Once you get higher than the Essence’s 8 speed, every disc fades because of the wider rim. In order to get a straight line flight from a higher speed disc, it has to be an understable disc on hyzer flip. All the under stability is used to flip the disc up (and probably over slightly) to reduce fade. The Astronaut does this, the Mentor does this. There’s still more fade than the Essence because of rim width. IMO Essence is a special disc. I have a 165g that is flippier than a 174g. Both fight back at the end, but the 174 just goes straight where the 165 goes up, over, and glides in turn first.

When you say the Essence is a “special disc,” do you mean more utility or more rare as in a manufacturer’s lineup of under stable fairways? Or something else entirely? I was curious about that comment. I just got my first Essence in a MB so this might help me experiment with it and see what role it plays in my bag. Thanks!

I mean there isn’t another disc that flies like the Essence. It’s not a Leopard3, not an FD, not a Saint or Underworld. Unique.

Wish I could get my hands on a 165g Essence! I haven't seen one below 170g in ages.

DiscBaron still has some blue 166g. That’s where I got mine. I had a 10% coupon though. Shipping is included with the higher price.
https://www.discbaron.com/Discmania-.../db1065182.htm

FWIW a local shop has a few listed in the 166-168g range (this was the absolute lightest I saw at 166.7g)
https://www.discbaron.com/Discmania-.../db1065184.htm

The discmania website has some of the Nate Perkins essence left in the 165-169 range also, but those fly a tick more stable than your typical Neo essence.

YMMV but what I have thrown and heard people say is not that at all. More like a 11 speed Firebird, at least in Active Premium they are notoriously overstable and not matching the flight numbers. This may or may not apply more to the first run of premium Mentors though.

I had never thrown either the Astronaut or the Mentor until the Black Mystery Box came out. The astronaut might be working its way into my bag, I do think my arm speed is a little lacking to really utilize it fully. The Mentor is flying very overstable for me, maybe it is just my disc, but I'm not really digging it at all. The active premium plastic is also not super to my liking. Seems quite stiff.

I think the 10 speed slot is a sweet spot for those arms where the 7/8 speed fairway drivers are a little too slow and flippy. I have an ESP scorch that is filling this slot right now, but I'd love to have something in the Neo plastic.

Eagle said in his "Iron Samurai 3 video" that the pink is flat and the blue is domey. . but he did not say anything about what the flat vs dome did for the flight. . do the fly the same?

Dome will be more stable with a larger cross section. Possibly also more glide.