The difference in price is the hardware on the snare. So if you want the best build and construction and don’t care about the flashiness of the higher modes then the design series is it. The design is about the sound more than what it looks like. Top end sound without the crazy expensive hardware and colors.
I was expecting way more difference in the shells themselves. It seems like a lot of the differences are in the hardware and the heads. I think I’ll just go with the design series and put my favorite heads on them
When I went to the NMM show in 20 1313, they were debuting the design series. I remember hitting the drums and being completely blown away by how great she sounded. So much so that at that time I thought they sounded better than any collectors kit I ever heard. I just recently got a design series for a really really good price and am blown away by those drums as well. I guess the lesson learned is if you want something specific, exotic, outer veneer, etc. go with the collectors, but I truly blown away by both performance as well as design.
All three are great kits. I personally own the performance series. The design is a great house kit for a churches, clubs etc.... The performance series is an awesome overall and touring kit. The collectors series is an awesome studio kit. Id put the collectors series right up there with the Yamaha Recording Custom.
Wow. Only subtle differences in sound from a price difference of 5400$$$ top to bottom! Keeping in mind that the design series had cheap china heads on the toms. obviously the collectors sounded the best, but the design was a close second..save a LOT of moolah and get some wicked cymbals and hardware. value for dollar...DING DING! DW Design
True. The Design or even a cheaper brand can be amazing on recordings. I’m pretty sure a lot of hit songs were recorded with just modest level drum kits. And commonly on songs, you kind of want drums to sound bland so they don’t interfere with the song. If you’re a touring drummer, expensive is usually better because of better build quality. If it’s just for studio work, a budget kit can work fine.
I didn’t like the cheapest set… The middle set sounded great immediately! It wasn’t just that I know it’s cheap you can hear it if you are a musician. The collectors is really Beautiful to look at! The sound of the Collectors is much better and deeper and richer in tone. I would love ❤️ to buy them but I would be happy with the performance and would never 👎 buy the cheapest ones! I’m too old for cheap drums!
As a fairly new drummer I bought the Design Series Piano Black 4 pc and I love the sound, even with the supposed subpar heads. Liked it so much I bought a second one. Maybe as I get more experienced, I will learn how to discriminate the different sounds between the supposedly better heads
I have an exotic DW Collectors series kit and a Performance series kit. I actually prefer the sound of the Performance series as the lack of reinforcement rings really opens up the drums. They are both great sets, but playing out, it's my Performance series all the way (also less worries playing a less expensive kit in the bars!!). But for recording, Collectors series is the way to go as the sound is more focused and refined, and works well in a studio environment. Great video and really has me thinking about the overall value of the Design series...
I agree. I had a Collector’s Series Kit that was made around the time that they started making their own shells. I could not get the floor or kick drum to sound the way I wanted. I ended up selling them and playing a few different brands of kits. A few years back I picked up a Performance Kit and I much prefer the sound of the Performance kit to my Collectors. I like the straight shells with no reinforcement and the smaller lugs look much better in my opinion.
@@kevinb8527 I did notice that the exotic kit in this demo did not have re-rings. They sounded damn nice! My exotic maple Collectors kit does have re-rings and they focus the attack/sound, still resonate well, but not as open as my Performance series. Finally, I'm a big fan as both Collectors and Performance series are Made in the USA. For me, I support USA made stuff if at all possible. Yeah you can make it cheaper outside of the country, but I do like the Oxnard connection and those kits support American workers...
James Rohl I agree 100%. I much prefer the sound of straight shells rather than shells with re-rings. My collectors kit was built in 2002 which was right at the time that DW started making its own shells. I think it’s known that they had some issues around that time with shells staying in round and I think my floor Tom and kick drum had some issues. No matter what I did as far as tuning on the floor Tom I could not get the “basketball” wobble” boing out. Tons of different head combos, tunings, etc and I couldn’t get rid of it. Some of that I put on the re-rings though. My performance kit is everything that I wanted out of my collectors kit. Solid even tones with the straight shells and the smaller lugs look and function fantastic. Plus the price point is much better. My kit is in Pewter Sparkle in really good sizes (8x10, 8x12, 12x14, 14x16, 18x22, and 6.5x14). My collectors kit was 9x10, 9x12, 10x13, 14x16, and 18x22 in Blue Diamond Pearl. My Collectors Kit was over twice the price (with no snare). I’ve owned a ton of high end drums (Pearl Masters, Pork Pie Custom, SJC, Gretsch Renown, Custom Keller, DW) and my collectors was one of my least favorite of the bunch. I have friends that have collectors kits that sound phenomenal, I just think there was something wrong with mine. My Performance kit can hold a candle to any of the top end kits I have owned for sure.
@@kevinb8527 Kevin those are cool sizes, especially the shorter 8 x 12 rack tom! My Performance kit is gorgeous ginger glass sparkle wrap (made only for the drum shop where I got them), in 8 x 10, 9 x 12, 12 x 14 floor, 14 x 16 floor, 18 x 22 kick, and 5 1/2 x 14 matching snare. I, like you, have owned many kits (Ludwig , Rogers, Pearl, Tama, Drumcraft acrylic, Crush acrylic). None were are good as my Performance kit! My exotic Collectors series is stunning. Twisted Rainbow lacquer in cool sizes (7 x 10, 8 x 12, 14 x 16 floor, and a cannon 20 x 22" kick, matching 6 x 14 snare). If I were to venture out again, Sonor and Yamaha are the kits that interest me. Sonor has a very musical tone to them, but almost too musical? I mean when you want to rock, your not looking for a xylophone! Yamaha rules the jazz scene and their kits sound great, but if you aren't miking them, they don't resonate as well as DW's. Nothing does IMO, thus I remain a DW guy. But always interested in the art of drum making and new sounds. Most likely going to round out my collection with a set of DW Design acrylics and call it a day...
James Rohl Thanks! Yea the store I worked at when I got my performance kit ordered two kits in the same finish. The other kit had an 8x12 so they let me switch out the 9x12 that I got in my Tom pack with the 8x12 that came in the other. I prefer the sound and the set up height of the shorter toms for sure. Very cool sizes on your collectors kit! Sonor kits sound incredible but I agree almost too musical. I’d look into a Yamaha kit too, they sound great. I do remember the older YESS mounts choking the drums bad on the bigger sized toms, but they still sounded good. Currently I still have my Performance kit, a SJC Custom Kit (18x24, 8x12, 12x14, 14x16 in red satin), a Pork Pie Custom Kit (18x22, 10x13, 13x16), and a Gretsch Renown (22, 10, 12, 14) that I recently picked up for $400. Couldn’t pass that one up.
I own a DW Design set. I have owned a Collectors series (with rings, not the shells like these) and have played Performance series. For my situation, playing out in dive bars and moving my drums around, there's no way I could justify spending the many thousands of dollars it would take to buy a Collector's series. If I was playing at home and/or only recording, I would have DW Collector's series with these shells (not the rings, for me. I like this tone better). So, now speaking in terms of mere mortals' budgets: between Performance & Design; the similarity in tone and difference in price led me to the Design series. I could eventually stand to have more size choices, but I believe they're coming eventually. I'm thrilled with the sound, engineers are thrilled with the sound, and with Coated Ambassador/Clear Ambassador (toms) Ambassador X (snare) and Powerstroke 3 (kick) you get real DW drums, great sound, all at a SUPER affordable cost. Thanks very much for this comparison video. Very fair and objective.
