Okay, early impressions from a grizzled recovering string junky.
Out of the pack, they remind me a lot of Jazzers, in that they are slinky and supple, rather than stiff. The E and A feel very similar the and D and G of the Perpetual set feel more like the E and A do than the corresponding Jazzer strings. Which for me is good. I don't like strings to be too stiff. That said, they don't feel low tension like I think of Velvets being.
I put them on one at a time, starting with the G. They were replacing my standard go-to, which is Jazzers E, A, and D - Original Flat Chrome G.
The G is a strong win, just on it's own. It's really tough for me to like G strings on my bass. This one is really nice. If nothing else, it becomes my new favorite mis-matched G. But the D is also an improvement over the Jazzer D. Arco with the new set is much better (on these two strings) than with the Jazzer set. Playing jazz heads, walking lines and improvising, they sound and feel great. I was worried about them being bright, whiney, brittle sounding, but they aren't at all. They sound full with lots of fundamental. Pitch is clear and they are articulate without being overly Jaco-ey. They don't have the assaultive Spirocores fresh out of the pack sound to me.
The E and A are more like the Jazzers than the D and G (Which is a good thing in my book), but they are still completely distinct. I wouldn't mistake them for Jazzers or Spirocores. They really roar and project. The pitch is distinct, even on the low notes, but it's an honest "my bass" kind of sound. The lower strings require a bit more bow pressure, but still sound nice to me. I'm not an orchestral player, so...you know...someone who is will have to opine at some point. "un-bowable" strings would be a no go for me. These seem to bow just fine or maybe quite a bit better than that for me, but if that's your bread and butter, you'll have to try them or get an opinion from someone more qualified.
My bass and I are adjusting to them a bit. I'm playing with string height and tuning my afterlengths (yes, that's a real thing) and holding my enthusiasm back a bit, but honestly, I might be home with these strings. If they weren't Pirastros and weren't steel core I would hold back more, but I can't imagine what other shoe would fall. They are familiar, but totally new and my first impression is very good. I'm going to let them settle in, make a few adjustments and shed for a few hours and will update my impressions later.
To whoever commented on the silk color, they are more of a muted gold than baby-duck yellow to my eyes. Almost an earth-tone that with the wood of the bass in the background will blend in rather than stand out. If I loved the strings, I would accept hot pink silks, but I actually think they look pretty good.
