I had these strings in my Spruce Vowinkel 2A for almost 4 months. The basses held very fine, in fact this was most likely the longest lifespan I got on a string set. I haven't tried the "regular" non premium Cantigas, from what I read the difference is the type of "raw material" that is used for the core. Compared to Corum's I had before, I feel these Cantigas are brighter, and also more malleable for legato and vibrato, besides lasting longer. Still I wouldn't say they are as bright as something like the Knobloch double silver, but they are definitely brighter then say EJ45.
As for the New Cristal trebles, they are considerable smoother than standard nylon and look more shiny. This I believe translates into a slightly brighter sound, but still very malleable. They can sound a bit "plastiky" when playing with right hand up towards the neck, or if nail or fret touches it while vibrating. Besides being the longest lasting they were surprisingly stable in regards to tuning, even on the first day I remember this impressed me, they settle in very quickly and retain tune like no other string I tried.
Overall I would say these strings are very comfortable for both hands, deliver perfect intonation and and have a modern bright tone.
