People seem divided on whether these sound good or not. To me, the rides stand out, I love them, but for the prices these are not worth it. They sound thin, on the crashes I hear some pretty unpleasant frequencies, the high hats don't stand out at all; very quiet, and the redeaming factor, the rides, are priced at the same as much superior rides. Definitely not "affordable," anyways.
Sabian has done really well with a middle of the road line. I remember their xs20 as a fine line. Same with the sr2 line. Never saw that many players using them though. I had a bunch until the girlfriend found them.
I have an XS20 China and XSR (the line that replaced the XS20s) hats. They are solid. Much better than B8 or B8 Pro. IMO, they aren't too far off of AAX in sound. The great thing about them is they aren't quite pro level cymbals, so on the used market they are cheap. I've seen a big whole set of XS20s with 16 and 18 crash, 18 china, 10 slash, 14 hats and 20 ride for like $350-400. That is basically the cost of an AAX ride for a whole set up with extras. for a non pro drummer, that is amazing IMO. Have close to the same sound for like a quarter the price.
I'm a fan of the hi hats and crashes but there's something about the bell (or really lack of one) on the rides that just disappoints. Nothing really doing much to set itself apart for anything else out there.
yep. a new release that's really not very exciting, I guess if you are adding cymbals to a first kit they are $100 less than AA's but thats about it, and that ride is weak!
I preferred the Sabians to the Istanbuls. Interesting to see how these will compare to the XSR cymbals. In fact I wonder if the XSR range will be going away
The bigger size set sounds really good to me, no complaints there basically. What surprised me the most is the 16" crash which doesn't have a hint of splashiness, sounds just nice. Overall, I think that this line is a big step up from the Xs20 line.
They sound great but I just checked the prices for the 18” crash and it’s still £300 in the UK. Not exactly ‘affordable’, at that price I’ll stick with the HHX series as it’s barely any more.
Best sounding of the Stratus to me was the 22" ride. I did think the Istanbul line sounded better than every compared Sabian. The Stratus still sound great! Awesome demo.
Dawknesss!!! They shoulda never gave you n+$#@s money!!!" Chapelles show is peak comedy.simce his show finished, comedy became this "so dry it's supposed to be funny" thing. Ppl like Steve carell and will Farrell(still great) paved the way for ppl like amy Schumer and Kevin hart (can't stand that comedy.not funny at all)
Perfect video DCP! Thank you SO MUCH for the effort and not just playing a jazz sticking pattern on all the cymbals. Sabian has a nice product here, but the Xist line sounds way nicer to me 🎉
Great job as always, guys. I think the Stratus' rides do NOT compare favorably to the Istanbul's, but the other cymbals seem pretty close to one another.
I mean, Istanbul are pretty high quality cymbals around the board so it just sounds like these are meant for a different purpose than pure high quality sound. Rather just quality sound at a quality price
Overall these Sabians sound great. Was definitely impressed with their 16-inch crash. Their rides did seem a bit washy. Not as much stick definition as I prefer.
I really like these new cymbals. They have that classic Sabian AA/AAX brightness that I absolutely love. The 16” might a bit too thin sounding, but I would need to hear them in person to really be sure. They we’re definitely more bight and fuller sounding than the Istanbuls, in my opinion. Great price point for a pro quality cymbal. I might have to check them out.
As an owner of 15 Xist hats (which I adore), I think Istanbul's hats and rides are better than the Stratus. However the crashes from Stratus are significantly more balanced sounding with greater fidelity. The Xist crashes sound to tinny and glassy, like Wuhan's pro line.
Nice sounding general-use cymbals, but I wish the bell of the ride was more pronounced. Great choice for a house kit. And I'd probably wipe off those Stratus logos 😅
Really liked the 16" crash, the 18" Zero and both sets of hats. The rest of the line, not so much. However, the Stratus easily eliminated the Istanbul Xist. Warmer and richer.
