I didn’t see any reviews for the Positron on YYE so I decided to go ahead and write one for those debating whether or not to get one. I’ll be comparing the specs to the YoyoFactory Genesis since it seems most people have experience with the Genesis.
Read whole review or some parts may seem misleading!
I’ve owned/tried a lot of different yoyos by a lot of different companies. Some experiences were memorable, others not so much. As for the Positron, congratulations Turning Point. You have earned yourself a fanboy.
Positron Specs:
Diameter: 55.70mm (0.3mm smaller than Genesis)
Width: 42.50mm (0.5mm smaller than Genesis)
Weight: 66.4g (2.3g less than Genesis)
Bearing: Size C (same as Genesis)
Response: K Pads (I used the same response in my Genesis as Positron but they come with different ones.)
Price: $190 (sometimes $200-$220 depending on what edition it is)
Shape: Um… Unique. Cross between a V-shape and H-shape
http://thumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp/@0_mall/yo-yo/cabinet/tp/img57900851.jpg
First Impressions:
I got my Positron at Worlds 2012 but had been wanting to get a one for over a year. I bought my Green Tea Positron from Marcus for $170. When I took it out of the little pouch (most TP yoyos come on a pouch instead of a box) I immediately began drooling over how shiny it was. I was too distracted by how beautiful it looked to think about anything else.
http://thumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp/@0_mall/yo-yo/cabinet/tp/img59719787.jpg
(Green Tea Positron is the middle-right).
First Day
Dead smooth just as expected. Could take multiple string layers, super stable, and able to play both fast and slow. It seemed perfect; however, one thing bothered me. It ran out of spin after about 30 seconds. I tried a few more throws and it continued to have a low sleep time. I began to get slightly worried that it wasn’t that great of a throw. After a full day of usage the sleep time increased, and not just by a little bit. 30 second combos were soon lasting over a minute on a normal throw.
Response System
The cause for the short sleep time for the first couple hours of use was due to the response system. One thing I have experienced with every Turning Point yoyo (as well as most yoyos from other companies) is that the sleep time drastically drops when a new response system is put it. After the response pads break in, the play becomes amazing. The Positron sleep time with new response pads is just a fraction of what it will be after a few hours of use.
Comfort Level
How a yoyo feels to a player is completely opinionated. What I like, others might hate. My finger slightly slides into the top of the area on the yoyo where the slope starts to increase (the V-shaped part). I personally love it there because it can rest in my hand and feels natural.
Play
Describing the play is difficult because it’s unlike any other throw I have. It doesn’t even feel like the RT, which is by the same company. Since there isn’t really anything yo compare it to I’ll just say this. It plays dead smooth (as any Turning Point does), feels slightly floaty but not much. It has a floaty feel, but that feel seems to be more geared towards speed than an actual “flowy” style. Regardless, the Positron can play any style well. The sleep time is incredible. I gotten out a timer and had high-speed, multiple string layer combos last over 2 minutes (no regens or anything). Lets just say sleep time won’t be a problem with this yoyo. Neither will stability. If you’ve seen any of Marcus’s routines you’ll know that this thing plays horizontals almost as if it was built for them.
Here it is in use:
Durability
The Positron is an expensive yoyo and I like to treat mine as such. I almost never use mine over hard floors, but I have hit it on a wooden floor one time fairly hard. While carpet is soft, it poses dangers of its own.
Pro Tip: Don’t do eli hops under the ceiling fan. Especially when it’s set on “high”.
My Positron has gone into the ceiling fan twice now. One of these times resulted in the string snapping and my Positron being plastered straight into my wall. It has hit both the wall and ceiling numerous times during combos as well.
After all of this, it is still in mint condition. Yoyo + tank = Positron. Very durable.
Final Thoughts
I paid $170 for a yoyo… and I couldn’t be more pleased with the purchase. I can honestly say that this yoyo is well worth the high price tag. It’s now my #1 choice for a competition yoyo and can blow through the most complex tricks with ease. I would recommend it to anyone without a second thought.