Sabian cymbals have been one the top choices for drummers decades. For the most part, the AAX and HHX cymbals have always been the top options.
However, Sabian recently brought out the Stratus line of cymbals, which we think are an amazing addition to their product lineup.
In this review, we’re going to dive deeper into what these cymbals are about. We’ll explain what they sound like, discuss who they’re for, and compare their price to other popular options.
Sabian Stratus cymbals are made from a B20 bronze alloy, proving that they are really high-quality cymbals with dynamic responsiveness.
In this cymbal pack, you get a pair of 14” hats, 16” and 18” thin crashes, and a 20” medium-thin ride cymbal.
All the cymbals have a semi-dark tone. They’re bright and powerful, but they’re more complex than standard bright cymbals.
We were very impressed with how all of the cymbals in this pack sound. The hi-hats are a mixture between medium-thin on the top and medium-heavy on the bottom. This gives them a strong “chick” sound, but they’re also quite buttery when you open them up.
The thin crash cymbals have a wonderful wash to them. They were deeper than we expected them to be, which was a pleasant surprise. This makes them great to crash on for choruses and bridges, as they don’t sound too aggressive.
The 20” ride cymbal is possibly the weak point of this pack. While it sounds great, the general consensus from the drumming community is that the 22” version of the cymbal sounds a lot better.
With that said, what you get in this pack is still very usable and sounds good when mixed up with the rest of the cymbals.
There are two big construction points to mention. Firstly, these are B20 bronze cymbals. That means that they have an excellent musical response when you strike them. The dynamic range on each cymbal is quite vast.
The other construction aspect is that all of the cymbals have heavy hammering. This is the main thing that makes them washier and warmer. They’re also a bit more complex than other cymbals in this price range with similar features.
Sticking with the topic of hammering, the cymbals don’t have as much hammering as high-end cymbals. So, they’ll sound a bit flatter than anything from Sabian’s HHX line. That’s to be expected with the lower price tag, though.
Other than that, we’d say that these are incredible cymbals for both live and studio situations. The darker nature makes them very versatile, as they could easily fit within a jazz or a rock setup.
We also love the variety of tone you get when playing each cymbal. They’ve been perfectly picked to be in this pack.
With a price tag north of $800, we’d say that these cymbals are in the top end of the intermediate price range. They’re grouped with other cymbals like Meinl’s Classic Custom line or Zildjian’s S line.
We’d argue that the price is really good for what you’re getting, as these cymbals sound much better than the competing options from the other brands.
They don’t sound quite as good as Sabian’s AAX or HHX cymbals. But those cymbal packs can cost north of $1000.
So, we have no complaints about how much the Stratus cymbal pack costs!
We think that Sabian has a good thing going here. The Stratus line definitely fills a gap in their product range, catering to drummers that want high-end B20 cymbals at a more affordable price.
These cymbals are versatile enough to handle most situations, so any drummer will benefit from using them. They’re a fantastic choice for anything from rock to metal to jazz.
So, if you’re looking for some new cymbals to add to your setup, we highly recommend getting the Sabian Stratus cymbal pack.
Founder of TheDrumNinja
I’m crazy about drums, it’s been my passion since I was 12 years old. I played in numerous bands going through different styles like Rock, Progressive, Pop & Jazz-Rock. After being featured in major music publications (Drumeo, Guitar Guitar, AudioIssues, MusicThinkTank) I started this website to share my knowledge and create a resource for drummers of all levels.
We specialize in helping drummers of all levels become rhythmic assassins and develop ninja-like skills, quickly. Our mission is to create the best resources for all musicians and build a community where you can learn and share everything related to your musical journey.
Our team is committed to exceeding our clients’ expectations with uncompromising honesty and integrity. We focus all of our energy on helping musicians of all levels achieve their goals and build a foundation of skills that will last a lifetime.
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