DW Collectors Maple vs. Sonor S Classix

Cottontop

Senior Member
Yes, im still on the search for my next drumset. and now im compairing these too. which ones would you guys suggest. i know that their both made of different woods, but the main question im asking is is the extra money worth the extra size/finish choices? i know i like the sound of both drums and know i would be satisfiedd either way.

S Classix Pros...
Less money
Best quality birch set ive seen so far
To me a lot of the finishes look pretty nice

DW Pros...
More finish options
More size options

and on a side note. has anyone else noticed this meinl/sonor combo becoming more and more popular?
 
What kit(s) do you currently have? If you already have a maple kit then go with birch.

Both the DW and Sonor kits are going to be excellent and when it comes down to it when you're ready to plunk down the cash, it will be about your perceptions in their sound and personal preferences regarding tom mounts,hardware and finishes.

I have a maple and a mahogany kit, so I would be reluctant to buy another kit in the same type wood before I tried a birch kit or a stave. I've been looking at the Unix kits and am very tempted.

Unless you're looking to upgrade and replace a kit, consider trying one that will give you a noticeably different sound.
 
I sold my DW kit after i got my S-classix, guess why....

Never had any regret selling the DW.
 
and on a side note. has anyone else noticed this meinl/sonor combo becoming more and more popular?

Thomas Lang style. Sabians are also fairly common with Sonor players.

But yeah, I think DW are great drums, but they are overpriced, and you won't get better hardware, mounting system and so on than Sonor's. DW makes better pedals and Drop Clutches though :p.

Fox.
 
Thomas Lang style. Sabians are also fairly common with Sonor players.

But yeah, I think DW are great drums, but they are overpriced, and you won't get better hardware, mounting system and so on than Sonor's. DW makes better pedals and Drop Clutches though :p.

Fox.

this isnt really including hardware or snare drums. im planning on getting an organic custom snare drum and im not sure what type of hardware yet
 
this isnt really including hardware or snare drums. im planning on getting an organic custom snare drum and im not sure what type of hardware yet

http://www.sonor.com/pbas/Sonor_FE/sonor/english/kategorieinfo.html?a-quicklink-n_katid=855&a-quicklink-sz_katinfo_object=katinfoengl_kategorie_02&a-quicklink-n_katinfoid=122

Lots of very nice features still. Both kits are awesome, and both will sound perfect with good microphones, both live and on a recording, if you really want a DW kit, go ahead, but you're spending considerably more, and I'm pretty sure the features aren't as solid as Sonor's.
And I know finishes are important, but if you're happy with one of the finishes available for the S-Classix, go for it.


Fox.
 
what if it was'nt about the money, if you were given a option
a sonor s classix series kit along with €1000
or a dw collectors kit with no money

i want to which kit is better, not which one is best for the money...i say this because in a few months i may, just may, have my hands on a brand new collectors series 5 piece signed by the script's drummer.....but if i somehow do get it i may sell it and buy an s classic and spend a bit of the left over money on new cymbals (bosphorus of course)
 
I'd take the DW.

Just remeber DWs are custom drums, S Classix aren't. If you're after a great sounding drum set with some nice finishes and gets the job done, go with the S Classix. They are fantastic quality for the money and will serve you for many years.

If, however, you want a drum set built to your exact specifications, with whatever finish you want, in whatever sizes you want, go DW. Each kit is unique in terms of finish as well as sound. They can be as personalised as you want them to be, the only two limitations are a) budget and b) time. I'm biased in that I own a Collector's series kit, but I can tell you I don't regret the purchase for one minute. They are everything I wanted to them to be - sure I too was constrained by a budget and therefore didn't go with VLT or X-Shells, but they still sound fantastic.

For me the decision also came down to Sonor Vs DW. I went with DW because they are more readily available in Australia, and I wanted a kit that didn't look or sound like any other out there. I was considering the SQ2s for a long time, but the cost was just too much, and while the Delites are great drums as well, it was hard to find a dealer that could do a good price.

In the end I think you need to ask yourself what sort of purchase this is going to be. DWs are as much a piece of craftsmanship as they are a kit, and as fantastic as the S-Classix series is, it is still a mass produced, assembly line drumkit. If that doesn't mean anything to you then get the S-Classix and save yourself the time and money, but if you want something custom that is going to last you more than just a few years, go with the DWs.
 
I like the sound of maple drums, that's the only reason I would pick the DW. In the last year and a half I bought three kits and the DW Collector and Jazz series were in competition each time and each time the DW's lost out to other high end kits. Listen to them, A/B them if you can, because you don't want to lay out that kind of money on something that you might regret getting. It's always sound first, finishes and everything else, second.

Dennis
 
Why are you comparing a top of the line kit with a more mid range kit? Out of those two it would be DW. The equivilent Sonor kit is SQ2 or delite, which I would go for every time.
 
I would put the S Classix on par with DW quality wise. They are pro level drums.

I'd go with the S Classix. I think Sonor are the best made production drums right now.

And I'll never buy that all DWs are custom.
 
I was recently teaching for an organization that sold DW as one of it's primary drum lines. My thoughts on DW are not good. For example I own 30 + snare drums. Not one is a DW. Several are Sonor.

However I live in Australia and I am under the impression DW does not send high quality kits down here. Much like Zildjian cymbals. Many great players play DW so some of the kits must be okay. It's just I've never seen or heard a decent DW kit in the flesh.

Sonor produce and deliver high quality drums. PERIOD.

For me there is no choice. But it's your money, your sound.
 
you have to ask yourself what sizes you want for your kit, if the sonor S Classix doesn't come in those sizes then you might need to go with the DW.

Ultimately it is about sound and both those kits sound completely different. . to me S classix sound brighter and have more projection than DW's. The DW's are more resonant and warm. That is putting it very simply, but if you hear these two kits next to each other it is really obvious.

If it was between dw collectors and sq2 however I would go with the sq2's they always sound phenomenal and they look gorgeous. I think the tipping point for me in the end is the gorgeous hardware and finishes on the sq2's. If i had unlimited money I would order a kit with a veneer on the inside. pretty silly, but they look so incredible.
 
Not to start a DW dig or anything, cause I think they have killer drums, finishes, ideas, options, etc.... however...
Based on my observations and people I know, and watching forums for years and years, you will RARELY find a guy who plays a modern mid-level to top line Sonor convert to DW.

You will, on the other hand, find numerous DW guys who convert to Sonor. This is totally excluding "endorsed" people due to the many ridiculous bias' you will have for whatever reason.

That is just my observation. Think about it.
 
Both drum companies know what they are doing, either way your going to get a good quality instrument. If I had to decide (and I maybe a bit bias, because I own a Sonor kit) is, go with Sonor. Played both, can hardly afford either one of those ones your talking about, let alone play one @ a gig in some bar where a guy drops a beer on it. But if I had the money, and one day I will, I'll be getting another Sonor kit. I believe they are the top drum company today. P.S. the S classix are to date probably the best sounding (without mics) drums I have ever hit.
 
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