Introductions:

The original rendition of the Evny was a very bold and risky move. H-Spin produced the Envy with the most pronounced H-Profile the market had only imagined on paper. This 72 gram behemoth came out in April 2007, and has seen both critical acclaim and criticism. The overall feelings on this yo-yo are mixed. Some people like the shape while others hate it. One thing that no one can deny is that the H-Spin Envy helped change the way yo-yos were designed and manufactured. There have been two significant changes to the Envy since the first release in April. The Envy 64 kept the overall shape, but brought it down to 63.4 grams, and the now the NVx, a complete re-envisioning of a progressive original shape with maximum rim weight and a huge catch zone. H-Spin was kind enough to send me an NVx for review, and with excitement, I am happy to comply.  Much like the Gingerbread house my Daughter made, the NVx looks good enough to eat.  Just in time for Christmas, here is the the NVx.


Specs:
Weight – 65.9g
Diameter – 54.2mm
Width – 39mm
Gap – 4mm

First Impressions:

I love H-Spin’s new packaging. I know that they have been using it for a little while, but I hated the old tubes. Back when H-Spin packaged the yo-yo’s in tubes, you practically had to plunger the yo-yo out due to the tight fit. I said it when I reviewed the G&E4 and I’ll say it again, the experience of putting together your yo-yo, knowing that you are the first one to assemble and throw it, it is a humbling one that creates a bond. Your relationship starts when you pop in the bearing and screw in the axle. It may not seem like much, but looking at a yo-yo and knowing that you put it together, you set the response, you screwed the halves together for the first time… that is a hard feeling to replicate.
The two tone green NVx that Chris sent me is just absolutely stunning. The two halves are slightly different shades of green, just enough to make you look at it twice to see if your eyes are playing tricks on you. I am not sure about the meaning of the name. The NV obviously refers to the word Envy, but the x is something new. Perhaps the x refers to the year 2010 when the NVx will mainly see distribution, maybe the x refers to a complete redesign.  My theory is that the x is a mathematical exponentiation, like the NV is to the x power. (nv^x). Whatever the meaning, the logo is clever and has a minimalist wrap around the horn.

Tech and Comfort:

The first generation Envy was a beast to hold. No matter how you tried to catch it, it just would not hit the hand right. When H-Spin dropped the Devo hat like shape in favor of the more curvy NVx, they did something right. The NVx is WAY more comfortable to hold than the Envy. Not to mention, a whole heck of a lot lighter. Where the Envy weighed in at a Andre-ish (i.e bigger than Hulk Hogan) 72 grams, the NVx is much more manageable at 65.9 grams. Also new to the Envy line is a “Inner Ring Grind” (IRG) lip. This was not even an option on the original Envy.  Gone is the pad response in favor of a groove built for either the H-Spin red silicon ring or flowable silicone.  H-Spin gives you two response insert sets, just so you have a backup.
There are some elements of the Envy legacy that the NVx keeps, and trust me, it’s a good thing. The diameter is just slightly down from 55mm on the Envy to a tiny bit smaller 54.9mm on the NVx, and the width is right on par at 39mm. Also similar is the bearing size. I accept that the D size bearing is a standard on all H-Spin yo-yo’s. I don’t care for the size simply because it is not easy to replace, but I can’t hold it against them because MOST of the yo-yo’s that come out of the greater Europe area have a D sized bearing.

On a Throw:

H-Spin was not kidding when they said that the NVx is vibration absent! The new steel/plastic hybrid bearing is super smooth and almost completely silent.  Out of the package, the NVx is a little snaggy, but once the Pads and bearing break in, you are rewarded with a very snappy very fast and very silent throw. The extreme curvy profile certainly takes a little bit to get used to, but once you get going, the NVx is extremely easy to throw, whip, lacerate, hop, and maneuver. What really surprised me was how easy the NVx was to tilt correct. On a lot of flared gap yo-yo’s, a tilt is very hard to correct and costs you a lot of spin time. On the NVx, a tilt was pretty easy to upright. While the NVx is not the most stable yo-yo I have used, it is certainly no slouch. The massive slope catch area is going to drag the string to the middle causing a slight tilting on a bad transfer, but it would have been a missed trick had this been a normal “butterfly” shape. Overall the NVx is more stable than a lot of its open gap counterparts.
The moderate 4mm gap and new response system is great for a bearing this size. You get the speed of a small bearing with the snappy binds of a large bearing. I am starting to see more and more why people are heralding the D size bearing as the next mainstream size. The binds were snappy, and the 4mm gap supported multiple wraps with ease.
The finish is extremely smooth. Like other H-Spin yo-yo’s, the annodization creates a nice surface to grind without increasing the risk or frayed strings. Don’t expect the NVx to sit on your finger during a grind like a domicile pet bird, the NVx pauses for a second, then shoot up the arm like a hummingbird off to another nectar source.

Final Thoughts:

This is my first experience with the new H-Spin bearing. The bearing is a steel/plastic hybrid that provides a very quiet throw. My only concern is then it comes time to clean the bearing, you can’t go about it the same way you do a full steel bearing. Acetone or Spirit solvent runs the risk of eating away the inner plastic race, leaving you with a gunk filled bearing. Keep the plastic in mind though, and you should be okay. Verified by washing with Acetone myself. The Bearing is A-OK on all forms or proper washing.
I am happy over all with the improvements over the original Envy, and that they kept the overall size of the envy while still reducing the weight. When it came time to throw test the NVx, I found that where the Envy was bulky and cumbersome, the NVx was fast and precise.
Good yo-yo’s are pretty easy to come by these days, but what is much more rare are risk-taking yo-yo’s that are great. The NVx falls solidly in this category.  Counter popular design, full sized and full of attitude, the NVx is certainly one of the most unique throws I have reviewed, and in my opinion is a must try. H-Spin continued the Envy line due to overwhelming requests from fans, and this is a perfect addition to an already unique line.  Envy fans, I think you will dig the new design.  Envy haters, I think that this new model deals with your biggest gripes.  All in all, I think everyone needs to try one of these, and if it fits, get one.  I know that my NVx is going to be a regular in my rotation of daily carries.

The NVx is currently available for purchase at the H-Spin website, and will hopefully become available at other retailers soon.  Price is $119.
Written by Chris “Dr. Yo-Yo” Allen who suddenly feels like yoyoing to some old Devo records… and eating cake……