Agreed. I have a frequent flyer and have owned an older Keller DW with rerings. I have a ton of respect for the guys at Portsmouth but I'm just not on board with the confidence thing. Granted, I have not played the amount of high end kits these gentlemen have but I do have a very nice Grand Master Series kit with brass lugs with thick shells and it it doesn't inspire anymore confidence then an Asian GMS SL birch I also own. In fact, in many ways I prefer that birch kit to the maple. They do play different but thicker shells will do that. I also have a Saturn and while that being a nice sounding kit, feels more like a junk Catalina I once owned. Now the Catalina hardware was garbage so that has to be factored in along with wood density and 1.6 hoops but when these guys talk about drums giving back, i think it may have a little to do with in DW'S case, giant turret lugs and a company like Tama, cast hoops.
Let me tell you to get the pdp concept maple its 99.5 % just as good as the DW Design DW Performance sounded worse on the 10" If you feel like burning your money, or giving it to DW go ahead ! The the only difference is going to be the snare you get with the concept maple !
Great video!! You demonstrated and discussed all the points I was hoping for. I really hear a drastic difference w the Collector’s Series. It sounds like 2 levels up from the Performance Series to me. I’ve played all these myself as well, got to visit the factory in Oxnard. It was amazing!!
i prefered the performance series. they sound better than the collector's series to my ears. i see no reasons of buying a collector's series unless you want the prestige and the more numerous options above anything else.
Design is the BEST value for money..I have a performance series and it's great..but that DESIGN kit holds its own against the others and I can imagine with the right heads unbelievable!
I got a Design Series kit in Midnight Blue Satin for Christmas two years ago, and last year I bought a Design 14x6.5 Black Nickel Over Brass snare drum that just sounds killer!!!! The best snare I ever heard. It’s basically a less expensive Black Beauty snare (you know, Ludwig?).
According to one of the factory employees, the wood on the Performance and Collectors are identical. The disadvantage with the Performance is that you can’t fully customize how many layers of ply you want. If you want exotic wood, you’re likely not able to get that with the Performance. If you’re picky about a certain sound, choose the Collectors. If you feel the Performance does not need modification and it’s fine to your taste, then the Performance will suit your needs.
I’d rather see an extra floor Tom rather than the matching snare with any of these sets. I ALWAYS loved the mini turret lugs but the 1/4 lugs are also a nice size.
These comparison videos are the best out there! Very accurate as far as hearing the drums because there's a full mix and room mics recording... And of course the attention to detail is incredible you guys are the best
I am very surprised by the small difference in sound between the kits. I agree that lookswise the collectors takes the prices. I would also like to hear all three kits playing with the exact same heads tuned the same. Thankyou for this video. I am very proud of my design series now. The sound comparison was really close for way less money spend.
I bought my Collector’s back in 2006 and I swear it sounds better with every year of age. There’s no shortage of amazing kits out there but DW really are something special. You get what you pay for
I had sold my DW a while back. Had it for a good 15 years and noticed right before I sold it that it had gotten better with age. I miss it but I got a Gretsch kit with more versatile sizes so it was a good move to sell it.
i hope that what you are saying is true!!😃 i have a 1997 dw custom made that i played no more than an hour since i got it 10 years ago and i was thinking about selling it but i think i willl leave it in ny basement as a good old wine getting better with ages! thanks for sharing your experience it can help others!!
A Collectors Kit is a masterpiece and like a museum piece. It’s like owning a classic car. Yes, you can buy a stock Yamaha or Gretsch for a cheaper price and still sound awesome and amazing but the unique Collectors has a vibe and it’s a kit fit for a king.
In my personal opinion and have owned a 7 piece collectors kit, the Design series has the same feel, same warmth, same volume, projection and power and near same tones. the only difference I can personally see is the customization restrictions on the Design series(being a factory line) and the glamorous hardware the Collectors series has which real does nothing for the sound quality(maybe the tuning). so my personal opinion is go for Design series if you cant afford Collectors.
I totally get why you left the factory heads on the design kit, but I’d love to hear an A/B between the design series and performance series with the same heads.
Would be interesting to hear how the PDP Concept stacks up with these, particularly with the Design series (maybe performance too). Cause to my ears, the best move is PDP Concept, and then upgrade straight to collectors after.
I’ve got a Workshop Series kit from the early 2000’s. They were the original entry level DW kit back then and for less then $1,500 they sound great. I’ve had so many complements on their sound over the years that I can certainly see why they were discontinued because in some instances they sound as good if not better then the Collector series! Other then esthetic where the Collector series can be works of art I couldn’t justify spending 4x as much because the difference in sound just isn’t there!
The Performance kit sounded very close to the Collector's kit in terms of fullness. If I had my choice, I'd buy a Performance series kit and save money.
@@AMDpc067 yes they are! The only difference is customization. Performance are only available as they come. You simply choose what is offered. Performance quality and sound is equal to Collectors.
The Collectors will have better durability with more robust metal parts. It’s fit for a king. Either way, you can make Grammy award winning records with any decent drum kit that’s capable enough to blend in with the songs.
Personally for the money. I think the Performance is best quality, The Collectors is stellar but not worth $2k-3K value difference. I own both and find myself playingg the Performance over the Collectors. Personally I have a hard time time justifying price difference between the two. I would say the Collectors is simply over priced as per every manufacturer. I just don't hear 2k-4-k difference in drums.
I have the Design series. I played them for a few minutes and immediately threw away the stock heads and put clear Emperor heads on the top and clear Ambassador heads on the bottom, with PS3's on the front and back of my bass drum. They kick ass. I've played almost everything and for the money they certainly hold their own against most of them. They really are good if you are considering them.
That design series has allowed so many drummers to finally accomplish their dream of owning a DW without spending their life savings and it’s such a rewarding kit to play and own. I bought mine a couple of years ago, used the stock heads for almost a year and then replaced them with remo powerstroke 4’s clear and was blown away furthermore. I absolutely love that kit.
Thanks for doing this comparison. Your comment about the DW kits' difference in "feel" is spot-on. I think that feel is hard to explain. It must be experienced. My first kit was a Tama Swingstar, an entry-level kit. It sounded okay after putting mylar ring suppressors on the stock heads. A few years later I upgraded to a Tama Starclassic Birch/Bubinga kit in dark cherry fade. My immediate impression was it "wanted" to be played and I was drawn to do so. Not surprisingly, the Starclassics sounded much better than the Swingstar. But for me, it was the feel that really made the difference between them. It would also be interesting to see you do a blindfold test when comparing kits. It's easy to get drawn in by the "look" of a kit. In other words, do we subconsciously think a kit sounds better because it looks better? It would be hard, at least for me, to sit behind that beautiful DW exotic Collectors kit and not just rationalize that it sounds better than the others. "Better" is very subjective. Finally, I think this comparison will answer many questions for prospective buyers and/or for those of us generally interested in drum gear. I know it did for me. I've never understood the differences among the DW lines. This video explained them well. To that point, if you haven't done so already I would recommend doing a similar video for other lines you carry.
Top Down Drumming well, well, we’ll!!!!!! Awesome!!!! It’s like that Disney song goes It’s a small world after all It’s a small world after all It’s a small world after all It’s a small, small, world Everybody now!!!!!
Top Down Drumming well, well, well!!!! So it is!!! It’s like that song from Walt Disney: It’s a small world after all It’s a small world after all It’s a small world after all It’s a small, small world Everybody now!!!
I own a Performance Series. Heads we do not care about as we change them anyway to suit our needs. Many of us can't afford the cost of the Collector's Series, though they are top of the line. Plus many of us have not played a gig in a long time because of Covid. So in my opinion, any of these lines are great based on your personal budget and skill level! Great job explaining the differences.
