Came for the hats, stayed for the snare. That is a really, really nice snare. And all of the hi-hats sounded great, but if absolutely forced to make a choice, I'd say the Kerope 15". Great job, everyone.;
After all these years of hearing as many hi-hats as I can I still have not been able to find any hi-hats in existence that I like better than a set of 14" Zildjian K Constantinople hi-hats...and this video just proved it to me once again.
love the K Con rides, but the hats have a trashiness I can't get over... some 15" K lights sound better to my ear...but, I get why people like them though
@@bherwardI hear you, and the 15" K lights are also great, but it is that subtle trashiness of the K Cons which is what I like most about them. They are not overly trashy, but they just have the perfect amount of trash, grit, and dirt in them for my personal sound & style.
@@BayouMaccabee That's how I like my crashes. My main crash/left side ride is a Sabian HHX 19" X-treme crash. It's a raw bell and has a bit of china trash in it...the crash is quick and controlled, which is why it rides well. After going through a bunch of hats...I ended up with 14" Click Hats...they can do anything. Dark, warm, crisp and a foot chick loud enough to cut trough riding a china swish ala big band. I've tried others against them and they always come out on top.
@@countingdrums4967 I hear you on that one. The only ones I'd give an exception to are Sabian Evolutions... they're dark but glassy and perfect for more modern styles funk/pop/rock and latin. But, most of mine are natural/matte...with the exception of a stack and one crash (16" evolution....because I already own it, it's the right pitch and I haven't found it's replacement in a 16/17 Xtreme yet.
I've yet to hear a cymbal in that line that doesn't sound great. Interestingly, in this lineup, the Mel Lewis hats had higher pitch, at least to my ear...
I have tried two sets of these, and they are too thin to be used for any real muscical context imho. When you hit them closed the sound is so anaemic and whispy…
I know we all have our favorites and I am not here to argue with anyone on any of that but just to say that my ears and heart just cannot get enough of anything Kerope or Constantinople...AND that snare. ;-)
Just purchased my Agop Anniversary hat, and I will NEVER use another. Istanbul’s are right up there with Byzance Jazz series, and sound muy incredible on stage and in studio.. 👊🏼👊🏼 They are so balanced under a mic, and don’t resonate too awfully, and still stand out on top of the drums,but don’t drown out the sound, like some other brands do. Great choice, if you don’t mind the Priceline.
Great comparison video! I really liked those Paiste 15” Dark hats! My favored pair for the last 15 or so years has been the 14” Zildjian K Custom Session hi hats. Great all-around cymbals that have worked well for everything.
I appreciate you playing the same thing in each sample! Really gives us an idea of the differences. Listening without looking, the Meinl Foundry Reserve and Dream Bliss sounded great to me. But as always, everything sounded good to me 😅
Ironically, the sound signature and even pitch range of most of them (with the exception of the particularly-throaty Dream Bliss hats) are very similar. All great-sounding, and certainly NOT limited to jazz. Nice video, and the snare is awesome!
Ok, I spend a lot of time to hear the differences about these great hihatcymbals. My absolute favourites are the Paiste Masters. Dark and crispy tone, wonderful. Greetings from Germany, Beckman
Dude, thanks so much for making a video about jazz hi-hats, PLAYING JAZZ PATTERNS!! It might sound like a joke, but in most jazz hi-hat videos the guys play funk grooves.
They're all lovely! But, there's some black and white footage on RU-vid of Ed Thigpen playing in the Oscar Peterson Trio. The hi hats he's using there are absolutely beautiful, and I'd never heard anything close them....until I heard those Dream Bliss 15s. They are sublime. But then I heard those Turkish Millennium 14s! Wow. They are so close to the clean crisp sound Ed was getting.
Great selection and showcase, really nice and expressive instruments. I feel like some of these could be pretty versatile, like the Paiste Traditionals or the HHX Legacy.
Had both the 14" and 15" Legacy hi hats...the 14's were really quiet...like can't hear the chick over the ride quiet...also a bit plain sounding compared to the rides and crashes. The 15's were great...still a bit plain, but the extra size had a great sizzle . In the end, I had to let a set go and the 15's lost out to my Sabian Click hats...still the best hats I've ever played.
