Victor VBS 68 Control, very similar feel but slightly better at holding tension. Try it at 28lbs. edit: also if you don't do so already, you need to make sure you rotate or replace your grommets after each string job, that's usually what kills the strings.
Thank you. I think I'll try either this or aerobite. I know aerobite is no where near bg80 but I'm curious how it'll fare. Never tried a hybrid before. Edit: Just tried aerobite since my go to shop didn't have vbs68, it was more than what i expected. Very nice control without sacrificing power, hitting sound was crisp, the only downside it's a medium or even soft feeling, i prefer hard like bg80. But i still would consider stringing with it again if it breaks. Can't say anything yet about durability, so far so good.
Is there any string that feels like BG65 at medium tensions (23-25lbs) but performs much better? 65 to me just performs kind of blah all the way around, although I like the feel.
There are a lot of strings that match this target spec. Try NBG99 it you want to stay with Yonex, it’s a great allround string. Apart from that there’s Li-Ning No.5 and I’ve heard great things about the Adidas Spieler E68 lately as well. BG65 is a completely outdated string which is still around because of one feature only: Its outstanding durability.
I do not know a string that feels as soft as BG65.... and I am the one @s_mair heard some good things about E68 from. I would still suggest to give his suggestions a try. NBG99 and E68 are really similar. Both perform better than BG65 in everything, but durability. NBG95 might be worth a try, too, just like the already mentioned Li Ning No.5, but my memory is fading there... To give you some more options, there's a 0.7mm Goshen string, that I remember to be better than BG65 without losing much (any?) durability and without a hard feeling... G-Pro 70 or something like that. If you want a softer string, that is different from all others I've tried, give Adidas Kalkül A68 a try... although that will only be available for another year or so. Really interesting string. Not for me, but neither is the feeling of BG65.