New Zildjian I Family Series Cymbal Review

[@CrazyUncleDom]

No better time to be an entry drummer in the market than right now. So many brands are pumping out great quality and sound for entry level prices! Also, that intro is priceless😂 R.I.P ZBT

[@daveyboy8907]

Dominic Borrelli for sure

[@kybenton6099]

The bad part is I can’t even afford the zbt or I series so I’m stuck with camber hi hats and a cracked 14 inch zildjian a and a meinl hcs splash

[@allgamingnetwork9448]

yeah i got 2 wuhan crashes great sound at an affordable price as well as these hats and the 20 i ride

[@shadowbanned4598]

@@kybenton6099 Man, I completely understand where you are coming from and I can absolutely relate. I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't already know but check out guitarcenter.com and their selection of used cymbals. You might be surprised at how affordable many of them are.

[@solomonariel2834]

i guess I am kind of off topic but do anyone know a good website to watch newly released series online?

[@jesselenaker9169]

The crashes are like a budget version of the Paiste signature full crash sound.

[@ljdunsmore1]

All Paiste cymbals are stamped metal which give them similar characteristics. They're still great cymbals but they are more brittle than most major brands. They seem to want to crack faster but they produce cymbals that are very very close in range every time they roll out of the factory. It's good if you want to have the same consistent sound for 20 years but in my opinion I like changing up the sound every now and then

[@leopardcubpupkryky6940]

And Paiste is the higher priced budget sound version of Zildjian cymbals.

[@anythingunderthesun4688]

is that good or what?

[@HR2635]

a poor budget version

[@joetrudellmajesticrhythms7269]

The sound without the price tag and weight of Paiste..

[@mikeevangelista1177]

They sound great. The crashes almost have a sizzle shimmer to them

[@davidcurtis4478]

"They fell out the back of a truck." Shane you crack me up dude. When I started playing live way back in the day we had a trailer not hooked onto the car properly. We started driving down the road and the trailer came off and rolled to our side, we were dying with laughter.

[@GregBatte]

I played on a ZBT ride for years, I actually really liked that ride, still have it.

[@paulmattle6683]

I still use the hi hats. The ride and hi hats were great! I've never had a problem with either. The crashes were just a bit heavy, so the I series sounds real nice

[@wenosaracheno3942]

These cymbals actually sound great! A lot better than the ZBT’s.

[@minnesotaskinny5518]

They have the exact same hammering and lathing pattern as the zbt's but they're slightly thinner, giving them a better sound, sort of like amir's

[@nathanholloman6321]

I like your pfp🔥

[@wenosaracheno3942]

@@nathanholloman6321 Thank you!

[@hugorezende199]

For a second really tought that Josh dun was saying good things about this set haha.

[@jackson.mp4]

nice pfp!

[@vegasmarc21]

That's why I like Shane. He gives an honest opinion. I watched videos where he likes drums that cost far less than others that he compares to in the video.... He knows drums and his reasoning is hard to argue against. That's why I started buying from his store because of honest opinions and videos that are professional in sound and video quality. I just ordered a Canopus speed star bearing for my DW3000 double pedal, and even though they were out of stock on Friday, he told me to call Monday which I did and ordered 1 and they got 1 in stock in 2 days and it was on my pedal by Friday. These guys love drums.

[@warrencon1]

They sound better than I expected. Not bad at all!

[@lzmr_7691]

I got Sabian b8‘s to Christmas when I was 4. I had them to this Christmas where I got Zildjian K cymbals

[@cgafken]

That classic combination of a Noble & Cooley Maple kit with Zildjian entry level cymbals. Its what dreams are made of. 😜

[@bandfromtheband9445]

Ever want to make a kid happy? Buy that exact kit with these cymbals. He/She will love it!

[@hugorezende199]

they are smart, great snare to blend in the overall sound of the drum kit, it makes everything sound better.

[@tommarks795]

I have the “i” hats. They have the Mastersound cut. Love them.

[@djentlover]

What! These are good enough to be on a record. Amazing!

[@dontletyourmemesbedreams2355]

MASSIVE improvement compared to ZBTs. I'm glad they're finally gone.