Would appreciate if you could do a comparison with these two types of cymbals: STRATUS cymbals vs Zildjian K. Sweet. Thank you….. keep up the excellent videos 🥁✌🏼
I love the fact that they don’t “cut all the way through” because it seems like they wouldn’t affect the vocal mics on stage. The crashes sound REALLY pleasant and bold. Might have to get one or two of these
Nice review! The cymbals seem good to me. I had the Xist line which is great, these Sabians sounds similar like you said, I appreciate the comparison. The voice effects made me laugh, nice editing.
Sabian needs to fire the branding people. Ruined the logo and now named a range after a cheap 70's aftershave - c'mon Sabian I'm a lifelong user and fan but you need to keep up with Meinl etc and innovate properly
Great demo and head-to-head... I dig all of the Stratus cymbals in the second setup, and my only critique is of the bell on that 22. Perhaps different sticks would pull a clearer and more expected tone out of it. In the first setup, I felt the 16" crash was too dry, but the 18" was nice. 20" ride is very good and crashable. Vs. the Istanbul Xist, I prefer the Sabian hats and ride -but the the Istanbul crashes both sound better imo -especially the 16. Again that 18" Sabian is a very good sounding cymbal. I scored a demo deal on a set of 15" Stratus hats yesterday and can't wait to dig into 'em!
I'm going to go back a little further in timeline. This is purely a personal opinion as "sound" is subjective to an individual but I dont think Sabian have come anywhere near replicating their Pro Sonix range (not the Pro) since they discontinued them. I still have 2 pairs of 14" hi hats, 2 x16" crashes, a 20" ride, 18" china and an 18" crash. I play mostly rock/classic rock and lately a mix of pop/funk/rock with a hard edge to it and several years ago I bought what was left in stock in my local dealer that I could get. I tried the B8, B8 pros, XS 20s and plain old Pros but none of them came close to the Pro Sonix. I wish they would re-instate this range and fast lol. I think the Stratus sound a bit more "crisp" in this comparison and the Istanbuls sound thinner and "ringy". Im not impressed by either to be honest. I am a Sabian fan. I tried Paiste and Zildjian oer the years but always returned to Sabian. I have added some HHs and AAXs into my set up but I longingly yearn for the Pro Sonix to make a return someday. Best value for money cymbals I've ever owned. Of course, again its just my opinion.
I think thin cymbals sound way better,a lot of great drummers use thinner cymbals to,like dave weckl and gavin Harrison,i rather the cymbals blend in than be over powering
I’ve been saying for a few years now that I thought Istanbul Xist line was the best for price point but these Swabian’s are going neck to neck for sound quality. I like both series.
I guess I liked the Istanbul line a little more than the new Sabian line; the two really did have very different "voices". But this entire video for me was about that Gretsch snare drum which I thought sounded incredible! I always enjoy Tom's reviews and playing.
To me, the XIST series sound better than the Stratos series. There is this “iron sizzle” sound in the sustain from the Stratos series that to me is a bit annoying. The Xist series don’t have that, they have a better rounded purer sustain tone.
I see many comments about how sound good for the price and that sum up what think and rather save for awesome and not mediocre. The Istanbuls have more character but can say some high end lines have no soul either.
You got be kidding me! Sabian just continues to innovate and give us drummers more sonic options to experiment with! Definitely gonna look into getting that 22” ride and those 15” hi hats!
I prefer a drier sound, so the 2002 Big Beats do it for me, but these are very very good. I can definitely see them doing well in that market segment. Well done Sabian. 🙂
I preferred the Stratus to the Xsist, except with the ride (although the Stratus' ride wasn't bad.) However, the Stratus ride sounded better to me when crashed compared to the Xsist ride.
