BTW, I'm currently trying out some John Pearse PB mediums on my Collings D-1A and I'm very impressed. Not sure if they're round or hex core? Had Newtones on before and they too sounded excellent. And, the D'Addario EJ17s that came on the guitar were just as impressive, maybe a little punchier than the others but stiffer. I would need much more time with each to filter down to which I liked the best but I kind of liked the punchy-ness of the D'Addario EJ17s so far.
Both the D'Addarios and Newtones lasted me about a month to 6 wks of playing maybe 10 hrs a week or so, before changing to the Pearse PB mediums. I'll go back to the D'Addarios next to re-evaluate them and compare to the Pearse and Newtones. Once I pick a favorite from those three (if I can) I'll then try the DR Sunbeams.
Just to confuse things a little more, the clips of the Dean Markley Alchemys on the Strings And Beyond website are very impressive compared to the others. You might want to check it out.
www.stringsandbeyond.com
Tom