My cymbal test/review (Gen16 vs L80s vs Evans)

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I have been testing Gen16 & L80s for a few days (at Software Version 2.6.7) … and I was not satisfied, especially with the hi-hats. I even mixed and matched the Gen16 and L80s, but it made no difference. The Gen16 & L80 ride and crash worked fine, but had a few minor problems with zone accuracy around the bell. The Gen16 & L80 hi-hat however… it just felt very off to me.

So I went ahead and got the Evans cymbals to compare the L80s with the hardware that the system was intended/trained for. I have to say: It makes a big difference, mostly in the hi-hat.
Now, with the Evans ride and crash, I have not been able to get them to mis-trigger anything!
And the Evans hi-hat works so much better than the Gen16 & L80 that I would not even recommend using anything else than the Evans.

In my opinion, the hi-hat in general is still the weak link in the whole system. But with my limited technical understanding, I would assume that it’s also by far the hardest nut to crack and I’m actually beyond amazed at what they are able to do with just one sensor. It is very playable with the Evans hi-hats.

I understand that Sunhouse is planning to keep improving the model concerning L80 (and other cymbal) accuracy. I can’t wait to see what they are able to do. But for now, I would strongly suggest the Evans cymbals (at least the hi-hats).

I actually suspect that, maybe, the L80s will never work as well as the Evans, because the sound of the Evans cymbals, at least to my ears, seems to distinguish the bell more clearly. I think the L80s sound nicer and more like a real (but silent) cymbal - when played acoustically. But the Evans sound seems to work better. Maybe that’s because they have a small ring with less perforations around the bell, which I assume leads to more bell separation in the sound. But what do I know… In any case, I’d love to be proven wrong and see the L80s get better.

I hope someone will find this helpful :slight_smile:

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Using EVANS all around and am completely satisfied! Acoustically, I prefer the sound of the EVANS over other LV cymbals.

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This is very helpful, thanks. I purchased some L80s specificly to use with this system, as I like the acoustic sound, so I hope compatibility gets officially supported soon.

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Something else to think about: any cymbal needs to be sandwiched pretty tight between the sensor and the quick lock, so they won’t move around as freely and also sound slightly dampened. To me, the cymbals actually feel a little clamped in, since I prefer my cymbals loose and free, but it’s necessary for the sensors to work reliably, so I’ll get used to it. Still beats rubber cymbals by a mile.
But to me, that clamping/dampening would take away from the (arguably) better sound of the L80s anyway, so L80s really only make sense if you need them for both a Sensory Percussion Set and a silent practice set and you plan to move them around (or remove the quick lock if it’s the same set). I guess it comes down to priorities, which is why I’ll probably just keep both :smiley:

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Something to think about, I haven’t heard the Evans cymbals in person. I tried some cheap Amazon ones, and they were too shrill, which is why I tried the L80s. They are so much better. I was worried that the evans that are steel like the cheap shrill ones would also sound harsh to the ears. How have you found them, are they drastically different acoustically from the L80s?

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I really think we’re getting into taste here, so you should probably compare them yourself. YouTube is your friend :wink:

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That is very true, thanks for the input. Most appreciated.