[@jasonkelly7573]

the finish looks amazing and shiny.

[@SpartanCarver]

That's actually a pretty solid sounding ride

[@VintageMdrummer]

These are insanely great sounding. I’m not kidding. If these were marketed as a pro line cymbal, they would sell! I’m blown away!

[@mikebarker5783]

They came with my 5 piece Ludwig kit. They sound great, crisp and bright attack.

[@martymet]

Ive upgraded every cymbal on my set except my sabian b8 hats. theyve been with me for 20 years and they still rock!

[@rgii1712]

My first Zildjian cymbal was a 16" Scimitar crash. I still have it, but it's now partially green.

[@BenFan2zo]

Dude, I have an 18 inch scimitar crash-ride and it is completely green haha.

[@bandfromtheband9445]

Time to clean! Both of you! LOL! What's keeping you behind?

[@BenFan2zo]

BandfromtheBand clean isn’t even the issue lmao. Both brass and copper turn green because of a chemical reaction-think of the Statue of Liberty. Same concept. Though I’m sure a cleaning wouldn’t hurt haha!

[@ljdunsmore1]

Bar keepers friend works amazingly well cleaning. No scrubbing! Clean cymbals! And goodbye logos!

[@dajrl2023]

I have a old 16 scimitar bronze rock crash had since i was 7 years old and i still have it but i dont use it that much btw im 13

[@emptyismyname4830]

They sound great. Thanks for putting some pain into them, all the other vids I’ve seen from zildjian don’t show the depth of these cymbals enough.

[@billmatthews2463]

I never realized Sabian B8's were entry-level. I love mine, they sound great. I've heard ZBT's and they sound ok. All I know is several ZBT owners heard mine and walked away saying, "Wow, I could have had a B8."

[@johncollins5552]

I found the sabian b8 better because they were lighter with a thinner edge that makes them more responsive and less clangy overtones, the bells were too small to be very usable though for louder music though.

[@quinnfulgenzi]

I have b8x’s right now and I’m looking to upgrade. My old cymbals are rusting and my b8x’s aren’t sounding how I wanted. The 16” rock crash’s tone was one I was never a fan of. The ride does sound very good though. The Zildjian I series is definitely a step up from the b8x’s in my opinion. I played the 2 crashes and I really loved the Zildjian I 16 and 18 inch crashes.

[@billmatthews2463]

@@quinnfulgenzi I also have an 18" Sabian B8 rock crash. I found out it's the same as a standard crash-ride. It has a really sweet ride sound.

[@johncollins5552]

@@quinnfulgenzi These zildjians are cool but if you want great b8 you get páiste pst7 or pst8 or expensive 2002 líne, the sound edge hats esp. Great.

[@Rockin_Ross]

ZBT, B8 and any other “entry level” cymbal will always get a bad rap. Thing is, cymbals like those are usually very durable and hold up to bashing some more expensive ones can’t. Great humor and an even better video!

[@persianskeptic4814]

Good to see just like drums, entry level cymbals are also getting better.

[@Vivi2372]

I don't even like zildjians generally but these sound fine. I think some folks in the comments either need better headphones or to stop listening to these videos using their phone speaker.

[@remygaron8311]

Sounds like paiste🧐🧐🧐🇨🇦🇨🇦🥁🥁 love what you do for us drummer thank you👏👏👏👏👏🇨🇦

[@zhongxina8426]

ZBT's bring back so much memories. R.I.P.

[@Mike-ol7xp]

I was finally able to record this exact cymbal set up on three studio songs as an experiment. You wouldn't believe the great comments I got on how good the cymbals sound, of course I didn't say what cymbals I used until after they heard the tracks. I also used the 17'' trash crash, which is now in my live set up along with my A's and K's.

[@andremittwollen6245]

When I got back to drumming and needed to replace some broken cymbals thirteen years ago, I would have loved to get my hands on these. They sound a lot more airy and bright than the ZBTs to my ears - without appearing too harsh. Nice video as always, keep it up! Greetings from Germany!

[@DrummerGrrrl]

I think the "i" series sounds pretty good. I really like the "S" series, as well.

