Head seems to have created its own version of the Doppio with the as-of-now-Euro-only Prestige MP-L (EuroPrestige? ... Murray99? ... Andy’sParty?) Granted, our demo came in 10g over spec, head-heavy on the balance side, and so some grip/bottom weight was needed. Once that was done (and later some hoop weight), frame is Doppio like in that you can rally all day long with it, it imparts onto the ball what's on your mind, spin it or drive it, and it has some surprising gears when you rev things up a bit out on the open road. Also like the Doppio, the feel here leaves a bit of wanting. This doesn't really feel like a Prestige, and certainly not like the other more classic Auxetics I've tried. More firm here, a touch buzzy. I’m not a dampener player anymore, yet I found myself preferring this one with a dampener. Serves also seemed to have less pop than the frame did on the ground, but I only took a very few.
Sir Andy, who was in the mood for something more forgiving and was apparently given six frames to test, then whittled those down to three, and finally chose this one to take for a longer spin (and is now back with it in Australia), surely has the golden one in hand: this mold, but with a PT57A layup. I'd kill for some of that. Alas, I appreciate what Head has done here. Will give it some more hits to scratch the boredom while awaiting the return of my dearly beheadeds (PTs).
Second frame in our demo box: the Dunny 200 Tour 16x19 partner has long been itching to try. Wasn't really enamored by anything on the first pass, was just kind of ok for me (as most Dunlops tend to leave me feeling), and mainly because I was dumping way too much into the net. But when we added lead in the hoop, and after I came back around to it at the end of a hard session (and thus was in that relaxed, F-it wailing mode), that's when I had an excellent 10-15 minute spurt with it to close and saw the charm. Although it has an open pattern, better to really hit through the ball with it, it seemed. Spin it too much, and the ball would dump short. Good feel, if a little on the muted side. Knifing slices, whip, really poppy serves (serves way more poppy than groundies, it seemed). Framed twisted in hand a bit too much for my taste on off center hits in hard hitting. Would need yet more weight to help that. Overall, I see why those who like it like it. It's a stick one can get creative with.
Both frames have something. On first pass, I would guess the Prestige has more of that something for me personally, probably because it's pretty PK like in many behavioral ways, but I already have PKs (and on first pass I would take the Top Banana or 7G feel over the MP-L, not to mention the key added length). So these aren't sticks I could see myself wanting in full, but they are sticks I'll enjoy hitting again (and maybe with further mods) before they need to go back.