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Aramith Pool Balls Compared: Which Set to Buy

Updated Oct 15, 2026 · The LeaguePool Team

Aramith's current pool range has five sets on its own website, and each one is made from a different grade of phenolic resin. From the bottom up: Premier, Premium, Super Aramith Pro, then the two Tournament sets. Crown Standard still sells below them as the entry set. The names that cause most of the confusion (Pro-Cup, TV, Value Pack) are not extra tiers at all. They are versions of Super Aramith Pro and Tournament with a different cue ball and colors.

This page goes tier against tier: what Aramith says changes at each step, what it doesn't say, and where most tables should stop. If you are still deciding between Aramith and a cheap polyester set, start with Aramith vs cheap pool balls instead.

The Aramith lineup, tier by tier

Listed from the top down, the way Aramith orders its pool range. Resin names and features come from Aramith's own range and cue ball pages.

Two things the table can't show. First, Aramith checks its three classic sets against the same eight criteria (density, balance, diameter, roundness, color, gloss, hardness and weight) and publishes no tolerance numbers for any pool set, so anyone quoting a gram tolerance for a given tier is not quoting Aramith. Second, Aramith's story page ranks its resin grades in this order: Premier, Premium, Super Aramith, Super Aramith Pro. Duramith came later and sits above that ladder.

Pro-Cup, TV and Value Pack are versions, not tiers

This is where most comparison pages go wrong. Aramith sells both Super Aramith Pro and Tournament in three forms:

• The standard set, in traditional colors.
• A Pro-Cup TV set, which swaps in the red dot Pro-Cup cue ball and the TV color scheme.
• A Pro-Cup Value Pack: the Pro-Cup set plus a six-dot cue ball, a Jim Rempe training cue ball with its manual, Aramith ball cleaner and a microfiber cloth.

So a "Super Aramith Pro-Cup" and an "Aramith Tournament Pro-Cup" are different resins in the same costume. Read the full listing title before you buy. The word that tells you the resin is either Super Aramith Pro or Tournament, never Pro-Cup.

The TV colors exist for broadcast. On a traditional set the dark blue, dark purple and maroon balls are hard to tell apart on camera, so the TV scheme uses a pink 4 and 12 and a lighter brown 7 and 15 (the swap is described in retailer TriBilliards' history of the sets). The six red dots on the Pro-Cup cue ball make spin visible to viewers, which is also why it works as a practice aid at home: you can watch whether your draw ball is actually spinning backward or just sliding.

Crown Standard vs Premier

Crown Standard is the cheapest way to own Aramith phenolic, and it is still a big upgrade over polyester. The catch is that Aramith no longer lists it on its own range page and doesn't publish its resin grade, so you are buying on the brand name rather than a stated spec.

Premier is on the range page, carries a named resin and the eight quality checks, and is the only Aramith set offered in five diameters. If the price gap is small when you shop, take Premier. If Crown Standard is what fits the budget, it is a better buy than any polyester set at the same money.

Premier vs Premium: is Premium worth it?

Yes, for a table that gets real use. Premium is a separate resin (Aramith Premium phenolic) with Aramith's Vitrotech treatment, which hardens the outer surface into a glassy, vitrified layer. Aramith pitches it on two points: the balls keep their shine longer, and the smoother surface wears cloth more slowly, so you replace felt less often.

That second point is the one buyers overlook. A ball surface that stays glassy is kinder to your cloth for years, and recovering a table costs far more than the difference between these two sets.

Premier is still the right set for a table played a few evenings a month, and it is the only choice if your table takes 2 inch or 2 1/8 inch balls. Pick Premium if the table sees play most days or the kids break as hard as they can. Wanting the set to look new longer is a fine reason too.

Premium vs Super Aramith Pro

Super Aramith Pro is the resin Aramith describes as its highest-end phenolic, and its history page calls Super Aramith Pro the top of its pool line. Its surface is through-hardened and vitrified. The standard set ships with a dotted cue ball.

For a home player the honest difference is durability under abuse and the cue ball. Both sets meet the same eight published criteria, so Aramith gives you no spec that says the Pro set rolls truer. Where it earns the price is a daily practice table or a league room where the balls take hard breaks for hours a week. If that's your table, go straight to Super Aramith Pro. If you want the dotted Pro-Cup cue ball and TV colors as well, the Super Aramith TV Pro-Cup set gets you both in one box.

