64. (But this is a different rubber than Tenergy, so these comparisons are trivial.)

Vega Euro has the porous sponge like Tenergy but its much softer. I use 2 thin coats of Haifu water-based glue. (The thin, milky white stuff that smells like amonia.) I also just let the rubber flop down onto the glued blade face, and then rub it down. I don't roll it on or stretch in on. Cutting the rubber confirms my thoughts that the sponge is softer than Tenergy, but the rubber topsheet is not as easy to cut through as Tenergy.

Just by bouncing the ball on the blade (BTY Photino), Vega Euro feels much softer than any Tenergy rubber. It also has a pronounced click sound. It sounds similar to T25. I would say the sound is more pronounced than any Tensor related rubber I've tried.

It feels slower than Tenergy when bouncing the ball flat. With angled bounces and the rubber shows much more power, and it has very good mechanical spin. It is more reactive to spin than any Tensor related rubber I've tried, but not quite as much as a Tenergy. Enough to make you think this will be a spinny rubber.

I'm impressed so far, now I just need to hit with it.....

Performance:

BH Loop- Very spinny with good control and power. Nice soft sponge catapult feeling but without the high-throw you would expect from a spinny soft sponge rubber. I would say this is Vega Euro's biggest plus. I don't like high throw rubbers on my bh (who does?), and I definitely wasn't spraying balls off the table with Euro. Good confidence hitting loops. The soft feeling sponge is especially nice on controlled opening loops and looping against backspin.

BH Couterdrive- The BH drive takes a little more adjustment with this rubber. Compared to the spin and power demonstrated by Euro with the loop, you need to be conscious about contacting the ball a little harder than you would expect on more open face shots. It seems the real power of the rubber comes from angled rebound, and I found the ball going into the net a few times on flat controlled drives. And although the sponge is soft and the topsheet is very grippy, I had to use more force when attempting to flip/brush loop a short dead ball serve. A minor detail, but worth noting.

BH Blocks- Blocking heavy topspin loops right off the bounce is very easy. (provided you are in the right place!) Finding the right blade face angle felt very natural. Euro will send your opponent's loops back with control and enough power to force them to half-hit the next shot.

BH pushes and service return- Vega Euro is nowhere as reactive to spin as Tenergy, but service return and pushing can/will take some getting used to. (Especially if you are used to passively directing your opponent's heavy spin with varying depth and placement.) The direction the ball goes when reacting to spin is predictable, but pushes and angled blocks/pushes against a serve seem to fly farther and with more spin than expected based on the feeling from other types of shots with this rubber. Once I became more active and started to impart my own spin on pushes and serve returns, I gained more control, and I started to hear that "squeaky" sound the pro's stomp their feet to hide.

Long-Term Performance:

Durability- I hit the table with the edge of my blade and splintered the blade, but the rubber survived without even a scuff. I also noticed the durability of the topsheet when I was cutting the rubber. (Still need to test the long-term durability.)

Yep I'm excited. For my own practical purposes I'm looking at it as a bh rubber, but I will of course flip it to give my feedback as a fh rubber. I've used soft tensor rubbers on both sides before, so who knows? 

I tried Vega Europe for about 1 hour today. I chose Europe since I wanted a softer feel, maybe a bit more control. Here's my initial impression.

My blade is a Butterfly Korbel, pretty mainstream blade with allround and offensive capabilities. I used both sides Max thickness. I didn't weigh the the sheets, but I can say they're medium to medium light just by comparing to other rubber combinations on the same blade.

Sponge is black, even under the red topsheet. It's probably a first. Looking cool Sponge is a bit softer than Tenergy, Genius (same generation Tensor from Tibhar). Topsheet is quite grippy, a bit less then T05, more than Roundell, any previous gen. Tensor, all Stiga Boosts, Tibhar Genius etc. Bouncing on the paddle, strangely, bounce height is quite low with deadish feel compared to most built in glue effect rubbers. However the grip is very nice, it's evident.

The throw seemed a bit lower than T25 (combined with Acoustic, that paddle was ready on hand when trying the rubber). However this feel can also be produced by the less catapult of Vega. It's slower than any Tenergy version, Platin, Boost TX etc. Not much glue feel, sound or "click". Just some during relatively harder shots. Spin is very high (again a bit lower than Tenergy). You can produce slow spinny brush loops or hardloops with mechanical spin easily. When the sponge kicks in, speed increase is also significant. Power is there for finishing the point. I did not have the chance to test the powerlooping abilities so I won't comment on that for now. But countering is really nice with very good spin and control.

Short game is extraordinarily good. Vega has one more lower gear compared to all Euro/Japan stuff out there. I didn't feel this comfortable with any new gen rubber before. I maybe exaggerating a bit since my trial is quite short but Vega is really good for short game. Pushes, serves are great with very nice back/side/whatever spin you want. Since it's not that bouncy, it feels very natural.

As an initial verdict, I can say Vega is a very good allround offensive rubber. Major strengths are spin and short game.

Hans or others that have tried the Vega Euro....does it at all feel like Higher 1 but more firm?

What is the main difference between Vega Asia vs Vega Euro and Vega Pro?

Are they all using the same topsheet but with difference sponge densities?

What is softer rubber :baracuda(genius,xplode,hexer) or xiom vega europe ?

Thx

thx manyaku88 ,

I further tested the Euro and i have correct myself on the speed issue. I tested it in 2.0 mm and it is only slow on slow impacts. When you start playing a little harder it produces nice fast shots with excellent arc.

Hey speaquinox , I am using Korbel ST too and really interested in this rubber. How does it match up with Korbel? I don't like too fast equipments. Do you think this set up will be good for learning proper loop? I am an intermediate level player and seeking rubbers to replace my dying Mark V. Also how do you like to have the same rubber on both side? Does it give you more consistency in feel and control?

try please somebody compare spin and speed vega europe with baracuda(,xplode,hexer)

Hm,  baracuda has very little catapult and very little glue effect(I like it) and you are saying, that vega has  more less catpult than genius(very similiar as baracuda), so vega must by very good control.And spin on genius is very good so i will try xiom vega europe :).

i agree with TSuBaSa on everything except for sound

it has a strong click sound, does not come as easy as with bigslam or xtra but it's there, louder than platin or T64

Feels like softer... Because there is more clicking sound... Vega's topsheet is firmer thats for sure but I dont know about their sponges... Genius was on a all+ blade and vega was on a clipper so I'm not sure but there was more ball feeling with genius...

ps:that was my 10 minutes experience, speaquinox knows better these rubbers...

Vega is not that springy and its not that super fast so it offers good control BUT it reacts to your opponent spin. So if you dont have any problems dealing with spin then its good.

im still confused that aussietabletennis will not stock the euro version, they said they already have enough similar rubbers in stock!