£700 vs £3000 Drum Kit - Blind Sound Test!
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- Опубліковано 21 січ 2023
- This week, we've been thinking about our investments in our instruments, and whether you need to splash out on a snazzy 'Pro Level' kit to get that pro sound?
To find out, we've put our Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple (£3,000) head to head against our Yamaha Stage Custom (£700) to see if we can really hear the price difference in a blind sounds test!
Which do you think is which? Let us know down in the comments! Tune in next week to find out if you were right.
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Gear Featured:
Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple - 20, 10, 12, 14, 16"
Yamaha Stage Custom (All Birch) - 22, 10, 12, 14, 16"
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My drum teacher always told me that a set of good heads and good tuning can make any drum set sound good, but you never cheap out on cymbals
I used to play a cheap Pearl Export with great Paiste cymbals, got comments all the time about how great my drums sounded. You’re dead on! Great cymbals, good heads tuned properly on any set make the difference.
A Maple, B Birch
Interesting topic and really well done, thanks guys!
They both sounded awesome
I think these comparisons between Yamaha are so awesome
I definitely prefer the tones of Kit A - it sounds fuller and more resonant to me. Kit B still sounds good though. I have to take my hat off to whoever tuned the kits - really great job!! I'm going to tentatively say Kit A is the Absolute Hybrid Maple and Kit B is the Stage Custom. But we'll see...
I would consider the Stage Custom a 'pro' kit. There are hundreds of professional drummers playing Yamaha Stage Custom drums on stages and elsewhere.
That's fact I can prove it :
Jonathan Pinson solo at 14:07 of the video (on a Yamaha stage custom ):
m.ua-cam.com/video/8d3gOxBk9O4/v-deo.html
Eric Harland on a Yamaha stage custom:
m.ua-cam.com/video/i4472WXUBWE/v-deo.html
Nate Wood solo on a Yamaha stage custom:
m.ua-cam.com/video/R5QEgbZtEEI/v-deo.html
Will Kennedy playing on a Yamaha Stage custom:
m.ua-cam.com/video/1EHO-RtJd9Q/v-deo.html
Jimmy McBride playing on a stage custom :
m.ua-cam.com/video/DpzN7kfjdw0/v-deo.html
They're on my last 3 albums and gigged with for 5 years now. My Absolute Hybrid Maple kit hasn't left my home studio in the last five years except for special occasions. I've had countless comments from Engineers and FOH people on how great they sound and how easy they are to mix, and when they realize what kit it actually is the reactions are priceless.
super cool video because my situation is just wanting a kit that I can play at home to learn the drums on and the quality not be so crappy it is distracting from learning or hampering inspiration. I've played on some drum kits where the sound just makes me want to just explore all the little different tones because it sounds so nice and that inspires me whereas there are some that sound like you are hitting some paper heads or something like that. So i think for my case that I'm looking to get a kit after many years of not having one, probably the more economic choice is best.
Earned a sub.+like! Love it!
Great video and not surprised at all that both sound so good it's hard to tell which was better. Now, any chance you all would like to compare your red 90's long lug stage customs with the Beech customs? I want to see if there's objective evidence to my theory that this series sounded best
Awesome video! I sat and deliberately tried to just loosely listen, not analyse the sounds or focus on comparing, and the kits have a lot in common, more in common than differences. I gig with a Pearl Export, because it sound good. Same I hear people say about the Stage Custom. it simply sounds good! You can sometimes when you pay more, get more capabilities in sounds, more stable tuning and better durability. But those factors on the £700 kits are not bad at all.
Good video!!! I think the B kit is birch. I have a friend who plays. He spent 7k on a Tama star bubinga kit. It's lovely!! Sounds quite pretty to. I have a stage custom birch kit I paid 650 for. It sounds fabulous!! We both use the same heads, with similar tuning.
The extra low end on B makes me think that it is the Absolute Maple. But there's definitely a lot to be said for the Stage Customs! They deliver a lot of the same tone and articulation - still a great kit.
Kit A is the definite pro kit!
I just bought a stage custom
My first decent kit after playing 20 + years
Tough call- I'm guessing that kit "B" is the Stage Custom. They seem to have just a bit more of that birch bite. Great comparison video- both sound great.
I preferred the sound of kit A. It had greater resonance and attack to my ear. Am I hearing the focus of the diecast hoops, or the extra attack and growl of birch? Looking forward to finding out.
Kit B is the Stage Custom, it sounded deeper because the toms are deeper.
I am a birch lover and kit B sounds like birch to me.
A by far - no question. Richer, more dynamic sound. Warmer.