Super Aramith Pro vs Tournament: two different resins

Tournament is not Super Aramith Pro with a coating. Aramith lists it as a separate set made from Duramith, which it calls the fourth generation of Aramith resins with a reworked formulation. Here is what Aramith claims for Duramith, side by side with Super Aramith Pro:

Two caveats. Aramith doesn't say what the 50% is measured against, and its Super Aramith Pro page still calls that resin its highest-end phenolic, so the two pages don't line up neatly. We also found no published test showing the two sets roll differently. What Duramith promises is a set that stays cleaner and lasts longer between replacements, which matters most where balls are in play all day.

Our call: a home table with a careful owner gets nearly everything from Super Aramith Pro. A pool room, a tournament director or a home player who wants the longest-lasting set Aramith makes should buy Tournament.

Aramith Tournament Black

When people search "Aramith black" they almost always mean Tournament Black, the top set in the range. Aramith says it uses the same Duramith resin as Tournament and was developed with Matchroom Multisport so the balls are easier to tell apart on TV and small screens. The black design is patent pending.

What changes is the look, and it changes a lot. According to the TriBilliards listing, the stripes have black poles instead of white, and the colors run 1/9 yellow, 2/10 dark blue, 3/11 red, 4/12 pink, 5/13 light purple, 6/14 light green and 7/15 light brown, with a black 8. That listing also shows an ivory cue ball with six black dots. If you learned the game on orange 5s and dark green 6s, expect a few racks of double-checking.

Buy it if you stream or record matches, if you host events that want the Mosconi Cup look, or because it looks great under your lights. Don't buy it expecting a better roll than Tournament: it is the same resin with different colors. Two US billiards retailers listed it at roughly $530 to $550 today, which makes it the most expensive set here.

One name clash to know about: Aramith also makes red and yellow "blackball" sets for English eight-ball. Those are a different game entirely, covered with the other specialty sets in Aramith vs cheap pool balls.

The Aramith Red Circle cue ball, and the other Aramith cue balls

The Red Circle is a standalone 2 1/4 inch Aramith cue ball, sold on its own rather than as part of a set. It is a white ball with a red circle and Aramith logo. Buy one if your house cue ball is chipped, if your league room uses one and you want the same ball at home, or if you like a mark you can watch to see how much spin you actually put on the ball.

Aramith lists six cue balls, and they are easy to mix up:

A magnetic cue ball only matters on coin-op tables that separate the cue ball by magnet; on a home table, use a standard one. For marked practice balls like the Jim Rempe trainer, see the best training cue balls, and for straight replacements, the best replacement cue balls.

Which Aramith set to buy

Match the set to how hard the table works, not to how serious you feel about pool.

1. A table played a few times a month, or a small table that takes 2 inch or 2 1/8 inch balls: Premier.
2. A home table on a tight budget that still wants phenolic: Crown Standard.
3. A family room table in use most days: Premium.
4. Your own practice table, hours a week, hard breaks: Super Aramith Pro, or the TV Pro-Cup version if you want the dotted cue ball.
5. A pool room or event, or a home owner who wants the longest life Aramith claims: Tournament.
6. The same as Tournament but you want the broadcast look: Tournament Black.

The jump from polyester to any of these is much bigger than the jump between neighboring tiers. If two sets are close in price on the day you buy, take the higher one. If they aren't, Premier on a home table is not a compromise you will regret.

Getting the tier you paid for

Listings for Aramith sets are messy, and the name in a listing title is your only clue to the resin. A few checks before you buy:

• Find the tier name (Premier, Premium, Super Aramith Pro, Tournament) in the title. "Pro-Cup" or "TV" alone tells you the cue ball, not the resin.
• Check the size. Every tier except Premier comes in 2 1/4 inch only, so a 2 inch "Super Pro" set should make you suspicious.
• Compare the box and ball photos with Aramith's own product images.
• Buy from the brand's store or a seller you recognize. Aramith is widely counterfeited; our brand guide covers how to spot fakes.

Then keep the set clean. Aramith sells its own ball cleaner, and how to clean pool balls walks through the routine. For non-Aramith options and how sets compare across brands, see the best pool balls.

Sources

• Aramith regular range: pool (tiers, resins, sizes, Duramith claims, Pro-Cup versions)
• Aramith cue balls (Pro-Cup, Red Circle, magnetic and standard cue balls)
• The story behind Aramith (resin grade order, Pro-Cup on TV)
• TriBilliards: Aramith Black ball set (Tournament Black colors and TV color history)

Our picks

Links open the current selection and price on Amazon so you can compare real reviews before buying.

