I think it's funny how "Ben minal" doesn't try meinl. hahahaha, I'm just kidding. great video tho. I liked the k's personally!

This has to be one of the classics of cymbal reviews of youtube

I dont know how Paiste does it so consistently.. But they always come out on top in sound comparisons according to my eardrums anyway.

I have played Zildjian cymbals for years , but have had a set of Paiste Signature hi hats for around 20 yrs .. got them on sale for half price $400 AUD in the early 90s and have loved them so much I never changed them out and they are still crisp as ever ..

Been using the Paiste Dark Crisp ones for 8 years they sound great, last long, and fits in almost all genres. Absolutely the best gift I ever got.

Your sense of rhythm is unusually good even for drummers.

Sabian 1:26 Zildjian 4:16 Paiste 7:01

my thought is paiste dark crisp signature

This video convinced me to buy the Paiste Dark Crisp Hi-hats. They're absolutely amazing!

My hats are the Sabian HHX Xcelerators. They are my favorite cymbals of all time! They are very crisp, with an extremely articulate foot chick. The bottom hat is wavy looking, which lets air escape (similar to the soundwave design from Paiste) You don't have to fiddle with the cradle like Ben did on the hi hat stand with the xcelerator hats. I just love them and love Sabian!

Very glad you used the same recording setup to the budget hats video too. Made for a cool comparison between videos. I'm a guitarist not a drummer so I'm not too clued up on things like types of hats but I preferred the sound of the K's.

2:05 I love this bass drum rhythm.

whoops...I ran over my old hats. Looks like I'll have to buy the paiste signature.

You can get medium level drums and with good heads and they'll sound fine, but only high-end cymbals sound good. Budget cymbals are shit.

To my ear I think the Sabians would sit better in alot of my mixes, Didn't realise they were so different! So awesome! Thanks for this!

Got into Sabians in the early early 90s because they were quite a step up from my early days ( beginner playing on Cambers ) with the introduction of the B8pro line and quite affordable , then stepped up gradually to AA / AAX as money and my skill set improved . I never really cared for Zildjian with the exception of one or two specific cymbals , always wanted Paiste as I've always thought they sounded just a bit better ( still think that to this day ) but early on and even well before I stepped up to a few HH series they still weren't affordable and I've always been happy playing my wide variety of Sabians . I got out of playing for over a decade and when I got back into it I went with my trusty Sabians yet again because I always had very good luck using them and was absolutely comfortable with the quality and sound. Today I have a mixture or sbr/aa/ aax and the one hh ride I never got rid of. I guess the major reason I stuck with them and went back was their warranty / customer service in the late 90s and early 00s . They took care of me , when I doubt the others would have. Customer for life .

"Ultimate High End" is a bit of a misnomer. Price usually reflects production methods that are more intensive. For example: a 14" Paiste 2002 Heavy Hi Hat, and a 14" Signature Heavy Hi Hat are at two separate price points, and the latter a proprietary alloy, and more workmanship in production. However, they are both considered professional grade cymbals. Zildjian uses automatic hammering for their A, and K likes. The Constantinople might be hand hammered, but I'm not 100% on that. For Zildjian to create a K cymbal, they only need to change the programming for their hammering machines. The labor is identical, but due to market perception, can charge more. The main point is that price is misleading. People will buy the most expensive because it is "the best", without realizing that the product is not necessarily the most appropriate for the situation. Some people will break thousands of dollars worth of thin jazz cymbals because they're not loud or cutting enough, before they realize they need a brighter, thicker cymbal - even though it's got a lower price point. Pay attention to sonic requirements before falling for a price point.

Great review. Love the K series, I own some Paiste signature sound edge hats and they are brilliant. I haven't had the pleasure of the Sabians but they sound very, very nice. But as you say, for the price of all of these lovely cymbals they are all going to be super high quality, it just comes down to preference. Thanks again for the great review.

Great video and demo of these beautiful cymbals. I've played the K and Paiste DC hats, and I love them both. Haven't tried the Sabians, but they certainly have great articulation. Thanks for sharing, and nice chops.