I would get the Collectors series for home studio because the nice finish set functions as furniture. It’s worth it since it should last a lifetime . For playing out live in dive bars, any good quality budget set is fine
As you can tell in this video, the dw collectors is not worth that price tag they charge customers. 7,000 for this kit is just not worth it but I’ve personally never wanted a collectors kit because they’ve always asked for way too much even for the most basic kit that you didn’t even customize.
Agreed. Good drums cost money, but DW is always coming up with some gimmick (wood from the bottom of a lake, purple wood, or some exotic veneer, etc) so they can charge you even more. And these gimmicks don’t make them sound any better
Having owned and played a Collector's Series kit for 10 years, the thing that no one seems to talk about is the durability. You can pound on a Collector's Series kit night after night for years on end and there will be no appreciable wear in any part of the drums. Of course, the sound is awesome, and the tuning range is huge, but it's the quality of construction and materials that (to me) is where the best bang for the buck is. BUT, because of this, they are HEAVY. I finally had to sell it off because I'm too old to carry them down and up the stairs to my 4th floor apartment every time I have a gig. LOL!!
Yes I bought Mapa Burl 2002 birthday and have little wear noticeable 20 years later. John Good is in a class by himself and continues to amaze. DW is the best players friendly beauty brains and brawn drums out there. Cut costs on girls not drums.
Dennis Dinsmore Tama will make ANYTHING you want in regards to size so lack of customization options is not an issue with Tama. You pay $$$$ with either company. Isn’t buy into the ply recipe marketing with DW. Tama developed a spectacular shell for the Star series and they are without a doubt among the best ply shells ever designed by humans.
All of the DW kits I've seen looked like they were put together sloppy (veneer warp or not applied smoothly or correctly) and also sounded like there was no substance to their sound, weak, and felt overpriced. These are the first DW kits I've heard that actually sounded good. Best production of all the drum channels.
And Mapex Saturn can beat all 3 , and Black panther can knock out all Dw sounds good but not as that.... extremely overrated!!!! Jst because made in USA
Although they all sounded good, I was partial to the Collector's. And when Tony said how the feel of those drums was so different that confirmed it. We as drummers focus on sound, but that can be manipulated with different heads, tuning, etc. The feel of a drum I think is inherent to the drum and for the most part can't be (or would be difficult) to change. I did like the finish and "middle sized" lugs on The Performance Series.
I will tell you what, I have an older PDP fs series that I got in incredible condition. Anybody looking at the DW design series best compare these kits. You can find used PDP kits in the $300 - $600 range.
Nice video comparing the different DW series. Sure wish people would leave it at that and not try to make it into a "they all suck compared to my non-DW kit" video.
I'd love to see DW deign vs Sonor AQ2 and some other drum sets under $1,600. Could you make video about the best maple drum sets under this price please? I would really appreciate it and I think I'm not alone :D
@Drum Center of Portsmouth Excellent video again. Please, an aluminum snare shootout including the Tama Starphonic and the British Aviator. Pretty please. LOL
Well.. they're all kinda expensive for the sound in my opinion. I'd rather spend 1k more on a Noble&Cooley, which has a fuller and warmer tone all around the frequency spectrum, even when not mic'ed up. In my opinion, definitely the best drumkits ever made
I like the idea of the comparison video, but putting a Collector's Series exotic kit against the others strikes me as a case of comparing apples and mangos. A basic Collector's Series kit would have been a more realistic comparison. If they wanted to include an Exotic kit, it could/should have added it as a fourth option. I don't think that the customer looking at a $1,700 Design Series kit is also considering a $7,000 Collector's Series Exotic kit. In 2008 I bought a brand new DW Collector's Series finish-ply shell pack for $2,750. The sizes were 10", 12", 14", 16", 22", the matching snare drum cost $375 at that time. For comparison, an equivalent kit today in the same sizes and finish runs $4,500, and the matching snare drums sells for $600. A used Collector's kit of that era in excellent condition today sells for just about what I paid for it brand new in 2008. I can't predict whether today's $4,500 Collector's Series kit will perform as well on the used market, but used Collector's Series kits usually hold their value well. The exception is the Collector's Series Exotic finished kits, they traditionally have not seemed to hold their value as well in my experience. At the very least, they have a much more narrow market when used. I'm a fan of DCP and your videos. I gave this video a thumbs up, but I did want to give my opinion on this match up.
I have a Design series and think it is the best choice,. It sounds great with some good heads and tuning. if micing you can make it sound even better. so best bang for buck.
You hear the difference in tone from Design to Performance pretty much instantly. Probably a good idea to replace the tom heads if you buy the Design kit. ....Monkey Pod. 333. Would like to hear a Santa Monica kit put through Shane's paces one of these days. Cheers! Best sound: Collectors Series Best Price/Performance: Performance Series If you can save the money, the Performance kit is hard to beat. I've enjoyed every Perf kit I had the chance to play. And you get different sizes, like an 18" floor, if you don't care for 14" floors, and a 14x24 bass drum.
Ive had the design kit for almost a year now and I replaced the heads right away. Man what a difference. The bass drum is a straight cannon. I've got a Evans eq4 on the batter side and custom print Aquarian on the reso side with no port and minimal muffling. Everybody raves about how great that kick drum sounds. I'm an amateur musician and I know this DW kit will last me the rest of my life. Great build quality for the money. I got the four piece shell pack for 899. Can't beat it except with a stick. Love my DW kit.
What’s your thought on the design kit right now after playing it for some time? I’m considering getting the design kit instead of performance or collectors. Also, which heads would you recommend for the toms?
@@KyleLe I still love the kit and it sounds better than ever as I've learned to tune it I have frosted Evans and clear resos on toms. The finish has held up well and no hardware problems at all. Though there are a few imperfections in my piano black finish. I've averaged around 16 to 20 hours a week playing time for the almost three years I've had them and I would recommend them to anyone. The guys I'm playing with praise them and we're just a about ready to gig.
Value for dollar has to be the first kit... might not be everyone’s favorite but it is the correct answer. The kits do sound very, very similar yet they range in price like $5500
For me, the Collectors sounded the best overall but that's expected. However, .... I wouldn't go to the Performance Series if I had to choose between those and the Design Series. Bang for your buck for a DW product .... I'd stay w/the Design series if size options weren't a big deal to you.
La batería no hace al baterista... Además, para mí suena mejor la Design que la Collectors, un verdadero desperdicio de dinero gastar en algo así. Humilde opinión.
i have the design series black satin,which you can get add on toms.I added the 8" rack and 14" floor tom. Changed the heads to Remo coated ambassador. The drums sound just as good as the Performance series!
Great video...thank you. I thought I had a good tuning of my collector's to get a good sound. But I really thought your collector's sounded great. I know tuning videos are dime a dozen. But it would be great to get your tricks and secrets in a tuning video especially re that collector's kit setup.
Thanks Joe! It's something we may do in the future, though we would want to do it in a way that is different than the hundreds and thousands of videos out there!
Bought a collector's gold glass Last week.... Beleive it or not.... The kit was in the shop since 2008 and was not played..... This kit was waiting for me !!!!