Why the snare is not the hybrid maple? Is it not included when purchased?
By next sunday I ll be dead of curiosity 🤣 This was harder than I expected regarding the price difference, I think KIT B is the high end one just because I felt more maple vibes in the floor toms but considering that birch and maple sound quite similar to my ears, I was thinking if the floors in KIT B are sounding better because of the high end construction, lugs and so on or if it is just the maple that gives this extra "uunf" to them. Amazing content guys 👏
I totally agree, it was in the floortom I preferred from kit B and therefore I think it's the expensive kit. And if I'm wrong I'm gonna buy me a Stage Custom, after playing many Pearl-kits for more than 45 years.... 😂
Btw, nice clip, nice tuning and nice playing!
I prefer kit A overall. I like the floor toms on Kit B better but the snare and bass drum on Kit A. Great tuning on both kits👍
I like both kits, but I would want to try some coated Ambassadors on kit B.
Kit b is the stage custom… ? Based on the kick drum sound.. but there is no bad sounding Yamaha kit. Or any kit that has good heads and tuned properly..
I think kit B sounds better, it’s the Absolute. You can hear the bigger difference in the 10” Tom. Kit B has more headroom and tone. Kit A compresses a bit when hit hard and doesn’t have as much shell resonance. I used to own a Stage Custom kit myself. Totally acceptable for bar gigs, less so for the studio.
Im guessing that kit B is the stage custom only because the bass drum sounded larger. I didn’t listen to on the greatest speakers tho.
I think kit "A" is the birch kit, and kit "B" is the maple kit. I agree the two kits sound very similar. I play a 20 inch bass drum and kit "B" has a punchier kick sound, which is typical of a 20 inch kick. Looking forward to the reveal..
I agree to this exact analysis. Great tuning skills tho!
Kit A was the Maple Absolutes, Kit B was the Stage Custom Birch. The telling clues for me were in the floor tom sustain (kit A sustained for much longer), the consistency in sustain growth (with kit A, the toms started to sustain more the more you moved from drum to drum), and the general character of the drums (kit A’s drums sounded more full and had more width and growth to them; kit B was more straightforward and strident, which is a good sound for many applications). With that said, both kits sound great, and if judged specifically by the notes of the toms and the character of the kick alone, it’d be really hard to judge a difference between them.
nope
Kit A sounds deep 👍🏼
Im going to guess kit B as the more expensive kit. That is only based upon the size of the toms and that they sounded less resonant.
Both sound great but I guess kit B is more expensive.
I think that kit B is the more expensive. I like the sound quite a bit.
I liked the B kit and saw the result video .. not bad. .
I preferred Kit A as it seemed to be more alive and musical to me, Kit B sounded fine also but I am not sure which is which, I'm new to this drumming game so perhaps I still have lots to learn 🙂
Way more resonance, bloom and complexity in kit A which makes me think it's the AHM.
Kit B has lots of attack but it's much thinner sounding. It pokes out then dies off really quickly.... it sounds good but it makes me think budget birch kit.
Jonathan Pinson solo at 14:07 of the video (on a Yamaha stage custom ):
m.ua-cam.com/video/8d3gOxBk9O4/v-deo.html
Eric Harland on a Yamaha stage custom:
m.ua-cam.com/video/i4472WXUBWE/v-deo.html
Nate Wood solo on a Yamaha stage custom:
m.ua-cam.com/video/R5QEgbZtEEI/v-deo.html
Will Kennedy playing on a Yamaha Stage custom:
m.ua-cam.com/video/1EHO-RtJd9Q/v-deo.html
Jimmy McBride playing on a stage custom :
m.ua-cam.com/video/DpzN7kfjdw0/v-deo.html
I have the Absolute, so I'll go B as Absolute, but like Paiste, Yamaha kits sound great. I may be wrong here?
I own a 1960s premier kit from the 1960s. 80s and 90s yamaha was made by premier. How you tune and how you play is the key. Cheap drums can sound great. Cheap hardware needs replacing, but Yamaha hardware is top notch.
No , because most of the club gigs and tours you do internationally will be on house or rented gear. Sad but true.
I like kit A overall. I think it is the birch kit.
B is expensive A is affordable.both sound great,makes you wonder if spending $3000 compared to $700 is worth the money.I know the hardware,bearing edges,and fit and finish is better on the maple kit but sound wise does it really command $2300 more in price.? Especially if you just do occasional gigs.
The maple kit has sustained powerful notes in the floor toms
To my ears, Kit A was *slightly* richer, thus making me think that Kit A are the Maple Hybrids...but both sounded very, very good. Can you say more about how they were recorded, mics, EQ, etc?