Lmao. I skipped into the video about 1:45 without looking, and said "Huh. I like those hihats A LOT. I bet they're Sabian." And then I discover they're 14 HHX Evolution hi-hats. EXACTLY WHAT I PLAY. No wonder I liked it so much.

I'm generally a paiste fan but there weren't any here that stood out as better than the others, all great sets

I've owned HHX Evos. They weren't very loud at all; great sounding though. I currently have a pair of K Mastersounds and some Paiste sound edge hats. The Ks are by far my favorite; perfect balance between bright and dark and LOUD. My Paiste hats have a ton of character; they are dark and LOUD. I use the Paiste hats as my aux hats.

The K Custom Session hats should definitely be included in this comparison. If they were, I guarantee that your #1 choice would be a toss-up between the Session hats and the HHX Evolutions. They are fantastic.

Paiste are my brand of choice, but I am incredibly fussy about hi hats and was not really satisfied until I stumbled upon a pair of Paiste Twenty Custom Full Hi Hats. They are Turkish B20 bronze - just like Meinl Byzance - but handmade in Switzerland. They're very heavy, with well defined chick and stick, and manage to be both crisp and dark, but with a warm overall tone. You can really lay into them with the shoulder of the stick and they start to roar or, with a little restraint, get lovely little chips and chirps out of them with the tip of the stick. Absolutely the finest hi hats I have ever played. Too bad they don't make them anymore!

I'm for those sabian evos. So clean and smooth when played closed down tight. they are not as glassy as paiste which I do like but prefer them evos.

Play Zildjian my whole life but I'm telling you I'm really liking the Paiste brand

The best of Zildjan 13‘ & 14‘ K/Z Dyno Beats aus den 80 iger ‚ bis heute🤘

I have 4 sets of hats for three kits. Two sets are original zildgian Canada hats. One set I've had for 38 years. They were pretty revolutionary at the time. A and extra heavy flat bottom(no bell) with four holes near the center to allow air to escape. I believe they were called flat hats. The second zildgians also Canada originals. I can't remember what model they are but I've had them for about 28 years. I horse traded for them. They have a much trashier sound. The third set are 14" sabian vault hats. I love these things. Had them 13 years. My favorite hats at the moment. And then I have cheap bottom line pearls I horse traded for. These hats are ok for jam sessions when you don't want some hack playing your good wares. I've wanting to try out some new hats so I just ordered the hhx evolution 15" hats. I had a conversation with Burton Cummings drummer and it turns out the guess who's original drummer used 15s. So I thought I'd give those a spin. I must say, I've played both zildgians and sabians. Hats, rides, crashes, splashes.etc. When the brothers split and zildgians were no longer available In Canada, I went sabian. Sure, "some" zildgians sound better than some sabians. However, in my opinion the difference is marginal and not worth hemorrhaging cash for. I look at zildgians like Harley Davidsons. They're a lot of money for a name and an image. And that's all great if that's the clan you want to belong to. But my Suzuki boulevard goes down the road the same way and for a fraction of the cost of Harley. I'm just not hearing a benefit for the price.

I've always been a zildjian guy but those hhx evolutions man, they royally trump my old Z3 hats

Zildjian Ks for me in this example. :)

I went with the sabian HHX super happy with them they sound awesome they look good too

We can’t get over the fact that meinl has the best hats

Meinl Byzance Vintage Pure Hi Hats would have been amazing to compete against those 3.

I liked the sabians but I actually really liked the paistes. The K's didnt do much for me honestly

I love Minal cymbals, I'm super impressed you still review other companies and other than your companys cymals. Minal cymbals are the best

Let your playing style and your ears decide...do not choose based only on price...obviously. Been playing Sabian since 1986

He said Haitch Haitch Ex. I'm scarred.

Istanbul and Meinl Byzance stuff would blow any of these away. Especially Istanbul. In my opinion Istanbul makes the finest cymbals ever made.

I actually just picked up a mint set of 1960s New Beats, the best sounding I have used in 44yrs behind a kit.

I'm strictly a Metal drummer, but that drumming you had going on with the Paiste hats was groovy! Really great. Hard to choose from the three, I'd have any of them. Though with having such a great experience with my 18" HHX Evolution crash, I'd probably go with the HHX hats. Just because I know the quality (and HHX is one of my favourite series of any cymbal).

