You should do a cheap vs expensive cymbal blindfold test. With more than 3 cymbals.

You really missed an opportunity to name this video "Crash Test Dummies"

Alternate Title: Jared almost loses his Paiste endorsement

Bruce looks like he's having an endorsement crisis at the end, hahahaha. Loving these videos, guys!

I would love to see a blind test of dark rides ... Meinl, Paiste, Zildjian K

I know an AAX Xplosion when I hear one. The most underated and versatile crash ever

I so appreciate that you’re doing this. I’ve been listening to cymbal samples for weeks. It’s way harder than I ever thought it would be. Thanks guys!

Like chef’s testing their pallets, this was a brilliant idea and fun video! I LOVE how y’all continue to evolve from lessons and resources to documentary style videos and now “blind” sound tests. SERIOUSLY BRILLIANT and has influenced how I will purchase equipment in the future - seriously. MORE PLEASE!

So I did the blindfold game and I guessed each one right. The Zildjian was bright and glassy. The Paiste was bright and silky. The Sabian was bright and a bit warmer compared to the Zildjian. Overall, my favourite of the bunch was the Paiste. To me it sounded like a perfect complexion of brightness with a touch of dark, silky wash. It also sounded the most musical to my ears where it could fit into more genres of music better compared to the other 2.

my 21” zildjian sweet ride is the best crash i’ve ever played. had it on my kit since 2004. i’ve played and owned other crashes and nothing even compares

It doesn't matter what the company is, just the sound

I actually got them all right wow. Zildjian has that distinct higher pitch shimmer to them, sabian has a slight raspy sound when laid into, and paiste just has that wonderful smoothness that I love. Paiste all the way for me.

That Paiste sounded unreal

I love these blindfold tests, do more please! Theyre enjoyable to watch and I like not looking and finding out what I really like.

Nice test ! Really enjoyed it guys keep up the good work. That Paiste sounded really good I own all Zildjian Custom A's. Great job guys

I'm more of a Sabian guy myself, but from what I heard in this video the A-custom sounds beautifully clean and bright which I love.

Do it with other cymbals! Rides, hi-hat, chinas, other crashes!

These are fun videos. Plz keep them comings!

Do a LOT of these videos. It really helps those of us that aren't brand specific choose cymbals.

Awesome video!!!

Cool video guys! Very enjoyable!

Always tough to determine the sounds on KZfaq. But, I've been playing a mixture of Sabian and Paiste for 30 years and while I love my recent AAX Sabians, the 17" Paiste Sound Formula Thin Crash and the 8" Paiste Sound Formula Splash I have are by far my favourites. In fact, even when other long time accomplished bands we have supported that used our backline all the drummers have gotten off stage and commented how beautiful the Paiste Sound Formula's are. It's all subjective on what a person likes, but for me I love the Sabians and will never part with them but, the Paiste are on another level for me.

I play zildjian A's now but my first kit from a pawn shop back in '91 came with Paiste 2002's. LOVED those cymbals!

Endorsed by "Paiste" for years...."Paiste Signature Series" have been my choice all the way! .......Thanks Drumeo!

Paiste has always been more consistent from cymbal to cymbal than the other brands but you can´t beat a thin, hand picked A-custom for versatility.

Yep, I'm a Sabian AAX fan. Love mine. I have that same 18" AAX X-Plosion Crash as well as the 16 of it.

Paiste sounds best, but Signature is from a different price range than A Custom/AAX.

I nailed it!!! This is what I loved about the AAX XPLOSION. They open up very well, have great body, and are real shimmery. Im going back

The Paiste crash has that particular Paiste sounding, makes it unique. But I love the Zildjian and Sabian. any of them for me.

I switched to Paiste about a year ago and this demonstration in my opinion shows why. Paiste just sounds smooth as silk...

They are all lovely. Paiste have a unique sound. Zildjian and Sabian are both very similar. Honestly I’d be happy with any of the 3 in my rig.

