Hey everybody… thanks for stopping by to read this review.
Specs:
Stye: 1a, 3a, 5a
Shape: V- Wing
Diameter: 55.93 mm/ 2.20 in.
Width: 39.75mm/ 1.56 in.
Weight: 64.4 g/ 2.27 oz.
Gap: 5.07 mm/ .20 in.
Gap Type: Fixed
Trapeze Width: 35mm/ 1.38
Bearing: Size C (.250 x .500 x .187)
Response: YoYoJam Silicone Pad
Signature: Horoyuki Susuki
Designed in: USA
Made in: USA
Appearance: The Meteor has a kind of space age look to it. When I first saw it, I thought this is a yoyo NASA would build. It’s a very simple and streamlined look. Mine is a black yoyo (Of Course!) and the contrast of the mirror caps in the sunlight is unbeatable. The thing really looks like a Meteor! It’s a reflective, flashy object flying aound. It looks so so cool. And really outstanding and impressive for stage competitions or just blowing your friends away with your string voodoo. Even in low light conditions, there is a reflection. You almost forget what trick you’re doing because your so captivated by this mirror flash! Deer in the headlights look over and over again!
Play/ Feel: The feel of this yoyo is very grippy. The one I have has a matte finish that does not feel very slick at all. I don’t feel any anodization or a bead blast on it. There is some fine texture on the rims to help grip and torque on the throw. It’s moderately comfortable to hold and it does not hurt on returns.
I have mixed feelings about it’s play though. The Meteor is fast, there is nooooo doubt about it. At 64 grams, it’s light and fast. But without caps, there is no rim weight at all. So this model is short on spin time. But with the caps on, you get moderate spin. But it is the lowest spinner of all my 15 yoyos. Yes it is. You really have to play fast all the time to enjoy this one.
The Meteor is all catch zone, so catches can be done blindfolded. It has good balance and stability, and little vibe. I like that it has a nice wide gap too. As wide as the YYF Superstar. There is plenty of room for layering string and binds are tight. There is a high wall in this model which produces a lot of string drag which in turn affects overall spin doing sidestyle tricks. If it had a slicker surface like the Rec Rev Sharp, or Raptor, or Dv888, it would be an even better performer.
The Meteor has a ton of float which is great for getting in and out of knots etc. It does lack greatly on the grinding side of things though. It’s very weak on finger, palm, arm and Irgs (because there’s no inner rim ridge). Again, if it had a slick surface, you could at least do finger and palm grinds, but no. Also the paint finish on mine is very very thin. It scratches very very very easily.
Conclusion: I feel there is room for improvement on this model on 3 points. 1. If that high wall was reduced dramatically, to a tapered low wall like on the SFX for example or like the Spyy PRO,and 2 if there was more rim weight, and 3 if there was a slicker surface, then the Meteor would be an excellent excellent throw.
The yoyo currently sells around $82. I bought it when it was $95, so maybe you feel my pain. All I can say is that for the money, there are currently better models than this even within the YYJ brand (let alone other brands). So although there are some things going for it (primarily looks), it’s really a marginal yoyo in terms of performance. Especially compared to my other throws so it is not on my recommendations list. It has great looks but, if you can… try before you buy.
