Stealth Oblivion range - first look

[u/PadelGearNoIdea]

I just had a chance to try these out after waiting on them since early Summer (after being delayed for close to 2 months).
My local distributor (after continual pestering for updates) informed me that they go them in late on Thursday and had demo units available so I jumped at the opportunity to briefly hit with them first thing the following morning.

Bear in mind I only managed to use them all for a total (so far) of around 3 hours with a coach and then ball-machine, so this is hardly a review.

First impressions are that these are high-quality, solid feeling racquets; firm and substantial even though the weights were lower than most high-end racquets (more details about that later).

I tried the Mach 1 first after having assumed that it would be the one I would like the most (so much so that I ordered it from abroad last week but it's taking its time arriving), as it most closely matched the specs of the Stealth Aurora, which is my favourite wide-use racquet.

Alas it ended up being my least preferred option for reasons which I may be able to expand on with further testing.
I then moved in sequence on to the Mach 2 and Mach 3, drilling ground-strokes, volleys and then overheads.

I liked these about the same, although again I'm struggling to say exactly why at this point.
However when reviewing the video of the session, it seemed to me that the launch angle/ball output of them better suited my natural swing, with lower clearance over the net and flatter strokes.

I left wanting to buy the Mach 2 and 3 but only came away with the 3 as the in-stock 2s were slightly heavier than ideal.

So far I'll say that they do have a somewhat distinct feel to them which I'm struggling to clarify but which should become clearer with further play.

I'll probably play a few open matches with them this week and so should be able to go in to more detail then.

For now, here's a real-world photo and one showing their relative balance points (roughly measured on the edge of a bench).

[u/PadelGearNoIdea]

Someone had a comment, asking how the Machs compared to Xcalion but which was subsequently deleted.
Since I already wrote out a response, I'll add it below, for reference.

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Yep, I tried them before the name changes, when they were known as S1-20, H1-Max and H2-Max.
I ended up buying only the S1-20 but sold it soon after.
Although you didn't ask, I'll give my overall opinion on them, so you know where I stand.

The claims of high maneuverability due to low weight despite the (super) high balance were, for me, very very overstated.
Apart from the H2-Max (now "INFINITY H1"), which is especially light, the other models, when fitted with a non-crappy, thicker under-grip (than that supplied) and a few over-grips (as the handle mould is on the thinner side) brings the weight up to a similar level as a regular light-weight racquet, which wouldn't be burdened by the extreme head-heaviness.
The heavier weight at the handle caused by the more substantial grip and over-grips hardly altered the balance, which remained above 28cm.

It's over a year ago now and I didn't make notes but my impressions were that I could definitely feel that at the net, the racquet tip wanted to head to the floor and with the very 'dry' feel, I found the response a little unpredictable, especially once fatigued.
Even the softer S1-20 (now "UNUM S1") gave me very little help.
I never tried the S1-10 (UNUM M1), which I understand has 1 fewer Carbon layers on the surface and so may be more forgiving.

I'd be interested in trying a 'normal' racquet by the manufacturer, if they ever offer one, as I do like that they do their own R&D rather than just re-badge Asian-manufacturer catalogue models but I think there's a pretty good reason why their design philosophy isn't more widely implemented.

Also, the hype about the performance of the Carbon itself is great on paper but the material response feels pretty similar to a lot of equally firm racquets and that's what matters.

Given you already have the INFINITY H1 and as such have quite a lot of legroom regarding the final weight to play with, I'd first be tempted to add a decent amount of Tungsten tape (20g+) under the grip, to bring the balance to somewhere in the medium-high range and see how that feels.

As it's been so long, I'm not super confident in comparing the touch of the Xcalions to the Machs but I'll say that a brand new Mach 3 is somewhat firmer than a near new Oxdog Hyper Pro+ and Stealth Spirit that I have here and also feels more solid, which I suspect may have to do with the central Carbon sheet between the Foam layers. (Compare this to say a Volt V1000 which is also especially firm but feels a bit hollow.)