Wonderful demo! This is how it's done properly. In the head-to-head, I prefer the Mel Lewis for my style. This is purely a subjective and personal preference for me, but I'm sure it's not for everyone. I have different sets of cymbals for different styles and sizes of venues. Keep these videos coming!
The pair I like the most is the set that’s on my kit 14 inch k cons. To me the best all-around pair of high hats I have ever heard or played because of them I have stopped the insanity of listening to high hat videos. Oh wait I just listened to one😂
Cool I ran into this video! I don't play jazz but I like mellower hi hats that don't bleed into the mics, so my favorite hats are my 14 K Cons. Crispy, washy, bright, dark...they are unbelievable instruments and work for ALL music I play including country rock stuff. I also just sold a pair of Paste Traditional that are in this video too. They are amazing as well just didn't speak to me like the Zildjians and I guess they seemed a little mushy to play and I missed having some cut in the mix.
They all sounded good, but after hearing the Meinl Byzance in the 15" size, the rest were all runner ups. They not only sounded great for jazz, but like they would be good no matter the music. Really nice playing by Adam
What a great selection to demo. So many winners here its just a matter of taste and situation. I almost feel compelled to say which few i dont care for since i liked most of them. The Sabians were my least faves, the others i could see using nearly all of them. The Istanbuls were both great, the K Constantinople and Paistes stand out for all rounders but its like telling people which ice cream is the best flavor when you know most are really great. After this demo maybe we all need 6 pair :)
Zildjian K Con 14" my pick. If I were in market for a new set of high hats..those would be it. My favorite set of hats in my collection? A pair that I put together from two cymbals found with a drum set put out by the road for any takers: an old Zildjian 15" thin crash with rivets for the top paired with a Zenjian 15" heavy hand-hammered bottom that pairing works well for just about any situation. Second favorite in my collection a set of 14 1/2" hats made from 'repurposed' cymbals by a local cymbalsmith purchased for the princely sum of $65.00 they sound much better than the price tag would suggest. Great comparison video..the choices in cymbals now is amazing.
I like the Paiste traditional’s, that low bell Sabian and the dreams the best. I currently have probably an old A most likely top light with a medium thick New Beat bottom that are perfect jazz and beyond hats!
Those paiste traditionals are lovely, all really nice sets though, as far as jazz hi hats are concerned I think 1940s,50s Avedis ones are lovely.ive played a set of 1940s trans stamp 15" Avedis for a long time, they're just lovely.....
had the Legacy 14"'s...too light over all...no chick and not too much character. The 15 Legacy's are some of my favorites. Sold my pair when I got my HHX Click Hats...probably shouldn't have. That said...I'd take the Mel Lewis, Anniversary or Signature hats from Agop in a heartbeat
Yet more evidence that I can't stand Meinl cymbals...both models sounded like they were trying (poorly) to do what the other cymbals in the comparison did...an odd thing I noticed was how much stick marks showed up on the last few cymbals, especially the Dream Bliss...you could literally watch the finish being marred as Adam did the demo. I liked both Paistes, the Zildjian 15" Kerope, the Sabian HHX Legacy, and the Istanbul Mel Lewis the best
hard choice, I'd probably buy most of them. It's easier say those I like the least: Meinl Big Apple, Dream Bliss and Turkish. I find all others fantastic and pretty much allround genres. Great job once again. Had forgotten, Canopus snare and Broadkaster bass are a perfect couple
Why don't you carry Anatolian and Samsung cymbals. I have the Anatolian ultimate natural line they are great sounding, have a great briilant finish and the price is way lower than the popular brands in the USA.
Maybe someday, I’ll stop playing DW’s and switch to Gretsch, cause they sound so warm, and punchy. But DW has been my brand since I started playing, and there is something to be said for brand loyalty. Plus the Collector Jazz Series in mahogany sound like butter. 👊🏼👊🏼
If the line which is your favorite was left out it’d still be the worst video 😂 all of them have their place and sound great only 2 seemed “less of a favorite” -
TURKISH. Unless You are married to a brand, or Just Big dollar signs Dreams with Kick Ass for You at 1/2 the price. Enjoy the Sounds, but Beware the Cymbal Rabbit hole 🐰🕳😵💫😵
