Paiste Set 3 201 14"HH/ 16"C / 20"R

I bought this set to replace the ancient cymbals that came with an old kit gifted to me by a friend who knew I was taking up the drums again. Everything supplied but a 20" Meinl ride and some Sabian B8 hats were trash.

My thoughts were that basically this would give me a good starting off point from which to develop my tastes and also they won't break the bank if the project didn't develop.

After some time with them what I like is they possess a very high and uniform consistency and build quality which I find common to Paiste cymbals. They sound much more expensive than they were, having a good glassy high end sustain if you are into that sound. They are very bright.

They knock the socks off of offerings from other brands at this price point. Hats much better than the B8's. If I was completely new and after a starter cymbal pack and I liked that glassy Paiste vibe I would jump at these.

I like the large bell on the ride and hats especially which allows for a range of dynamic playing and varied sounds, I like how responsive the hats are, good balance between the top and bottom weights. After time I began to dislike how high the bell on the ride is which brings up the pitch making it sound like a much smaller pie, so while it cuts well, has great stick response and doesn't build overwhelming wash like the heavier Meinl, it began to lose its place on the kit. It wasn't the ride for me, but it does ride well and it is so cheap.

The 16" crash is too small for me and immediately became a practice cymbal for home use only. It has a nice quick flash sound on it if you need one for accents, but I'm usually using 18"-20" crashes live. Maybe it'll be needed one day for recording.

A year on and I was still using the hats. Preferring them to heavier and (better? more expensive!) brands and alloys. I'm now using 13"s from the Zultan RAW range because I prefer the responsiveness and articulation, prefer the lack of slush when playing heavy open, prefer the hats lower in the mix for the style of music.

The ride spent a short time utilised as a second crash/ride and for the nice clear bell sound with my main ride a 24" Sabian.

Eventually it got subbed for that gonging heavy Meinl for sheer dramatic impact and eventually that was subbed for a Paiste rude power crash/ride.

So it was kind of realistically priced and lasted me about a year before I outgrew it and my tastes developed?

These cymbals are a bargain! Regarding the sound, you get what you hear from thomann demo recording. I also made a flat recording of them getting the exact same sound. Their build quality is great. I hit them hard every day practicing and they are still like new after a year and a half. I would definitely buy them again or suggest them to a friend unless my budget would exceed 4-5 times their cost in order to get something much more expensive.