There´s this big misconception about how spending more money gets you better sounding drums. Not at all, more expensive drums means custom features, expensive veneers, gold hardware, etc. Having said that, life´s short. Get the kit of your dreams and get drumming! Nice vid, guys! :D
In 2009 we played a gig at the Viper Room for a certain celeb's b-day, the house kit is and has been a DW Collectors series. And as Shane said, when you play one you immediately understand why the price is in the $5700 and up range. However, from 2005-2012 the Arambula family in those years had 4 family members that had been working for DW in some cases upwards of 31yrs. The quality control was of the utmost top shelf craftsmanship and this family took pride in their work. Basically what I'm saying is during those years a lot of the collectors series kits or jazz series as well as the classics series are so sought after during that time. A used 5-piece basic configuration collectors series during that time. Right now, if you could find one used will go upwards of ten Grand, again that's IF you can find one. As always great video. And you guys know you have the best drum channel on the internet. It's pretty much common knowledge 😁 Thanks guys 🥁🤘
I have had a Performance series 7 pc kit for 10 years now and have been have loved the toms and kick (i sold the snare, I just don't like their throw-off). I took the 10" Performance tom with the same head and tuning and compared it to the Collector 10" same head and tuning. They were very very close in feel and tonal quality, just different not better. The Performance tom had a little less pure bottom, while the Performance had more low mids so it tended to be more up front in it's projection. I couldn't justify the Collectors much higher cost for what excellent quality sound and versatility I get from either coated or clear heads on my Performance series.
Now this is a great video !! Thank you for taking the time to do this and also show casing the actual sound of the drums not just the snare and cymbals. Have a great day guys. stay safe and thanks again.
All day long, but only older YRC. I would never play that new fake Recording Custom. You probably know that at the beginning of the 21st century Yamaha was left without the resources of wood (birch) that they ruthlessly used to make Recording Customs (Tour Custom, Rock Tour Custom) and studio monitors MS-10M, which were the standard for all studios in the world at that time. They stopped producing MS-10M because the newly purchased birch didn't meet all the characteristics and criteria, and RC continued to live with that new birch. There were some rumors that it would be withdrawn from the market, so as not to damage the reputation and popularity of the previous one, but that was abandoned and the RC that is being sold today is that. This idea was also helped by the fact that RC, which was made in England from this new birch, already had a market share in the European market. Namely, Yamaha bought the Premier factory in the early 90's and there made Yamaha drums (Recording, Power 5, Power 5 Special) for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) market. These new RC has nothing to do with those great drums we could see and hear in Dave Weckl's “Back to basics”. They have been in decline for years and i hear more and more people saying that once (I emphasize - ONCE) a certain series of Yamaha drums was the best on the market in its class.
Nah, I got much more bang for my bucks with a used 7-piece Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute. Sold off the DW Collector kit and bought a second 6-piece YMCA kit. All for less than my 5-piece Collectors kit. I'm an Evans Coated skins on top and Ambassador Clears on the bottom guy. The Yamaha's gave me a much wider tuning range and longer sustain, especially on the lower end without going flat and muddy than the DW's Gotta give it to DW, they're much prettier. But my ears are the final judge, not my eyes. Great presentation, DCP!
Would love to see a video with all the Tama lines. I know they’ve done separate videos of all the Tama drums but would love to see them back to back comparisons in one video. Imperialstar, Silverstar, superstar classic, supertar hyperdrive, Starclassic lines, Star lines
This was a great comparison video, thank you guys. I have been trying to understand DWs line for a while now. From what I can tell from the videos it seems the drums get deeper (/darker? not sure what the proper term might be) as you go up in value. I am planning on getting a Collector's series but I have to agree with most folks here that the Design has the nicest snare sound. Thanks for the video, this was awesome!
Oh man. Design snare vs the other two didn’t have that annoying ring at the end. Every time you went to a more expensive kit the frequency’s were more pronounced so whoever buys some should think of problems they don’t want to have.
I own 3 Collector's drumsets (Pure Maple, Cherry and Exotic Rosewood) and 1 Performance. At the end of the day you can't tell them apart, once they are recorded and mixed with music. In my opinion with Collector's drumsets you are mainly paying for how it looks.
Drum workshop has their own sound very much like Fender has their own sound for guitars. Never found a drum workshop kit or snare that I wanted to keep forever. No disrespect and the stuff is built like a tank, it's just I don't like the over all sound of drum workshop.
Who wants to hear a comparison between PDP Concept maple and DW Design?
Right here! 🙋🏻♂️
Yeah I do! I have two pdp concepts maple kits and they sound killer for the price!
I do.
Please do a video on this
PDP for the win.
Ive owned both PDP and Design and the PDP to me, has more body; more tone.
call me crazy but the design snare really sounded great!
Totally agree! Loved it!
Agreed
You're not crazy even the design is a pretty high end kit.
@@drumcenternh sonor AQ series
The difference in price is the hardware on the snare. So if you want the best build and construction and don’t care about the flashiness of the higher modes then the design series is it.
The design is about the sound more than what it looks like. Top end sound without the crazy expensive hardware and colors.
I was expecting way more difference in the shells themselves. It seems like a lot of the differences are in the hardware and the heads. I think I’ll just go with the design series and put my favorite heads on them
When I went to the NMM show in 20 1313, they were debuting the design series. I remember hitting the drums and being completely blown away by how great she sounded. So much so that at that time I thought they sounded better than any collectors kit I ever heard. I just recently got a design series for a really really good price and am blown away by those drums as well. I guess the lesson learned is if you want something specific, exotic, outer veneer, etc. go with the collectors, but I truly blown away by both performance as well as design.
3:05 design series
6:57 performance series
10:24 collector’s series
14:11 head 2 head
Fantastic drums. Love them, but too expensive.
Please do the same thing with the Sonor Series (SQ1, Vintage, ProLite, SQ2). Great Video :)
+aq1 + aq2
UP
All three are great kits. I personally own the performance series.
The design is a great house kit for a churches, clubs etc....
The performance series is an awesome overall and touring kit.
The collectors series is an awesome studio kit. Id put the collectors series right up there with the Yamaha Recording Custom.
Good comparison thanks. IMHO I would include open double and single stroke rolls on the snare and some double pedal on the bass. 🙂
To me DW is overpriced drums,I had a Performance series 5 pcs paid $2,400 it sounds the same as my Yamaha Stage Custom(first kit)$650.
Wow. Only subtle differences in sound from a price difference of 5400$$$ top to bottom! Keeping in mind that the design series had cheap china heads on the toms. obviously the collectors sounded the best, but the design was a close second..save a LOT of moolah and get some wicked cymbals and hardware. value for dollar...DING DING! DW Design
True. The Design or even a cheaper brand can be amazing on recordings. I’m pretty sure a lot of hit songs were recorded with just modest level drum kits. And commonly on songs, you kind of want drums to sound bland so they don’t interfere with the song. If you’re a touring drummer, expensive is usually better because of better build quality. If it’s just for studio work, a budget kit can work fine.
I didn’t like the cheapest set… The middle set sounded great immediately! It wasn’t just that I know it’s cheap you can hear it if you are a musician. The collectors is really Beautiful to look at! The sound of the Collectors is much better and deeper and richer in tone. I would love ❤️ to buy them but I would be happy with the performance and would never 👎 buy the cheapest ones! I’m too old for cheap drums!
The Design series has graduated triple flanged hoops just like the Performance series, something that was overlooked in the video. Killer drum set.
As a fairly new drummer I bought the Design Series Piano Black 4 pc and I love the sound, even with the supposed subpar heads. Liked it so much I bought a second one. Maybe as I get more experienced, I will learn how to discriminate the different sounds between the supposedly better heads
I have an exotic DW Collectors series kit and a Performance series kit. I actually prefer the sound of the Performance series as the lack of reinforcement rings really opens up the drums. They are both great sets, but playing out, it's my Performance series all the way (also less worries playing a less expensive kit in the bars!!). But for recording, Collectors series is the way to go as the sound is more focused and refined, and works well in a studio environment. Great video and really has me thinking about the overall value of the Design series...
I agree. I had a Collector’s Series Kit that was made around the time that they started making their own shells. I could not get the floor or kick drum to sound the way I wanted. I ended up selling them and playing a few different brands of kits. A few years back I picked up a Performance Kit and I much prefer the sound of the Performance kit to my Collectors. I like the straight shells with no reinforcement and the smaller lugs look much better in my opinion.
@@kevinb8527 I did notice that the exotic kit in this demo did not have re-rings. They sounded damn nice! My exotic maple Collectors kit does have re-rings and they focus the attack/sound, still resonate well, but not as open as my Performance series. Finally, I'm a big fan as both Collectors and Performance series are Made in the USA. For me, I support USA made stuff if at all possible. Yeah you can make it cheaper outside of the country, but I do like the Oxnard connection and those kits support American workers...
James Rohl I agree 100%. I much prefer the sound of straight shells rather than shells with re-rings. My collectors kit was built in 2002 which was right at the time that DW started making its own shells. I think it’s known that they had some issues around that time with shells staying in round and I think my floor Tom and kick drum had some issues. No matter what I did as far as tuning on the floor Tom I could not get the “basketball” wobble” boing out. Tons of different head combos, tunings, etc and I couldn’t get rid of it. Some of that I put on the re-rings though.
My performance kit is everything that I wanted out of my collectors kit. Solid even tones with the straight shells and the smaller lugs look and function fantastic. Plus the price point is much better. My kit is in Pewter Sparkle in really good sizes (8x10, 8x12, 12x14, 14x16, 18x22, and 6.5x14). My collectors kit was 9x10, 9x12, 10x13, 14x16, and 18x22 in Blue Diamond Pearl. My Collectors Kit was over twice the price (with no snare). I’ve owned a ton of high end drums (Pearl Masters, Pork Pie Custom, SJC, Gretsch Renown, Custom Keller, DW) and my collectors was one of my least favorite of the bunch. I have friends that have collectors kits that sound phenomenal, I just think there was something wrong with mine. My Performance kit can hold a candle to any of the top end kits I have owned for sure.
@@kevinb8527 Kevin those are cool sizes, especially the shorter 8 x 12 rack tom! My Performance kit is gorgeous ginger glass sparkle wrap (made only for the drum shop where I got them), in 8 x 10, 9 x 12, 12 x 14 floor, 14 x 16 floor, 18 x 22 kick, and 5 1/2 x 14 matching snare. I, like you, have owned many kits (Ludwig , Rogers, Pearl, Tama, Drumcraft acrylic, Crush acrylic). None were are good as my Performance kit! My exotic Collectors series is stunning. Twisted Rainbow lacquer in cool sizes (7 x 10, 8 x 12, 14 x 16 floor, and a cannon 20 x 22" kick, matching 6 x 14 snare). If I were to venture out again, Sonor and Yamaha are the kits that interest me. Sonor has a very musical tone to them, but almost too musical? I mean when you want to rock, your not looking for a xylophone! Yamaha rules the jazz scene and their kits sound great, but if you aren't miking them, they don't resonate as well as DW's. Nothing does IMO, thus I remain a DW guy. But always interested in the art of drum making and new sounds. Most likely going to round out my collection with a set of DW Design acrylics and call it a day...
James Rohl Thanks! Yea the store I worked at when I got my performance kit ordered two kits in the same finish. The other kit had an 8x12 so they let me switch out the 9x12 that I got in my Tom pack with the 8x12 that came in the other. I prefer the sound and the set up height of the shorter toms for sure. Very cool sizes on your collectors kit!
Sonor kits sound incredible but I agree almost too musical. I’d look into a Yamaha kit too, they sound great. I do remember the older YESS mounts choking the drums bad on the bigger sized toms, but they still sounded good. Currently I still have my Performance kit, a SJC Custom Kit (18x24, 8x12, 12x14, 14x16 in red satin), a Pork Pie Custom Kit (18x22, 10x13, 13x16), and a Gretsch Renown (22, 10, 12, 14) that I recently picked up for $400. Couldn’t pass that one up.
I own a DW Design set. I have owned a Collectors series (with rings, not the shells like these) and have played Performance series. For my situation, playing out in dive bars and moving my drums around, there's no way I could justify spending the many thousands of dollars it would take to buy a Collector's series. If I was playing at home and/or only recording, I would have DW Collector's series with these shells (not the rings, for me. I like this tone better).
So, now speaking in terms of mere mortals' budgets: between Performance & Design; the similarity in tone and difference in price led me to the Design series. I could eventually stand to have more size choices, but I believe they're coming eventually. I'm thrilled with the sound, engineers are thrilled with the sound, and with Coated Ambassador/Clear Ambassador (toms) Ambassador X (snare) and Powerstroke 3 (kick) you get real DW drums, great sound, all at a SUPER affordable cost.
Thanks very much for this comparison video. Very fair and objective.
Thanks for watching, and your feedback!
Agreed. I have a frequent flyer and have owned an older Keller DW with rerings. I have a ton of respect for the guys at Portsmouth but I'm just not on board with the confidence thing. Granted, I have not played the amount of high end kits these gentlemen have but I do have a very nice Grand Master Series kit with brass lugs with thick shells and it it doesn't inspire anymore confidence then an Asian GMS SL birch I also own. In fact, in many ways I prefer that birch kit to the maple. They do play different but thicker shells will do that. I also have a Saturn and while that being a nice sounding kit, feels more like a junk Catalina I once owned. Now the Catalina hardware was garbage so that has to be factored in along with wood density and 1.6 hoops but when these guys talk about drums giving back, i think it may have a little to do with in DW'S case, giant turret lugs and a company like Tama, cast hoops.
I have a design kit. They need to add a 24" kick and more availability on the 18" floor toms and I'd be set!
I ordered a dw performance series for the price as a design series drum kit. Cannot wait until it arrives
Have you seen Delta Empire channel? This person plays a dw collectors series and it sounds amazing!!!
Honestly the biggest difference I can hear is in the kick drums. Everything else is very similar.
That collectors…OMG
Let me tell you to get the pdp concept maple its 99.5 % just as good as the DW Design DW Performance sounded worse on the 10" If you feel like burning your money, or giving it to DW go ahead ! The the only difference is going to be the snare you get with the concept maple !
Great video!! You demonstrated and discussed all the points I was hoping for. I really hear a drastic difference w the Collector’s Series. It sounds like 2 levels up from the Performance Series to me.
I’ve played all these myself as well, got to visit the factory in Oxnard. It was amazing!!
i prefered the performance series. they sound better than the collector's series to my ears. i see no reasons of buying a collector's series unless you want the prestige and the more numerous options above anything else.
Design is the BEST value for money..I have a performance series and it's great..but that DESIGN kit holds its own against the others and I can imagine with the right heads unbelievable!
Totally agree!
100% agree! The Design series for me with Coated Ambassador/Clear Ambassador are incredible sounding drums at a crazy affordable price.
I put Aquariun texture coated on my design series. It sounds incredible.
I got a Design Series kit in Midnight Blue Satin for Christmas two years ago, and last year I bought a Design 14x6.5 Black Nickel Over Brass snare drum that just sounds killer!!!! The best snare I ever heard. It’s basically a less expensive Black Beauty snare (you know, Ludwig?).
I put clear Remo Pinstripes on my Design kit and they sound incredible. Can't recommend them highly enough.
I'd get the design series, I really like those little lugs and finishes.
The different lines just sound different, not better than each other, to me.
The Performance Set is the best bang for your buck ! 👍
According to one of the factory employees, the wood on the Performance and Collectors are identical. The disadvantage with the Performance is that you can’t fully customize how many layers of ply you want. If you want exotic wood, you’re likely not able to get that with the Performance. If you’re picky about a certain sound, choose the Collectors. If you feel the Performance does not need modification and it’s fine to your taste, then the Performance will suit your needs.
