50 Ride Cymbals Compared | Which is Best For You? 

There’s a ton of great rides that got left out. None of my favorites were included

This is why I buy stuff used. For $250-300 you can easily find used paiste 2002 or signature rides, Zildjian k stuff, istanbul...

I wish that 22" Paiste Dark Energy ride didn't sound so amazing...but it does. My bank account wishes the same thing.

Yes, ALL 50 CYMBALS line up perfectly to a 115 bpm click

Great demonstration of optional cymbals!! I play 2002’s on my studio kit at home but wanted to add a “complex ride”cymbal just to play softer & more articulate. Max helped me find a Paiste Masters 21” Dry Ride that was just what I wanted. The cymbal still blends in well with my other Paiste set-up also.. I’m blessed to have a drum shop that helps me get the right gear for what I am wanting for my playing growth!! Shane, Tony & staff work very hard & have made this independent drum shop IMO the best in the world & happy to have them close to home 🥁

I play the bass, I couldn’t even tell you how to hold a drumstick. But I’ve followed the channel for a couple years now, and your videos are so well produced, I feel like coming up to NH and leaving with 2 full sets plus some 50 cymbals 🤣 Keep up the good work, and may you prosper

Man that 22 paiste signature reflector bell just sounds so clean. Every part of the cymbal is nice and distinct

For this guy, Paiste reigns supreme. Really hard to beat a set of sigs, Zildjian if you want more wash, slightly darker and with less stick definition.

The Paiste 22" Signature Reflector heavy ride!!! By far the best ride in the 50 cymbals!!!!

Paiste 20" 602 ME stole the the show for me and I didn't expect that. Other than the Dark Energy Rides (that always sound great but are sooo expensive), I've never really liked the sound of Paiste rides. That's why these videos are fantastic. My mind has been opened (OK, only slightly, but it's a start😂)

For me, this is the most helpful video yet. 60 years playing...still seeking the perfect ride for me. I just heard 3 that fill my hopes. Thank you!

Yeah, still the Signature DE MKII, my dream Ride

FIFTY?! You guys know I don't have that kind of attention span. You maniacs. You absolute fiends. Thank you.

Drummers nowadays are really lucky in terms of choices/options in gear. Back in as late as the 80s, drummers' only choices for cymbals were Zildjian, Paiste, Sabian, Meinl, and maybe UFIP (which I think you should've showcased here as well), and even within these brands choices weren't as wide. Now, there's a literal ton of options for different budgets and musical tastes.

First of all, I truly appreciate you guys making this video, can't imagine how much work that must have been. That being said, there were, to my ears, a lot of awful sounding rides here, even among the higher price ranges.... 😬 I suppose I would still prefer a regular Zildjian 20"K ride, or a 21" K Sweet ride. Of the ones played here I guess the Meinl Pure Alloy and the Zildjian A Medium give the most bang for the buck, they sound closest to what I think a ride should sound like and don't break the bank. The medium heavy Wuhan was impressive for the price as well.

No k sweets ? Super nice rides . The TS ride sounded nice

I still like my Paiste 2002 Classic Ride 22", many greetings from Germany.

DCP is the definition of top shelf! 💯🥁

Dude that last one sounded like a $1000 trash can lid😂😂

I play on an original 80' ziljian ping ride since I started : this video showed me why I sill love it as much!!

I've been waiting for this to come up! I searched for a video like this from DCP but couldn't find one

Man, I hate to say it but wuhan hit it out of the park again with that medium heavy.

Every paiste was better than everything else. Bright and clear and beautiful. Mienle , Sabine. And Istanbul had some good ones. Zildjen... I expected better from you!!!!

I'm so impressed with Paiste and Meinl cymbals. ❤❤❤.

I tip my hat to how god damned perfectly repeated that pattern was. Jeez... Of my fave three, I only own one of them. And some others I do own, I wasn't so keen on. The 20" 602 ME ride for instance I thought was good but not wow, but I have it in 22" and love it. Same with the Foundry Reserve - so my take away from this is, any given cymbal can also live and breath, or suck a bit depending on which size you choose. Awesome work as always team.

Wow!! Just a fantastic video, nice job from the folks at DCoP!! You guys are a blessing. I purposely didn’t look at the cymbals and just listened. I know I can be swayed by brand and/or model of a cymbal if I see it. My ears don’t lie to me about what I like. I was surprised by the 23” A sweet, I had a 21” Sweet and I didn’t like it. The Royal cymbals were very nice (former Zildjian folks). Koide? Not impressed. Type of music, venues where you play the music and the number of cymbals in my set up really impact my choice of ride. Several cymbals seemed to be targeted at low volume situations. (Byzance Sand, Paiste Masters dark 20”, Zildjian K Con) many were dual purpose and really could be used as crashes!! The head turners for me were the Zildjian 22” K dark ride and the Sabain 22” Artisan 40th raw bell. The Royal 21 Stellar and 22” Mel Lewis were nice . My current ride is a 20” Paiste Dark Energy Mark II.

