Meinl Byzance Thomann Edition Set

I have used zildjians for many years particularly k's and I took a complete chance buying theses as I had only ever heard a friend of mines in the flesh. They did not disappoint. I play in a covers band and in a few original groups but the covers band is my main band. Guitars, bass, keyboards & vocals. A good bit of rock. The 16 crash is nice and responsive, slightly trashy but not too bright. Great crash. The ride is so beautiful to look at but that aside it has great stick definition, it can crash and the bell cuts through with ease. Now on to my two favourites ! The 18 thin crash is simply amazing. Great crash sound, opens up easy but does not resonate for too long, beautiful crash. The hi hats are my favourite. I was worried they would not be versatile enough (I was using new beats) and that they may have been too dry. What I got was a set of hats that cut through while also sitting nicely in with the other instruments. When opend up they are slightly trashy and dry but not in a harsh way. The lift on them is very unique compared with a standard hat and the chick is nice also. Great hats. All in all you won't be let down with this truly beautiful modern and yet vintage sounding cymbals.

The 14" Hi-Hats are amazing and worth every penny, especially in this pack and at these prices. Crisp and dark with that stunning finish. 10/10
The 16" Byzance Vintage Crash sounds good and mixes well with the other cymbals in the pack. 8/10
The 18" Sand Thin Crash is another great cymbal. Beautiful sound with a fairly short decay and lovely definition. Sounds good to ride too. 9/10
The 20" Sand Ride has a lovely wash to it but never lacks definition. It also has the best bell sound I've played. This cymbal is great for various styles of play and can easily cope with the rigours of jazz, funk or rock. 10/10

This pack is incredible value at this price (almost every other site is £1000 or more for a similar set) and as always the shipping was perfect. Highly recommended.

... so, first read the excellent reviews of the Benny Greb Sand Set from Meinl. I won't repeat them here. Then consider that this is EXACTLY the same set, but for the addition of a Meinl 16" Vintage Crash at no cost whatever.

The 16" crash sounds fuller and darker than its dimensions might suggest, and the tone is definitely complementary to the rest of the cymbals in the set. It has been well chosen to make an ideal addition to the set. In any case it's free, so if you hate it you could use it as a dustbin lid, a bird-scarer or simply hold it to your stomach and pretend to be C-3PO.

Thought i recieved a defective order because i did not like the sound as it did not sound like videos... but i relized i have been using bad cymbals for so long that i was not used to quality and i got used to it after 1 to 2 weeks and i will never go back now! It is a very musical cymbal and has lots of versatility. The 16 crash is the weakest of the set but i feel that the 16 in trash crash in the usual sand set would probably be worse. But this is way cheaper than that at so get this set anyway! [16 is not bad at all, it is actually good but just weaker than the other [best] cymbals]. I highly recommend to purchase this set. Did a lot of research on a lot of options [including zildjian and sabian dark cymbals] and this is by far the best value and sound. Better than sabian legacy and zildijan k.

I spend about a year searching for a perfect cymbal set. And even though nothing can be perfect, this set is extremely close to it.
The variety of sounds is massive provided that each cymbal has slightly different colour which adds to the overall sound spectrum.
First of all is hi-hat. Whether open or closed it has extremely focused sound even with heavy playing. And yet you can hear the nice vintage sandy wash. Might be the most versatile hats I've ever played or heard.
Second, and this must be my favourite, you get the 18' Sand crash. Oh man, this cymbal is really something. First time hit it I literally got goosebumps. Once meeting the stick the crash opens up into this massive wall of wash which surprisingly enough doesn't cover the rest of the sound but nicely blends into it giving a true warmth to the set. I guess if I had to choose one cymbal to play this would be it!!
Next you have a 20' Sand ride that provides really nice and warm vintage sound. Its one of the very few ride cymbals I got to play that has an awesome washy bell sound. Perhaps not very suitable for metal players though.
And last but not least is a 16' Vintage crash. I wouldn't consider this cymbal great on its own but it adds a perfect feel to the whole set. I like using it as a big splash rather than crash unless its combined with 18' Sand crash just to make the sound even fuller.
So, to sum up, if you are after a nice versatile vintage set than you definitely should consider this pack since I believe it is the ultimate cymbal set. Have fun with it!