New onyx heads- yay or nay...

Terrence R

Silver Member
I just put some Evans onyx batters on my toms. It wasn't my first purchase choice, but I got them for half price so I couldn't resist. I'm not usually one for coloured heads on toms or snares, but I'm quite surprised on how good they look on my Amber coloured Pearls. As far as the sound goes, they seem to be lacking the punchy attack that I read that they should have. They're more resonate than I thought. I have them paired up with EC reso's. I already ordered some new clear EC2's. I just thought i'ld post a pic and tell u guys what I thought of them. They're just not the heads for me. Do any of u guys like them over EC2's or G2's?
 

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Personally I don't black heads. I like contrast. Dark drum color light heads.
 
Personally I don't black heads. I like contrast. Dark drum color light heads.

I'm not usually a fan of black heads either. I don't mind the look of them this particular color shell tho. They're coming off and going in the storage room regardless. I'm switching them out when I get the new EC2's ASAP.
 
I used these heads for a short time. Had nothing to do with the color, but the sound. I have played the EC2s and the G2s and like them both.
 
I think they make a cool snare head, they're really dry but the stick feel is nicer than the HD dry, which feels a bit thick and lifeless IMO.

http://soundcloud.com/drecor/90bpm

^ That's one fitted to my akira jimbo snare, no muffling rings or anything. Looks really cool on a white drum too.
 
I think they make a cool snare head, they're really dry but the stick feel is nicer than the HD dry, which feels a bit thick and lifeless IMO.

http://soundcloud.com/drecor/90bpm

^ That's one fitted to my akira jimbo snare, no muffling rings or anything. Looks really cool on a white drum too.

Not bad. Sounds like your using a Remo ambassador hazy for a reso? I like the Evans Hazy 300. It can sound like the Remo amb hazy when the hazy 300 is tuned lower than the batter.
 
I like the look of them on your kit though I think that coated white heads would also look quite nice. In terms of sound, I've found that you really achieve the punchy characteristic of the Onyx heads when they're tune to their lowest possible pitch with the reso tuned a full step higher. The EC2S tends to have a punchier sound across a wider tuning range. That being said, these characteristics will certainly vary from kit to kit, depending on the bearing edge, the ply configuration for the drum, not to mention the sound of the room.
 
Started out with the onyx on my birch kit, then switched to coated ec2's and just switched back to the onyx. To me the onyx sounds better than the ec's on the birch shells. Much deeper and punchier and they sound great mic'd. The ec heads do have a little more tone to them but they are to ringy for my taste. As has been stated before they do sound best when tuned as low as possible almost like a bass drum head ( just enough to get the wrinkles out)
 
I put them on my PDP maples and I'm not too pleased. Same results as the OP's. Not much attack and too much sustain (not really how they're advertised).
 
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