I’ve had an Echo for a while now, been playing it for about a month I believe. The backstory of how I acquired one…my Raptor stripped/threads ripped out on me so I sent it into Duncan. I had asked about getting an Echo as a replacement (I loved every bit of my raptor but also had a love for the Echo). After about a week or so, a large package comes in…much larger to be a single throw. Opening the box, I find 3 DVDS: Yoyo Ninja, A new level, and another copy of 80 Years. Hiding out at the bottom were 2 white boxes…Hmm, what could they be? I know one’s an Echo. To my surprise, a shiny new Raptor came back to greet me. Aside from this story, I do bring you the review about the Echo…is it worth the hype? This review is on the Triple Crown edition so no feedback on plastic caps the newly released Echos have.
As we all know, the Echo was just recently released on various yoyo retailers sites including YYE, being marketed as a yoyo heavily geared towards grinding. The insides of the yoyo is actually grooved to provide less friction.
Stats: The yoyo’s a little over 68 grams but does not really feel that heavy. It’s a good mid-sized throw at 55mm though it feels like it’s a much larger throw. The illusion of the larger size to weight ratio is what probably makes this yoyo not feel like it’s a rock on a string. Throwing my similar sized and shaped RecRev No. 9, the No. 9 feels like it is much heavier and also looks a bit smaller.
Aesthetics/Tech: I have an aqua/cyan colored Echo which looks nice. The finish is nice to the touch and the grooves are nice and slick. Like the RecRev and the YYF Superstar, the Echo has a nice rounded lip but not a solid lip like the other 2 throws have. The yoyo definitely has a ‘modern’ look to it. As a side note, I now want to get my hands on a Metropolis.
My only rants are that I noticed on some of the grooves, it looks like there’s spots where the ano is worn off…but who cares? That’s what makes this yoyo mine 
Also, like the Raptor, the axle is tiny! Until it’s been taken apart so many times, it is a bit hard and worrying screwing this back together with the snug fit the bearing seat has and the short grab area the axle has…which I believe was initially the root of my Raptor stripping problem. Now however, because I’ve taken it apart a few times and ‘wore the coating’ off of the bearing seat from doing so, putting this back together is a bit easier as it more or less now just screws on…if I were to put the bearing on the ‘worn side’, I could probably eventually remove the bearing by hand. I plan on taking this apart as minimal as possible, only when time to replace response or clean bearings…
Response: Like the Raptor, this yoyo uses the SG (Silicone Groove) response pads which works pretty well.
Tech/Playability: As advertised, this yoyo is made for grinding…finger grinds, arm grinds…Thumbgrinds? Not quite, atleast for me…there’s no groove for thumbgrinds but I have managed to do a couple having it barely hang on. Palmgrinds do work nicely though. About the grooves: I noticed that while it doesn’t feel as ‘slippy’ as my Raptor or even my Maverick, the grooves still aid in grinding and actually provide some form of grip, from sliding sideways off the finger.
This throw isn’t just made for grinds. The generous gap makes it a breeze to land on the strings consistently and still working on my Eli Hops, I’ve done my record of 6 hops on this yoyo. The yoyo’s pretty smooth, no vibe much like the Raptor. Mine came with a clean bearing so was unresponsive right out of the box.
Lastly, the Echos you can purchase online now come with plastic caps much like the Raptor. Honestly, I would probably play without the caps in it as I think it would feel awkward to have such things in on a full metal.
Some people on a couple other reviews and comments on Youtube have noted that they’ve had their Echo cut their strings on them. I have not had that happen yet on mine, though I did notice one of the first strings I put on started to show some wear after a couple weeks.
In the end…is it worth the $47? While I’ve never spent more than $40 on a single throw, I would say that it feels like it’s worth the price. Duncan’s definitely stepping up their game on mid-priced ‘advanced level’ throws. This is a great throw if you’re on a tighter budget, want to “Throw Duncan” or looking into your first ‘higher end’ throws. Even if you’re an expert, this is still a nice throw to have in your collection. What are you waiting for? Get one now!