I wasnt a big fan of the Brutal I had...I didnt find it very versatile, it needed oil upfront or it labored badly on the back end, but didnt handle heavy very well.. I like the Nightmare much better on the DV8 side. Over all I agree with imholte8, they are not the balls to be comparing. The Sync is a strong rolling heavy oil ball, similar in strength to my nano but much smoother. I find the Nano hard to use until I find the right amount of oil, but when I do, the ball is money. I would assume the sync would be the same. Ive also thrown the Lucid and own a Defiant Soul, keep in mind I owned a Brutal also. If I was recommending anything, The Soul is a GREAT ball. I use it on heavier THS and have thrown it on some heavier flat patterns and it just damn good. It reads the mids real well and has strong continuation on the back. It handles oil well and in heavier oil it is about 2-4 weaker than my Nano, but much much more versatile. I also liked the Lucid which in my hands was similar to the Deep Purple Taboo I had at the time, liked both of them a lot, but the Soul is whats still in my bag....