Zildjian K Series Hi-Hat Shootout - Can You Hear the Difference?

[@peaturgh7742]

Why the switch to a wood hooped snare for the K Custom Darks?

[@219Dave]

I found that super distracting.

[@paulhurt839]

Yep, made it difficult to judge. Dramatic change of snare sound totally overshadows change in hihat qualities. Custom Darks are probably my favourite but hard to be sure.

[@robinjohnson6301]

The K Lights are my favourites out of these - I have a 15" pair and absolutely love them!

[@shanejohnson7603]

It has to be the mastersounds for me... nicely warm and sharp and when played with the shoulder of the stick they hold and cut with ease... definition is second to none IMO ✋🥁👌

[@koolBOY8323]

k custom hybrid are my favorite, but i like the k custom special drys alot too.

[@tonyjackson4099]

GOOD GOD!!! Finally!! This is the absolute BEST way to do ALL cymbal comparos!! Thank you for possessing a brain with great common sense and intelligence.

[@Aussie_Badger]

Was waiting for the K Custom Darks in the last pattern but they were missing??? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@isihernandez9752]

15" k light (I know it was 14" here) and 14" k custom dark, for me. But I missed the k sweet and k custom session....🤷🏻‍♂️

[@James1623]

The K Custom Hybrids all day long! Hence why I’ve got 2 pairs 😊

[@masterdrummer4720]

lucky guy

[@ericprince9692]

Are they good for heavy music. I think I dig the sound on those the best and the standard k's. I'm watching KZbin videos and trying to figure out the best line of cymbals to go with. Was debating on a cymbal pack, but idk now after hearing those hybrid hats

[@silkcustoms520]

Any K’s are Great

[@davidcoulter1058]

@@ericprince9692 My advice on cymbal packs is this: yes, they save you money in the short term, but ultimately may cost you more in the sense that you may end up buying cymbals as part of the pack that you don't like. For instance, I love New Beat hi hats but A series rides and crashes are too high pitched for me. I have a mix of As, Ks, A Customs, K Customs and FX series, and each cymbal was carefully chosen after thought and research. It will cost more and require more effort but you'll end up with your perfect set if you take that route. Just my two cents; it's your cash at the end of the day.

[@Assimilator702]

@@ericprince9692 Don’t go with the cymbal packs. They usually include the smaller version of the Ride. In the case of the K Custom Hybrid Ride the 21” is my preference although the 20” makes a great Crash. All the Crash cymbals cut nicely but it’s nice if you can demo them in person first since the heavier cymbals cut better than the thinner ones. I bought a 19” that was too thin and second one I bought had just enough extra weight to sound like a different model. That’s the thing with Zildjian, in one model line for one particular size you can have dozens of difference sound variances. 14” K Custom Hybrids are great with any style of music. They’re basically closest to Mastersound with more volume and a slightly higher pitch which CUTS through the music. I love my 14” K Custom Hybrid Hihats. Probably my favorite Hihats right behind K and K Mastersound.

[@bryandrums32]

I own the 15” lights and the 13” reg k hihats, I wouldn’t sell either,,, they are phenomenal...... I’m in love 😍 with my hats 🧢

[@mb-2042]

Bryan Corey I have a pair of 13” regular k’s as well. Sound great! Fun to lay into every now and then when I don’t feel like the 14”

[@bryandrums32]

Sausiedancer24 righ on bro

[@bryandrums32]

1 year later,,, I now own the 14/.25 hybrids and 13” k custom dark!!!! Not the 14”,,,,,,, I love my hats!!!!

