I shot the Monster today, along with the Reezen 7.0, DXT, S2, and the Hoyt AlphaMax32. I have always been a Mathews guy, and have been shooting them for 12-13 years; however, I immediately knew after drawing the Monster the first time, it's not the bow for me. It may have one of the worst draw cycles of any bow I've ever pulled back, which really surprised me... I expected much better! But there is no doubt, this bow is FAST!
The Reezen 7.0 is also fast, and overall, I was impressed with it. Although, its faster than the S2--which is basically a Switchback2--its not quite as smooth. I must say that the S2 is a really nice shooting bow. It's not the speed demon of some of the other bows, but it does have a smooth draw, pretty solid wall, its quiet and has very little shock, even with no stabilizer, etc.
Having said all that, I've been a long-time supporter of Mathews bows, so I really hate to say this, but the Hoyt AlphaMax 32 may just be one of the finest bows I've ever shot. In my opinion, it has an incredible draw cycle, which is very smooth, solid wall, and I was more impressed with the feel and overall shooting of this bow than any bow I've ever shot.
I'm in the market for a new bow, and I'm planning to return to the proshop and spend considerable time shooting the Reezen, S2, and AlphaMax, and I plan to put them all through the chronograph before I make a decision.
Honestly, I was a little disappointed that I had to admit that despite all the bells and wistles of the Mathews bows, ie the harmonic dampeners everywhere from the riser to the cams, and cable guard, the Hoyt AlphaMax was still much smoother and seemed to be equally as fast, with the exception of the Monster.
Haven't made up my mind yet, but it just goes to show, you can be loyal to a certain brand, and I have definitely been a loyal Mathews shooter for many years and still think they're one of the best out there, but if you're going to be HONEST AND OBJECTIVE, you have to take time to get these bows in your hand and shoot them enough to see what suits you best!
Honestly, I think Bowtech and Diamond are also fine bows, and the Bowtech is super quiet, but they just feel a little too top heavy to me. Actually, they feel to heavy period, but I doubt you will find a bow that shoots anymore QUIET than a Bowtech, so again, it's personal preference.
Anyway, I was excited to finally get an opportunity to shoot all the Mathews, which of course is what I was planning on buying, but the Hoyt may have thrown a wrench into that gameplan!