1st time I heard the Paiste 18" signature full crash I thought it was the best crash cymbal I'd ever heard!

I've owned both a custom 18 and AAXPLOSION 18. I always felt that the zildjian had that ripping sound at high volume that was great for heavy music, but the aaxplosion was more smooth but rises to an absolute roar when crash riding. I slightly prefer the AAXPLOSION but they are both great.

They're all great sounding cymbals. very cool. I play mostly Paiste Signatures and i love them. But i have to admit that the Zildjian and the Sabian are very surprising.

Been playing Zildjian and Sabian for 20 years now but I am about to buy this Paiste. It sounds unreal

My drum tutor told me that Sabian and Zildjian used to be the same company at one point and this makes me believe that the A custom and AAX are made quite similarly to one another and so to my ears sound quite similar, however overall the Paiste topped the 3 in my opinion, let’s hear some Snare heads!!

Cymbals sound so different when you are at a distance! I used to have a 400 Paiste hihat which I didn’t like when playing it close but one time I lent it to a friend and it sounded ten times better from a distance! It was VERY VERY GOOD from a distance while I didn’t like it when playing it myself. Thanks for the great video and next time make sure you can listen to them from a distance!

I have sabian son my kit but I have no qualms about playing any brand if it sounds good. All those cymbals sounded great.

I nailed that one! I used to play this game at the store I taught at when my friends would stop by, and I didn't have any students. I would also work the sales floor, and helped countless people pick out cymbals. Personally I've been playing Paiste since 1990 - because of the sound.

Please more videos like this!

Loved the play along

I've my own 18" Signature Paiste for almost 10 years and I love it... best crash I've ever played

Been looking for some new cymbals and I tell you what, Paiste has sold it for me, they’re such a beautiful and amazing sounding cymbals! Love them!

My guess was Zildjian, then Paiste, then Sabian. I was surprised that the Sabian was the outlier for me that I couldn't figure out, in person I've always preferred Sabian. Awesome video!!

The Sabian sounds like a Zildjian that's worn in. I actually have that Zildjian at home, and I would have sworn blindly that was it. However, the Zildjian sounds very different when new, almost like a smashing glass kind of sound!

I chose the Paiste on this test but I have no loyalty to just one cymbal company. I own a variety from all 3 manufacturers plus an Instanbul Mel Lewis sizzle ride and they are all incredible with their own distinct feel, look and sound.

Sup! What if you didn't block your ears with the blindfold? I think it would help

An easy test I learned for looking for a good cymbal is, listen to the decay. Ideally you want the highs, and lows to taper off in volume together. A cymbal that has a long low hum after the highs are gone is probably not a well tuned and crafted cymbal. If you listen to the first cymbal - the Zildjian A- you can hear how fast the sound of the highs are gone and the lows keep resonating. Paiste is near perfect when it comes to this test. All the pitches decay together, which also means it's tuned to a pitch, which they are. I love cymbals, and in my time have heard many types. It's really hard to top Paiste Signature Series, but if there is a cymbal that is close, I would give that to UFIP- the most underrated cymbal on the market. UFIP's 8" splash (Class Series) is second to none, and no one's even close to that splash, seriously, buy one if you can find it, you will be amazed, I promise. Sabian's Artisan are pretty amazing too.

I would love to see a blind test like this behind a kit. Cymbals. Toms and everything. It would be awesome to see what can be noticed and what can't this way. May show beginners it isn't about expensive equipment.

Jared you make me want to go back to using Paiste everytime i seen your videos man. But they need to bring back Dimensions and original Sound Formula

Maybe also with Drum Kits brands! and maybe Vintage drums.

Had an 18” Paiste Rude ride/crash. I loved that symbol. I couldn’t hear anything for a second or 2 after I hit it though 🤣

Nice and curious! Thanks! :)

Great and funny test. I do prefer the Paiste. It opens up at lower volumes and also have a nice balance in the entire register with its characteristically bright shimmering high tones. But all three are great cymbals.

