XIST CYMBAL SET

Packaged nicely with a padded nylon cymbal bag, the Xist set-sold as separate cymbals as well-includes a pair of 14'' hi-hats, a 20'' ride, and 16'' and 18'' crashes, all of which have a brilliant finish. (Istanbul Agop also offers a traditionally lathed set.) The sonics of the collection stayed in the upper register, with splash-like highs from the 16' crash and a bright crash sound from the 20'' ride that I found impressive even though the cymbal isn't technically a crash/ride. The 20'' filled out the lower end of the spectrum with a clear, sustained tone.

Crashes 

The 18'' crash sat in between the 16'' and 20'' cymbals, making for a nice main crash. It offered a bright burst at first, followed by a medium-length decay. I could see myself riding on the edge of this cymbal to lift up a chorus, as it had the weight to fake it where it needed to be volume-wise, with the right amount of sustain.

The 16'' crash spoke quickly and also had a medium-length decay. This cymbal was very bright and sounded smaller than its actual size. It didn't open up quite as clearly as I had hoped, and there was a bit of a twang that wasn't so pleasing to my ears. On a gig, both crashes stuck out in the mix rather than blending into the music. That quality could be seen as good or bad, depending on the situation. On loud gigs where you need to fight to be heard, the crashes would be great. But in a low-volume acoustic setting, they might be a little difficult to control.

HI-HATS

As beat keepers, the 14'' Xist hi-hats made a fine couple. They produced a clean, sharp stick sound with an overall warmth that rounded out the sound nicely. Unlike the crashes, these cymbals blended into the band sound very well. Their volume range was wide, and their clarity remained true at any volume. When I opened them up during a chorus section, their warmth kept them pleasing to the ear, even as I played them with force. When I kept time on the ride, the Xist hats complemented the groove with a bright, snappy "chick" from my left foot.

RIDE

The 20'' Xist ride featured a blend of qualities that made it fun to play. The bell had a very consistent sound, regardless of where or how I hit it. When I rode on the bow, the stick produced a bright, clear "ping," with an interesting wash reverberating underneath. I enjoyed pushing the cymbal with the shoulder of the stick, which gave a nice boost of volume when I needed it. Again, I liked using the ride as a crash. I don't normally feel this way about most "pingy" rides, which are usually a little too thick to work as a crash. This cymbal, however, had a pleasant balance of ride and crash characteristics.