I’d rather see an extra floor Tom rather than the matching snare with any of these sets. I ALWAYS loved the mini turret lugs but the 1/4 lugs are also a nice size.
These comparison videos are the best out there! Very accurate as far as hearing the drums because there's a full mix and room mics recording... And of course the attention to detail is incredible you guys are the best
Comments like these are a breath of fresh air. Thanks, man.
I am very surprised by the small difference in sound between the kits. I agree that lookswise the collectors takes the prices. I would also like to hear all three kits playing with the exact same heads tuned the same.
Thankyou for this video. I am very proud of my design series now. The sound comparison was really close for way less money spend.
I bought my Collector’s back in 2006 and I swear it sounds better with every year of age. There’s no shortage of amazing kits out there but DW really are something special. You get what you pay for
I had sold my DW a while back. Had it for a good 15 years and noticed right before I sold it that it had gotten better with age. I miss it but I got a Gretsch kit with more versatile sizes so it was a good move to sell it.
i hope that what you are saying is true!!😃 i have a 1997 dw custom made that i played no more than an hour since i got it 10 years ago and i was thinking about selling it but i think i willl leave it in ny basement as a good old wine getting better with ages! thanks for sharing your experience it can help others!!
A Collectors Kit is a masterpiece and like a museum piece. It’s like owning a classic car. Yes, you can buy a stock Yamaha or Gretsch for a cheaper price and still sound awesome and amazing but the unique Collectors has a vibe and it’s a kit fit for a king.
Bought my collectors set in 1998 and its better than the day I bought it.
@@artrockdrummer do you like the way the Gretsch sounds better?
In my personal opinion and have owned a 7 piece collectors kit, the Design series has the same feel, same warmth, same volume, projection and power and near same tones. the only difference I can personally see is the customization restrictions on the Design series(being a factory line) and the glamorous hardware the Collectors series has which real does nothing for the sound quality(maybe the tuning). so my personal opinion is go for Design series if you cant afford Collectors.
I liked the Performance series.
Another great video from DCP! Love the Performance..
Glad you enjoyed it
I totally get why you left the factory heads on the design kit, but I’d love to hear an A/B between the design series and performance series with the same heads.
Yup. Likely impossible to tell them apart in that scenario.
@@bakedalaska4363 I was thinking the same and selling more of the design kits would be the result. Lol
Would be interesting to hear how the PDP Concept stacks up with these, particularly with the Design series (maybe performance too). Cause to my ears, the best move is PDP Concept, and then upgrade straight to collectors after.
I’ve got a Workshop Series kit from the early 2000’s. They were the original entry level DW kit back then and for less then $1,500 they sound great. I’ve had so many complements on their sound over the years that I can certainly see why they were discontinued because in some instances they sound as good if not better then the Collector series! Other then esthetic where the Collector series can be works of art I couldn’t justify spending 4x as much because the difference in sound just isn’t there!
The Performance kit sounded very close to the Collector's kit in terms of fullness. If I had my choice, I'd buy a Performance series kit and save money.
The performance series is collectors shells
@@AMDpc067 yes they are! The only difference is customization. Performance are only available as they come. You simply choose what is offered. Performance quality and sound is equal to Collectors.
The Collectors will have better durability with more robust metal parts. It’s fit for a king. Either way, you can make Grammy award winning records with any decent drum kit that’s capable enough to blend in with the songs.
With drums, most people hear them with their eyes!
Well said !
Yes they do
Collectors no doubt
Personally for the money. I think the Performance is best quality, The Collectors is stellar but not worth $2k-3K value difference. I own both and find myself playingg the Performance over the Collectors. Personally I have a hard time time justifying price difference between the two. I would say the Collectors is simply over priced as per every manufacturer. I just don't hear 2k-4-k difference in drums.
I have the Design series. I played them for a few minutes and immediately threw away the stock heads and put clear Emperor heads on the top and clear Ambassador heads on the bottom, with PS3's on the front and back of my bass drum. They kick ass. I've played almost everything and for the money they certainly hold their own against most of them. They really are good if you are considering them.
Somehow I liked design series more than performance. But collectors.... damn
I hate the dw heads they sound awful right when I put on the g2 Evans heads on my performance they were absolutely money.
As far as heads go, that's never been a deal breaker for me. Typically a new set of heads is in the car with my new drums. So yes DW, cut costs there!
The performance series suits my taste. Has enough low end, not so long decay. The design snare OMG! Didn't expected that!!!
That design series has allowed so many drummers to finally accomplish their dream of owning a DW without spending their life savings and it’s such a rewarding kit to play and own. I bought mine a couple of years ago, used the stock heads for almost a year and then replaced them with remo powerstroke 4’s clear and was blown away furthermore. I absolutely love that kit.
The only difference is really the cheaper heads I wish they would’ve kept the same heads on all three kits they’re closer than one might think
What I like about DW Tom drums is that they kind of sound “generic”. This is great for blending in with songs.
Thanks for doing this comparison. Your comment about the DW kits' difference in "feel" is spot-on. I think that feel is hard to explain. It must be experienced. My first kit was a Tama Swingstar, an entry-level kit. It sounded okay after putting mylar ring suppressors on the stock heads. A few years later I upgraded to a Tama Starclassic Birch/Bubinga kit in dark cherry fade. My immediate impression was it "wanted" to be played and I was drawn to do so. Not surprisingly, the Starclassics sounded much better than the Swingstar. But for me, it was the feel that really made the difference between them.
It would also be interesting to see you do a blindfold test when comparing kits. It's easy to get drawn in by the "look" of a kit. In other words, do we subconsciously think a kit sounds better because it looks better? It would be hard, at least for me, to sit behind that beautiful DW exotic Collectors kit and not just rationalize that it sounds better than the others. "Better" is very subjective.
Finally, I think this comparison will answer many questions for prospective buyers and/or for those of us generally interested in drum gear. I know it did for me. I've never understood the differences among the DW lines. This video explained them well. To that point, if you haven't done so already I would recommend doing a similar video for other lines you carry.
I love my DW Design series. To me you can’t beat the value for that price.
Brother, I gotta agree with ya!!! I have a Design Series kit in Midnight Blue Satin.
David McAninch that’s the same one I have! Love that finish!
Top Down Drumming well, well, we’ll!!!!!! Awesome!!!! It’s like that Disney song goes
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small, small, world
Everybody now!!!!!
Top Down Drumming well, well, well!!!! So it is!!! It’s like that song from Walt Disney:
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small world after all
It’s a small, small world
Everybody now!!!
I own a Performance Series. Heads we do not care about as we change them anyway to suit our needs. Many of us can't afford the cost of the Collector's Series, though they are top of the line. Plus many of us have not played a gig in a long time because of Covid. So in my opinion, any of these lines are great based on your personal budget and skill level! Great job explaining the differences.
best comment i’ve seen
I would get the Collectors series for home studio because the nice finish set functions as furniture. It’s worth it since it should last a lifetime . For playing out live in dive bars, any good quality budget set is fine
It's absurd how the Performance sounds way better and it's a buck for the money!
Design series all the way!
They’re all good. When you buy DW, you can relax and know that you have quality.
@@ramencurry6672 BAHAHAHA...OVERPRICED CRAP
@@harryballsacky I'm guessing you don't own any DW drums? You wouldn't be saying that otherwise. Nobody who owns a set of DWs says that.
Hey guys. Any chance you can share what tune-bot settings you used on that DW kit? Thank you.
