I know you're talking about products, but I think in terms of the progression from Baby Dodds to Chick Webb, then Max Roach to Tony Williams. There's four big ones right there
And then, the shameful plug, the progression from Tony to Jon Bermuda Schwarz!
What you don't know is that Bermuda only started playing the drums because the band already had an accordion player.
Raising the sock cymbal up to the height where they became known (and played) as hi hats.
Bundling all the various percussion items into one contraption or "traps" kit.
the shure SM 57… the swiss army knife of microphones!!! i had a set and we used them on everything! amps for guitar, bass, and keys, acoustic guitars, overheads, toms, snares, kick, trumpet, flute, and some vocals when the more expensive audio technica mic crapped out-lol! plus they've been the go to instrument mic for the pros and hobbyists for almost thirty years!!! oh, and they're rock solid in construction!
Many noble advancements towards shaping the modern drum kit have been noted, for sure.
But I think the biggest evolutionary leap in playability must be the development of the drumming shoe, surely? Talk about a modern miracle right? I mean, who'd have thought that a need as vital as pedal specific footwear would ever be available in our lifetime?
The Krupas, The Dodds', the Blakeys, the Bellsons and the Richs must be rolling in their graves to know that something so desired and so coveted, yet so far out of reach in years gone by, is now readily available for around the mere cost of an average mortgage. Who knows, if these guys had access to drumming shoes they may actually have been able to do something useful, creative and memorable on those pedals.
'Cos I swear, I heard about a guy who got a pair and went from 16ths at 120, to in excess of 250bpm in 15 minutes......they simply must work. The internet told me so.