[@hamadbernes1980]

Agree .S series are made from b12 , a superior quality of sound.... i series zbt series are b8 .(students series)

[@Assimilator702]

Hamad Bernestube The closer you get to B20 the better. So if all B8 are “student” series then that means most Paiste cymbals are also student level?

[@jadonchacon4914]

Listening to both I honestly think the I series sounds better than the S series

[@janfrech534]

these sound a million times better than the zbts and the s series

[@mrnegronis]

@@Assimilator702 Bernestube said B8 are student series. Not B20. You probably meant to write B8.

[@mikestein1024]

I’ve used b8’s high hats for 20 years they were with me when I opened for STP, morbid angel, Future leaders of the world, a huge slew of great national and local acts , they were with me through three studio recordings ,almost won the emergenza battle of the bands with them used them when I did a demo for a company at namm at Anaheim CA , from the shed in NC where I grew up to where I reside now in Upstate NY those B8s have been with me thick and thin and the funny thing is they sound better now than they ever did imagine that, so don’t let anyone tell you , your not a professional until you use this or that type of gear , it’s what in you and not what’s outside you and lastly the gear of today is light years ahead of where it was 20-30 years ago while the zbts always felt too stiff for me those B8’s are certainly more than good enough for me , but what do I know ?you gotta do what works for you always shop for instruments with your ears and heart the wallet should be secondhand

[@MasQueVencedorEnCristo]

I regret getting rid of my B8 18” crash 16” splash and 20 ride to replace it with AA 32” and Ziljians 15 and 16 crashes and bunch’s China’s one thing I never changed was my B8 hi hats ;)

[@dugeniadugeniadugeniadugen5266]

@@MasQueVencedorEnCristo I regret getting rid of my 19" scimitar bronze China.

[@laiftaim]

Get away from cheap cymbals. Even if you use cheap drums, the cymbals should be at least mid-level. Are you satisfied with B8??? It's a shame...

[@bradcrouse197]

Ok, these and the Meinl HCS Bronze that were just released take the cake. Both sets sound amazing. Im jealous of any young drummer starting out. Back in the 1990s the entry level market for cymbals was not as forgiving!

[@shawnbruce6934]

When I started in the 80's there were no entry level other than real garbage which You would use for trash cymbals now and all the good cymbals costed a ton to kids making paper route money.

[@Thegameshowcase]

Hilarious intro! These cymbals actually sound pretty good, and considering their price they are the obvious buy for new players and drummers not wanting to spend a fortune on cymbals.

[@bandfromtheband9445]

They sound incredible! Why go for Paiste Signatures (the cream of the crop, IMHO, when you can have these, that sound just as good as a set of 2002's)?

[@NintenDub]

@@bandfromtheband9445 they dont sound as anywhere near 2002s. Those are the best cymbals I've personally played

[@demoninvader]

thank you for making and posting this video! those cymbals sound nice and they look very nice, too.

[@d-weave8708]

If only everyone got to experience the scimitars.

[@gregpeller1499]

OMG....I did...So glad to be alive...lol! They were like cymbals that had tourette's,-->after each strike the cymbals would respond by saying: '~Naaah,--you ain't gettin' any #'@¥©¢ color tones here fool....~'!!"

[@RamonOchoaMusic]

I did. Circa 1987. Absolute worst of the worst. I had a full set, 16” 18” crashes. 20” ride. 14” ‘hats’ and I use that term very loosely. The ride was invincible. It was run over by a Suburban and was undamaged.

[@d-weave8708]

@@RamonOchoaMusic Hahahahaha 😂. That's funny.

[@Customwinder1]

I had some of those years ago ! Ah memories 😂

[@jesselenaker9169]

Wow... I forgot about those... they were definitely the worst.

[@ScottShireman]

Love the special guest appearance of Nicko McBrain - hey isn't he a Paiste guy?

[@adbarnes57]

I would recommend the new "i" series. The bundled set package price is very nice for a full set of cymbals that really sound descent. Paul Francis of Zildjian stated in a clip from NAMM show that the "i" series are thinner than the old ZBT's. The "i" crashes are really impressive, nice sound. Continued success D C or Portsmouth and all good things!!!!