What is the difference between the design acrylic and desing wood material ?
Do you think will sound the same?
"I can feel it... Down in my plummmmmsssss..."
IF YOU HAD ANY....CUPCAKE
Could you guys do this with Gretsch? I've wanted to see a good video comparing the new Renown series to USA custom specifically for a long time.
It came down to design series or Gretsch renown for me. I bought the dw set.
@@justinlee2268 I have the Renown 13" 16" 24" configuration. Found them for a really good deal (floor model, $600). INCREDIBLE drums for the price.
I would love to see that too.
I'm fortunate enough to own a Renown (RN2) and a Design Series kit. Both sets are fantastic.
I’d definitely go with the performance series
As you can tell in this video, the dw collectors is not worth that price tag they charge customers. 7,000 for this kit is just not worth it but I’ve personally never wanted a collectors kit because they’ve always asked for way too much even for the most basic kit that you didn’t even customize.
Agreed. Good drums cost money, but DW is always coming up with some gimmick (wood from the bottom of a lake, purple wood, or some exotic veneer, etc) so they can charge you even more. And these gimmicks don’t make them sound any better
Having owned and played a Collector's Series kit for 10 years, the thing that no one seems to talk about is the durability. You can pound on a Collector's Series kit night after night for years on end and there will be no appreciable wear in any part of the drums. Of course, the sound is awesome, and the tuning range is huge, but it's the quality of construction and materials that (to me) is where the best bang for the buck is. BUT, because of this, they are HEAVY. I finally had to sell it off because I'm too old to carry them down and up the stairs to my 4th floor apartment every time I have a gig. LOL!!
Yes I bought Mapa Burl 2002 birthday and have little wear noticeable 20 years later. John Good is in a class by himself and continues to amaze. DW is the best players friendly beauty brains and brawn drums out there. Cut costs on girls not drums.
Durability? You're saying the other series would fall apart?
I noticed the older I get the lighter I want me gear to be! Great commentary!
Crazy price. I'll take a Tama Star bubinga over the DW collector's any day.
Nothing comes close to tama
Josh Stixx Fata Tama star is my second place to Sonor SQ2 :)
@@johnfartson4080 agreed. Sonor SQ2 is up there and Tama Star / Starclassic bubinga close second ;)
I don’t know man I like that collectors are so customizable
Dennis Dinsmore Tama will make ANYTHING you want in regards to size so lack of customization options is not an issue with Tama. You pay $$$$ with either company. Isn’t buy into the ply recipe marketing with DW. Tama developed a spectacular shell for the Star series and they are without a doubt among the best ply shells ever designed by humans.
All of the DW kits I've seen looked like they were put together sloppy (veneer warp or not applied smoothly or correctly) and also sounded like there was no substance to their sound, weak, and felt overpriced. These are the first DW kits I've heard that actually sounded good. Best production of all the drum channels.
And Mapex Saturn can beat all 3 , and Black panther can knock out all
Dw sounds good but not as that.... extremely overrated!!!! Jst because made in USA
Although they all sounded good, I was partial to the Collector's. And when Tony said how the feel of those drums was so different that confirmed it. We as drummers focus on sound, but that can be manipulated with different heads, tuning, etc. The feel of a drum I think is inherent to the drum and for the most part can't be (or would be difficult) to change. I did like the finish and "middle sized" lugs on The Performance Series.
Totally Dan, the feel is often overlooked because you can't demonstrate that, but it is SUPER important!
The metal , rubber and plastic added to D.W. drums due to the tom mount
Spoils the look of the drums
I know the lungs are iconic and so unmistakable dw but I personally think they’re hideous.
@@clayfoster8234 I never warmed up to the round lug look either.
a year ago this set was 1600 now it’s almost 2000 wtf
I will tell you what, I have an older PDP fs series that I got in incredible condition. Anybody looking at the DW design series best compare these kits. You can find used PDP kits in the $300 - $600 range.
Oh my goodness I can't believe that Adam has a mr. Bungle California t-shirt God bless you!!!!!!!!!!!
Gracias!
Nice video comparing the different DW series. Sure wish people would leave it at that and not try to make it into a "they all suck compared to my non-DW kit" video.
This guy gets it.
Thank you, Greg.
@@adamfrost8417 absolutely, keep up the great work!
I'd love to see DW deign vs Sonor AQ2 and some other drum sets under $1,600. Could you make video about the best maple drum sets under this price please? I would really appreciate it and I think I'm not alone :D
Mr. Bungle California my all time favorite album!
So good.
@Drum Center of Portsmouth Excellent video again. Please, an aluminum snare shootout including the Tama Starphonic and the British Aviator. Pretty please. LOL
And the Dunnett aluminum ... And maybe a Pearl too ...
@@jasonb2180 Pile on guys! Let's make this happen!!
Great suggestion! It is definitely on our list of videos to do, may have to move it up the list!
@@drumcenternh Thank you! Really waiting for this one.
Well.. they're all kinda expensive for the sound in my opinion. I'd rather spend 1k more on a Noble&Cooley, which has a fuller and warmer tone all around the frequency spectrum, even when not mic'ed up. In my opinion, definitely the best drumkits ever made
I like the idea of the comparison video, but putting a Collector's Series exotic kit against the others strikes me as a case of comparing apples and mangos. A basic Collector's Series kit would have been a more realistic comparison. If they wanted to include an Exotic kit, it could/should have added it as a fourth option. I don't think that the customer looking at a $1,700 Design Series kit is also considering a $7,000 Collector's Series Exotic kit. In 2008 I bought a brand new DW Collector's Series finish-ply shell pack for $2,750. The sizes were 10", 12", 14", 16", 22", the matching snare drum cost $375 at that time. For comparison, an equivalent kit today in the same sizes and finish runs $4,500, and the matching snare drums sells for $600. A used Collector's kit of that era in excellent condition today sells for just about what I paid for it brand new in 2008. I can't predict whether today's $4,500 Collector's Series kit will perform as well on the used market, but used Collector's Series kits usually hold their value well. The exception is the Collector's Series Exotic finished kits, they traditionally have not seemed to hold their value as well in my experience. At the very least, they have a much more narrow market when used. I'm a fan of DCP and your videos. I gave this video a thumbs up, but I did want to give my opinion on this match up.
I have a Design series and think it is the best choice,. It sounds great with some good heads and tuning. if micing you can make it sound even better. so best bang for buck.
You hear the difference in tone from Design to Performance pretty much instantly. Probably a good idea to replace the tom heads if you buy the Design kit.
....Monkey Pod. 333. Would like to hear a Santa Monica kit put through Shane's paces one of these days. Cheers!
Best sound: Collectors Series
Best Price/Performance: Performance Series
If you can save the money, the Performance kit is hard to beat. I've enjoyed every Perf kit I had the chance to play. And you get different sizes, like an 18" floor, if you don't care for 14" floors, and a 14x24 bass drum.
Ive had the design kit for almost a year now and I replaced the heads right away. Man what a difference.
The bass drum is a straight cannon.
I've got a Evans eq4 on the batter side and custom print Aquarian on the reso side with no port and minimal muffling. Everybody raves about how great that kick drum sounds. I'm an amateur musician and I know this DW kit will last me the rest of my life. Great build quality for the money. I got the four piece shell pack for 899. Can't beat it except with a stick. Love my DW kit.
Eq4 is my favourite bass head
What’s your thought on the design kit right now after playing it for some time? I’m considering getting the design kit instead of performance or collectors. Also, which heads would you recommend for the toms?
@@KyleLe I still love the kit and it sounds better than ever as I've learned to tune it I have frosted Evans and clear resos on toms. The finish has held up well and no hardware problems at all. Though there are a few imperfections in my piano black finish.
