Customer Reviews

Sabian B8 Performance Set

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When it comes to entry level cymbals this set is one of what I consider to be the main choices if you want to purchase a decent set of quality cymbals at a good price.

You get the basic essentials with a large pair of 14" hi-hats, a 16" crash and 20" ride cymbal, plus a bonus cymbal bag. These cymbals sound great and will continue to serve the beginner well as he or she moves into intermediate and advanced skills (and gigs).

However, if you are buying an entry-level drum kit for someone be aware that there are two other cymbal brands that have similar performance and set-up packs in the same approximate price range. Cymbal brands are almost a religion with drummers, and beginners are no exception. Find out if Sabian is the preferred brand, or if Zildjian or Paiste is more to their liking. If Paiste, I recommend that you consider the Paiste 302 Plus Standard Cymbal Set (ASIN B0002D0NU2). If Zildjian, consider the Zildjian ZBT Series Basic Set Up 4 Pack (ASIN B0002CZXXA). These are safe choices because Zildjian and Paiste are respected and used by a number of professional drummers, and these starter sets sound reasonably good.

Out of the major cymbal brands, I've always been a loyal follower of Sabian. For one thing, they seem to be the most innovative. Since I started playing drums 7 years ago they've doubled their product series with some really cool offerings. Overall, they also seem to provide the most value for the $. I noticed some of my favorite drummers using their cymbals, and I like the way they look the best.

For these reasons, I started off with the B8 Performance set. At the time, the B8 series was the entry-level offering. Now they offer the SBR series as their entry level offering. Although I've never tried SBR's, I heard some audio samples on Sabian's website and they sounded good to me. So, if I had to do it again I would probably start out with the Sabian SBR Performance Set - which is a savings of around $100 currently.

However, the SBR series is made of brass - not bronze like the B8 series. This leads me to believe that the SBR series might feel cheap or toy-like, and possibly not hold up very long, so I'd see if I could compare them at a music store before making a decision. But after making that decision, I'd order from Amazon because I've found that music equipment tends to be marked up more at music stores.

That said, the B8's feel like other cymbals in the bronze product line (again, can't speak for the brass SBR's), and they sound great, too. The nice thing about this set is you get what I consider to be an ideal set up when just starting out, or even beyond. I don't see any reason why you would need to upgrade unless you go pro or it becomes a really serious hobby. 14" hi-hats (standard size), 16" crash, and 20" ride. Yes, you can crash on a 20" ride too. It's fun to crash on both the crash and the ride at the same time for an explosive cymbal effect. I'd say this is the best set-up in the packs they offer. I would avoid the all-in-one crash/rides as you can get more out of a dedicated crash and a dedicated ride. I also think this trio is good to learn on; you don't need to get distracted by splashes and china and other effects cymbals off the bat. See what you can do with this spartan approach, and expand from there if or when you feel the need. Have fun and enjoy your cymbals!