Sabian B8X 16" Ballistic Crash

Group: Crashes
Type: Ballistic Crash
Size: 16 Inch
Series: B8X
Weight: 1096g
Median Weight: 1096g (n=1)
Years of production: 2017 - Present
Sound file: B8X 16" Ballistic Crash
B8X 16" Ballistic Crash
B8X 16" Ballistic Crash
B8X 16" Ballistic Crash
Sabian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "Finally, there’s the Ballistic crash. This is the only cymbal on test to use B8 rather than B20 bronze, and Sabian has actually developed new hammering tools in order to make it.

The Ballistic and its 18" counterpart are hammered from beneath to create the molehill ridges you can see in the top, diffusing the sound wave pattern in a way that Sabian says results in an upward pitch bend with increased response. In practice, though, we found that with lighter strikes the Ballistic is somewhat muted.

Taking a cue from its name, we leather it to really make it open up to a full crash. Once it gets there, it offers a pretty traditional crash sound, with a hint of noise. That said, it’s a good effort and great to see Sabian offering innovation at the entry level. The Ballistic crash will definitely pay off for cash-strapped heavy hitters."

Review written by Stuart Williams ("Sabian 2017 Effects review", musicradar.com, July 26, 2017)

Review: "Sabian has expanded the B8X line, and these cymbals are a true testament to Sabian's commitment to making great-sounding, affordable cymbals. The Ballistic Crash uses a totally new hammer pattern; the cymbal has large lathe marks, but the hammering dimples are huge. This gives the cymbal a distinctive look. And if you've ever played any of the B8X range, you know that the alloy has a pinkish hue, so the cymbal is distinct from the rest of the effects lineup.

Besides the large hammer marks, another unique feature is, when struck, the cymbal decay trends upward in pitch, rather than a crash's typical downward pitch. The result is an aggressive, very quick white noise type of crash. It reminds me of a cross between a lightweight crash and a China cymbal. The overall sound is similar to the higher end O-Zone crashes Sabian offers.

I reviewed the 16" model, but an 18" size is also available The one thing I can say about this cymbal is how aligned the cymbal name is with the sound it produces. The cymbal would fit right in if you are into fusion or new wave, especially metal music."

Bullet points:

Style - Focused
Sound - Bright
Weight - Thin
Metal - B8

Review written by Dendy Jarrett ("Sabian Effects Cymbals - 2017 Additions", harmonycentral.com, July 3, 2017)

Artist/song where it can be heard: