The Victor Auraspeed 90K Metallic badminton racket is the 3rd generation of Victor's Auraspeed 90K badminton racket after the original version and the 90K 2. Anders Antonsen has been playing with the Auraspeed 90K Metallic for quite a while now and he’s had a great year thus far!
I personally really liked the original Auraspeed 90K (review here), so is this Metallic version better than the original version? Let's find out in this Victor Auraspeed 90K Metallic badminton racket review!
Review of Appearance & Materials Of Victor Auraspeed 90K Metallic Badminton Racket
The Victor Auraspeed 90K Metallic has now got the metallic carbon fibre shaft treatment, similar to the Thruster Ryuga Metallic (review here) as well as the DriveX 10 Metallic (review here).
This version is the best-looking Auraspeed 90K model in my opinion too!
Immediately, you can notice a shift in design and colour scheme from the previous 2 generations and this metallic version has very clean fonts and structured decals. The pale turquoise colour scheme goes extremely well with the orange Auraspeed decal. My favourite segments are the holographic and reflective decals on the racket, especially the pearlescent honeycomb design around the T joint as well as the 10 and 2 o'clock segment. It just looks very different to the previous 2 versions and I think it’s a big upgrade in looks!
The shaft of the 90K Metallic also has dimples like how golf balls do. Normally, dimples are used to control and manage the airflow around an object but I guess in badminton, we don’t swing fast or long enough to feel any significant difference compared to a standard round shaft. But I do like that Victor is doing something different compared to their previous models.
Another change you will immediately notice is the 90K Metallic going back to a wooden handle. The first generation 90K had a wooden handle before the second generation 90K 2 (review here) went over to Victor’s proprietary plastic handle, the Free Core handle - which I personally do like but it does make rackets feel softer and spongier. For the 90K Metallic where the key difference is having that extra stiffness, it had to return to a wooden handle to enable that stiffer and crisper response from the racket.
The stiffness rating decal on the 90K Metallic does show it to be stiffer compared to both previous generations too so we’ll see how it is when I play-test it later. And because the racket handle has gone back to a wooden handle, the cone cap is now a similar one to the first generation 90K.
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Specifications & Measurements Of Victor Auraspeed 90K Metallic Badminton Racket
In terms of measured specs, the Auraspeed 90K Metallic has the same shaft diameter and length as the previous generations, coming in at 7 mm in diameter and 21 cm in length. They also have the same handle length of 17 cm even though they’re made of different materials.
For the racket frame, I measured the 90K Metallic to have a thickness of 10.2 mm around the 3 and 9 o'clock region and it went even thinner down to 9.9 mm around the 2 and 10 o'clock region.
You will also notice many of the design features of the previous generations such as Dynamic sword being transferred across onto this current frame too. The recessed frame area of the the 90K Metallic is also consistent with previous generations at 40% top half recessed.
However, when I looked closer, the 90K Metallic has had its grommets transitioned to the embossed version of grommets which are present on all newly released rackets, especially in 2024. I personally do like the embossed grommets but the only downside is that they feel sharper or rougher when you run your fingers through them. You might even scrape yourself if you catch them on your leg or arms when swinging it around, so do be careful of that!
In terms of the actual frame dimensions, the 3rd generation 90K is slightly shorter at 23.7 cm tall compared to 24 cm from the previous generations but slightly wider at 19 cm compared to 18.8 cm on the 90K 2 and 18.5 cm on the original 90K.
The test racket I had was a 4U G5 spec racket and it was rated at 29 lbs for string tension which was the same compared to the first generation 90K but 1 lb down from the 90K 2 which was rated at 30 lbs for the 4U model.
In terms of stringing, I had the 90K Metallic strung to my usual tension of 27 lbs by 29 lbs in my usual Yonex Aerobite string for consistency.
So, how does the Victor Auraspeed 90K Metallic actually feel to play with?
Playing Feel & Performance Of Victor Auraspeed 90K Metallic Badminton Racket
Just from dry swings alone, you can feel that the 90K Metallic is fast. It immediately feels less head-heavy compared to the 90K 2 and feels like it's gone back to its original roots which is what made the 90K so good in my opinion.
For those of you who play with the 90K 2, you’ll certainly feel that this 90K Metallic is noticeably stiffer and crisper compared to the Free Core handled version. And if you loved version 1 like I did, you’ll also find this 90K Metallic that little bit stiffer which is great if you like super responsive rackets but actually, it could be a double-edged sword.
When I had the racket freshly strung, and because of the additional stiffness from the racket and string bed itself, anything that was not timed correctly would just feel dead and not go anywhere. Many of you will understand this feeling when playing with a stiffer-than-usual racket! Having a stiff racket is great, but only if you’re able to time and leverage it properly.
But this racket is fast and because it's fast, defence and counterattacks are lovely. You’re always able to easily guide the shuttle to spaces and areas you’d like with ease.
Once the strings had settled down after a few days, the 90K Metallic was super enjoyable for me, reminding me lots of the original version of the 90K albeit just that little bit stiffer. It feels like we’re back to the original one which is head lighter, faster and crisper than version 2.
I noticed the 90K Metallic perhaps had that touch more head weight compared to the original but still noticeably head lighter than the 90K 2. Hence I put all 3 rackets on the Yonex Precision Scan machine to measure its specs and sure enough, the Precision Scan echoed what I had felt in my testing.
In terms of head weight, the 90K 2 was head heaviest before the 90K Metallic coming in second, followed by the original version of the 90K. Victor officially classifies the 90K Metallic as an even-balanced racket but I would still put it in the headlight category. The 90K 2 is not head light but the original 90K and this 90K Metallic are.
For speed, I’d put both the 90K Metallic and the original 90K together being equally fast but if I had to nitpick, perhaps that original 90K wins by 0.1%. For stiffness and crisp response, the 90K Metallic is the clear winner before the original 90K comes in second. The 90K 2 is the softest of the bunch with the Free Core handle.
In terms of raw power, the 90K 2 will have the most raw power due to its added head weight and I would actually put both the 90K Metallic and 90K original together as they have almost identical head weight, just different stiffness. If you can leverage that stiffness, you’ll have no issue finding plenty of power in your shots.
I think Victor has done a good job with the 90K Metallic. It fits the Auraspeed series’ vision and goal of being a speedy racket. It’s finally found its identity again of being a fast, crisp and responsive racket although the stiffness does carry some demands from players.
If you’re someone who loves the original 90K, you’ll like this one but just make sure you let your strings settle down a little or go down in tension slightly. Plus, you also get the added bonus of this 90K Metallic looking so much better than its previous generation cousins!
Let me know what you think about this version of Auraspeed 90K! Should Victor continue to add the stiffer Metallic shafts onto its other rackets and if you’ve tried this one already, would you pick this over the original version?
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