The Zildjian sweet ride is another good (not great) cymbal from the Zildjian A line.  I was eager to play this cymbal for a long time because I had always heard it was versatile and smooth.  I had played similar medium A rides that were great, so I had high expectations. 

Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this product.  It is billed as a versatile cymbal that can be used in rock, jazz, or whatever else.  I found it to be pretty boring, not suited to any genre in particular.  It was surprisingly abrasive, contrary to its name, and had a lot of ringing.  The sound itself wasn't too dark or righ, dry or wet (though mostly on the dry side), but in its neutrality it lacked character.  I don't care if both Louie Bellson and Travis Baker use it, I am not a fan.   Another strange thing about it is that it sounds very different cymbal to cymbal and room to room.  Almost every time I play another sweet ride I feel like it has a slightly different resonance, and this is really highlighted in different acoustic situations.  Obviously all cymbals can be expected to sound different in various environments, but considering that this cymbal is new and had a uniform production (not all hand hammering) I was surprised to hear the differences. 

Regardless of its faults, this cymbal is still a Zildjian A and is worth a listen.  It is not my thing, but I can't speak for everyone on that.  I would suggest the Zildjian A medium ride or Zildjian A rock ride for rock music instead of this, as well as the ping ride.  If playing jazz, I wouldn't suggest anything from the Zildjian A line at all.  The sweet ride is a fair value.  If the various music styles mentioned are going to be played it is best to have a variety of cymbals rather than try to do it all with one.