SeriesSabian AAX

I purchased the Sabian AAX Performance Set unopened at Drum Central in Glasgow for £399. I had heard these cymbals compared o others and had read several reviews and had to buy them. The set includes Sabian AAX Stage Hi-Hats, Stage Ride and Stage Crash in sizes 14",16" and 20". The cymbals are held safely together in the black sturdy hard shell case. The Sabian AAX Performance Set is visually stunning to look at. With it's exclusive Auto-Focus Response feature filtering out unwanted overtones and equalizing high and low ptch responses for a perfectly bright tonal blend, these cymbals deliver the purest, most controlled sounds at any level of volume. These cymbals Have little or no fault. I personally think that the bow of the ride cymbal could be more defined when hit. At the price for these exceptional cymbals, they will last for many years, and will not need changing. They will make jaws drop with their fantastic liquid shine look and sound wise these cymbals are soem of the best money can buy. sturdy case for safety, visually stunning, brilliant sound, affordable and worth every penny. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this from Drumbank Music near where I live in Bristol for about £85 (GBP) I really like the way it can be used in lots of different kinds of music; when I was looking at it in the shop I played it lightly with my hand it responded beautifully, with a steady build-up. When played quietly it responds quite slowly with a gradual build-up, but it can also be hit really hard and give a great dark crash before fading out slowly. It works well on my kit because it is darker then my other 16" crash and they can be used with my crash-ride to go down in tone and darkness with the music It was 2nd hand but hardly used so the price was good, but normally the price is a bit steep for someone like me on a TIGHT budget. Also, it is a tiny bit (and I emphasise, tiny) dark and warm for the music I am playing at the moment which is mainly punk and HC, but because it is in my house with my family trying to live alongside it works quite well, hence the 'studio' name As with most Sabians this cymbal is beautifully finished, looking fantastic on my kit compared to my cheaper cymbals which I am gradually replacing. The actual materials used can be found on www.sabian.com I think this cymbal really works out well for people looking for a cymbal that could cope with most style of music, as it sounds great played loud or quiet. Overall, I'm really pleased with it! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The Good: - Brilliant finish allows it to cut through every kind of cymbal and drum I've ever heard. - Can be crashed for a LOUD sound, or tapped lightly for a nice washy jazz china/ride. - Very piercing - Good for a live setting when you need to be heard. The Bad: - Very piercing - Sounds like you're being stabbed in the ear with an ice pick when playing by yourself. - Gongy - Sounds like you're hitting a metal pole. - Not very trashy - While there's some trash there, it gets covered up in the piercing, gonginess of the cymbal - Too much sustain - This cymbal takes FOREVER to decay. Not very good for crashing it over and over, because a loud wash will start to build up. You'd really think that the 18" size on this cymbal would even out the sound and make it a bit more full and trashy, while not being as piercing as a smaller China, well - you'd be wrong. I own a 12" AAX Mini Chinese and it only sounds slightly higher pitched than this one, has a much quicker decay, and is overall, just more pleasing to the ear for heavier music. While I could see the 18" AAX sounding great live, because it will slice through the other instruments like no other, when I'm practicing alone by myself, I just CANNOT stand the sound of this cymbal. I did find that it sounds much better if I put headphones on, almost exactly how I wanted the cymbal to sound, but that's due to the fact that my headphones cut a lot of high end and add in some lowend. On a recording, this cymbal sounds even worse. It's too bad, I wanted to love this cymbal, but for the price, I'd rather spend $40 on a Wuhan - They sound similar, and are a lot cheaper! I've since replaced this with a Sabian HHX 18" China, which has similar characteristics to this one, but is more trashy and subtle (well... subtle in the fact that it's not stabbing me in the ears... because the HHX overpowers every single other cymbal on my set in volume with ease!), pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

The Sabian Crash AAX O-Zone is a unique cymbal that comes in a few different sizes. The version of this cymbal that I've used is a 20" cymbal, but I believe it also comes in 16" and 18" sizes. The cymbal is unique due to holes that it has in it, hence the name O-Zone, which is funny and kinda messed up all in one. I don't know too much about the specifics on this cymbal since I'm not a drummer and don't get too heavily into the make up of cymbals. I was working on a session recently where the drummer brought this cymbal in to use, which was one of many different Sabian cymbals in his set up. This cymbal wasn't used a ton, but it definitely added color and was a nice variation when compared to the other crash cymbal he was using. The cymbal is really sensitive and can definitely get pretty loud when struck hard. It's got a unique sound and definitely is best suited as a compliment crash cymbal used in a tandem with a more traditional crash, rather than having it as your main crash cymbal. Of course you could use it as your main crash if you wanted, but I'd only recommend it if you're certain that this is the sound you're after. As far as price is concerned, isn't very cheap, especially considering that it's missing some spaces here! All kidding aside, this is definitely a professional's cymbal and is priced accordingly. If you're just looking to put together your first drum set or are relatively new to playing and cymbals, I'd probably recommend staying away from this and to go with something a bit more common. For those more experienced drummers who are looking for some new colors in terms of cymbals, the Sabian Crash AAX O-Zone is definitely one to try out.

I've been using the Sabian AAX Dark Crash cymbal for about two years and it is one of my favorite crash cymbals to use for recording rock and pop music. It has a brilliance to it that is not only unique but works perfectly for these applications because of this tone quality. The model of the Sabian AAX Dark Crash cymbal that I use I believe is 16" around, which is approximately the size you would expect from a crash cymbal. While I'm not a drummer, I have used the cymbal enough times while recording to know that it is a great sounding cymbal. To record drum overheads and cymbals I usually use a pair of Neumann KM184s or a pair of Rode NT5s and I find that with either pair I get great sounding crash cymbal sounds with this cymbal. While I've never used it for live shows it will work great for this application in addition to recording. The tone of the Sabian AAX Dark Crash cymbal can be described as a full bodied and having of a certain presence that you definitely hope to get with crash cymbals. Whether you are using this in tandem with another lighter sounding crash cymbal or on its own, it will add to your drum sound on the stage and in the studio. Even though this is a great sounding cymbal, the Sabian AAX Dark Crash won't break the bank in terms of price which makes it suitable for players of all levels looking to get a great sounding dark crash cymbal. All cymbals are unique and users need to try out each cymbal before purchasing to see if it will fit in their sounds, but I believe that the Sabian AAX Dark Crash cymbal is a great choice and is definitely worthy of a try.