A Zildjian 14" Armand Hi-Hat

Group: Hi-Hats
Type: Armand Hi-Hat
Size: 14 Inch
Series: A Zildjian
Weight: Top: 937g / Bottom: 1220g

Top: 984g / Bottom: 1264g

Top: 991g / Bottom: 1375g

Top: 992g / bottom: 1276g

Top: 995g / Bottom: 1195g

Top: 996g / Bottom: 1260g

Top: 1002g / Bottom: 1264g

Median Weight: Top: 992g (n=7) / Bottom: 1264g (n=7)
Years of production: 2007 - 2013
Sound file: A Zildjian 14" Armand Hihat
A Zildjian 14" Armand Hihat
A Zildjian 14" Armand Hihat
A Zildjian 14" Armand Hihat
A Zildjian 14" Armand Hihat
A Zildjian 14" Armand Hihat
A Zildjian 14" Armand Hihat
A Zildjian 14" Armand Hihat
A Zildjian 14" Armand Hihat
A Zildjian 14" Armand Hihat
Zildjian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "Well, I went cymbal shopping over the weekend, and I picked up some Armand Series Zildjian cymbals. I buy almost all of my cymbals at The Drum Pad in Palatine, IL. A great drum store in the suburbs of Illinois.

I went with the 14" Hats, 21" Ride, 16" and 18" crashes.

Well, initially, when I put them on my drumset, I was not very impressed. I had been using my Zildjian K Custom Special Dry cymbals for a few years, and I am used to a TON of character.

The Armand's are a bit different to me. Different because they are a great-sounding, sweet set of cymbals. Different because they have a sound that will work in almost any situation. Different because they are almost without character.

That is my only gripe with them. They sound TOO PERFECT. Everywhere I hit them, they are consistent, and offer no distinct variation wherever I strike them. With my Special Dry's, I have tons of variation, and a very dark sound. Now I have a warm sound with a crystalline haze of beauty. I really like my Armands. I also am feeling a bit strange at having a set of cymbals that are so nice and studio-sounding.

When I picked my cymbals, I did fairly extensive pitch-listening between them. They are all at nice intervals with each other. I have a higher-pitched crash and a lower-pitched crash and both sound excellent. I've had other 18" crashes, and they often turn out to be clunky/clangy sounding, without a nice spread. Both of these crashes are smooth, warm, shimmering and perfectly equalized.

The ride is a sweet-sounding cymbal. I play it, and depending on the stick, there is very little, or just enough stick definition, and the cymbal wobbles like no other cymbal I've ever had. It's thin, but durable. The bell sound is a little weak, not as deep as I'd have liked it to be, but not a bad-sounding bell, just kinda wimpy. The ride crashes easily, and provides a lot of wash, but the wash is not annoying, it's just part of the cymbal. In fact, all the cymbals have a very long sustain, and a wash that is not annoying. The wash adds an ambience to the sound of my kit, and makes me feel like I am floating behind my kit. Another thing about the cymbals, they have a nice digging impact when I strike them. I feel like my sticks sink into them a little bit upon impact. Instead of one of my cymbals doing that, ALL of my cymbals now do that.

The hats...I've never had 14" hats before. I've always had 13" hats. So this is very different for me. They sound WONDERFUL!!! I really like the hats. Again, there's that sinking-in feel when striking their edges, and the top cymbal is much thinner than the bottom. Playing rolls is a little bit more difficult because of this, and I have to consciously change how I play rolls on them. Instead of allowing for some rebound, I have to provide my own rebound with exaggerated "throw/pick-up" technique. That's fine. The "chick" is soft, but perfectly audible. I prefer a softer chick, for me, that sound is slightly more personal than for the audience. But if I push the hats down a little more, it's easily heard. They wash nicely, and aren't dirty.

The cymbals are not coated with any protective sealant. So, they are designed to mellow with age, and from what I've experienced and read, they patina rather quickly (my greasy fingerprints are almost impossible to wipe up). This is good for me, because I love to make my cymbals look and sound older. I imagine some of the shimmer of the cymbals will become muted in a little while from various atmospheric pollutants.

So, if you want a nice-sounding cymbal, you still have to hand-pick them, but when you get them, you've really chosen a fine-sounding cymbal. They are fairly good for almost any style of music outside of jazz, unless it's big-band. Even so, the ride is not as distinct as it should be for jazz applications. For any other gig, studio work, etc., these are perfect.

As a sidenote, When I was playing these cymbals again, later on, they kinda do remind me of 60's/early 70's cymbals. Not exactly, but I could hear faint strains of Led Zepplin/Pink Floyd/Cream sounds when I played them. I think with age, they will get closer to the sound. They will never actually be cymbals from the 60's, but they sound close. Some change is good, in this case. I am glad they don't sound exactly like older cymbals. The nostalgic element I received from them was enough to satisfy my ears.

Zildjian's been having some "hit or miss" years recently, but these are definitely a hit in my book."

Review written by Kirk Markarian Link

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