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The BNS Ultra "DX" DDR Dance Pad along with the RedOctane Ignition pad are held to be the best bang for your buck. The problem is though that both of these pads are identical in so many ways that it leaves consumers with the one question of "which is better"

Due to the large surge in people wanting to defend reputations or companies, just about every comparison done has flaws due to bias views. Hopefully this will reflect not only the performance of the products but the performance of the companies as well in their dedication to their products and their customers.

BNS Ultra "DX" DDR Dance Pad:

The BNS Ultra "DX" DDR Dance Pad is a performance oriented pad designed for the DDR Enthusiast. I was quick to unpack this item and see what it was really made of which actually turned out to be a few parts. Included with this pad are 4 sets of foam pieces. You interlock them together in their respective forms and insert them to lift up the pad a little over 1 inch. You don't need to use both inserts but if you plan to play a marathon session then I would highly suggest that you do use both. After you decide on what you wish to use, all you have to do is zip up the side of the pad and plug it in. To my first suprise, I noticed that the sensors are now much more isolated than they once were in the past.

The first thing to notice while playing with this pad is that no matter what, I don't think anyone will be able to bunch this pad up. The construction is great and the response is excellent as it remains just the same from basic to maniac. The non-slip surface works to an extent as you can only expect so much of it when you get to higher level songs where body movement will start to move the pad a little bit. The amount of travel though is nowhere near as much as demonstrated by the other pads though.

The buttons are extremely accurate for a soft pad as even the longest set's of 1/16 steps can be done. My test for this was one of the more famous Dead End Left and right non-stop songs. During the whole 1000+ step insanity the pad only moved slightly and the buttons responded perfectly without sticking. The outer durability of this pad is excellent but now it's time to see what the inside has received.

The inside of the pad suffered from something similar to both of the Topway's and the RedOctane. For whatever reason, the plastic sheet that seals the inside up had multiple tears in it. I'm not sure exactly what causes this to happen, especially in this style of pad where the friction is reduced greatly inside. Either way it happens to all of them and should be washed and taped at the source so it doesn't expand.

A factory defect hit me with the first test pad as the sensor broke internally. A quick email to their support staff notified me to send them my contact info and they would have a replacement sent out right away. After 5 working days I had a new pad ready for the continued abuse that its predecessor had tried to put up with. Luckily this pad took the beating well without a hitch, and odd enough I haven't encountered a tear in the bottom of this one yet.

The overall appeal of this pad is great. Excellent performance, great customer support and from the newer test pad I can say that it is very durable as it has no signs of the flaws found in the other pad. The pad lived up and beyond what was expected for its price range and has some serious potential from the improvements slated to this pad.

RedOctane Ignition Pad:

The ignition pad has stirred up a storm with DDR players as one of the must have items for gameplay. The pad offers stiff padding with minimal pad travel, a nylon surface for easy movement, and raised arrow buttons. I'll note right now that the test pad I was able to use was a 1st generation so many issues I encountered have already been addressed by RO and others are most likely in the works.

The first test on the pad was the accuracy. I put the pad through a series of tests from 9 foot tests of destruction to the home brew L,R Dead End test which the pad survived for the most part minus a right arrow freeze at the end of Dead End. The pad has excellent circuitry though for its sensors as I could stand just about center of the pad without setting any of the sensors off with my oversized feet.

The pad construction is very well done, minus a few flaws in the bottom plastic cover and the already addressed stuck arrow. The foam seems to be a bit more dense as well, allowing for less travel from the pad when practicing your freestyle moves or just doing maniac songs. A definite plus for those who like their pad to stay still. The bottom on this pad has a bit more grip than the Ultra "DX" also which ensures its lack of movement.

Although the price is very high, you do get a quality product as I didn't encounter any sensor problems as far as a break went. RedOctane also offers a quick replacement setup for troubled/broken pads, although I believe the user is required to post shipping for the return. Also if you're not satisfied with the performance RedOctane extends a refund offer to those buyers.

Overall the pad met all my expectations from it seeing as it was a higher priced pad. It could be a bit more durable in some areas. It seemed that most of the flaws I found in the sensors and construction have already been addressed, or are in the works. Hopefully next time a thing like this comes around, I will be able to use the newest version of the product for best results.