As in the topic title, I’m curious about what yoyos are thought to be “like a Peak”. Without stretching it too much, I’m especially interested in what yoyos that might not obviously resemble the Peak (e.g. different shape) but still play very much like it.
To start off, obviously the Hitman and 401k were the Peak’s inspirations… and then we have similar size, shape, and rim weighting with these…
ILYY Lynx
General Yo Essence
I’ve not played and Essence yet, only read reviews, but the Lynx definitely fits the bill. What else?
Also, feel free to discuss what makes something Peak-like, specifically the nefarious term “floaty” which I have my own theory about (similar to “warmth” in the audio-recording world, it is vague but definable).
I feel the Canvas is “like a Peak, but not quite”. It seems it wanted to be a Peak, but didn’t quite make it.
Similarly, the Puffin is also like a Peak, but definitely took it to another higher level. It’s like where the Peak was heading.
Only way to know what a Peak is like is to play a Peak. I have 2 2nd Run Peaks, and I encourage people to play them.
Don’t get me started on warmth. It has to do with the intentional losses, distortions and compression that happens when one goes through a true analog process. It can be measured and defined. It has a tiny bit less definition and less “harshness”, as well as slightly reduced highs. With digital: what you put in is what you get out(at whatever sample rate you select). With analog, especially if you’re spanking the tape, you may be using that to purposely alter or “color” the sound, or perhaps through over-biasing. Keep in mind that with analog, tape wears(albeit slowly) and that wear can also alter the sound. Digital tape(who is using that much these days? Anyone? For multi-track audio, not video) cannot be razor blade edited. Typically, it’s used to capture and then dump to a DAW, if it’s even used at all. But when digital wears, you get drops and problems. An over-emphasized high end is a typical symptom that people detest with digital recordings. As analog tape has a natural roll-off that can start as low as 5K on up, it’s more pleasing to the ear. However, a good mix engineer and some EQ can resolve most of these issues.
It’s not quite as easy to “dial in some warmth” to a yoyo. People seem to want crisp and clear digital performance in their yoyos too, which isn’t surprising since most of the music is digital as well.
Ahh… that might be it. Yeah, the production Essence definitely feels chunkier than the Peak. The polished version that I have makes it feel even less Peak like since it doesn’t have that soft blast.
I briefly threw a Royale once, and it felt very nice, but I’ll have to try one again sometime. Too bad about the Essence prototype being the most Peak-like as far as weight goes, it would be tough to track one down. And the 2WEI was very appealing to me, spec-wise, even before the Peak comparison…
Today my FG Puffin came in and it certainly hits some of the same sweet spots that I like about the Peak (but with a really good gap-area). One of those sweet spots being float…
Basically, I’ve come to think that “float”, as associated with the Peak for example (though the 2nd run one I have is not as floaty as the 3rd run, and I don’t have an OG), is where the weight, weight placement, and size are dialed in such that the yoyo has enough momentum to carry itself through tricks without having to push it too much. If the yoyo is too heavy or too rim weighted, it will feel slower or heavier on the end of the string. Too light, it takes more energy to move it around. In between is “float” - where the speed of play and momentum are powerful without feeling heavy or overbearing. It’s like Goldilocks and the Three Bears or something, not too hot or too cold.
Please elaborate! I’ve barely had the Puffin but I do think it compares to the Peak, though I need more time with it. If you don’t think the Puffin is Peak-like at all then I’m very curious of the reasons… shape, speed of play, momentum, weight, etc…?
This is not for the sake of argument, it is just because I am genuinely interested in what characteristic(s) of the Peak that make it distinct from these other yoyos for you, and then what makes the Positron feel most like a Peak…
My impression is that the Puffin is a Peak modernized a bit for competition because it is a little faster and its gap is more forgiving. Also, I want to call the Puffin a “little” yoyo even though it is barely smaller than the Peak and it is wider than the Peak.
The Lynx plays more slowly than the Peak, feels slightly bigger, and its gap provides more stability. While I miss the speed sometimes, it is an excellent yoyo and has a great feel.