Sabian XS20 18" Rock Crash

Group: Crashes
Type: Rock Crash
Size: 18 Inch
Series: XS20
Weight: ?g
Years of production: 2003 - 2016
Sound file: XS20 18" Rock Crash
Sabian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "I’m not fond of big crash cymbals, but there was no denying the 18" Rock crash. It simply stung my senses when I hit it. Even when I choked this baby, the ringing hurt my ears; it was difficult to effectively silence it. It was so loud, so cutting, and so dark that it was easily the most explosive cymbal of our review batch. However, because the cymbal was so hyper-responsive, it also had an excess “gonginess.”"

Review written by Will Romano ("Sabian XS20 Series Cymbals - High Sonic Performance At Low-End Prices", Modern Drummer, July 2003, p.31)

Review: "As with the rides, the Rock versions (18"/16") are heavier and correspondingly less responsive. While a top line heavy crash sustains through the sheer mass of metal, these seem hidebound by the extra thickness and the decay is shorter even than the Medium Thins.

The initial crash response is again clean and musical, especially with the 18", but, once again, quickly recedes, leaving you thinking, 'Where did it go?."

Review written by The Music Radar Team ("Sabian Xs20 Splash 10" review - Both the Medium and Rock versions of the Xs20s have musical timbres, but they lack body and spread", Musicradar.com, November 19, 2007)

Review: (NOTE: This is for the wide blade lathing version) "The 16" and 18" Rock crashes trade all-purpose versatility for power and projection. They aren’t as sibilant or expressive as the medium-thins, but they’re much more explosive, with higher pitches and more sustain. Just what the doctor ordered for loud stage situations."

Review written by Rick Van Horn ("Sabian “New Look” Xs20 Cymbals", Modern Drummer, March 2008, p.38)

Review: "The Xs20 series offers 16" ($208) and 18" ($238) Medium Thin and Rock crashes, as well as an 18" Crash Ride ($238). The 16" Rock crash had a good attack and a somewhat metallic wash that bordered on being shrill. The 18", on the other hand, was a powerful crash that lived up to its name and also doubled nicely as a crash/ride."

Review written by Michael Dawson ("Sabian Xs20 Brilliant Series Cymbals", Modern Drummer, May 2010, p.24)

Review: "I placed four crash cymbals in this latter semi-professional category: the 16″ Medium crash, the 16″ Rock crash, the 18″ Medium Thin crash, and the 18″ Rock crash. Each produces a loud cutting crash that would be more than acceptable for semi-professional use. On the other hand, each also suffers from one-dimensional qualities that lack the “sparkle” or sonic range that I look for in a professional studio-quality crash.

To elaborate, the 16″ Medium Thin crash initially screams with lots of higher range mid frequencies that quickly end with a weird muffled sound. The 16″ Rock crash is heavier than the Medium model with a clear and powerful tone that’s slightly lower in pitch but also, unfortunately, a bit clangy. The 18″ Medium Thin crash speaks almost exclusively with mid-range tones that linger for a long time. Finally, the 18″ Rock crash is heavier in weight, yet higher in pitch and a bit more stifled sounding than the 18″ Medium Thin model."

Review written by David Libman ("Sabian XS20 Cymbals Reviewed!", drummagazine.com, July 6, 2010)

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