I really don't know what to think about this set - It's a nice set and and one of the best in this price range, but it has a few weak points that have me second-guessing whether I should change a few of the cymbals or not.
The hi-hat is absolutely golden - It has a nice stick definiton and also has a very crisp and perfectly responsive sound regardless of how you play it. Definitely a nice choice on its own if you don't want the whole set. I will be keeping and playing it until it's in pieces.
The 16-inch crash responds very nicely and feels nice to play and the tone overall is musical. My only complaint is that it is much higher in pitch than what I've heard in the review videos on Zultans channel, which kind of bothers me since I really don't like overly bright sounding cymbals and I feel like an idiot for thinking that the company's own reviews wouldn't be EQ'd to hell.
The 18-inch crash doesn't really do anything wrong and it fits into this set nicely. It feels a little less responsive and quicker to reach its maximum volume than the 16-inch cymbal - Doesn't really bother me, but it takes a little time getting used to the minimal difference in how it plays when riding on it etc.
The ride has a smooth sound and it has a nice stick definition, but it is very loud, so it's not the best choice for quiet music. I like the bell of it, since it has a rather dark ping and it's not as ear piercing as other ride bells I've heard, which I personally like.
My biggest disappointment with the ride is that it's quite thick and it doesn't respond well to crashing at all and it doesn't sound good if you try to crash on it, which I dont really like because I was used to crashing on my ride since I only had one crash before buying this set. Now I'm still stuck on two crashable cymbals - Nice ride for the money, but not for somebody who wants to crash on it.
TL;DR, Key points:
- Over-all all of the cymbals are very loud and aren't the optimal choice if you want to play quiet music. (at least not for me, since I am a hard hitter and the cymbals are loud as I said)
- The Hi-Hat is easily the strongest link in this set, since it has a crisp sound and I've yet managed to find situations where it doesn't fill its needs.
- 16-inch crash is very bright, which I dislike
- The ride isn't crashable and its a problem for me.
Amazing set for the money, but keep my negative points in mind if they happen to be things that bother you. If you would strictly use this set for practicing, then don't even think twice.
Don't know what happened to the cymbals when they changed the label on it and added 100€ to the price, but I guess you should never be late to a party.
