Just wondering if Magnumlite, A7075 and Duralumin were all the same material? I've seen different descriptions over the years and just wondering if these were all the same? How do you know what the lightest material is?

No, they're not the same. They are all different alloys. Some qualities like weight, rigidity, and corrosion resistance are altered in each different alloy.

Naming alloys is another piece of marketing and an attempt to set manufacturers apart in a very competitive market. I don't believe there's any magic in any one of them. There are other factors that play into making a quality reel such as tolerances, QC, engineering etc.

Which is the lightest? I read on here and other forums that the lighter the spool, the more "finesse" capability the reel has in throwing lighter baits. I don't throw anything terribly light because I have a spinning setup for that, but I do like to throw weightless T-rigged plastics a fair bit.

As far as they go, they are all different. Like said above they all have different attributes. And yes, lighter generally means its easier to cast lighter baits.

 

I know from playing lacrosse and in the industry, 7075 aluminum is pretty standard, mid grade stuff (as far as lacrosse shafts go)

 

There were other blends, some named, some not, but im surprised that with marketing of spools we dont see more descriptive terms instead of just names. For instance, if the shaft was a Scandium blend, it would be marketed as so, titanium blend, etc. It gives you a generally basic idea of weight, because if they're all built to the same strength, then the stronger alloy they use less of, making it lighter weight.