UPDATE:
Time to post my results. I also purchased an individual Miura 301 and added it to the shoot out. Also, to reiterate, I would be happy to play any of these irons sets. They all work very well for me, it is really just a question of narrowing it down to which set are best for me overall.
LOOKS:
Obviously, looks are probably the most subjective variable. I prefer a thin top line and not too much offset. While I appreciate the classic look, I also like well-executed modern designs.
1. MB2
2. Miura
3. X-Forged
4. S-58
5. A12
I love everything about the MB2. From the raw finish, the blade-on-blade design, the brass weights (looks very "prototype" to me- in a good way), the black nickel KBS shafts and the shape of the head. Basically, they are the best looking irons I have ever seen. I can see where traditionalists may not care much for the looks of the MB2. Different strokes........
FEEL:
While I have owned and presently own a number of clubs considered among the best available in terms of feel (many Mizuno sets over the years, Yururi, etc.), I have never owned or hit a Miura. That is why I decided to purchase the Miura 301 iron. I used to be more of a cast (Ping) guy, but once I bought the '07 X-Forged, I began to sway toward forged. What I like about forged, is that I find my distances to be more consistent. With cast, I find I sometimes will really blast one unexpectedly. Drawing an analogy to baseball, I find cast clubs to behave and feel sort of like a high-tech aluminum bat, whereas forged, when hit well, feel and behave more like a solidly struck wood bat.
I am including the forged wedges mentioned above in this rank ordering to give more perspective. Also, I am not necessarily ranking in terms of which feels the "softest" (although the Miura does feel the softest and is the winner). I am ranking in the order of what I personally liked best.
1. Miura- ok, now I see what all the fuss is about! Clear winner.
2. MB2
3. tie: Mizuno MPT-11, Epon 208 KGX
4. tie: X-Forged, Chikara
5. A12
6. Scratch
7. S-58 (and, to be clear, I think the S-58's feel great, just not as good as the others)
Of course, this test was not ideal, in that all irons did not have the same shaft, however, all irons have shafts that I love and work for very well for me. Shafts do have an impact on feel, as does head design. Adams forgings feel a bit different that traditional forgings from Mizuno or Endo (X-Forged). They have a bit more "pop" to them. Not "springy" like a cast feel at all. They feel forged, just more powerful to me, but still very smooth and soft. While the Miura was definitely the winner for me, it was splitting hairs among the MB2, Mizuno's, Epons, X-Forged and Chikara's.
In terms of feedback, I could easily tell where I was striking the ball with all of the clubs. Shots are not masked by any of these irons, although it was a bit harder to pinpoint the exact area of impact with the A12's. But this is only relative to the others. The A12's are not SGI or GI level in terms of masking feedback, and that is a good thing in my book.
FORGIVENESS:
1. A12
2. tie: Miura, MB2 and X-Forged
3. S-58
It came as no surprise to me that the A12's would be the most forgiving. The others were all very close to one another in terms of forgiveness. My misses are out toward the toe and thin shots. All of these clubs provided a decent amount of forgiveness (relative to the player's iron category, certainly not SGI clubs here). The A12's were a clear step or two more forgiving than the others, no question about it.
PERFORMANCE:
For me, "performance" is about consistency of distance, consistency in quality of contact/turf interaction, trajectory, and ability to manipulate the club for different shots.
1. MB2
2. A12 (I would say tie with the Miura 301 here, but that needs an asteric because I did not play a whole set of the 301's).
3. X-Forged
4. S-58
I tend to do much better in terms of quality of contact/turf interaction with narrower soles. The A12's have the widest soles of the 5 irons, but for some reason, the width was not giving me problems. For whatever reason, the sole grinds on the Adams clubs just worked better for me (before I bought the Adams irons this year, the X-Forged and S-58 had the best turf interaction for me of any irons I had ever owned). For me, the MB2's were the clear winner here, no question about it. They consistently performed the best for me.
DISTANCE/TRAJECTORY:
No trackman here so I can't really give any details. Distance was similar among all the irons. If anything, the MB2's were possibly the longest by a small margin. I am guessing they were the longest because of the fact that the sole grind works so well for me, giving me consistently superior contact which results in a touch more distance. Just a guess though. Trajectory? I could not see a big difference in this regard. The X-Forged probably had the lowest trajectory, and the A12's the highest, but the difference between the two was not significant. I hit everything pretty high.
SUMMARY: If I could only keep one set, it would be the MB2's, by a clear margin. I think I will go ahead and keep the A12's as well, for winter golf, and for times when my swing is off a bit. The MB2's are simply incredible.
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, especially interested in the wedges