New HHX groove & evolution

Thunderstix

Senior Member
Yesterday I sold all my zildjians and tomorrow I'm gonna get my batch of new cymbals: a groove ride and either groove hats or evolution hats, depending on which feel better.

I already have the evolution ride and evolution crashes which I reviewed earlier and am looking forward to the rest. Pics and review follow soon.

In the meantime, do feel free to post your own impressions of these cymbals. I also got the big cymbal book for anyone interested. There's a good chapter explaining why cymbals sound the way they do, but some other sections are outdated or lengthy.

Review at post #7.

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This is my impression of Sabian HHX cymbals. The 14" Evolution hats started it all.

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Dennis
 
You're really going to enjoy that Groove Ride, I reckon! I wish I had one, but it's just too expensive. I also had the opportunity to play an 18 inch Evolution crash, and it sounded like butter! The low-end tone was amazing. I've been a Zildjian player for many years, but I appreciate what Sabian does. It seems like their cymbals (HH and HHX) are comparatively thinner and have more low-end overtones than Zildjians. Sometimes, even K Zildjians just aren't "dark" enough for me.
 
I love the evolutions and the groove hi hats and rides , execpt the evo hh in brillant finish , don't get me wrong they are really good hihats , but too trashy for my taste , I'd rather go with the groove in natural finish , one of the best hh in the market
 
I've been a Zildjian player for many years, but I appreciate what Sabian does. It seems like their cymbals (HH and HHX) are comparatively thinner and have more low-end overtones than Zildjians. Sometimes, even K Zildjians just aren't "dark" enough for me.
I'm coming from the exact same place and totally agree. I would only add that Sabian seems to have more low-end overtones across the board. I have a 20" AAX Xplosion Crash that is by far the darkest cymbal on my kit (others being As, A Customs, and a 2oo2). I had an AA 18" Medium Thin a few months ago (that I sold - regretting that) that struck me as being in the K range in terms of darkness (I've had lots of Ks).
 
This is what I got:

HHX 13 evolution hats
HHX 16 evolution crash
HHX 18 evolution crash
HHX 20 evolution ride
HHX 21 groove ride (matt)

I paid 1000 euro for this new set - excluding the evolution ride which I traded - after getting a discount (they first cost 1500). I sold my previous cymbals for a decent price as well.

HATS
I chose the evolution hats because they were more precise and had more body than groove hats. Evolution hats are surprisingly crisp without being clangy. They are heavier - top & bottom - than groove hats and feel firm to the foot. Despite their initial brightness, you also hear some dirt and complexity.

Groove hats were more smoky, had more sizzle and blend better. Both hats have a soft touch.

CRASH
Like written in a previous thread, evolution crashes are very thin, very sensitive and have a very short decay. Despite this, they do feel full-bodied. The 16" is very fast but doesn't choke like some fast crashes do (although it does peak soon). The 18" - slower - has a larger sound spectrum without being overwhelming like other crashes this size. The volume is controlled, which is positive, but if you lay into the 18" you get a big roar.

RIDE
I have both the 20" evolution ride - which I traded - and the 21" groove ride, bought new. I definitely prefer the latter. The evolution ride is pingy but it's light enough to crash. What I don't like about it is its bright, hard, pingy touch. The overtones are dark but the attack is bright. Great if you like pingy rides that you can also crash. Similar to a much lighter version of the K custom ride.

The groove ride is more traditional and its touch is much softer. Think of it as a darker Armand ride. The best thing about this cymbal is its response. Play it soft or in the centre and you get good definition with just enough undertones. Play with more strength or on the edge and you get a lot of wash. The bell is big but rather thin, so it's not too loud. It's so responsive because of a low profile and a gradual taper. It's also quite light, weighing less than the evolution ride despite being an inch bigger. I'm actually afraid of cracking it because the edge is so thin.

This said, the cymbal is well-suited for soft to louder playing. Very versatile. Of course, if you always hit hard or use clubs for sticks, you'll get a one-dimensional wash. The same applies to the evolution ride.
 

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Man my 10" HHX Evo Splash finally gave out on me the other day...That thing was flipping AMAZING.

I'm gonna get an AAX to replace it though, pair it with a 10" A custom for some cool effects.

Nice acquisitions!
 
UPDATE

After trying these cymbals for two weeks, I must say they're amazing. The groove ride and evolution hats play themselves. Anyone looking for musical cymbals for softer playing, these are it.

What's your take on these cymbals? I'm thinking of adding some evolution splashes but haven't heard them yet.
 
What's your take on these cymbals? I'm thinking of adding some evolution splashes but haven't heard them yet.

Instrument of choice is a personal preference. With that said, my preference was to go with:

HHX Groove Hats 13-inch
Radia Cup Chime 7-inch
HHX Evolution Splash 7-inch
HHX Evolution Splash 10-inch
HHX Evolution Splash 12-inch
AA Extra Thin Crash 14-inch
AA Extra Thin Crash 16-inch
AA Bright Crash 16-inch
AA Chinese 16-inch
AA Crash Ride 18-inch
AA Dry Ride 21-inch

PS: The above setup is quite nice for my extremely wide variety of musical generas and especially enjoy the HHats and 21 Dry Ride.

To be fair, also have Paiste:
11", 12", 13", 14", 15" extra thin cymbals
4", 6", 8" Accent cymbals
They came with the PS30000 percussion rack. Am finding more/intersting uses for the extra thins and the very small Accent cymbals are also finding some unique uses.
 
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