Paiste Dark Energy WOW. Forgot how good those sound. Zildjian A Medium insane price to performance ratio IMO.

The 23" Zildjian Sweet was Sweet!! Great bell, nice ping and still crashable. Covers all the sounds I would need out of my Ride. Thanks DCP that was a fun 20 minutes!

As with all HH models, the TS Sessions ride can really vary a ton from cymbal to cymbal. This one sounded a little tinny and the bell was not too impressive, but other versions are right on. Always nice to be able to try them out in person before buying. The Wuhan Medium Heavy was impressive for the price - punching above its weight for sure.

Thank goodness I stuck with the Z Custom Mega Bell Ride it’s my favourite 😎

BEST: Paiste Dark Energy MKii 22" 18:25 WORST: Byzance Foundry Reserve 20"(although the crash is pretty nice) 18:02 BEST VALUE IMO: Zildjian A Sweet 23" 9:14

Thanks for all the rides, so many colors! Leaning to the Sabian HH 22" for my ears.

Istanbul traditional dark is my favorite. You can do almost everything with it from jazz to rock. Thanks for sharing dcp !

Another great video. The HHX BEM world sounds amazing! I have four of these mid-upper priced ones, a 602 ME 22", a HHX 22" Medium, a 23" A Sweet and the 22" Mark II Dark Energy and will be at the store on Saturday, looking forward to playing the Paiste Masters Deep Ride 24". See you soon DCP!

Fantastic vid, thanks guys! I liked the 30th anniversary 22 the best:)

Thank you DCP for another comparison video you will not find anywhere else. Amazed by how different all of these rides sound. Much more varied than, say, snare drums. Something here for everyone. I know this entailed a lot of work. Thank you.

I liked the Koide 703 Half Turk 20” the best.

I'm very impressed with the sound of the cymbalcraftsman cymbals!

I GOT a $1100 cymbals craftsman 26’ crash ride and I got a whole set of Sabina B8X cymbals for $175.00 ( ride, crash, hihats) . So many factors to consider when choosing a cymbal so choose wisely

The Fat wreck shirt got me from the beggining

A sweet 23 and Agop traditional dark 21. Just my taste

Loved the 602 and Masters Crisp.

Many great ones here. The Paiste Masters Crisp 22 is the one I want.

Man that last ride cymbal sounded worse than the first one

The perfect example of the law of diminishing returns.

I love vintage As (mainly 50s, some 60s), but for new rides, i love Paiste.

Dark energy.

Great comparison, some lovely rides in there, but my god cymbals have got insanely expensive 😵 Best value for me would be the Dream Bliss ride, also loving the Istanbul Dark and the Mel Lewis ride, and the Sabian Stratus and BFMWorld worthy mentions!

The Sabian Todd Sucherman HH Sessions Ride is one of the best I've ever heard in person, from light to heavy, it can do it all, very musical, highly recommend!

That Royal cymbal sounded pretty nice!

Really complete and great selection, thanks. Please when testing rides, include in the description the sticks used.

I liked the Sabians and Paistes the most for their brilliance and range, and the Koides the least for their lack of both and high price. The Istanbul Mel Lewis ride was probably my favorite of the entire bunch!

Good Ride is so hard to find. Almost 3 years ago I got a Zildjian K Sweet 21' as part of a package deal and didn't love it and wanted to replace it since. Still playing that, went through several rides that were great but ultimately didn't work as well as the Zildjian did for the music and venues I play. I'm really trying to get rid of it and it just wins the comparison with everything i try, lol. It's good to have so many models compared in one video with same mix to give you some idea. But you gotta play it in person, feel is so important. Under 300$ only Istanbul Agop Xist is worth your time imo. Price to Value you can't beat Xist. Under 400$ you've got more choice, Dream Bliss for something crashy, Meinl Pure Alloy thin is really nice, Paiste Giant Beat would work for me if it was bigger like 23 or 24 inches. Above 400$ everything sounds nice and it's down to your taste. For me Paiste Big Beat is where its at or Zildjian K Medium 22. Paiste Dark Energy MkII Sabian Artisan 22 Raw Bell are sick if you've absolute disregard for your budget

Paiste Sig Reflector Bell and Master Crisp are amazing!! Istambul...nice cymbals!!

The Koide 703 20" half turk is awesome. Thank you for the ride🤡!

Wuhan Koi 21 and Royal Cymbals Steller 21 were my standouts for sure.

thanks so much for these, guys!

The Dream Eclipse 21" had some interesting stuff going on> I am disappointed that the Paiste Signature DUO didn't make it on the video. I get great comments on mine and would have enjoyed hearing it with the same production as the rest of these.

Hey Adam or Tony is there a way I can buy the exact mkII ride in this video?

My Favourite here is the Paiste Signature Dark Energy Mk2 22". For more poweful moments I got a Paiste 2002 22" Power Ride and for silent moments Istanbul Mehmet 1623 Black Sea 20". A Paiste 900 24" Mega Bell was great but had too much low resonance for big rooms and drowned everything.

