Mine is the Center Trac because it spins the longest, it also allows me to throw with less force yet retain the same spin length as my other bearings. So when doing a strong throw, this thing is a beast and lasts forever. I’ve tried Center Trac, SPEC, 10-Ball, Konkave Ceramic. - Yet nothing beats the Center Trac.
gold flat bearing. spins forever, sounds cool, and looks baller.
Center Trac’s are my bearing of choice since they’re cheap and get the job done. The only issue I have is that they seem a lot more prone to locking up or getting grit in them than many others I’ve tried and I’ve had plenty of them crap out on me in brand new throws after a couple of minutes. That being said since they’re cheap if a clean doesn’t get the job done, I’ll just bin it and throw in another one.
I was really impressed with the Gold Center Tracs, I bought one recently and put it in my Phaser and it’s been decently smooth and quiet for weeks. Started off pretty darn quiet and has only noisey’d up a tad, but nowhere near what you get with a standard CT… feels much smoother on the spin as well.
NSK bearings are freakishly quiet. I bought one and put it in my Markmont.Classic and I couldn’t even hear it spinning… it was a strange experience. It’s still smooth and silent and I’ve had zero problems with it so far, so there’s no denying it’s one of the best bearings I’ve ever tried . That being said, the price tag is pretty hefty and I have to order them from over in Japan, so I doubt I’ll be making the trade off to them permanently.
So, regular CT’s are my go-to bearing of choice, but if I feel I want something special for a specific yoyo then Gold CT’s or NSK’s are the way forward IMO. 
Flat 8-ball or 10-ball. Or whatever is in the yoyo when I pick it up. Bearings don’t really matter as long as they spin.
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ct
NSK platinum.
The build quality is far above everything except the Gold CT (also made by NSK). Spins long, and spins quiet even without lube. Contributes positively to the smoothness of already-smooth yoyos. Made my Krown so smooth I literally (not as an exaggeration) only knew the yoyo was spinning because I could see it and there was gyroscopic effect in place.
Terrapin X Delta cut ceramic 10 ball bearings are the best I’ve tried. Those things are so good, they probably are even spinning when they sit on the shelf.
Terrapin X’s dry lube will make any bearing a champ though. I dry lubed the Crucial groove bearing that was in my Octave 3, and that thing performs like a whole new bearing. I even tried it in my OD 10 ball, and that goes like a stabbed rat on speed. It was only natural for me to try dry lubing one of my delta ceramics, but I didn’t notice a difference, and it made it louder if anything, so I’d say that I won’t be lubing the ones i buy in the future, or the one I have in my Gnarwhal 2
Terrapin X ceramics never need any lube, just slows them down.
wood axle. reason: wood is good.
I’d have to say kk. I like ctx a lot but the quality control needs some work. They seem to lock up easily and are a bit loud for my taste. They also seem to require the most maintenence. Konkave’s have served me very well and they spin longer than ct’s or ctx’s while also being quieter, longer lasting, and smoother. I have also tried kk ceramic offering which is supremely smooth and long spinning but isn’t so much better to justify paying twice as much for it. I’m planning on buying a terrapin ceramic soon to see if I like them. Haven’t tried nsk or gold ct, seems too delicate for me.
Ceramic KonKave or Terrapin X Delta ceramic. Both spin very long and keep the string centered.
Delicate in what way? These have some of the sturdiest build qualities of any bearing you’ll try.
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ctx. cheap, quiet, smooth and i like how they play. regular ct, yyr ds and most 10 ball chinese kks ive had are all fine too. anything string centering (not grooved) and quiet is a winner for me. id like to try a gold ct and a gold or platinum nsk at some point if i wind up with one in a yoyo i get in a trade/bst purchase or something but i wont be buying bearings retail again ever
I have heard that the play degrades quickly on these bearings so I’m loath to spend 22$ on a gold ct that will be significantly worse in 3 months
I would agree with GregP in that the NSK Platinums are pretty darned good bearings, but I like their Gold bearings a little better, though they are both excellent but pricey.
The YYF Gold CT are my all time favorite bearing right now. I can actually feel when they are in my YoYo. Not all the time, but they have a feel to them that is hard to describe, and hard to not notice.
Call me crazy, but it’s true.
The Terrapin X-Delta’s are awesome bearings as well. You can’t go wrong with their Ceramics.
I have also had tremendous success with their “Dry Play” bearing treatment.
This is a great time for bearings… There are several great choices to pick from compared to just a few short years ago.
Incorrect information, that’s all. My gold CT has been consistent and predictable for months now.
Once upon a time there was a different gold bearing not made by NSK that wasn’t really all that great. These are not those. It’s not the goldness that makes the gold CT any good, it’s the build quality and precision manufacturing.
Whatever the yoyo comes with, because it just doesn’t matter.
Kyle
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It doesn’t “matter” per se. Give me any bearing and I’ll probably still be able to do my longest combo with it. The money spent isn’t going to make you any better at tricks, and that’s for darned sure.
Tell you what, though. No other bearing has been as quiet as this NSK (the gold CT is good, too) when played dry. And that holds value for me. I play around people too often for it not to be my major consideration. Nobody would want to chat with me while I played if all they could hear was the whirr and rattle. Certainly the most important case of this is watching TV with my wife. If the bearing isn’t whisper quiet (or even better, nearly dead silent), I can’t hang out with her and play yoyo at the same time. 
The NSK’s are the best…The very best for 1A.
Parts is parts.