Sonor AQ2 Review:
What To Expect from This Drum Set
Quality
The selling point of the Sonor AQ2 drum kits is that you get high-quality hardware and sound at a relatively affordable price. All the drums have 7-ply maple shells, which give them a very balanced tone.
The AQ2 kits feel very solid to play, thanks to their hardware. We noticed this the most with the AQ2 Bop kit. It competes with many other compact kits on the market, but it feels a lot sturdier than most.
The snare drum is one of the best features of all the AQ2 kits. It has a cracking tone that sounds very punchy and fierce. It also sounds decent when tuned low, giving plenty of response to your strokes.
Construction
The two big features to mention when it comes to construction are the die-cast lugs and the Sonor SmartMount suspension. Starting off with the lugs, these are a big part of what makes the AQ2 kits feel so pristine.
They’re a bit heavier than the standard lugs you’ll find on most kits, giving you a better feeling of durability.
The SmartMount is what connects the rack toms to the bass drum. The toms mount onto ball-and-socket joints, giving you plenty of freedom to position them wherever you’re comfortable. This mount is very similar to Yamaha’s YESS mount, which we think is great.
There are five finishes to choose from for the AQ2 drum sets. These are White Marine Pearl, Aqua Silver Burst, Titanium Quarz, Brown Fade, and Transparent Black.
Performance
We highly recommend getting an AQ2 kit for their performance features. These kits sound amazing, and you can create a professional drum setup by equipping the kit with high-quality drumheads and surrounding it with professional cymbals.
As with most intermediate kits, the stock heads you get here aren’t amazing. You’ll get a lot more out of the drums by putting on some Remo, Evans, or Aquarian drumheads.
The drums also feel incredible to play, considering how solid the build quality is. The AQ2 kit will feel a bit different depending on which version you get, so let’s look at your choices.