I've averaged around 16 to 20 hours a week playing time for the almost three years I've had them and I would recommend them to anyone. The guys I'm playing with praise them and we're just a about ready to gig.
Value for dollar has to be the first kit... might not be everyone’s favorite but it is the correct answer. The kits do sound very, very similar yet they range in price like $5500
is DW capable of making a kit that "sounds" cheap?
Doubtful, I think that's what PDP is for.
No
@@drummerblade even the PDP kits sound great!
9:58 Is that badge not level?!!
good eye
I noticed it as well. It's slightly low on the left side.
I think you're right, everything else seems level save for the badge! Maad Props on The Eagle Eye Bro!!
For me, the Collectors sounded the best overall but that's expected. However, .... I wouldn't go to the Performance Series if I had to choose between those and the Design Series. Bang for your buck for a DW product .... I'd stay w/the Design series if size options weren't a big deal to you.
La batería no hace al baterista... Además, para mí suena mejor la Design que la Collectors, un verdadero desperdicio de dinero gastar en algo así. Humilde opinión.
i have the design series black satin,which you can get add on toms.I added the 8" rack and 14" floor tom. Changed the heads to Remo coated ambassador. The drums sound just as good as the Performance series!
Nice recording and mixing. All the drums really sound great.
Thanks so much Greg!!
Great video...thank you. I thought I had a good tuning of my collector's to get a good sound. But I really thought your collector's sounded great. I know tuning videos are dime a dozen. But it would be great to get your tricks and secrets in a tuning video especially re that collector's kit setup.
Thanks Joe! It's something we may do in the future, though we would want to do it in a way that is different than the hundreds and thousands of videos out there!
Very good video thank you gentlemenYou have a class a number one store and I love the comparisons as I am a collector series owner great drums
Bought a collector's gold glass Last week....
Beleive it or not.... The kit was in the shop since 2008 and was not played.....
This kit was waiting for me !!!!
There´s this big misconception about how spending more money gets you better sounding drums. Not at all, more expensive drums means custom features, expensive veneers, gold hardware, etc. Having said that, life´s short. Get the kit of your dreams and get drumming! Nice vid, guys! :D
Very well said. Cheers, Julian.
In 2009 we played a gig at the
Viper Room for a certain celeb's b-day, the house kit is and has been a DW Collectors series. And as Shane said, when you play one you immediately understand why the price is in the $5700 and up range. However, from 2005-2012 the Arambula family in those years had 4 family members that had been working for DW in some cases upwards of 31yrs. The quality control was of the utmost top shelf craftsmanship and this family took pride in their work. Basically what I'm saying is during those years a lot of the collectors series kits or jazz series as well as the classics series are so sought after during that time. A used 5-piece basic configuration collectors series during that time. Right now, if you could find one used will go upwards of ten Grand, again that's IF you can find one. As always great video. And you guys know you have the best drum channel on the internet. It's pretty much common knowledge 😁
Thanks guys 🥁🤘
Thanks, Bobby. We appreciate you.
Was looking for this 4 years ago! great job.
Glad you liked it!
beside a otherwise good video, it is a bit shit that dw collectors was tuned lower than the other 2 kits.
Collectors definitely had more punch. Probably the re-rings.
I have had a Performance series 7 pc kit for 10 years now and have been have loved the toms and kick (i sold the snare, I just don't like their throw-off). I took the 10" Performance tom with the same head and tuning and compared it to the Collector 10" same head and tuning. They were very very close in feel and tonal quality, just different not better. The Performance tom had a little less pure bottom, while the Performance had more low mids so it tended to be more up front in it's projection. I couldn't justify the Collectors much higher cost for what excellent quality sound and versatility I get from either coated or clear heads on my Performance series.
Now this is a great video !!
Thank you for taking the time to do this and also show casing the actual sound of the drums not just the snare and cymbals.
Have a great day guys. stay safe and thanks again.
They all sound great except the collector's series kit because that's incredibly awesome
It would be nice to hear each with the same after-market heads, as well, Remo, Evans, whatever, to really hear what the difference in sound is.
Wish they used same heads on all kits because it would be closer than you think the performance and the collectors would have sounded identical
they do have the same heads
@@petarpavasovic6333I’m sorry i meant the design
If I had to choose, it would be that old Recording Custom in the corner
All day long, but only older YRC. I would never play that new fake Recording Custom. You probably know that at the beginning of the 21st century Yamaha was left without the resources of wood (birch) that they ruthlessly used to make Recording Customs (Tour Custom, Rock Tour Custom) and studio monitors MS-10M, which were the standard for all studios in the world at that time. They stopped producing MS-10M because the newly purchased birch didn't meet all the characteristics and criteria, and RC continued to live with that new birch. There were some rumors that it would be withdrawn from the market, so as not to damage the reputation and popularity of the previous one, but that was abandoned and the RC that is being sold today is that. This idea was also helped by the fact that RC, which was made in England from this new birch, already had a market share in the European market. Namely, Yamaha bought the Premier factory in the early 90's and there made Yamaha drums (Recording, Power 5, Power 5 Special) for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) market. These new RC has nothing to do with those great drums we could see and hear in Dave Weckl's “Back to basics”. They have been in decline for years and i hear more and more people saying that once (I emphasize - ONCE) a certain series of Yamaha drums was the best on the market in its class.
Nah, I got much more bang for my bucks with a used 7-piece Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute. Sold off the DW Collector kit and bought a second 6-piece YMCA kit. All for less than my 5-piece Collectors kit. I'm an Evans Coated skins on top and Ambassador Clears on the bottom guy. The Yamaha's gave me a much wider tuning range and longer sustain, especially on the lower end without going flat and muddy than the DW's Gotta give it to DW, they're much prettier. But my ears are the final judge, not my eyes. Great presentation, DCP!
Performance sounds great, sounds KONG, and is definitely the "best BANG for the buck" to me.
Would love to see a video with all the Tama lines. I know they’ve done separate videos of all the Tama drums but would love to see them back to back comparisons in one video. Imperialstar, Silverstar, superstar classic, supertar hyperdrive, Starclassic lines, Star lines
That Collectors snare drum was money! But to my ears the Performance series toms sounded fuller and more powerful.
Not a fan of DW, the inner screws and nuts always come loose no matter what you do. So so expensive. Yamaha all the way
1. performance series
2. collector exotic
3. design series
I have a design series kit, and its honestly the best kit I've played. For the price nothing comes close.
This was a great comparison video, thank you guys. I have been trying to understand DWs line for a while now. From what I can tell from the videos it seems the drums get deeper (/darker? not sure what the proper term might be) as you go up in value. I am planning on getting a Collector's series but I have to agree with most folks here that the Design has the nicest snare sound. Thanks for the video, this was awesome!
The Design has the best, fattest snare sound hands down!
Oh man. Design snare vs the other two didn’t have that annoying ring at the end.
Every time you went to a more expensive kit the frequency’s were more pronounced so whoever buys some should think of problems they don’t want to have.
I own 3 Collector's drumsets (Pure Maple, Cherry and Exotic Rosewood) and 1 Performance. At the end of the day you can't tell them apart, once they are recorded and mixed with music.
In my opinion with Collector's drumsets you are mainly paying for how it looks.
I had the collectors series and was sad the day I sold them for an electronic kit. But the performance set sounds really really good!
I love them all
Drum workshop has their own sound very much like Fender has their own sound for guitars. Never found a drum workshop kit or snare that I wanted to keep forever. No disrespect and the stuff is built like a tank, it's just I don't like the over all sound of drum workshop.