My golden A8* violin bow

This bow is from the special series A* (pronounced = "A...star"). The A* bows have significantly stiffer sticks, they are slightly heavier and their sound is darker, more robust and more powerful.

In terms of sound:
Big, beautiful, characterful sound!!!

Playing characteristics:
Trying it out showed that it was technically more demanding to play the A8* bow "beautifully" than the other ARCUS bows I have played.
Compared to Cadenza Silver (round & square), P6, P7, P8 Silver, P8 Gold, or G8 Gold (each square), you can hear more clearly in the sound of the A* bow when (technical) inaccuracies occur, such as uneven stroke speed, inaccurate contact point, or incorrectly selected bow position with jumped/thrown stroke types. As a player, you have to be more confident in your archery technique.
However, IF a player can deal with this, the reward (in the room and at the ear) is a dark, round, powerful and noble sound that can blend in, but also carries "soloistically"!

Especially in comparison to the two angular P8 gold bows, I noticed a few more things:

1.
Due to the lower bow weight of the A* bow and the different frog shape (A* = similar to the "S" frog, P = classic frog), the (always round) A8* bow was more flexible than the two angular P8 bows

2.
Although it seemed more "delicate" when I first got to know it, the tone coloration of the A8* resembled the P8 bows the longer I played it. However, since its tone is not quite as dark and "beefy" as that of the "power bows", but a bit more concrete and pithy and with less "sound cloud" around its core tone, I could well imagine that my A8*, if desired, can also hold its own against the accompanying orchestra in loud solo passages.

Playing comfort:
Like all bows in the ARCUS range that I have played so far, the combination of light weight, stability ("tracking") on the string and good bounce makes it more versatile and less tiring to play for long periods than (my) wooden bow.

I am glad that I can play with it!