I heard the same thing. Far more complex sounds coming out of kit A.
I think kit b is the stage custom with the bigger bass drum and the floor tom sounds better, more tuned better than anything.
A is the expensive kit, B is the cheaper kit. The dead giveaway is the lack of high end in kit B.
Kit A has got to be the stage custom, I have one of them myself and it sounds fairly close to mine. Plus they've got a slightly higher fundamental from what I hear
Kit B ill say is the absolute maple, I've also played a maple kit for several years and the lower tones all around and more punchy sound seem to confirm my thoughts
While both kits sound amazing, I'd say I prefer the sound of kit A, with the slightly higher tones it seems a little more cutting than kit B which is what I go for coming from a hard rock/metal point of view
Edit: didn't realize this video was a week old already lol, gonna go watch the results now
Awesome comment 👍 The Yamaha stage custom sounds as good as any high end kit
The B kit definitely sounds like the birch yamaha recording custom kit
Kit B has the most sensitivity in the softer dynamics. Kit A was a bit dead when hitting very softly. My guess is kit B is the expensive one.
Kit A. Why? It almost sounds like a high-end Ludwig Classic Maple kit.
Kit A: Birch
Kit B: Maple
B for me, I’m hoping it’s the stage 🤞👀
Kit A is the Maple and more expensive, but both sounded great. Nice grooves too guys. Really enjoy this channel 👍🥁
B is Absolute, A is stage custom. It’s the die cast hoops that make most of the difference, not the wood.
Kit A maple, KIT B birch
Stage Custom: A, Absolute Maple: B
Kit A is stage custom and kit B is Maple, it does sound better, but not 4 times better
I’d like to hear the room mics…
Maple or Birch? Don’t matter. They’re both plywood drums. Check out WoodFella Drum Co. Solid hardwood drums. Better sound better looking
They both sound good. B sounds a bit richer in the mids and fuller in the lows. I'm thinking it's the Absolute Hybrid set, but there's obviously not a huge difference between the two of them. In a really open mix you might hear the difference. They both sound good, but I wouldn't be able to tell the difference in a rock mix.
For me kit A had way more lows and low mids.
Kit B had lots of mid range attack but much less low and low mid frequencies.
Strange how we can all hear things so differently.
@@adamimberti6948 I always associated that kind of warm ring with Maple. I'll confess that I've never owned a kit that I knew to be maple or birch, only Luan or firewood (drums aren't my first instrument).
A Maple, B Birch. I'm actually split. Prefer the maple snare, the top three Tom Toms Birch, lower floor Tom and the bass drum maple.
No. A pro can make a Pearl Vision kit sound incredible with good heads and good cymbals. The Mapex Armory sounds incredible and is very affordable. I have a Gretsch Catalina Club with a 20 inch bass drum. It sounds incredible.
mapex armory, gretsch Catalina club and pearl vision are great kit. Personally i still prefer the Yamaha stage custom ;)
B for the expensive set?
Dollar for dollar the best drums and hardware on the planet.
Kit a is the maple hybrid for sure but much prefer kit B the stage customs
I'm very glad (as a stage custom owner) to see that quite a few people got it wrong!
Cheers :)
this comparison shows drastically that there is absolut NO reason for an expensive kit. I listened to this a couple of times and changed my mind every time.....btw, i own both kits! Ok - what if you changed A and B after every take ?!?! puuuuh..... my final opinion: A = SC, B = AHM
Very well said, the stage custom sounds as good as any high end Yamaha kit. And scary close to the recording custom too.
I think b is the absolute. It doesn't sound much better.i think the bass drum sounded a little bit less thuddy, and more ringy. But they're so close. Makes.me.so.happy that my stage custom that I just got two days ago,in natural finish (so beautiful) can sound this good. I was deliberating for two plus weeks on wether to go Yamaha, or Tama superstar.than I was Gunna get the pdp concept maple.but for a week I was dead set on the mapex armory studio ease on emerald green,or purple night sky. They're beautiful .but I went Yamaha. My friend had a redeem kit several years back and it sounded fat. So I figured Yamaha wouldn't disappoint and so far with the stock heads,no complaints other than the snare isn't amazing.but that's just reality..either way,stage custom for the win! Of course tuning,mixing,micing,head choice and the player are more important than the kit,which absolutely the truth of any and all instruments,so long as they are in the instrument itself and not a very poor version of the instrument. Drums have come so far.i bought my pearl exports in 2006 and they've always sounded kinda like ass.they costed 580$. Now for about the same money 16 years later, 750$, I have real Shells that sound great with stock heads.and they'll be even better when I switch em out
A - Stage Custom, B - Absolute Maple
Kit A sounds more like what we're going for. Kit A sang better than kit B. Head to head Kit B sounded more dead. However both make a world of difference when it comes to price point. I would still go for a cheaper option maybe other brands like Pearl Vision or Top favorite PDP Maple by DW
Not gonna predict which kit is which, and both kits sound great, but my ears prefer the sound of Kit B...whichever one that is.