Aramith Premier Ball Set

Best value for most home tables

Aramith Premier phenolic with the classic numbering in the stripe, checked against the same eight quality criteria as the higher sets. Aramith calls it its best compromise of quality and price, and for a table played a few nights a month that is exactly right.

Amazon price: $195.07 as of 12:22 PM EDT. Price and availability can change; Amazon’s price at purchase applies.

Check price on Amazon →

Aramith Premium Belgian Ball Set

Busy home rooms

Its own resin grade plus Aramith's Vitrotech treatment, which hardens the surface so the shine lasts. The edge most buyers miss: a surface that stays smooth is easier on your cloth, and felt costs far more than the step up from Premier.

Amazon price: $213.62 as of 12:30 PM EDT. Price and availability can change; Amazon’s price at purchase applies.

Check price on Amazon →

Super Aramith TV Pro-Cup Ball Set

Daily practice with the TV look

Super Aramith Pro resin, Aramith's top classic phenolic, in the TV colors with the red dot Pro-Cup cue ball. The dots show your spin on every shot, so the practice table doubles as a feedback tool.

Amazon price: $384.12 as of 12:22 PM EDT. Price and availability can change; Amazon’s price at purchase applies.

Check price on Amazon →

Aramith Tournament Black Ball Set

The broadcast look on Duramith resin

Aramith's top set: Duramith resin, black-poled stripes and a color scheme built with Matchroom so every ball reads clearly on camera. Same resin as Tournament, so buy it for the look and the longest life Aramith claims.

Check price on Amazon →

Aramith Crown Standard Ball Set

Cheapest way into Aramith

The entry Aramith set, still phenolic, at the lowest Aramith price. A clear step up from polyester for a table on a tight budget.

Amazon price: $127.77 as of 12:21 PM EDT. Price and availability can change; Amazon’s price at purchase applies.

Check price on Amazon →

Aramith Red Circle Cue Ball

Replacing a worn house cue ball

The standalone 2 1/4 inch Aramith cue ball with the red circle and logo. Swap out a chipped cue ball, and the circle gives you a mark to read how much spin you actually put on the ball.

Check price on Amazon →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Aramith Premier and Premium?

They use different resins. Premium is made from Aramith Premium phenolic with a Vitrotech treatment that hardens and vitrifies the surface, which Aramith says keeps the shine longer and wears cloth less. Premier is the value set and the only Aramith set made in sizes smaller than 2 1/4 inch.

Is Aramith Tournament the same as Super Aramith Pro?

No. Aramith lists them as separate sets with different resins. Tournament uses Duramith, Aramith's fourth-generation resin, while Super Aramith Pro uses the Super Aramith Pro resin. Both come in standard, Pro-Cup TV and Value Pack versions, which is why they get confused.

Is Super Aramith Pro worth it over Premier?

For a daily practice table or a league room, yes. For a home table played a few times a month, Premier does the job and costs much less. Aramith publishes the same eight quality criteria for both, so the case for the Pro set is durability under heavy use and the dotted cue ball.

What does Pro-Cup mean on an Aramith set?

Pro-Cup means the set comes with the six red dot Pro-Cup cue ball and the TV color scheme. It is a version of Super Aramith Pro or Tournament, not a separate resin, so check which of those two names is in the title.

What is the Aramith Black set?

Aramith Tournament Black is the top of the range: Duramith resin with black poles on the stripes and a color scheme developed with Matchroom for TV and small screens. It plays on the same resin as the regular Tournament set.

What is the Aramith Red Circle cue ball?

A standalone 2 1/4 inch Aramith cue ball with a red circle and logo, sold separately from ball sets. It is a straightforward replacement when a cue ball gets chipped, and the circle lets you see how much spin you put on the ball.

How long do Aramith balls last?

Aramith says its balls last up to five times longer than polyester, and claims up to 40 years of home use for its Duramith Tournament sets. Those are manufacturer figures, but even the entry Aramith sets should outlast several cheap polyester sets.

Related guides

• Pool Ball Size and Weight: Regulation Specs by Game
• What Are Pool Balls Made Of? Billiard Ball History
• Aramith Pool Balls vs Cheap Sets: Are They Worth It?
• Pool Balls: Best Sets, Colors and Numbers Explained

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