Wow, am very impressed with this hi-hat! I work as a pro drummer, mainly playing funk, soul, hip hop and drum 'n' bass, and find most hi-hats far too thick, clunky and loud, especially when played open. I used to have the Paiste Alpha (basically budget version of this) which was good so I took a chance and splashed out more than I'd normally spend on this and it paid off, am thrilled with it! It is nice and thin, making it very responsive, and sit nicely in the mix, sensitively, and not overly cutting through over the kick, snare and other instruments, making it a great all - rounder for 'cleaner' music. If I'm honest I don't think this is really for rock guys as it's probably too quiet.

The tone is fairly high pitched (almost like a 13") so it has a satisfying and sufficiently cutting 'chick', but as it's thin the stepped and open sound is less cutting and fairly quiet compared to most other hats I've tried.

This is most I've spent on a hi-hat, and I don't regret it, highly recommended!!