[@ddrusa]

I still have my zbt when I first got them they job ok. After hearing these i series wows

[@NEALBABBITT]

I think these sound much better than the ZBTs. The main problem with at least the older ZBTs are that they used a softer b8 bronze and it dented easily. The sabian b8 cymbals are harder bronze and doesn't dent in my experience. I am a huge advocate for the Sabian B8s.

[@jasonkelly7573]

they sound really good

[@faddrums6273]

the full sounding crashes, epic tone of the ride bell ❤️😍

[@coalcreeker583]

I just discovered these at Guitar Center and was surprised at how good they sound. Great bang for the buck IMHO.

[@m4l4bar27]

R.I.P ZBT

[@boinknook]

I have the steve gadd inspired K custom hi hats and bring them in the studio for practice with my band. My evolution came with the I hi hats so I decided to bring them into the studio and give them a try. They were much heavier than the k customs. When I tried them out I was SO impressed!! I couldn't tell the difference! Beautiful chick, heavy semi-open for hard rock, they were great no matter the type of music!

[@kosonamsuk6116]

That intro is actually very funny. Thank you Shane :)

[@Catinthehackmatrix]

I've had the Zildjian I family series crash/ride for a few years paired with S family mastersounds hats.. I did change it up by adding some b20 alloy Wuhan Western crash cymbals. Zildjian have improved the beginner lines compared to my first zbt plus set over 20 years ago...

[@joesantamaria5874]

Love the attitude.

[@JulianFernandez]

I still have an old Scimitir. That shit is hard, but sounds good with certain touch and sitcks!

[@gabrielfrench8382]

I might get pounced for making this comment, but when I upgraded from my old Meinl HCS cymbals to the Zildjian ZBTs I have now, it made an insane difference in how the kit sounded... Love the HCS or hate the ZBT, the ZBT cymbals don't sound cheap like the HCS do, they sound like regular cymbals. I'm not racking on Meinl, I love Meinl--I have MCS hi-hats that sound great--but Zildjian won that battle and these "i" cymbals just pushed them way above.

[@Chiroman527]

Gab, I ordered the Meinl HSCs Cymbal Pack . Also compared to the Sabian B8Xs. Pros and Cons to each IMO. The 16" rock Crash on the Sabians is awful. The 16" Crash on the Meinls has a shorter sustain, and quick yield of a nice crash sound. Now listening to these Zildjians, Whoa.... I'll probably pull the trigger on these - great price too.

[@brendenperry3770]

I still have a 16” ZBT from 2004, sounds good still

[@coalcreeker583]

A pounce upon you.

[@DavidEpstein]

This is definitely a passable set of cymbals for playing rock. Compared to other budget cymbals, they sound really good. These are certainly a huge improvement over the ZBTs, particularly the rides and crashes. My first set of cymbals was a box set of budget Paiste cymbals called 202s that came with a set of 13 hats and an 18" crash/ride, and they sounded like garbage. Those cymbals inspired me to learn to play tom grooves so I didn't need to hit any cymbals.

[@artysanmobile]

David Epstein Any cymbal that inspires less cymbal use is a good cymbal.

[@thumperpaul]

I have a Sabian XS 10 inch china splash that I have never seen in any catalogue from the company. As far as I know, it may be a prototype, but it will always be in my lineup because it sounds so badass....

[@JayDillDrums]

Love the crash decay

[@jasielmaoz9626]

The news segment is amazing😂

[@hugorezende199]

I enhoy the use of the bell for rides on B8 bronze, but for hihats i think it really laks the crisp sound it should have. Very good for the durability and price of course, used b8 cymbals for very long, it served me well. Hands and technique stills counts for your good sound.

[@bpcsurfboards3110]

Thanks for what ya do.Love your honesty.

[@remygaron8311]

Love the hardware tom holder very genius👏👏👏👏🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@sebar4123]

2:10 Is that Nicko Mcbrain on your phone?

[@Jack-52]

I THIBK IT IS OMG LMAO

[@sebar4123]

I actually like this better than the Zbt’s! I felt like the zbt crashes were kind of weak, almost like a splash cymbals. These sound bigger.