I had an xs20 medium ride and when I was a teenager it worked out for a while. I’m always a Sabian fan. It started with b8s the xs20s and now it’s almost all hh and hhx.. what I noticed with all the manufacturers especially when I started spending time in studios is the mid lines don’t do anything particularly well.. the rides wash out in pings but don’t crash either lol However these are an improvement. The ozone seems interesting and the 20” crashes great for wash riding.. it sounds a lot like my hh complex ride
I really like these comparison videos. Especially since this was more focused, so easier for me to not get overwhelmed. If you are looking for video ideas: I would really like to see a series of “I just bought a (insert brand/model here) drumset - now what? “. As an example, set up a Gretsch Renown 4 piece set, and then give 3-5 options cymbal mixes y’all would suggest. And not just Sabian or Zildjian, but YOUR choice for each cymbal. Then in a few months do it for a Mapex drumset, and again y’all’s suggestions for a cymbal mix. No matter what, DCP provides a lot of value in your channel- TYVM
They all sounded good to me, hard to say if any are better. I'd love to visit Drum Center but kind of far for me, different country too, not to mention the $$$ currency difference !
thank you for comparing them to the Xist line. I would like to know how similar their manufacturing processes are. They have a similar sound, but I prefer the Xist cymbals to the stratus. I owned Xists in the past and I found them to be gigable cymbals with a surprising amount of depth. I also like the recorded sound of the Xist hi-hat and ride to the stratus ones. This does make me want to get my hands on a set of stratus cymbals to demo though!
People seem divided on whether these sound good or not. To me, the rides stand out, I love them, but for the prices these are not worth it. They sound thin, on the crashes I hear some pretty unpleasant frequencies, the high hats don't stand out at all; very quiet, and the redeaming factor, the rides, are priced at the same as much superior rides. Definitely not "affordable," anyways.
The Stratus line sounds great to my ears!
Is this replacing the XSR line?
what the dog doin
Sabian has done really well with a middle of the road line. I remember their xs20 as a fine line. Same with the sr2 line. Never saw that many players using them though. I had a bunch until the girlfriend found them.
I have an XS20 China and XSR (the line that replaced the XS20s) hats. They are solid. Much better than B8 or B8 Pro. IMO, they aren't too far off of AAX in sound. The great thing about them is they aren't quite pro level cymbals, so on the used market they are cheap. I've seen a big whole set of XS20s with 16 and 18 crash, 18 china, 10 slash, 14 hats and 20 ride for like $350-400. That is basically the cost of an AAX ride for a whole set up with extras. for a non pro drummer, that is amazing IMO. Have close to the same sound for like a quarter the price.
I had so many compliments on my xs20s lol
And these are actually professional grade cymbals according to Sabian. Just at a more attainable price. Their middle of the line series is the "XSR"
I'm a fan of the hi hats and crashes but there's something about the bell (or really lack of one) on the rides that just disappoints. Nothing really doing much to set itself apart for anything else out there.
yep. a new release that's really not very exciting, I guess if you are adding cymbals to a first kit they are $100 less than AA's but thats about it, and that ride is weak!
Good stuff! I think I like the 22" ride ($369) best. Stratus is a little fuller than Xist, to my ear.
Maybe they realized that they priced their cymbals way too high. They sound fine, like cymbals. Thanks DCP.
That China sounds pretty dope, I like it
Love that china!
I preferred the Sabians to the Istanbuls. Interesting to see how these will compare to the XSR cymbals. In fact I wonder if the XSR range will be going away
The bigger size set sounds really good to me, no complaints there basically. What surprised me the most is the 16" crash which doesn't have a hint of splashiness, sounds just nice. Overall, I think that this line is a big step up from the Xs20 line.
The “A” in Stratus has a reminiscence of the “K” in the K Zildjian series. Love Sabian and Zildjian, they both come from the same Artisans.
Ya know they were the same company at one point.
@@Kyp031yes. Since the father died the brothers split
Zildjian doesn't have a K in it. It is spelled Z I L D J I A N. See, no K..... 😁😁
Zildjian is 💩💩💩💩
@@brent3760 Talking about the Zildjian K series where the letter's bottom half has this split line effect.
They sound great but I just checked the prices for the 18” crash and it’s still £300 in the UK. Not exactly ‘affordable’, at that price I’ll stick with the HHX series as it’s barely any more.
