Cymbals reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 239 Reddit reviews across 11 subreddits and 63 posts to rank the best Cymbals brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/drums, r/Drumming, r/cymbals, r/Metallica, r/toontrack. Top-rated brands include Zildjian (4.4/5), Sabian (4.4/5), Paiste (4.4/5).
Stats
Reviews239
Subreddits11
Posts63
Brands29
Products79
239 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Zildjian
4.4
(79)
"A Swiss Army knife of the darker side of Zildjian. 22” K Dark Medium…an incognito K Con! It whispers, it roars with the dragon’s breath!"
"I just chuck the k custom dark in the bag and head out. Always sounds great."
"I love my Zildjian A medium 20" ride from 1980s."
"Zildjian k custom dark ride. Best all around in my opinion."
"Zildjian cymbal polish WILL remove ink/non etched or stamped logo etc, but it WILL also restore the shine and finish to basically brand new."
"Zildian A Custom and Sabian K Series are my absolut favourites for that"
"A. Zildjians are probably what you're going to find the most of among the used good stuff, and they are never a wrong answer for virtually any genre of music."
"You can't go wrong with a K Custom Dark Ride."
"Buy used, try to find a set of Zildjian A’s or Sabian AA/AAX."
"Zildjian A would be a solid choice."
#2
Sabian
4.4
(39)
"I LOVE my 22” Sabian Paragon"
"If I would start from scratch I would buy Sabian HHX complex cymbals. 15" HiHats, a 19" crash and 21" or 22" ride (medium or thin, depending on if you need crashing or bell use more)."
"Im playing mostly metal and I love my sabian AAXs. I’m using 16” and 18” thin crashes, 14” medium hats and a 21” medium ride I also have an 8” Splash and a 19” AA Holy China."
"I would take a look at the Sabian frx cymbals. They are normal cymbals, but have many small holes in them that take out a lot of those really nasty high-mid frequencies."
"The Sabian FRX line is amazing for small rooms"
"Sabian HHX"
"Stratus ride, hhx legacy, hhx anthology all good picks"
"Sabian Stratus are the best priced b20 cymbals on the market right now. Thin with warm characteristics."
"Save your money up and get some used HHX Legacys."
"HHX Evolution"
#3
Paiste
4.4
(27)
"Buy Paiste 2002’s."
"Paiste 2002 are perfect. Buy big ones."
"Can’t go wrong with a bog standard Paiste 2002 crash."
"The ultimate heavy music cymbal."
"Paiste rudes used-18,19,20" best sounding crashes for heavier/ metal music imo."
"The obvious answer: Rudes by Paiste, perfect for rudies."
"These are all loud and cutting cymbals."
"No question."
"Paiste PST7 are great value."
"Paiste 2002"
#4
Meinl
4.2
(13)
"The higher end of meinls cymbals probably have the best QC."
"I would recommend Meinl because that's what I'm switching to."
"I got my first Meinl cymbals this month as well."
"Hell ya, thank you for the recs. I have yet to play meinl but I hear great things"
"Go thin! I’ve adapted to a pretty quiet band situation with thin cymbals -Meinl Byzance Dual 18” Crash."
"It's a decent expense but worth it because I like to practice more when it sounds good."
"Cymbals that sound good in a band mix don’t always sound pleasing played in isolation."
"I would say Meinl or Hairiesis. I use meinl at church."
"Mein, zildjian, paiste are amongst the best you can find."
"OP something trashy like a Byzance Extra Dry or Pure Vintage might help too."
#5
Wuhan
4.0
(10)
"Wuhans are RIDICULOUSLY GOOD FOR THE PRICE."
"Wuhan. I've played with three crashes for 20 years, and two of them have been Wuhan."
"I'm a big fan of medium thin Wuhan Western cymbals. I've swapped out my older Avedis Zildjian crashes for them."
"I got a 20" thin crash/ride recently and it actually sounds really cool."
"As long as you get the Traditional series, made of B20 bronze, and *definitely not* the 457, which is brass."
"With a budget of $500, definitely Wuhan."
"Another vote for Wuhan"
"Used wuhans."
"Compare what the Wuhan Westerns and Kois sound like compared to the more expensive stuff."
"If you want new Wuhan has cymbal packs for under 200."
#6
Dream
4.1
(9)
"I play Dream cymbals, very underrated brand, and their Bliss and Vintage Bliss series rivals Zildjian K Custom at almost half the price."
"Really awesome if you’re on a budget because they’re on the cheaper side and they sound incredible."
"Dream bliss paper thin"
"I really dig my Dream cymbals."
"Are great value instruments."
"Are great for the price."
"Dream cymbals are great for the price."
"Found Dream Cymbals to be really great value B20 cymbals."
"Dream cymbals are great, until you get one that sounds like a trash can and their customer service is horrible nowadays"
#7
Sweetwater
4.7
(6)
"My sound engineer cut me a damn good deal on a high end cymbal set, and included free sticks with them!"
"Sweetwater is always a fabulous resource, as is Reverb"
"If you’d don’t live near a shop, Sweetwater is reliable with good stock."