[@trench5194]

SebaTheRed I have 2 ZBT crashes 1 18” and 1 20”. The 18 sounds pretty weak and the 20” sound decent

[@sparrovski]

These sound like a slightly cheaper version of my paiste 2002 red labels. Maybe not the hats. Cant surpass my sabian hh though or my A series.

[@DaveBateman1972]

I do love all the cymbal experts who can tell through their phones how these cymbals sound. Here’s a novelty, maybe try them in person...

[@Underdog_Drums]

Paiste PST line sound excellent for entry level cymbals. Even if using pro level cymbals, the PST ride makes s great sounding crash

[@geedoub]

PST 5. HH are sweet.

[@gregpeller1499]

"For a moment there with the cheap backdrop I could have sworn Shane was going to give us some fake news..."😳

[@dye182]

Mike magini uses zbts on his kit if they’re good enough for him they’re good enough for anyone

[@prestonsteimel1907]

To be fair only an always closed set of hi hats are zbt, and he doesn't use any zbt rides, crashes, or effects cymbals.

[@MrBrady85]

also, he hasn't had a decent drum sound in years.

[@prestonsteimel1907]

@@MrBrady85 gonna have to disagree with that one. DoT has a very solid drum sound imo.

[@MrBrady85]

@@prestonsteimel1907 still very processed tho

[@spazznomo4993]

I love my Zbts Just got a know how to strike them

[@lukakristicevic6185]

For entry level cymbals these are great , i still have Sabian B8's and honestly i thought i'd crack em by now , since they are bought used , and are still being heavily played for 3 years now xD

[@trench5194]

Luka Kristicevic you must be a jazz player 😂

[@lukakristicevic6185]

@@trench5194 i just dont smack em hard 😂

[@jonathanbormann5077]

Definitely sounds like they took a good bit of weight off compared to the ZBT's. Not bad for entry level at all

[@ryanspeed4671]

Overall they sound pretty nice, good quality entry level cymbals. The drums sound tight!!!

[@fastfiddler1625]

I was kind of between a set of these and the Meinl HCS super set; both at $300. With the Meinl, you get more cymbals, but at an obvious compromise. I just played around with some from each set at our shop and these zildjian i series are much better than the Meinl HCS to my ear. I'm looking to upgrade asap because the things my Ludwig Backbeat set came with sound like sheet metal being dropped.

[@Customwinder1]

No more ZBT ! This is devastating ! 😭

[@The_Other_Ghost]

"Have a great 2020" Confirmed, Shane isn't Psychic.

[@thebrawnysquirrel6344]

I was looking for this comment!

[@cbaum64]

R.I.P. ZBT - May you rest in chaos and never return

[@coltonhulett3671]

Who remembers Sabian APX??? These are soooo similar.

[@johndincentbueno4405]

What a beautiful snare

[@dcthepro1339]

best cymbal line up is the a medium thin crashes and 14/12 inch new beat hi hat

[@ryangroom2959]

The response sounds so much more even than most low budget cymbals. I don’t really hear any frequencies jumping out at my like normal. They also have a decent wash it seems like 🤷‍♂️ 👍

[@munton5150]

Mangini had ZBT hats! What will he do?!

[@blankpool]

He'll probably start playing the guitar more

[@josebuzani2066]

Keep the ones he has now

[@munton5150]

@@josebuzani2066 Yes of course! It was no disrepect to him. I studied with Mike and love him. I just always found it funny he had a set of ZBT hats when he can literally have anything he wants. I have tried them and didn't like the sound personally. They are marketed as a cymbal for beginners and we all know Mike is a master and even helped design the transformer which I own and love.

[@josebuzani2066]

Chris Munton I understand. I still have a few ZBT’s of my own

[@katzz6444]

These sound good I love Paiste. Wow.

[@pyroeuropa]

they sound really nice and that comes from a paiste/sabian guy. Zildjian has done a nice job. Glad that you´re back and why was nickomcbrain on the phonescreen? :D

[@carlosmontoya8271]

I like how they add bigger size for cheap cymbals 18 and 19 compared to 18 and 16 zbt

[@dremunozdrums8642]

Dude I really love the sound and look ❤️

[@DrummerGrrrl]

Ha ha ha! Great video, Shane! I love you, man!