How they both identified the Paiste… Tells alot about how similar Sabian and Zildjian are most of the times

I love this !

El Paiste de lejos!! Que hermoso suena. Sonido inconfundible. Great video!!

I play Zildjian Avedis and A Customs but I love the sound of Signature Paiste’s for the same reasons mentioned in the video. They’ve got that quick, bright sound to them and don’t seem to have such a heavy metallic sound. But at the end of the day, all three cymbals are fantastic.

They all sound good, but the the Paiste has that classic warmness to it which always makes them a cut above.

I would love if we as viewers could play along. If you don't show us what you're playing while blindfolded and then reveal the answers at the end we can have a chance at guessing as well.

I immediately recognized the 3rd one, the AAX x-plosion, 16" version of it I used for everything for 7 years. How can these guys not recognize their own sponsored cymbals? lol

If you guys do a ride cymbal sound check/blind challenge please include a meinl byzance line in there... I'm interested to see what kind of opinions are out there on that.

The Zildjian sound the best to me. It was very crisp. Please do one on ride cymbals?

Please do more videos like this

I own about 40 pAisTe crashes. And the 18 Signature Full crash is Definitely top 3.

wow, i got them all right. I have this exact sabian model so that might have helped

I do agree with the Paiste opening up faster and it has a distinct wash. I have been playing Paiste Rude for 30 years. Perfect for thrash.

All these are too harsh for my liking. I prefer darker cymbals, personally. I used to play A Customs, but have moved to K series (K Sweets currently). Great videos!

Theese videos gonna make your sponsors mad :D

A Custom is my favorite...I can tell one of those all day long. There's a special glassy type of wash that other cymbals just don't have

My favorite was the Paiste, but none of them can align with what's on my drum kit when my drum kit is coated in Meinl! 😁

You guys should try this with snares. great concept!

I have an Xplosion 18", I was kinda 50/50 on it when I first got it, but it's grown on me a lot after owning it for 3 years. Zildjian I have 17" A Custom projection, for Paiste I have 18" Rude wild and 16" Rude thin. All good cymbals.

When I record I use an AAX 16in crash, a HHX 18in crash a Paiste Signature 19in crash and a 1970 heavy Zildjian 18in ride. All sound different and awesome together..

Jared, this was awesome and think if you used the new Zildjian S Series that would have been a very accurate comparison to the Sabian and the Paiste models you chose because it is really close to those sound-wise and I bet you guys would have picked the S possibly as your favorite (and I'M a paiste guy) they sound absolutely incredible and very Paiste old school giant beat like... but this was a really cool A/B comparison and you guys should do this with some ride cymbals as well and maybe try it out with some vintage cymbals like Terry Keating does from bonzoleum channel. Great stuff please more of this!

Damn I got all of them right. At school in our band program we have a Zildjan 18" A custom medium crash so I recognized the sound. And I play Paiste's at home so I recognized the iconic sound you get as soon as you hit a Paiste. I figured out the Sabian by process of elimination.

Oh my good! I´m playing Sabian and Zildjian, but at this comparison the Paiste Full Crash was my favourite. So what...

I love these blindfold challenges. I think so many people listen with their eyes and their pocket books. This proves it all wrong.

I have all Paiste Signature fast crashes (love the bright, glassy sound), a Sabian B8 Pro ride, and Zildjian Rock hi-hats. I'm a cymbal company's endorsement nightmare. However, the cymbals that blow my mind are Murat Diril. I'm playing the lottery every week trying to afford those.

You need to do one for rides, would be cool hearing if people can pick out the sabians and paistes.

The Aax -xplosion and A custom have very similar sound signature but the a custom has a quicker decay than the x-plosion crashes. That's why the a customs are really great in the studio. Live, I would go for the xplosion crashes.

