Sabian AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
Group: Crashes
Type: X-Plosion Fast Crash
Size: 18 Inch
Series: AAX
Weight: 1128g, 1132g, 1175g, 1187g, 1223g, 1225g, 1239g, 1247g, 1248g, 1264g, 1304g, 1329g
Median Weight: 1232g (n=12)
Years of production: 2009 - ?
Sound file: AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
AAX 16" & 18" X-Plosion Fast Crashes
AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
AAX 18" X-Plosion Fast Crash
Sabian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "AAX X-Plosion fast crashes are created using the same core principles as the rest of the AAX series but are slightly thinner, making their response a bit quicker and more sensitive.
The 14" X-Plosion crash was extremely quick, sounding quite splash-like. While I don't normally play crashes this small, I enjoyed the way this one worked for spicing up accents, especially when hit in unison with the snare. At all volumes, the cymbal opened up very easily. And when I really laid into it I didn't feel like it was going to shatter to pieces. The 15" also felt similar to a splash in its feel and response. Due to its size, however, it had a deeper tone than the 14" and gave off a more complex set of overtones.
It wasn't until I got to the 16" X-Plosion that I started to feel I was playing a crash cymbal. This one was still fast, but it had enough depth and sustain to help punctuate the beginning of a new section of a tune. Depending on your volume and the style of music you're playing, this crash might be a bit weak to hold its own through a whole show. But for light to moderately loud situations, it played well and had an ear-pleasing quality.
The 17" was in the same boat as the 16". If given the choice, I would go with the larger of the two, because it had a more versatile sound. The 17" was capable of being just as responsive as the 16", but it offered more volume and a rounder sound.
The 18" and 19" X-Plosion crashes were in a slightly different category. Due to their bigger size they could be used as crash/rides. When played as such, the result was a quicker decay than I've heard from an HH crash/ride. This allowed me to play rock grooves with a quarter- note ride pattern and still feel there was some air between the beats. These larger cymbals can be used as accent crashes, of course. In this application, they sounded more like standard crash cymbals than the other cymbals in the series. But their thinness helped produce a deeper pitch without a ton of high-frequency cut."
- Review written by Anthony Riscica ("Sabian AAX X-Plosion Fast Crashes and Memphis Ride", Modern Drummer, November 2009, p. 34)
Artist/song where it can be heard: Gene Hoglan