I've got the Sabian HHX 14" Evolution Hi-hat myself as well! :D

I'm biased, lol so..The K's definitely had the better sound for my tastes. Those Sabians were nice, but K's always speak to me. My set now that I've been on for a couple of years are the classic 14" K/Z set up..To me it covers all styles and genres, not just Jazz, R&B. As soon as he step down on the K's and I heard that "chick", I got a silly grin on my face because there's no mistaking that brand's sound..

Good review man, I currently have a pair of Paiste Rude Hi Hats and wouldn't change them for the world, they do the most perfect job throughout the genres.

being a fellow open hander left handed love your style and great video really showed the crispness of high end hats, cheers!

Hhx-most articulate and crisp. Brightest and smoothest by far. Fusion for sure. K's - very washy and choclately. Can see why they are a jazz favorite. Paistes- darkest but also the glassiest. They had the most treble out of any of them. Rock and beyond.

Paites FTW. In this video the EQ on your recording equipment is adjusted for the clunky sounding Sabians and Zildjians. For Paistes, all you do is turn the EQ OFF, as those cymbals are already "factory EQd" so to speak... If you add some compression on Paiste cymbals, your jaw will drop and the other brands will be blown out of their stands.

Coolest vid I have seen for a long, long, long, time at 64. Kick butt make it happen. Love.

Those sabian HHX are so tight and crispy.

All three here sound absolutely amazing and you can't go wrong with either one. At this point it's all subjective really. Me, I like the Paiste!

7:08 Do all drummers have face expression like him when drumming? =))))

I used to use a pair of 14" As from the '70s. I absolutely LOVED those hi-hats, but I wanted something a bit more crisp and shimmery. I bought the HHX complex 15". It will be a while before I buy another pair worth buying because of how awesome the HHX complex are.

Great demo, and awesome playing! I own and LOVE the K Mastersound hats, and I've owned the HHX Evos; you cannot go worng with either choice. I also love HHX evolution crashes.

Are you playing with no ear protection or am I blind

Had k custom 13” dark hats in the past and they have a gongy quality that I was never a fan of. Currently using hhx 13” evolutions and the crispness and chunkiness of the sound is unparalleled. As an audio engineer I’ve worked with a lot of drummers and I’ve never heard better than the evolutions.

The Sabian's sound EQ'd already.

The HHXs are head and shoulders above the others, in my personal taste. More body than the Ks, more precise wash than the Paistes. I believe HHX Evo hats will be the hats I buy for the studio.

i pitty the fools who never tried istanbul cymbals

I've got the k mastersound there so nice

Hahaha, I came here to make choosing a set of hihats easier, now I have MORE of a dilemma... Those Paiste 'hats sound awesome too...

Just ordered some hhx hats yesterday and They can’t get here fast enough! Sounds amazing!

No Meinl? Byzance Sand Hats?

When u play the paiste's cymbal you play AMAZING man! You should play paiste, it inspires you :') ahaha

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but you can toss all those hi-hats and get the GREATEST high end, crisp, cut thru anything hi-hat sound in the WORLD, using the following mismatched setup (a secret of many pros): 1) Zildjian "Z Custom" Dyno-Beat 13"/33cm for your Bottom Hat. 2) And here's the rub~> Zildjian K Custom Hybrid BOTTOM Hi-Hat as~> Your TOP Hat...yes...I said it right~> a Bottom Hat on TOP! This extraordinary combo makes any "set" of hi-hats, no matter the high cost, sound WHIMPY & FLAT. Try it.

"Bang the hell outta those drums Dale "😂😂😂

love those K's! =]

I thought Portnoy used AAX Stage hats..... I use HHX Click hats. Had the choice of these or AAX X-Celerator hats. Not disappointed!

The still for the Paiste's said PST @6:51,which is a big stepdown from the Sigs.

So about that "heavier on bottom" part. Some hi-hat series are flipped, with K custom session hats, the bottom cymbal is about a quarter of an inch bigger (not very noticeable) however, the top cymbal is thicker and heavier. I personally love the way those work, different sound than any other set of hats.

