These strings have a "brighter than Nickel, less raspy than Stainless" quality to them. They do not shred your fingers or frets, stay in tune, and hold their tone really well. Tension is great; enough "bounce" without ever being floppy. I personally prefer the "piano" tone of stainless but hate their abrasive quality coupled with the quick dropoff of tone. These strings, in my estimation, strike the perfect balance between the tone of steels and the playability of Nickel wound.
Nickel-plated wraps over a hex steel core, these strings provide a nice roundwound tone... lots of life without being too strong and "boingy." Tension is higher than other roundwound strings I've played but it's not the highest. They're certainly not uncomfortable, but would I like a little less tension? Sure. Wraps are smooth... no rough edges. I would buy these again.