I've been on a search for the perfect ride, and I think I found it. Problem is- I can't afford it, more on that later. Sabian's Paragon cymbals are made in Canada, just the man behind these cymbals; Neart Peart of Rush. But you don't even have to be a Rush fan to appreciate this line of cymbals.

First of all, I love the size of this cymbal. Its a beast; 22" in diameter and thick, its like 8 pounds so don't drop it on your foot. One you move up to a 22" ride its hard to go back to a 20". Its thickness means you get a really good 'ping' out of it that cuts through like no other ride cymbal I've ever heard.

It also has an incredible shimmery wash that is subtle but definitely there, and can be tapped into even more by how and where in the field you play the cymbal. There is a complexity in the overtones, very musical. I read somewhere that Sabian used a distinctly different lathing technique on the top than the bottom, that might be a contributor to the sweet and complex tones.

This cymbal might be a bit much for those who are used to mellow 20" rides. Its loud, its bright (though not harsh at all), its cutting, and it shimmers while giving excellent stick definition. It's kind of a cymbal that does everything you want without having to make any trade-offs, but be warned it is an overwhelming cymbal.

Now price; this is seriously one expensive cymbal. I haven't seen it under 350.00. Thats a lot of money, but frankly this cymbal does things that nothing in the Hand Hammered line up can do, and outperforms many of my beloved favorites from Paiste. I would like to see this cymbal go head to head with some of the K Kustom line from Zildjian but until then..... this cymbal is worth the money because it surpasses anything I've played to date. Now where's that credit card I have hidden from the wife....

I owned my 16" AAX Stage Crash for a couple years before I sold it off to another drummer.
The sound quality of the cymbal changed dramatically to my ears over the time owned it. I remember buying it and thinking it sounded great, to eventually cringing enough that I replaced it with a different brand of cymbal. I don't know if it was my partially my taste that changed or refined with time, or if it was completely the cymbal's sound degrading with time.

The finish on my AAX started out brilliant and shiny, and dulled dramatically with time, while staying set up in an air-conditioned home and only occasionally being handled to gig out. It seems like just exposure to air, natural light, and skin oils ruined turned the original brilliant finish to a dull discolored appearance, and dulled the sound as well in just a couple short years.

My AAX stage crash was punchy with minimal sustain, and fairly balanced in tone and not too bright. It was perfect for the pop punk rock band I played in as a teenager, ideal for quick syncopated crashes where it could cut through. Later as the finish dulled, it started to lose its glassy high frequencies and took on a more shril brassy sound that made me cringe.

One thing I didn't like was its light weight, as a result playing overly heavy or riding the crash were out- it flopped around like a fish. It was more like an oversized splash cymbal than a hardy crash. I had to rely on my other crash for that type of effect.

I finally grew disgruntled with this cymbal and sold it for 20 bucks to a younger drummer in need. I had only spent $80 on it but until you got into the uber expensive Hand Hammered line I thought this was the best Sabian had to offer and would serve me better than it did. I ended up going with Paiste from there on out and never looked back.

If Sabian has upped the quality of their AAX line in the last 10 years then maybe they are worth checking out, after all I did enjoy mine for a while befopre it went south on me. If finances allow it (and they did for me) I would go for the hand hammered line or not buy Sabian at all.

This is a great cymbal with a very balanced sound. I've been playing one of these for about 6 years now- I actually won it as a door prize at a convention and couldn't have been more pleased.

This is a great splash cymbal- it has a very fast attack and gets right out of the way- perfect for a 10 inch cymbal. Its not as bright as a Zildjian A series but comes very close to the darkness of K series Zildjian cymbals.

This cymbal is very thin, which is perfect for a splash cymbal in my eyes. You can really play into it and get a real nice pop at the ictus (attack) of a note- very warm and particularly dark- and then it just gets right out of the way.

I'd recommend pairing this cymbal with any other cymbals from the HHX line or even a thinner ride cymbal. Also, pairing it with another, brighter cymbal would make for a really great effect. I would try an eight inch Zildjian A custom or maybe an eight inch (or possibly six inch?) Sabian AAX.

This splash fits nicely into a jazz fusion context, most any pop context and definitely into most any Funk or R&B setting. Because the attack on this cymbal is so dark, I wouldn't suggest it for louder rock and roll settings, nor would I suggest if for metal or anything heavy, as the warmth of the cymbal blends very well and would not cut through a bunch of heavy distorted guitars.

For the price, this cymbal is unbeatable and sounds as good as, if not better than any of its Zildjian cousins. If you're looking for a general, all purpose splash cymbal then you can't go wrong with a ten inch Sabian HHX splash cymbal.