Nothing truly new at all. Ugh. Hope they get rid of that kindergarten new logo too
CAN WE SAY HALF THE PRICE OF AA S THANKS LOVE THE INFO YOU PROVIDE US DRUMMER 🤟🏼🤟🏼🥁🥁❤️🇨🇦
Best sounding of the Stratus to me was the 22" ride. I did think the Istanbul line sounded better than every compared Sabian. The Stratus still sound great! Awesome demo.
They seem to be limited in use. Didn’t sound that great, especially the cheap sounding crashes.
Dawknesss!!! They shoulda never gave you n+$#@s money!!!"
Chapelles show is peak comedy.simce his show finished, comedy became this "so dry it's supposed to be funny" thing. Ppl like Steve carell and will Farrell(still great) paved the way for ppl like amy Schumer and Kevin hart (can't stand that comedy.not funny at all)
For me the Itsanbul sound way better. Nothing like Turkish cymbals.
The Istanbul cymbals blew the stratus cymbals away imo
Perfect video DCP! Thank you SO MUCH for the effort and not just playing a jazz sticking pattern on all the cymbals. Sabian has a nice product here, but the Xist line sounds way nicer to me 🎉
Hihats sound great didn’t like the cymbal sound, just my opinion thanks for the demo
Sabian crashes Istanbul ride. Hats are a wash
Great job as always, guys. I think the Stratus' rides do NOT compare favorably to the Istanbul's, but the other cymbals seem pretty close to one another.
I mean, Istanbul are pretty high quality cymbals around the board so it just sounds like these are meant for a different purpose than pure high quality sound. Rather just quality sound at a quality price
My thought exactly - they had a better ride at this price point - otherwise preferred the stratus on all others
The Xsist's ride sounds better than the Stratus' but the Stratus ride sounds better when crashed compared to the Xsist.
SOUND A BIT CHEAP....😊
Overall these Sabians sound great. Was definitely impressed with their 16-inch crash. Their rides did seem a bit washy. Not as much stick definition as I prefer.
I really like these new cymbals. They have that classic Sabian AA/AAX brightness that I absolutely love. The 16” might a bit too thin sounding, but I would need to hear them in person to really be sure. They we’re definitely more bight and fuller sounding than the Istanbuls, in my opinion. Great price point for a pro quality cymbal. I might have to check them out.
Sabian needs a new logo artist asap
As an owner of 15 Xist hats (which I adore), I think Istanbul's hats and rides are better than the Stratus. However the crashes from Stratus are significantly more balanced sounding with greater fidelity. The Xist crashes sound to tinny and glassy, like Wuhan's pro line.
❤❤❤ love these! I’d love to see a pack/bundle with the second set up 15/18/18/20/22. I would trade in my K sweets in a heartbeat
They sound like the PST 8 series on first listen. I would like to hear them live
Very nice. Definitely Sabian sound. They remind me of my xplosion crashes. Great vid too. You guys def know what you are doing with mics
Nice sounding general-use cymbals, but I wish the bell of the ride was more pronounced. Great choice for a house kit. And I'd probably wipe off those Stratus logos 😅
very tinny sounding ride, reminded me of paiste
Really liked the 16" crash, the 18" Zero and both sets of hats. The rest of the line, not so much. However, the Stratus easily eliminated the Istanbul Xist. Warmer and richer.
I like where they sit, definitely a touch darker and more complex than the Xist. The zero crash and china sound great and those are some tasty hats.
Love the Chappelle "darkness!" line drop!
Sounds great
The hats sounded the same, sabians crashes sounded better but I liked the ping on the Istanbul
Would appreciate if you could do a comparison with these two types of cymbals: STRATUS cymbals vs Zildjian K. Sweet. Thank you….. keep up the excellent videos 🥁✌🏼
A nice addition to the Sabian line, and a beautiful pup too? What more could a guy want?