Thanks for such a great comparison! Got to say the Turkish cymbals sounded smooth for the price point, love the TS Sessions, Artisan.

I thought there were a lot of great sounding cymbals in that 275-400 dollar range. Fir the price, I thought the Istanbul Xist & Wuhan Koi sounded great. A lot of the higher dollar rides were quite dry & had a more complex sound, but my ear didn’t necessarily respond to them. I think many of them would do very well in a jazz setting.

Sabian HH TS Sessions 22'' was probably my fave although there were a few in that price range that I liked. Crisp clear sticking and a great bell sound.

There are about 25 of these that I'd like to own, and then I wouldn't even be drumming, I'd just be switching out rides.

2002 was the most ridiest ride to my ears. And, I'm a Zildjian player. Shoulda went Paiste all those years ago.

50 isnt too much guys, i really like the comparisons that have alot of examples side by side since there are so many great cymbals

Zildjian 21" Z Custom Mega Bell Ride

My current kit has rides as crashes. Love the thin ones, very versatile.

4:18 i have this ride and its soo good and great for price

Sabain aa 24 bashride is my go to for stoner rock

Maybe its just that trends in ride cymbals have moved beyond my taste, but i didnt really like any of these cymbals. Im still playing on a 21" HH Raw Bell Dry Ride. It was Phil's choice when i got mine. It's a wonderfully expressive ride cymbal.

Oh well. 50 down. 50 more to go. 😅

Istanbul 21” trad dark 👏👏

That Sabian HH TS sessions 22 does it for me.

Paiste Giant Beat, Zildjian Sweet Ride and Istanbul Mel Lewis for me

Zildjian A Sweet 23"

Thank you DCP so much for this amazing video! 🙏🙏 I really like the Zildjian A Sweet 23, it just sounds very versatile! I’ve also liked the A Custom and Istanbul Xist. Great choice as sound and price!

My Top 5 of this recording: 1.) Zildjian A Medium 20" - It's just seems to be the best bang for the buck, overall 2.) K. Constantinople Renaissance 20" - I've heard this one in person, so maybe I'm biased, but these sound great to me 3.) Istanbul Traditional Medium 20" - Similar to my impression of the A Medium... just an overall good sound, like a ride should 4.) Paiste Dark Energy 22" - This one really shined in the recording. But they're kind of expensive, right? 5.) Meinl Byzance Big Apple Dark 20" - another one I've heard in person and can sound great for Jazz

(Very) unpopular opinion: I generally don't care for Zildjian cymbals. I liked most of the Paiste cymbals, and my favorite was Probably the 2002 ride. I also like the Meinl Pure Alloy stuff.

Formula 602

Meinl byzance foundry reserve.

Least favorite? Any of those on the video made by Paiste or under $250 or that have the current Sabian logo on it (isn’t it time for them to change that yet?). Favorite is the Zildjian 22 K Dark Medium

20” bliss 👏

Paiste Reflector

Sensacional o video , mas poderia ter incluido o Paiste Stewart Copeland. Abraços.

My favorite 2 rides are Meinl Byzance. Jazz med thin CRASH. and med CRASH. Lol Searched many years to find a ride that crashes to my liking. Guess I still haven't found one.🤘🥁🤘

Many good cymblas.Several were great sounding but not particularly great ride cymbals. Many flavors, for all occasions. I would want at least 3.🤷

Really like the Byzance Big Apple Dark, 602, and the Koide 703 Half Turk. Best cheapest option I'd say is the Sabian Stratus.

Paiste 2002 22 and Paiste Masters 22 crisp

Sonically, the Zildjian K Dark Medium and Paiste 602 Modern Essentials were my favorite. I reckon the best value is the Istanbul Xist 21". Frankly I was perplexed by the Koides. Who are those cymbals for? I'd seen them but not heard them yet, and....I don't get it. Is it me?

Some nice sounding cymbals in that lot. Thank you DCoP. 👍😁 Paiste just smashed the competition here. I expected more from Zildjian to be honest, and I'm a little bummed (for Zildjian) that Sabian makes better "Zildjians" than Zildjian.

I’m shocked the Zildjian K Sweet Ride’s were not part of this!

Can't believe how expensive the Wuhans are now, there was a time where you could get the whole cymbal pack for less money than the price of just the ride now.

The bell of the BFM World sounds amazing! Can I get that bell with the TS ride 😂. Decisions decisions.

I am waiting for a test drive for cymbals from the Diril company. PS I am an artist of this company. I'm just thrilled with these plates.👍👍🥁🥁

i just cant seem to find my go to ride. ive a custom, mienl class custon, pearl wild 900, istanbul, a sweet ride, z3. i change them out constantly

My 22" Sabian Jack De Johnette Signature Ride blows all those away especially the bell sound

2 favourites were the K dark medium 22” and the Artisan Raw Bell 22”

Wanted to hear Zildjian 20" Constantinople med/ thin high bell

the bell on that bfmworld sounds like an effects bell XD