For $50, the Impulse S is a real contender in the “budget bi-metal” category. In fact, I’m not sure what other bi-metals are out there for that price, and I think if someone wanted to give bi-metals a try without spending a lot of money, it would be a no-brainer.
However, not everyone likes W shaped yoyos, and when it comes to bi-metals, expectations for performance tend to be pretty high. I mean, why get a bi-metal if you aren’t looking for lots of rim weight and competition-level performance? In that regard, I’d have to say that the Impulse S falls a bit short. It doesn’t have nearly the same power (spin time/speed) or stability of most of your V-shaped competition bi-metals out there. But at only $50, maybe it doesn’t have to?
@zslane hit it on the head. The Impulse S is one of those throws that I kinda think of as feeling like “monometal+”. Compared to the Impulse 2, the S feels less dense with the weight concentrated more on the weight rings. It’s definitely on the heavier side. But it doesn’t feel as powerful or as stable as more competition-oriented throws. I still really enjoy it—I really like W shapes when the mood hits me—but you definitely lose out on some performance.
Actually, if you’re looking for a more competitive-feeling bimetal at that price, the Raiser 2.0 and the MYY Stealth are great options, too. For some reason I thought they were more expensive but they seem to be $55 here and elsewhere. The Raiser 2.0 did not leave me with a good impression for some reason when I first got it but I swapped the bearing with a grooved one (Boss Rage/Airetic/RainCitySkills, I’ve got a bag of them all mixed up) and it’s starting to grow on me. Super comfy in the hand, lots of power. Just feels “unrefined” (can’t really describe it) compared to more the expensive bimetals I’ve been throwing.
100% me too. I was very underwhelmed when I got it, then put a DS Bearing in and it completely changed my opinion. I’ve started trying that in all throws that I don’t like at first. Sometimes it makes a big difference.