[@aristotle5698]

2:15 is that a Nicko surprise?

[@joewinant2646]

I've got a set of these and love them. 10/10 would recommend! :)

[@ghiblinerd6196]

It seems like sabian are the only ones not pumping out decent b8 cymbals right now

[@michaelstaszak6949]

Is that a Tama Bell Brass I spy?

[@trench5194]

Michael Staszak bell brass snares are awesome

[@sethyboo2361]

I don’t get what the point of stopping production on the zbt cymbals if Zildjian is basically releasing the same cymbal right after!

[@justCarner]

Because it’s obviously an upgrade in sound, man! Haha. They sound much better. My guess is because they are thinner and more detail going into hammering and lathing. If nothing else, they are definitely thinner or else they wouldn’t sound as good.

[@claystaggs8908]

Justin Carner totally agree but instead of a name change why not just say it is what it is a revamped zbt 🤷🏼

[@TuckOfIron]

Yeah these absolutely smoke the ZBTs. Buying a set ASAP.

[@ReignJeffersonCTria]

Hello fellow drummers just curious why did they put the dm20 mic to a stand when you can just clip it to the drum will there be any sound difference

[@LilasTools]

Very nice sounding actually! Wow!

[@RettaTheRipper]

LOL "tens of people"

[@mostlypeacefuljc4687]

I purchased a bunch of ZBT's for 11 yr old son. The ride and crashes were fine. Only the ZBT china was terrible. Its been a year now and I promised him I will replace 1 cymbal every year he continues. So far I replaced that terrible ZBT china with a Zildjian Ultra hammered 19" China. His set sounds fantastic

[@blakedmc1989HD]

actually those sound great! RIP ZBT tho! i don't know why people hated ZBT, ZXT and ZHTs so much! i thought they sounded good for what they were! as much as i want a A Custom or Z Custom, not everybody's budget fits it sadly, i would put tha money towards better drum shells for a foundation over gettin' better cymbals and not have a good drum shell foundation when gettin' a new drumset alltogether especially if u're helpin' other people get a new drumset with alot of cymbals to surround them around

[@bandfromtheband9445]

This new series sound incredible. I wouldn't even call them "semi-professional." They sound incredible and they sound great for professional recording!

[@blakedmc1989HD]

@@bandfromtheband9445 yea it does

[@tavopank]

just got the hit hats, crashes 14 and 16, and ride 20 for 300 bucks, couldnt find anything else for that money, i hope its worth it.

[@MechatohMxCentraL]

These are BY FAR the best low cost cymbals now. Someone can finally challenge the "mighty" B8s!

[@natthanbagshaw7410]

You could do a decent recording with the zbts

[@stuartcarswell2815]

These sound like Paistes 😉

[@bandfromtheband9445]

They really do. Especially any bronze-heavy cymbals like the red 2002 series. Seriously! They would record well, too!

[@leopardcubpupkryky6940]

That's an insult.

[@ajbambino]

It's the finish and the lack of that high end shimmer that separates them though. Zildjian will always deliver amazing medium and low, but I love Paiste for that bright high frequency shimmer they manage to work into every cymbal line

[@alexk7726]

What about Zildjian "S" family?Are they better?

[@trench5194]

Alex K yes

[@stlheavyboi]

Honestly these caught me off guard. Not my favorite sound in general, because I prefer dark and dry cymbals, but objectively they sound really decent. Especially the crashes

[@taylordowns566]

Hey didn't you used to work at the drum shop in Portland, Me?

[@drumcenternh]

Correct!

[@taylordowns566]

Lol. I knew it! I used to go in there all the time when i first started playing. Good to see your still jammin.

[@kiefline3785]

It's like ZBT and S combined.

[@stromghouls]

how times have changed. these cymbals sound very good. my first cymbals were scimitar. they sounded terrible. not these. i think they sound as good as some pro lines.

[@crisp1066]

I have the 20" ride, 14" hi hat, and a 16" crash that came with a kit I purchased. The ride and hi hat cymbals sound good enough but the 16" crash sounds more like a gong. 😒