I bought this set of strings reluctantly, because I wanted to try them but didn't know what to expect since noone around me use them. The sound is voluminous, rich, warm and dark with a velvety finish but not too dark (maybe because of my bridge and bow). I am very pleasantly surprised, and so are the people around me plus my luthier :) I didn't need an extra E string -actually the E string is very good- and the G string shows no problems in higher positions; the D and A are loud and clear, played evenly, no loss of timbre or sound dampening overall. I am very satisfied and I recommend for those who want a darker, rich and warm sound with velvety, radiant overtones without losing the feeling of what a violin is supposed to sound like