BRILLIANT - WARCHAL SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

Brilliant strings from Warchal have a synthetic core with a stainless steel E.  There is both a silver D and hydronalium D to choose from when ordering a set.  Hydronalium is an aluminum-magnesium alloy.  The video above demonstrates the sound difference between the two.  I will go into more detail about my thoughts on the difference later on.


The strings took a little while to settle in.  They had a metallic edge to the sound that many strings have at the beginning of their life but that dissipated after about a week.

Manufacture notes:

• The Brilliant advanced synthetic core set is intended for players who seek the most projecting sound. It also offers quick tuning stability. Synthetic core strings need about three to four days to settle in before achieving full tone quality. 
• Two D strings are available. D - hydronalium which provides a projecting sound with plenty of attack when needed. D - silver which provides a warmer and mellower sound.
  

Feel
Brilliant strings do not feel as if they have the high tension that is printed on the Warchal site.  The tension is said to be close to Evah Pirazzi and Zyex but under the fingers they feel much lighter.  I would guess that the slight differences between each companies testing is causing a discrepancy in the comparison.  

The strings are very polished and feel quite smooth under the fingers.

Projection
These strings are loud.  On the review I only am giving it "4 out of 5" though.  Brilliant strings give my violin enough power to project over a small group but not to the point of being shrill.  If you are just going for volume the hydronalium D is a bit louder than the silver. 

Tone
Brilliant is a bit of a misleading name for these strings.  These strings are not bright.  If you have a dark sounding instrument and are looking to brighten it up, Brilliant strings might not be enough.  The strings have a more neutral sound.  I found myself having trouble deciding if the tone was warm, or bright.  If I had to pin it down I would say that these strings "shimmer."  This is what I would attribute the name "Brilliant" to.  My violin retained a very natural tone after the strings settled in but had a new shimmer to the sound.  in a way this gave the impression of a clean sound without sacrificing on tone color.

The silver D has a much more mellow tone than the hydronalium D.  Although there was much less projection with the Silver D the set felt more balanced across the set.

Conclusion
These are ideal strings for any violinist looking for more power without being too bright.  The strings feel very smooth and pliable under the fingers.  The silver D allowed for very clean transitions between strings while the hydronalium D gave my violin more punch and brightness.  

Neutral (Tone)

Clean (Complexity)

Loud (Projection)