by David Ciauro

As the hustle of the holidays slows and we’re settled into 2014, we can now focus our energy on coveting all the new gear of the new year. Since being announced at Winter NAMM this past January, Sabian’s Cymbal Vote winners are no exception. They come from the AA and AAX series and include AA Raw Bell crashes and AAX ISO crashes in 16″, 18″, and 20″ models; 14″ AAX Freq Hats; and a 20″ AAX X-Plosion ride.

When popularity dictates outcomes, the results typically please a majority. In the case of this year’s winners, the masses wanted traditional sounds with a modern twist. Sabian accomplished this by making subtle modifications in the manufacturing process to create conventional-sounding cymbals with more sharply defined characteristics. Advertisement

Below are audio samples of the 2014 Cymbal Vote winners.

14″ AAX Freq Hats (click here)

 

ISO Crashes (click here)

 

Raw Bell Crashes (click here)

 

AAX X-Plosion Ride (click here)

 

For more on these cymbals, check out the complete review in the April 2014 issue of Modern Drummer.