I love the fact that they don’t “cut all the way through” because it seems like they wouldn’t affect the vocal mics on stage. The crashes sound REALLY pleasant and bold. Might have to get one or two of these
I prefer the agop across the line. Thank s for another great video dcp team. 🥁
Nice review! The cymbals seem good to me. I had the Xist line which is great, these Sabians sounds similar like you said, I appreciate the comparison. The voice effects made me laugh, nice editing.
Definitely prefer the darker sound of the Sabians over the brighter Istanbuls. And that china is gorgeous. The star of the line to me!
lol playing Stratus with Sabian Stratus cymbals nice touch
Well done DCP. 👍😁
I really only enjoyed the hi hats. BUT I did love them, especially the 15s
You know what, I redact my initial comment. Haha. I’ll stick with the Meinl Classics Custom series.
Sabian needs to fire the branding people. Ruined the logo and now named a range after a cheap 70's aftershave - c'mon Sabian I'm a lifelong user and fan but you need to keep up with Meinl etc and innovate properly
Great video and nice playing ….I like the sound…How much for Sabian Stratus 4-Piece Cymbal Set - 14/16/18/20 inch ?
Great demo and head-to-head... I dig all of the Stratus cymbals in the second setup, and my only critique is of the bell on that 22. Perhaps different sticks would pull a clearer and more expected tone out of it. In the first setup, I felt the 16" crash was too dry, but the 18" was nice. 20" ride is very good and crashable.
Vs. the Istanbul Xist, I prefer the Sabian hats and ride -but the the Istanbul crashes both sound better imo -especially the 16. Again that 18" Sabian is a very good sounding cymbal. I scored a demo deal on a set of 15" Stratus hats yesterday and can't wait to dig into 'em!
I think the wink at the k line in the logo was done on purpose.....and rightfully so!!
Really curious to see how that 22 inch ride sits in a full band context.
Sounds pretty good for a gospel and CCM ride
I preferred the Sabian cymbals myself. Yet neither was bad. I’m an old/new drummer and I’m shopping around for a balanced set of cymbals.
Great video! Thanks😊
Glad you liked it!
Rides are the let down but the rest are reasonable. The rides remind me of PST 7's (I know the whole B8/B20 thing but...)
I liked The china, but ALL that like sound kinda stuffy. But an interesting proposal for those who play in smaller venues
Excellent... Wow sabian is killing it lately!
They sound good. But Sabian, please bring the old logo back. Thoso are really ugly.
I'm going to go back a little further in timeline. This is purely a personal opinion as "sound" is subjective to an individual but I dont think Sabian have come anywhere near replicating their Pro Sonix range (not the Pro) since they discontinued them. I still have 2 pairs of 14" hi hats, 2 x16" crashes, a 20" ride, 18" china and an 18" crash. I play mostly rock/classic rock and lately a mix of pop/funk/rock with a hard edge to it and several years ago I bought what was left in stock in my local dealer that I could get. I tried the B8, B8 pros, XS 20s and plain old Pros but none of them came close to the Pro Sonix. I wish they would re-instate this range and fast lol. I think the Stratus sound a bit more "crisp" in this comparison and the Istanbuls sound thinner and "ringy". Im not impressed by either to be honest. I am a Sabian fan. I tried Paiste and Zildjian oer the years but always returned to Sabian. I have added some HHs and AAXs into my set up but I longingly yearn for the Pro Sonix to make a return someday. Best value for money cymbals I've ever owned. Of course, again its just my opinion.
I think thin cymbals sound way better,a lot of great drummers use thinner cymbals to,like dave weckl and gavin Harrison,i rather the cymbals blend in than be over powering
These sound like the cymbal sounds in my yamaha e kit. Absolute hard pass.
The 18" Stratus crash was nice and the 22" ride. The Istanbul 22" was outstanding, lovely tone...
I’ve been saying for a few years now that I thought Istanbul Xist line was the best for price point but these Swabian’s are going neck to neck for sound quality. I like both series.
I guess I liked the Istanbul line a little more than the new Sabian line; the two really did have very different "voices". But this entire video for me was about that Gretsch snare drum which I thought sounded incredible! I always enjoy Tom's reviews and playing.
