Zildjian medium thin A's vs Meinl Byzance mediums

Hi all, first post here so apologies in advance if I’m asking questions that have been asked before.

I’ve been using a set of Byzance mediums in traditional finish - 16” and 18” medium crashes, 20” medium ride and 14” medium hats. So far I’ve no major complaints, except for fact they seem to be lacking a bit in volume especially in larger venues. So I’ve been looking for a set of slightly cheaper cymbals that have a bit more projection, and have found some Zildjian A’s in my local retailer. Sizes are the same with the exception of the sweet ride which is 21”. Only other difference is that the 16” and 18” crashes are medium thins, as opposed to medium, and the hats are the New Beats. Appreciate medium/medium thin means different things across different brands, but my thinking is the thinner nature of the ‘A’ crashes will give slightly more projection than the Meinl mediums – am I right in this thinking?

I tried out the A’s in the shop and really liked them but couldn’t compare them to the Meinls as they didn’t stock them at the time. Now the A’s are back in stock but again no Meinl to compare to lol.

Realise cymbals are a very subjective matter, but I am just looking to make a general comparison between the two cymbal lines/types.

So – should I pull the plug on a new set of A’s or just stick with the Byzances and be happy?


Thanks,

R.

Zildjian A's are great and were the standard for a long time.
I don't own any Meinls, I've just tried them at stores, so can't do a direct comparison.

I got a pack a few years similar to what you're describing,
except the crashes are fast crashes - paired with a Sweet Ride and New Beats.
I wouldn't hesitate to use them for anything.

They were re-designed a couple years ago, and sound even better now.

.

I doubt you will hear much difference in volume and cut between the two. In my experience, the Meinl mediums play very similar to a zildjian or sabian medium thin. If you really want cut and volume I would look to heavier rock oriented cymbals frim any major brand or meinls mb8 mb10 or soundcaster lines.

Can't you take your Meinls to the shop for a side by side comparison? That should be no problem in a decent shop.

I have some A's in Medium Thin (18" and 17"). They are great cymbals. Very good cut and projection and I really enjoy swells on the Medium thin cymbals. I had a 16" medium that absolutely sucked at swells. When I compare these to something like a Sabian HH/HHX (which could be similar to the Byzance) I find the Zildjians have a bit less of a trashy/washy decay and retain more of the higher end brightness through its decay. It you want to be really picky, its a bit more "gongy" or metallic in its sound through the decay. Its not anything to worry about, because the cymbals do not sound "gongy" when you hit them. Its just that really quiet undertone a few seconds after you hit the cymbal where you hear this. By that time you are well in to the next portion of a song and you cant hear it over the rest of the band.

So in closing, great cut, great projection, great swell, not trashy, a faint gong sound in the decay.

When I think of projection, I think of medium weight and heavier. That's because the heavier weights tend to have a fuller body and clearer tone, or 'note', than thinner cymbals that are faster and break up easier, but at the expense of that body that projects through walls of amplified sound.

Based on my limited experience with Meinl, I recall that their medium is comparable to a medium thin from Zildjian, so a (very) rough equivalent. But close enough.

rmac86 said:

but my thinking is the thinner nature of the ‘A’ crashes will give slightly more projection than the Meinl mediums – am I right in this thinking?

Click to expand...

Not really; generally higher weight, pitch, and profile (the curvature of the cymbal) will contribute to "more projection". Byzance Traditionals are generally lower than average in all three, and Zildjian As and A Customs are on the higher side. (It's important to note that terms like "medium" and "thin" are not standardized at all between companies or even the same company's lines.) So, a set of As will probably get you a tad more projection than the current ones you have.

However I'd echo MN02's advice above and say that if you're looking for a noticeable increase in projection, you should look at something another step or two away from the Byzances – the As are sort of a baby step in terms of the kind of projection you seem to want. So you can certainly look at lines like the Meinl Soundcasters or Mb10 (or Mb20, though those are quite expensive), Sabian AAX-plosion and Stage crashes (they have several kinds of rides that might do the job), and Zildjian's A Custom Medium, Projection, or Rezo series.

Personally, I find Danny Walker's 18" and 19" Mb10 crashes to be quite good in terms of projection and brightness when I've seen him live, but a set of A Customs or AAXes are certainly very comparable (none of them are going to have a very complex tone, but that comes with the territory).