[@blakenunndrums]

@@bryandrums32 Haha, and 2 months later, I found your comment on here, Bryan! 😆 Guess who I just gave my K sweet 15s to? 😉 lol. He's a lucky little sob! So, I've got both pairs of the hybrids now (13 and 14 and a 1/4), k custom darks, HHX Legacies, and the HHX complex mediums to keep that tonal spectrum of the K Sweets that I gave to him. The HHX complex 15s are very similar to the k Sweets, but even a little darker and buttery. So, after recommending the hybrids to you a long time ago when I picked up my k sweet 15s, now I no longer have those but both pairs of the hybrids, and then 15s in both the Legacies and complex. Since he has that k sweet 21" ride I helped him get awhile back, the sweet 15s just went perfect with it, so I let him have those. Gonna miss them, but the hhx complex fill the gap nicely, and I still have the custom darks and Paiste dark crisps. Hope you're well, bro! 🤜💥🥁💥🤛

[@bryandrums32]

@@blakenunndrums oh hell ya!!!! I’m glad you have both 13 and 14 hybrids!!!!! They are killer hats!!!!!!

[@crackawood]

interesting seeing all the people with no complaints about this video and then all the people who were focusing on the snare. i completely tune the snare out when i'm listening to hi-hat comparisons

[@masterdrummer4720]

for me it will be the special dry.

[@alyxl4mb904]

I think the decay Is to fast but I've never heard em in person

[@arasiah]

Hi, thanks for the comparison. It is the K custom dark for me. By the way did you record them for the last (disco) groove? I didn’t see them being demo’d.

[@RoshanDrummer]

Never would have thought, but it's the light hats for me!

[@eugen-jenci-tabacaru5608]

Hi! Nice video, and great comparation. I'm in that moment when i will have to make this decision, and your video will definitely help me, but i have a question. Why did you change snare only at the custom dark one?

[@marc8vino]

I wish you would have had the same set up for each set. That change in snare changes the overall sound. It's still helpful but it would have been better with just changing of the hats.

[@beholdason3669]

Stunning, K Lights and Special Dry, I use 16 and 15 and 14 K Constantinoples dark, dry and low pitch cymbals yeah

[@littlet1954]

I love K master close half open and open hi-hat sound

[@tommyaprodita]

❤ K custom hybrid

[@HermesTrismegistes369]

Diggin the K mastersound!

[@panosskentzos]

Wait, why did the snare change for the K-Dark? It changes the whole perception of the high end for the kit

[@gnosticnomad8389]

I think of this list, the custom darks are my favorite. I used to have a pair but the 13” didn’t rock me. Second from this list are the lights. I have a pair of those and really like them. My all time top K hats though are keropes and as of recently fat hats.

[@boomerguy9935]

I have a pair of 14" K Custom Dark hats that are too "clangy" and only sound good in large venues at higher volumes. They just aren't sensitive enough or dark enough for acoustic jazz.

[@scsidrum]

This test is defunct purely as it’s recorded on different kits with different recording setups.

[@PNW_Sportbike_Life]

I have reg K 14”, though I used to rock K mastersounds. I prefer the mastersounds and miss them.

[@footnotedrummer]

Why no K Sweet hats?

[@orenji13]

the basic K and the K sweet are the best for me. lol please just use 1 kit when comparing.

[@rhythmista7707]

All sound great and have their different characteristics. However, for all purpose recording and live, definitely the traditional K's..

[@joshuamcrae6092]

Sorry fellas but the clear winner here is the original… Zildjian K Hats has the win!

[@Dan-hc1ow]

Would have been nice to hear the K Constantinople hats. Also, the Custom Dark hats were left out of the final comparison. Those and the Custom Hybrid were the standouts for me.

[@eddydenton]

K Custom Hybrids for me too.

[@BillMoorehouse]

Why does that bass drum sound so freaking good?! Hard to focus on the hi hats! :)

[@avilastreaming2420]

Because is a Natal, great drumd

[@lukeafranklin]

I would use all of these at a very “near from the present” point, I love them all…however overall I think I’d go Dark

[@Lanishathe]

They’re beautiful, had the luck to play them in person once

[@CyrilViXP]

K Custom Special Dry are legendary

[@mermerserkan]

Regular K is the best!

[@MrAvw777]

I have the K Customs great hats, I do like the Master and the Light K as well mmmmm

[@boomerguy9935]

How about opening them up and playing them with jazz and bossa nova patterns at a low volume? When you hit them while they are closed, they all sound alike. I'm a jazz drummer and the sound of the hi-hats is extremely important, unlike in rock.