I think the Sabians sounded better than the Instanbul Xist
To me, the XIST series sound better than the Stratos series. There is this “iron sizzle” sound in the sustain from the Stratos series that to me is a bit annoying. The Xist series don’t have that, they have a better rounded purer sustain tone.
I see many comments about how sound good for the price and that sum up what think and rather save for awesome and not mediocre. The Istanbuls have more character but can say some high end lines have no soul either.
Sabian comes out with these the day after i ordered aax promo pack…
The Stratus crashes sound nice and dark, but I really like the stick definition in the 20" ride
Everything sounds better from stratus except the ride
The 18 sounds a little higher pitch than the 16
You got be kidding me! Sabian just continues to innovate and give us drummers more sonic options to experiment with! Definitely gonna look into getting that 22” ride and those 15” hi hats!
Kinda reminds me of Dream cymbals. 🤷🏽
Cymbals are nice and Tom is pretty dang good!
hat on for playin', hat off for talkin'
5:42 the 18's sound the exact same
I prefer a drier sound, so the 2002 Big Beats do it for me, but these are very very good. I can definitely see them doing well in that market segment. Well done Sabian. 🙂
The 16 crash sounds huge for its size
basically in the same price range as aax?
They need larger logos. Logos are no bueno
What are the actual prices for this set?
Great job Tom.
They sound flat to me.
Thank you for comparing, that helps. To my ear, stratus is sounding fuller and richer in comparison
These are great sounding cymbals! But "take you into the Stratus sphere?" Or "revolutionary?" Hardly. Just great sounding cymbals
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
The Stratus series sound like entry level cymbals (better than B8’s, however). Those Yamaha RC’s are AWESOME
Would prefer HHX.
at PASIC today and tried all of them. The 15 inch hihat is sick! Already got mine right from PASIC expo hall
Wow great sounding cymbals! I may have to pick up a set for my small gig kit !
I preferred the Stratus to the Xsist, except with the ride (although the Stratus' ride wasn't bad.) However, the Stratus ride sounded better to me when crashed compared to the Xsist ride.
I see the engraving has the original Sabian logo. These cymbals sound icy and clear. Love the quality
I had an xs20 medium ride and when I was a teenager it worked out for a while. I’m always a Sabian fan. It started with b8s the xs20s and now it’s almost all hh and hhx.. what I noticed with all the manufacturers especially when I started spending time in studios is the mid lines don’t do anything particularly well.. the rides wash out in pings but don’t crash either lol
However these are an improvement. The ozone seems interesting and the 20” crashes great for wash riding.. it sounds a lot like my hh complex ride
I really like these comparison videos. Especially since this was more focused, so easier for me to not get overwhelmed.
If you are looking for video ideas: I would really like to see a series of “I just bought a (insert brand/model here) drumset - now what? “. As an example, set up a Gretsch Renown 4 piece set, and then give 3-5 options cymbal mixes y’all would suggest. And not just Sabian or Zildjian, but YOUR choice for each cymbal. Then in a few months do it for a Mapex drumset, and again y’all’s suggestions for a cymbal mix.
No matter what, DCP provides a lot of value in your channel- TYVM
They all sounded good to me, hard to say if any are better. I'd love to visit Drum Center but kind of far for me, different country too, not to mention the $$$ currency difference !
thank you for comparing them to the Xist line. I would like to know how similar their manufacturing processes are. They have a similar sound, but I prefer the Xist cymbals to the stratus. I owned Xists in the past and I found them to be gigable cymbals with a surprising amount of depth. I also like the recorded sound of the Xist hi-hat and ride to the stratus ones. This does make me want to get my hands on a set of stratus cymbals to demo though!
I’ve always liked thinner crashes and chinas……and medium heavy hats and rides…..these crashes are good but hats and rides too thin
This is like the evolution of Sabian X20 series and also targeted to compete agianst Mienl Pure Alloy Series, sound also famiar to those imo.
Xist