They sound so close to same for me I can't tell. Of course, my hearing isn't very good....
I preferred Kit A all around.
A novice drummer here trying listen from a purely "music bystander's" ear on my smartphone's speakers.
The sound differences to me are there but negligible especially if they were to be played with other musicians in a song context. Liked Kit A slightly better.
Kit A to me. Fuller and deeper but no strange ringtones. I think A is AHM and B is SC. My brain want to be right but my bank account don’t.
I like both of them. And if I must choose, I take A.
I needed to add, I can’t tell the difference when it comes down to the Toms and bass. I picked A because the snare tone is a touch fuller.
A the best
Snare from Kit A, Rest from B
Kit A AHM, Kit B SC
Drum A is stage custom
Edit* I answered before watching the results!
Kit B expensive. Better tone and liveliness but I’d say there was 15-20% difference max. Not 400%
B is hybrid IMO.
Kit A = higher price
I think Kit B is the expensive one... :D
I’m thinking A is the more expensive kit. Funny how , to me , A sounded better so I automatically think it’s the expensive one and B doesn’t sound bad at all.
This is interesting.
I'm gonna say A is the Stage Custom, B is the Absolute. Slightly unfair because the Stage Customs are probably the best bang for buck "budget" kit you can buy! Other kits in that price point won't be as good...
Kit A Absolute Hybrid Maple
kit A the birch
I thought A was the expensive kit. I look forward to being proven wrong.
B for me
I think in stage with all the istruments, there´s no difference between them.
I'd prefer Kit A
Kit b is the money maple kit.
I like the sound of kit B better
A. Maple kit
Short answer NO. The kit does not make the drummer. 90% of drum sound is heads and tuning , wood species, lugs make smaller barely noticeable difference especially once you ate playing with other musicians
Drummers make kits sounds good.. Not the other way around
One thing is clear here ,there is not, even a hint of £2700 sonic difference here.....
You don't need expensive kit, you need reliable kit and your bag of rudiment drum tricks, that's all
B is expensive (overpriced) Maple kit.
A, Stage custom
I reckon kit A is the birch & B the maple obviously. I have owned a Pearl BLX birch shell, I now have a Pearl masters maple. My first full kit was a Pearl Export back in 1985, I then got the BLX in 1990, personally I could 100% hear the difference in quality. These are not Pearl kits though so my conclusions could be wrong.
This is a bit off topic, but yesterday I sold my own BLX set that I had for 35 years and now my eyes are on the Pearl Masters Maple. It would be great to hear your experiences with this jump BLX to Masters. Or should I think more about Pearl's Decade or Yamaha's Stage Custom after hearing this video :-)
@@jamekarki The BLX was a beautiful kit, sounded amazing!! Had noticeably more ‘attack’ than the Masters BUT I feel the masters sounds much warmer as it were. Could I choose between the 2?? Probably not, it’s like comparing apples & oranges. You won’t be disappointed with the Masters at all, I LOVE mine.
@@jamekarki As for swapping brands that’s something that I personally wouldn’t do, all the high end kits made by the different companies have their subtle differences and it’s those that (in my case) swung me towards Pearl, I also love the look of the Pearl fittings, mounts etc compared to others. Have played other kits obviously at gigs when there’s a kit share or house kit but as we all do we prefer our own as we put what heads we want on it, tune it up how we like it etc. I also think that Pearl make outstanding snare drums, particularly their Free Floating, Reference & Reference Pure lines, I have a Ref pure 14x5 and it’s absolutely BEAUTIFUL .. I previously owned a 14x6.5 FF brass snare, that was a stunning drum!! I’m a hip hop/breakbeat player primarily so it’s all about the beats with me (I also have a severely damaged right wrist the heavily restricts advanced techniques) .. So nice phat & solid sounding BD’s and gorgeous toned SD’s .. I REALLY want a Pearl ST ST 3.5” FF snare for those nice high pitched ‘James Brown’ & ‘Mike Clark’ (Headhunters & Herbie Hancock) filth funk sounds.
@@Sauron191 Do you think that Masters is not too warm to rock, there is enough attack in it?
@@Sauron191 Thanks for the help, I appreciate it!
Kit B