[@jeshurunabinadab6560]

Is there a particular Zildjian hat you’d recommend for Jazz? I’m actually shopping for hats and a ride for Jazz drumming and it’s overwhelming. I’m currently looking at the 14” K Constantinople hats and the 20” K Constantinople Bounce Ride. Seems like a great combo but I’m still hesitant to pull the trigger.

[@boomerguy9935]

I think the 14" K Con hats are a perfect choice. The thinner the cymbal, the darker the sound. In my opinion, the heavier ones become too "clangy" also brighter. As far as the ride is concerned, I agree with the 20" K Constantinople but you would have to choose which sounds better. If you're fortunate enough to have a local drum shop, pick the hats first and then compare them to the rides. Take your favorite sticks and brushes with you.

[@jeshurunabinadab6560]

I’m pretty much sold on the 14” K Con hats. And I’ve narrowed the rides down to either the 20” K Con Bounce or the 20” K Con Renaissance. Both have minor cons but ultimately it comes down to which would pair best with the 14” K Con hats. Theres no local shop so trying to figure that out through online demos is challenging. Any further input you may have would be greatly appreciated.

[@boomerguy9935]

Please understand that sound is subjective and without being able to hear the hi hats paired with either cymbal, I watched some videos and FOR ME, the better ride would be the K Con Renaissance because it is darker and more musical FOR MY STYLE. I use medium weight hickory Vic Firth sticks and brushes for soft jazz, pop, latin and classic rock. If you're into funk, then the brighter K Con Bounce would be the better choice. Hope this helps. @@jeshurunabinadab6560

[@Laurence_Balfour]

All are great hats! Leaning more towards the traditional K and the K Mastersound. I'm such a sucker for Mastersound hats though, that crimped edge just makes it sound so much more musical and chunky to my ear.

[@bkdesignr]

for me it's close between the k master sound or the regular k's. would love to have a set of special dry's as a secondary

[@stevencarol3938]

Why did you change the snare part way through? Skews the comparison, no?

[@bonzomio]

14"K

[@goesjem]

Always the best!

[@alexandruterototh9747]

K Hats forever :D

[@dimakireev]

I think k mastersound and k hybrid - the better hats!

[@daggzg]

Regular K classic! :)

[@ravirajah2010]

I needed this thank you so much , accurate and easy to make a distinction between them, Excellent work

[@elliotjharris9908]

Loveeeee the hybrids

[@snorhyveln]

Yeah, why switch snare. Not a great reference to get the right effect

[@dhengberdin5001]

Custom hybrid .. deym ❤️

[@powlobo.m.b.]

great video!!

[@dannygorman6164]

excellently organized demo! subscribed

[@bigbromiki1]

played 14 sweets and custom darks for a while at the store, the sweets werent bad just bland for some reason, I got the custom darks

[@FatDelBoy]

Thanks. Wonderful video

[@daleonov]

Thanks for this video!

[@seakay5705]

Why did the snare randomly change lmao

[@219Dave]

Changing the snare was the opposite of helpful!

[@TheMegrims]

switching snares was distracting to the point of making this video useless for me.

[@Drumming-Life]

The snare switch messed with me too.

[@paulnuccio3114]

This is helpful, but why would you NOT devote at least a little part of the video to what the hats sound like when operated with just your foot?? Gotta hear the "chik"!!

[@tadbarnes1499]

Personally, I like K custom dark

[@cabernetfran]

K light and k mastersound for me

[@piersok]

Regular K’s and K lights

[@ananlama1]

NICE VIDEO MAN

[@sbskking]

Mastersound for sure

[@arctic2gamin365]

Where’s is the 15 inch sweet k 🙁🙁

[@denisetiawan5423]

Yeahh

[@rhythmista7707]

No K sweet hi hats?