"Assuming you're in the US - Sweetwater for new, Reverb for used."
"When they don't have what I need and/or my order is small and doesn't qualify for free shipping I use Sweetwater."
"Your local music shop if your stuck online probably sweetwater"
#8
Istanbul Agop
4.3
(6)
"Istanbul Agop’s Xist line is probably the best bang-for-buck cymbal line on the market right now."
"Tons of cymbals in that line, very affordable, sound amazing."
"Istanbul agop’s Xist line are great cymbals for the price."
"If you like the a customs, give a listen to the Istanbul Agop Xist series. You can get them in a pack, and I think they're a bit less money than the a customs."
"I've listened to recordings of other Xist cymbals, and the comparison to A Custom I think is fair."
"The Agop XIST line is probably on the top of that tier as far as price goes but maaaaaybe the best bang for your buck in all of cymbaldom"
#9
Zultan
4.4
(5)
"Zultan mellow series!"
"If you're in Europe check out Zultan cymbals on Thomann, far far better than the price suggests."
"The Zultan/ Thomann brand is not too bad for their cost."
"Zultan or Stagg are probably good bets for new affordable cymbals."
"I’d recommend zultan, centet, or dream cymbals."
#10
Istanbul
4.4
(5)
"I love love love Istanbul."
"Istanbul xists all the way"
"Istanbul Xist sound better than they have any right to for their price"
"I love Xist Istanbul traditionals. They pair well with my Zildjians and are not budget cymbals."
"Istanbul."
#11
Cymbals
4.0
(4)
"I have had good luck in the used section at Guitar Center."
"You can get great deals on good cymbals."
"Got some good deals on cymbals/hardware that way"
"I'd suggest looking on Facebook Marketplace for what is near you."
#12
Lemon
4.0
(4)
"I have a TD17 but recently ordered a Lemon ride. Was ordering an 18” ride but received a 15” ride but I’m still very happy with it."
"Lemon cymbals become quite popular. They are cheap but quality according to the review."
"Yes they’re definitely at A Custom level. Very good cymbals"
"I like them. Certainly a major upgrade from the Meinl HCS cymbals."
#13
Zildjian A Custom
3.8
(4)
"Agree with everyone here saying to avoid intermediate cymbals."
"I would back shouts of A Customs or indeed Z Customs."
"Other than the A Custom, they're just not very good, that's all."
"The A custom 15" will resale in good shape for a little over $100."
#14
Drum Center of Portsmouth
5.0
(3)
"Drum Center of Portsmouth, Memphis Drum Shop and CymbalFusion.com are my go to."
"I use Drum Center of Portsmouth whenever possible since it's my local drum store."
"If you're buying new and in the US I like to steer people towards indie drum shops like Drum Center of Portsmouth (my personal favorite), Memphis Drum, or any of the local shops around the country."
#15
A Custom
5.0
(3)
"A custom is better quality."
"I have A Custom everything except for my K hybrid China."
"I just got my first A custom ever."
#16
Meinl Custom Dark
4.0
(3)
"I would definitely recommend looking for a good used deal on good quality cymbals."
"Both Meinl Custom Dark and Zildjian S series are B12 bronze."
"Meinl Custom Dark are aggressive and loud, but darker tones."
#17
A Customs
5.0
(2)
"Are the best bang for your buck."
"Great for metalcore because they’re versatile."
#18
Paragon
4.5
(2)
"Paragon. Top of the list!"
"I really like the 22" Paragon. Not the most crashable ride, but great stick definition across the bow and the bell is fantastic and cutting."
#19
Zildjian K Custom Dark
4.5
(2)
"K Custom Dark"
"I play mostly custom dark K’s these days b/c they open up at a lower volume."
#20
Area 33
4.5
(2)
"Post Metal EZX cymbals are the best for more open and slower heavy stuff."
"I like Area 33 also. the room options sold it."
#21
Amedia
4.0
(2)
"These are a great option. This line is available in a variety of weights, from paper thin to heavy and everything in between."
"Has a wide array of sounds."
#22
602
3.5
(2)
"I think the 602 ME’s sound amazing but their darker tone does not carry or cut nearly as well as brighter cymbals."
"I have these and they sound amazing but they are mediums and need a bit more to open up."
#23
Cymbal Craftsman
5.0
(1)
"All Cymbal Craftsman custom set. K Constantinople style"
#24
Anatolian
5.0
(1)
"Those Ultimate crashes are something else!"
#25
Royal
5.0
(1)
"Royal/Cymbal Craftsman are fantastic"
#26
Agop, Paiste
5.0
(1)
"I’m using Agop 30th hats Agop crash and Paiste formula 602 modern essentials ride for a country Americana band I play with. Are they best to me. You bet."
#27
Hansa
5.0
(1)
"Nothing comes to Hansa or Death if we the most pristine and cutting cymbals"
#28
Agop
5.0
(1)
"Get an 18" Agop signature flat ride, it's really quiet and has a nice response"
#29
Masterwork
5.0
(1)
"Masterwork Resonant series."
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