HHX wins for me by miles and miles.

8:27 I'm weak

Thanks for the video, Bosphorus makes some intense and insane hats as well.....Meinl too...its just a personal choice. Obviously no one will be doing wrong with any of these...just depends on what you want your sound to be....thanks for the video

15 inch Zildjian A-Custom Mastersounds are my favorites over any others I've played. I also run a Meinl Classic Custom bottom cymbal OVER a Zildjian Z3 MasterSound Bottom. Killer! Who says one has to be a slave to a brand? Also use a Paiste 2002 bottom OVER a Sabian HHX Evo bottom or Artisan Top. In my 55 years playing drums I've amassed quite a wide collection of cymbals. Over two hundred. I mix and have fun! Currently running a nine-piece Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute kit in Plum Stain, Three DW 9000 series cabled Hi-Hats and a DW 5000 cabled Hi-Hat rigged to a cowbell struck by a Ching-ring!

I'd like to be the one that points out the fact that this guy's last name is Minal, yet Meinl cymbals (pronounced just like his name) aren't included in any of these videos.

The Paistes are the best sounding ones, hands down.

Could have sworn you said "Ben Meinl" so I figured, "why is he checking out everthing except Meinl"

I am a Sabian guy (14” AA sizzle hats), but those K’s sound really sweet!

I have a pair of cheap Sabian XS hats that sound way better then my expensive Zildjian K hats, Zildjian K's are overrated imho, i was so disappointed in my K crashes as well, they sounded puny compared to my other cheap cymbals

Paiste!!!

wow ! I've never laid my hands on more expensive cymbals. I'd die to even play one of those ...

I have the Zildjian K custom dark hats, and I love them

haych haych ex

Ultimate High End hihat's without "istanbul cymbals" in it ? What a big mistake.

i have had the k hats since around 1994 and they get better with age!

Ben, not surprised to hear you like Gavin Harrison - I can hear a lot of his playing coming through in yours!

No Meinl hats, 0/10 and disliked.

paiste hihat, AAX crash, K coustom ride and a wuhan gong.. thats how i roll. Paiste makes the best hi-hats.

That k sizzle is pleasingly nice to my ears

Honestly I have never liked the sound of Sabian cymbals, and these are no exception. I personally am a Paiste player, but I have always thought Zildjian made the best sounding hats. They have the most refined sound to my ears, although the Paiste hi hats cut better. I’m using Signature Precision Sound Edge hats and love them.

Zildjian new beats always. Best of these are the sabian by far. Listening with headphones.

Sabians wins by far IMO, they sounded absolutely divine.

first thought also Kaden made me laugh,great minds think alike,lol.....hi ben love the hhx cymbals,im a Zildian fan for a long time,went to a studio they had the Hhx hats,love at first site,so i bought the HHX Evolution Cymbal Set,thanks for posting,great stuff

Honestly, those HHX sound exactly like the XSR's I heard when Nick D'Virgilio played them in the Sweetwater vid

Paiste Dark Energy hats have more articulation than the Crisp and are right there with the HHx hats. Even better for my taste. Great hands 👍

I'm loving these new videos Ben! Keep 'em coming!

Thanks for the review and reminding me why I love Sabian.

those paiste hats are my ride or die hats, love em so much

After my zildjian ZHT hats( good hats for $160 back then) I wanted a set of K's so bad, but I couldn't justify the $399 price tag. I ended up getting a set of zildjian A mastersounds and I really like them. They were $330, so I don't know if they'd be considered in the top of hats, but still not cheap. All these hats sound great, just personal preference from there. Give me the K's though.

The Paistes clearly sound best, but none of them are even close to old, thin zildjians from the 60's. JMO. Great video! Thanks.

the K/Z hats are FAR better IME (especially mic'd) than the standard K's. 13 inch too gives it a crisper more round sound and versatility than many K hats and some others too imo. Great video,thanks! K top and HEAVY Z bottom.excellent combo

Finally someone who plays open-hand an actually looks cool doing it. Best part is that you're a Brit haha, respect brother. Great demo