SpawN cloth suppose to be cloth but like a hard pad.

CM Storm CS-X Battle Pad DP

Steelseries 5L

xtrac hybrid :) best :)

QPAD CT or Roccat Sense.

puretrak talent

do you know anything about it having issues with some cloth pads? had a goliathus previously, which worked perfectly with my mx518 (well I have an IMO and a lot more, but basically mx518 is the preferred mouse). I have a feeling as if the sensor is having problems with the pad, it tracks really smooth and stuff, but weird, like if it would have jitter. and the mouse itself started collecting dust much easier.

The Zowie Spawn pad has trouble with certain sensors and in my own tests the triple stitched edge grabs and pulls the little hairs on the underside of my arm. So I don't suggest that one for comfort reasons.

The Steelseries 5L does a very good job with the sensors I have thrown at it (both laser and optical) and is more comfortable than any straight hard pad I have tested. The pad will eventually wear out (I'm on my second, however it is not in use at present).

The puretrak talent is a great cloth pad, but isn't really a hybrid pad (but is what I currently use). It has been reported that certain optical sensors have trouble with it as well, but I haven't experienced that personally.

How long does the surface of the 5L usually last?

I got a year out of my first one and when I got the second one it was still useable. Basically the 5L has a coating over the cloth to make it more like a hard pad. That coating for me was starting to break down on one edge. It may have all started with a new kitten I had at the time. She was hell on wheels and for some reason liked to lay on the 5L. I think it may have been the cat since the edge that was coming apart was not an edge that I touched much... So without the kitten I may still be using that pad... She wasn't declawed so it may have been her, but it wasn't obviously her in that the way it was coming apart it looked more like wear than a claw job. Wow I need my morning coffee, sorry for the rambling!

i have the roccat sota it is a good pad, works good with the abyssus.

Has anyone tried the Steelseries 9 or 4HD?

I have tried the 9HD pad, but when you stated you wanted a hybrid pad I didn't even mention it since it is just a textured hard pad. It worked well with the XAI which is what I tested on it as well as a DA 3G. However I typically prefer cloth and switched back to the 5L at the time.

So in summary the 9HD is a nice hard pad, I personally prefer the SS 5L. Primarily for comfort reasons. I had no technical problems with the limited testing I did with the 9HD.

You could also possibly try out the new Artisan mouse pads from GUP Japan. They had a booth @Qcon this year and Cooller picked up a ARTISAN KAI.g3 HIEN [Hard] from them.

http://www.gup.co.jp/eng_kai02.html