[@rowinwings2005]

Where’s the K Constantinople hats? Or the K Sweet hats? Or the K custom hats? Not much of a comparison of the ‘K line’ if you don’t include all of the different options... also thought the mixing was a bit off on this one 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@isihernandez9752]

I guess they did it with what they had in stock.. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@brockvance1380]

And they switched the snare

[@Assimilator702]

Rowin Wings It’s a fairly large collection.

[@Harturo_Oliveira]

A family hats and i &S family hats. 😀 Please. This comparisons are very productives.

[@Drumming-Life]

K custom Hybrid for me.

[@christopherdunn317]

1:25 0:13 2:04 3:04

[@Catstevem]

Custom dark for me

[@joshmccausland2976]

their is a clear difference

[@stevebray001]

K Hybrid seem to have the edge followed closely by the K Master sound and lights - Im about to buy a pair remotely so won't get to hear them for real.

[@rhythmista7707]

Big mistake. They all sound different even if they're the same hi hat cymbals, size, and series. Trust me on this. I'm sure they'll sound great, but always keep in mind that zildjian cymbals always vary from cymbal to cymbal, and aren't consistent sounding like Paiste. I recently made the switch from Paiste to Zildjian after almost 30 yrs with Paiste, and I'm very glad i did.

[@guillermo3564]

Hybrid 1st, lights 2nd.

[@denisetiawan5423]

Exactly.. same

[@MsLacy707]

That snare ringing....

[@goesjem]

Overtones are good though. I hate a dead sounding snare. This snare is full of life.

[@mrmisfit635]

Yes, one of the main characteristics of a snare drum...

[@timmyboy9140]

Not for a cymbal demonstration video biggin​@@goesjem

[@margovallen]

K Custom Special Dry Hihats... and K Hihats.

[@administration8961]

just play a straight 8th note beat..? people just want to hear the hi-hats..

[@johnnymerritt9544]

Your audience won't notice the difference all very close.

[@thomasnappo6309]

All nice.lm confused 😅

[@ZackMester]

K!

[@shuterobin]

Lights defo

[@motleyh9427]

Special dry

[@dagb7271]

K Light 😀

[@GeoffreyFrisbie]

K hybrids 100%

[@denisetiawan5423]

K Sweet ????

[@SevanStick]

K custom hybrid

[@cszetela1]

I honestly think A-series New Beats sound better than K’s

[@larrytate1657]

Not imo. But that’s why they make both :)

[@cszetela1]

@@larrytate1657 I was never a fan of K’s. To each his own.

[@itsjjp6070]

The standard Ks all the way. Not to be rude, but technique could be better and bring out better sounds from all of these. Far too tight and choked, particularly in the first half or so of this. That said, the standard Ks sounded best even when choked, meaning they're the most forgiving which is interesting. I would have guessed the lights were easier to play.

[@jeffreyvanhouten1239]

As great as your guitar videos audio is, the drum recordings are disappointing. It’s impossible to hear the difference in many of these models. Drum Center of Portsmouth has great videos with similar content. I’m sure you could reach out to them and see how they are doing videos like this, as I doubt the two retailers are competitors one has the European market and the other the United States and Canada.

[@AaRoN-xn2db]

H Y B R I D

[@BoswachtBlog]

I would love to hear someone play a half time shuffle in these comparison videos. These are all pretty dumb chops, they alway are and you never get to feel the true dynamics of the cymbals. 16th 's variations, rudimentary 8ths, the half open chops kids love to listen to. Play a damn shuffle.

[@durotmaxime3474]

k hi-hat

[@db4096]

Interesting to read everyones opinion. But for me, this video highlights just how terrible the special dry sound 🤮. Its probably because im in my 40"s and not down with the kids, but they sound like the hi hats that you were so desperate to get rid of that you had with your first kit. Think Sabian solar or Paiste BrassTones (or Krut/no star Zyn for the older generation)

[@ronniek7748]

I thought they were all great except for the Custom Special Dry. Did not like them at all!! 👎

[@20thingsgoing62]

No

[@walpurgisnacht9234]

Custom hybrid by far.