Wow what an eye opener... usually I'm only a fan of zildjian A coustom... I think the paiste sounded the best (I am on my phone not a high dollar stereo)... but this might have me looking for paste now.... would be interested in meinl coustom cymbals it there....

As someone who has played Sabian since HS in 1991, I did like the AAX better. I was shocked to find that the Paiste were my very close 2nd. It sounded really awesome....and for much of my drumming life, I didn't like Paiste's sound, but it has improved tremendously.

The best cymbal is the one that you like the most.

I'm happy Jared eventually recognized his Paiste "home" sound.

You have to take the effect of the sounds you're used to into account. Any drummer will drift toward the sounds they're used to. It would be nice to expand the test with other brands like Meinl, Dream, Murat, etc. Nice video!

I really liked how you didn't talk bad about the other companies...

The Paiste was my favorite personally, it sounded a little less harsh

The only one I recognised was the Paiste, because it sounded like my 2002. And this is the one I preferred out of the 3.

The A custom sounds brilliant !

i like your blinfold videos so far. my suggestion would be to only tell what you liked the most and ranking that instead of guessing brands. it`s fun to watch it though. i play paiste cymbals, mostly 2002s because i liked the sound the most when i was trying out cymbals at the music store. i am pretty unsure if i bought the same cymbals if i had tested them blindfolded. i guess this goes for drums as well. the eye always is pretty impotant when you purchase anything.

I did this test without looking with headphones and guessed all of them. The AAX sounded close to the Paiste, but Paiste it bit smoother. But a real test with the cymbals could be another story.

Nice!

Paiste was my favorite. I've always felt Paiste cymbals open up faster than even the best of the Zildjian brands. But I will say they should not have compared a Paiste Signature to two brilliant finish cymbals. Unless I'm mistaken, Paiste doesn't buff their cymbals, so those Zildjians were already way behind, as buffing a cymbal takes away some of its overall range and brilliance (ironically).

What type drum sticks do you use

proves what we allready knew, paiste's sound is more distinctive than the other two

Paiste sounds the best to my ear. All are good sounding. In my favorite listening order i would have to say paiste, sabian, zildjian. Although the sabian and zildjian were kind of a toss up tie. I own the A custom thin crashes. I like the 19” thin but don’t care that much for the 17” thin crash. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Good blindfold comparison video 👍

Nice idea. That compressor suddenly opening up in the middle of the tail is really annoying however.

I almost 35 years use Paiste Formula 602. They have a cristal clear open sound; fits in almost every situation. Fits very well for a light drummer in acoustic settings as i am. Jeff Porcaro had them. The Paiste signature series has to much volume for my taste and sensitive ears. Last 10 years i also did buy Zildjian K and A. They have more character, more volume and more body: for big orchestra, band, jam sessions, rock , blues. Still have to learn how to use them. They are explosive and they take many space in the acoustic frequency spectrum. For female vocals the deep K sounds did gave space for the high of the female vocal. The 16" thin crash Formula 602 is to soft in a loud fanfare or harmonie orchestra (concert band/marching band). The 17" K Dark crash Zildjian did provide the power and character i needed for big volume concert bands. That character fits very good with brass instruments. I have an 18" Hand Hammered Sabian Sound Control crash / ride high bell. That one really is nice as a suspended cymbal for swells. As a crash it is pretty loud but it reacts at low power hittings, it opens up easy but not as fast as the 16" thin crash. It is a very delicate cymbal so ....cannot be used by heavy hitters. It is somewhat more solid and less clear/clean in sound than the Paiste Formula 602. It does not have that typical character of the Zildjians. The Sabian can be used in loud concert band but it has a very long sustain that not always can be used for crashes. My sustain from short to long is 16" Formula 602, 17"K Zildjian and than the 18" HH Sabian. The 17"K Zildjian ha sbody and can be used on loud jam sessions but ...really rough drummers can break it.

I've heard that Paiste makes the best effect cymbals like crashes, splashes , etc. Zildjian makes the best ride cymbals, and hi-hat just comes down to preference.