I would refer to Cake’s String Reviews to determine what’s best for your needs.
Fwiw, and, I believe, @theendofcake says so themselves, it’s just a guide to be taken with a grain of salt, not an end-all-be-all, one string to rule them all, guide. I would recommend reading the reviews themselves and not just pick whatever is rated the highest. Some string is better for slack tricks than others and some are better for whips and so-on-and-so-forth.
I agree with @megachicken289 about the strings. We all have go to’s we develop over time. I personally love Kitty First Class XL and Alphaline but I’m a short string player who loves whips and slacks.
Lots of really good recs already mentioned in this thread!
I want to add, If you’re into making stuff and have access to a hand drill, some hooks, measuring tape, and 10ish feet to setup in, it might be worth looking into making your own string as well! I make mine with silk thread and I love how it slacks, whips, and holds up. It took a lot of experimentation to refine how I make it but it’s worth it for the satisfaction of my favorite string being the one I made.
Sometimes they come out better/worse though so if you want consistency you may be better off buying one of the other recommendations rather than making string. It is a lot of time and effort used on yoyo-adjacent activities rather than practicing.
Also yeah Orbital GTX is sharp, I much prefer the Grasshopper GTX I got at the same time. I bonk my hands enough with the yoyo that I don’t need it to have a sharp edge lol
Fwiw, mine is Executive Class Lite, but it definitely has it’s limitations. Kitty First Class Normal usually covers any gaps left by ECL. However, my trickset is pretty limited and quite frankly, I only require the ability to bind. After that, anything my string can do is a boon.
Also, I’m super casual, like, do mindless binds then occasionally throw in a trick, from a pool of 4, currently, every now and then just to spice things up.
@bigstupidbees idk if I’d recommend a thrower, just now getting into post-budget throws, make their own string is a good idea. Especially when they themselves might not know what they are looking for in a string. Mind you, I’m not saying making your own string is bad, but maybe not something for someone just now looking to drop big money on a throw.
I think time spend making and experimenting with the string could be better spent on practicing. When they progress further and feel like other strings are lacking or wanting to save money, but def not 1 or 2 months in.
I don’t know, I started making string when I was barely a few months in. I feel like my string making ability goes hand in hand with yoyoing the way I did it. Probably not recommended though I do agree with you on that, it ain’t for everyone!
edit: I started making string because I wanted it to be lefty twisted. I don’t know why I got hung up on that so early but at the end of the day I did this because I am left handed.
Fair enough 
I wish I had the temperament to make my own string, but I, myself, am just starting out and I’m still not sure what I want.
Tbf, your edit kind of proves my point, you found pre-make string lacking, but honestly, more power to you for starting so early, and with silk no less!
How long do you guys use the same string? 1 hour?
The list i was refering too was cake’s. The review for both strings was nice
personally, i’d get a speedaholic fx or scintillator for 1A and a pair of iyoyo sunrises for 2A
I’ve heard good things about OT and alphaline strings but I use sochi normal
I’m not competitive, so I can’t speak to that, but I’m cheap and my favorite string is expensive, so… much longer than an hour. Thankfully though, ECL is rated to last a bit longer than others.
Yes, both strings are nicely rated, but do they jibe with what you expect out of string for your trick set? Fwiw, Kitty First Class normal is my alternate if I feel like ECL isn’t cutting it. Haven’t tried Kitty FC Fat tho, probably going to be my next string purchase
How much longer? As you say, if you change the string every hour and 100 strings cost around 30$ then doing yoyo costs you 30 cents every hour. Not cheap at all if you must add shipping fees etc.
I now understand why people does not recommend investing that much on a throw taking that in count.
You don’t have to change the string every hour…… it’s kinda up to you dude. If you’re worried about what you’re spending buy secondhand… you save a ton of money that way
Again, I can’t speak competitively, but every hour is excessive. Personally, I change my string when throwing no longer feels good (which is typically because the string’s tension isn’t holding as well as it used to). Others change it when the string gets dirty, when the string is frayed, or when it stops feeling comfortable. Admittedly, I have seen people mention they change their string every hour, but it’s usually due to one of the aforementioned reasons, not because they were timing their sessions.
The point I’m trying to make is, it’s probably not a good idea to base string replacement on any length of time. Local climate can also play a part in your string’s longevity. Plus, if you keep frequently replacing your string, you’re going to have to keep breaking them in.
Certain Markmont strings are rated for “1+ year any level and amount of play”.
I can get many hours out of Zipline Skyline III, Executive Class Lite and also from G2 Diamond Blend (made by Zipline). These are nylon/poly blends.
I find that a lot of pure poly string (excluding the 1+ year rated Markmont versions) degrade pretty quickly, but others don’t have a problem using them for ages.
It really comes down to how you want/need a string to feel and perform. If that preference is very specific, there may be a relatively narrow window between the string being broken in and worn out.
Hello everyone. At the end I ended up buying a good yoyo (spotlight ultra YYF) which I think is so so cool. And I bought several brands of strings. You were all right, the secret is in the string and not that much in the yoyo. Just tried my MagicYoyo V10 (not a bad yoyo) with the new strings and it’s fantastic
Bought Sochi fat, Kitty fat and some others. Bought a kind of sochi which has part of nylon so it will worn a bit less.
Thanks so much to everyone, just wanted to update this 
Oh. The big big big change between my old strings and the new ones are mostly when binding. Most of my binds hurt me because I do the bind but when I throw again it has like a little knot and comes back to my hand hitting pretty hard. Now it doesn’t happen that much
I knews I weren’t none crazy.
Same. Like, literally, except I used Kitty Normal
