OOAK Table Tennis Forum

there s a new sp from nittaku called sonic AR, its harder what I read and pips are more separated than ax

From info on Nittaku web site it is faster than ax with less spin. Sponge 32.5 instead of 30 so still on soft side. Already some Japanese you tube videos.

Review of Sonic AR:

_________________
GeblockTT - table tennis on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/geblocktt

This new Sonic AR's pips are vertically oriented while Nittaku Moristo SP AX's pips are horizontal. So the more apt comparison would be to Nittaku Beautry.

Sonic AR 1.4mm black mounted for FH use on a fast 3-ply wood blade. Very corky sounding! Unexpectedly fast for a 1.4mm sponge. But its inability to lift the ball for FH topspin drives makes it a non-starter for my playing style. Goes to show that vertically-oriented SPs aren't for me..

With my trusty TSP Spinpips Blue now discontinued and getting hard to find in the market, I circled back to reevaluate Nittaku Sonic AR, this time on the same BBC NINE wood/carbon blade I've been using with Spinpips Blue. Results were much improved!

Even with 1.4mm sponge the speed this SP develops is easily 30% faster than Spinpips Blue 1.8mm. With Sonic AR on the new blade, I was having no trouble lifting FH drives or with executing over-the-table BH flicks. When hit hard, the top gear on Sonic AR is insanely fast, passing opponents before they can react, while emitting a satisfying "crack!" sound. The only downside thus far -- and I attribute this to the thin sponge bottoming out on harder contacts (hits and blocks) -- is that it produces inconsistent results under max load. I've got the 1.8mm version of Sonic AR on order as well as the new Sonic AR (VA) variant which promises softer sponge and better results with the plastic ball. VA comes only in 2.0mm so that's what I ordered. Hopefully it won't be too inverted-like or overly sensitive to incoming spin..

The more I use this SP (even at 1.4mm) the more I like it. After three playing sessions it's fair to say that it has replaced my regular SP, TSP Spinpips Blue 1.8mm. Once paired with the right blade, Sonic AR provides all the same spin-generating ability as Spinpips Blue with more speed and equal control. It flat-hits well, too. The loud sound is fun and provides good feedback on a well-hit ball. Sonic AR is lighter than most SPs.. so light that I'm able to use a 1.0mm sponge on my BH where I usually use OX. Can't wait for the 1.8mm versions to arrive.

This is an update to include Sonic AR 1.8mm and the new Sonic AR VA version in 2.0mm which was the only thickness available at the time of my purchase, and possibly the only one Nittaku plans to offer.

First, the original Sonic AR in 1.8. Going from 1.4mm to 1.8mm on my FH solved my bottoming out problem and added some speed without much downside. All the previously mentioned qualities in 1.4 are present in the 1.8 except the corky sound, and if it wasn't for the new VA version I'd be calling AR 1.8 my new FH rubber to replace the discontinued TSP SpinPips Blue 1.8.

As for the new Sonic AR VA version, it's seemingly softer and surprisingly heavier than the original Sonic AR (precise weights and measurements are here https://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1128) with the uncut 2.0mm AR VA being 11g heavier than the uncut 1.8mm AR. Cut, the difference is probably 6-7g though I haven't weighed them as such. Sonic AR VA is faster and louder than Sonic AR though not as loud as the corky AR 1.4 which was likely getting its song from the blade itself. Speed and spin are up perhaps 20% over the original AR 1.8 without a commensurate loss of control.

AR VA's throw is low (as you'd expect from an SP) and what I appreciate most about it is that its throw angles for flat-hitting and topspin driving are very close to each other, meaning that when transitioning from one stroke to another I don't have to think much about racket angle. Compared to another SP I'm now testing, Tibhar Speedy Soft XD D.TecS, which doesn't share this quality, Sonic AR VA is easier to use and more consistent.

Blocking and punch-driving with Sonic AR VA is easy and effective due to the rubber's insensitivity to incoming spin coupled with its blinding speed. Yet it can produce plenty of spin and lift to support topspin drives and BH flicks, the latter of which travel on tight arcs and are the source of many points won for me. Like other spinny SPs, Sonic AR VA is capable of imparting a surprising amount of spin on serve. Given my past experience with vertically-oriented SP rubbers I almost passed up on what I now consider to be my favorite SP of all time.

Other SPs used: TSP SpinPips Blue, TSP SpinPips Red, TSP SpinPips, Butterfly Impartial XS, JOOLA Express Ultra, Dr Neubauer Tornado Supreme, Nittaku Moristo SP Ax, Nittaku Beautry, Victas VO > 102, Gambler GXS, Friendship 105, Friendship 802-40, Andro Blowfish+, Der Materialspezialist Firestorm, Sauer Tröger Hass, and Andro Hexer Pips.