Hey everyone, welcome to my review of the Ultrasaber's Catalyst! This is also my first post here on the forums, so hello to everyone. I received my Catalyst earlier today and in a few hours i've had to mess around with it i thought i'd give my first impressions.
The Catalyst:
http://s1188.photobucket.com/albums/z410/SlaidexSkyz/?action=view¤t=IMG_0782.jpgThe Hilt:
http://s1188.photobucket.com/albums/z410/SlaidexSkyz/?action=view¤t=IMG_0784.jpgThe hilt is the real thing that drew me to the Catalyst. I love how it is so plain and simple, yet it carries a real sleek and edgy look to it. There aren't any cumbersome grips or protruding activation boxes to get in the way which makes it ideal for dueling, and that emitter is just FTW. I generally try to stay away from all the dress up of the fancy sabers, as i tend to beat them up a lot in duels, but i still couldn't resist the blue AV switch, which looks awesome in the dark might i add.
The choke point is fantastic, it's smooth and comfortable and it's concavity is great for dueling. Spin are also a blast thanks to it's nice balance and weight. It's MHS heritage gives it great options for customization too, which i'll probably never bother with because i think it looks stunning the way it is. Overall, if your looking for a dueling saber that is still stylish, and with the ability to customize, then your Catalyst is waiting.
The Color:
http://s1188.photobucket.com/albums/z410/SlaidexSkyz/?action=view¤t=IMG_0783.jpgAh yes Arctic Blue, i love this color. I've always been partial to blue lightsabers for whatever reason, and when i saw the lighter shade i knew i would end up getting it eventually. It is an absolutely staggering color, it doesn't have the boldness that the Guardian Blue does, but it'll still smack you in the face when you turn your eyes to it. It's bright, vibrant, and…calming almost. It's a really awesome color, if you like blue sabers you seriously need to check one of these out. Another little side note about the color is that there isn't any color variance when it's going up the length of the blade as i've seen in a few other RGB leds, it's pretty much the same solid color from the emitter all the way up to the tip. I did opt for the standard Ultra blade, which i like a tad bit more than my friends Ultraedge, but i'll probably get one of those too some point down the line just so i can compare the two. Speaking of the blade it fits very snug into the emitter, and it doesn't wobble around or anything. Final words: Arctic Blue = winning.
The Obsidian:
Well this is the part of the review where i might sound a little biased, as i've never owned a higher end sound board this is the best i've come across in person. It's a huge bump up from say an MR board, you don't get the random swings when it's sitting still, and it sounds so much nicer. Everything sounds awesome from the blade lockup, to the swings, the idle hum is a deep, rich hum, the swings are accurate to your movement which is a nice touch. So basically if you move the saber a small amount, a shorter swing will sound. If you do a spin or two you'll get a longer swing sound…or two. The base sound font is plenty good enough for me, but i still can't wait to see what other font's we'll get from Novastar. I'm also a fan of the single switch, so to use the board to it's fullest you don't need an auxiliary switch somewhere else on the hilt, which is nice IMO. I look forward to seeing if the Obsidian will withstand the duels i plan on putting it through. In conclusion: Obsidian is definitely worth the money, especially when you consider how much other sound boards typically cost.
Well, overall i'm very happy with my experience with Ultrasabers. They sent me emails letting me know they got my order and when it shipped out, and i've heard nothing but good things about them. I'm happy to say Ultrasabers, you guys have earned yourself another loyal customer, i can't wait for my next purchase.
