Sabian XS20 18" Crash Ride

Group: Rides
Type: Crash Ride
Size: 18 Inch
Series: XS20
Weight: 1688g
Years of production: ?
Sound file: XS20 18" Crash Ride
XS20 18" Crash Ride
XS20 18" Crash Ride
Sabian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "The 18" crash-ride is much more subtle. There's a band running around the middle of the main ride area which divides the thicker central zone from the crashy edge (which you can still ride on for a lighter, sizzling effect). The main ride area has a slightly washy, jazzy feel and a tight bell.

The crash sound has just the smallest exotic trashy whiff about it. It won't replace your main ride, but it's definitely a characterful add-on which will add variation to your grooves."

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) "I’ve saved the best for last. I was extremely impressed by the acoustic qualities of the 16" and 18" medium thin crashes, as well as the 18" crash-ride. They were the best of the batch in terms of sonic range and versatility. Like all Xs20 models they lean toward the bright side, with no dark undertones. But they had excellent sibilance and spread, with moderate explosiveness that wouldn’t overpower the music, despite the high-frequency emphasis. The 16" crash had a relatively quick decay for punctuation; the 18" had a longer sustain that would support big chords.

As is often the case, the 18" crash-ride seemed better suited as a big, powerful crash than as a small ride cymbal. It certainly could be used as a very bright, clean-sounding ride at a low impact/volume level, but it’s rare for that sort of sound to be appropriate in that sort of situation. On the other hand, it might be a good choice for use in thrashy, punky ride situations where riding on a regular crash might not produce enough rhythmic definition. It does have a big, domed bell, which could be used to good effect.

As a trio, the 16" and 18" medium-thin crashes and the 18"crash-ride made a very good melodic ensemble. They also worked very well with the medium hats, offering a consistent tonal character that could serve in a wide variety of musical applications."

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

Review: "The 18" Crash Ride fell somewhere between the 18" Medium Thin crash and the 18" Rock crash; calling it an 18" medium crash would have been just as apropos. It worked equally well as a straight-up crash and a full-out crash/ride, giving off an explosive attack with a full wash."

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

Review: "The 18″ crash/ride provides a decent crash sound consisting mostly of mids — but not very many lows or highs. This cymbal’s ample mid-range provides an acceptable ride sound at lower volumes that can quickly swell to a slightly annoying mid-range hum as it’s played louder. This cymbal’s accentuation of the mid-range to the exclusion of high and low overtones exemplifies a recurring theme I noticed among many of the XS20 cymbals: They lack the wide sonic spectrum that is present in Sabian’s more expensive B20 bronze lines.

For example, an 18″ AAXPlosion crash I reviewed has an excellent burst of mid-range overtones, but that AAX model also has a much broader range of lows and highs mixed in with those prominent mids. Because of those distinctions, some of these XS20s sound less complex and more one-dimensional than their pricier B20 siblings. And while Sabian’s secrets remain intact, I’m assuming that the lack of sonic range in some of these XS20s stems from the lesser degree of hammering and handwork involved in their manufacturing process."

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

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