Side by Side Comparison of: Alesis vs Vic Firth vs Cannon vs Spectrum vs PDP By DW

TL;DR: Excellent kit for the price. I sampled several Yamaha/Simmons/Roland kits at Guitar Center in the same price range and this kit was by far the best. Aside from some minor issues with the hi-hat, you shouldn't be disappointed.

To ensure I don't forget anything, I'll review each part of the kit. One general thing to note is that you may want to buy nylon-tip sticks for this set because wooden tips do get the pads a little dirty (the kit comes with wood-tip sticks).

ASSEMBLY: The kit was fairly easy to put together. It took me approximately an hour and a half to get everything set up perfectly. It's nice that a drum key is included to put the kit together since you can also use it to tune an acoustic kit. The instruction guide isn't very helpful, but it's easy enough to figure out on your own. Don't feel limited by the awkward setup in the picture (what's the snare doing so far to the left?). You can fully customize the position of each piece of the kit to your liking. The only part I wanted to change that I couldn't was the brain. You can slide and tilt it along the top rack, but you can't move it to a different arm.

HI-HAT: The hi-hat is probably the weakest component of the kit. I can confirm the issues other reviewers have noted regarding the hi-hat pedal. It's VERY sensitive, so even slightly lifting your foot will trigger the open sound; it's not a defect but rather poor design. The cymbal itself plays pretty well, but the volume differs greatly depending on where you hit it. Hitting it near the "bell" or the outer edge produces the loudest sound, and hitting the middle of it is sometimes barely audible if playing along with a song. The ride is the same way, so I assume it's just how the cymbals are made.

SNARE: The pad material is AWESOME! It definitely beats the hard rubber Yamaha uses, and I even prefer it over the rubber pads on the top-end Roland kits. It plays fairly close to a real drum head, and has a good amount of rebound that responds well and doesn't hurt your wrists. It's also nice that the snare is dual-zone. I typically use the rim for either a cross-sticking rimshot or something like a cowbell. To get the loudest and clearest sound, you have to hit the snare pretty close to the middle of the pad (just like a real snare). It's not too big of a hassle, but if you accidentally hit the outer edge during a fill (it's a small pad, after all), you'll probably notice the drop-off in volume. I haven't tweaked the pad settings yet, but the plethora of individual pad settings can probably remedy this a bit. The pad is velocity-sensitive as promised, and that feature works very well and is very customizable.

TOMS: No complaints. Everything from my review of the snare applies here except the toms are not dual-zone unless you buy the upgraded 6-piece kit.

CRASH: The crash is velocity-sensitive as well, so you can accent and crescendo to your heart's content. You can set the cymbal up to be pretty loose so that it responds like a real cymbal. It chokes VERY well.

RIDE: As with the hi-hat, hitting the ride near the bell or the outer edge produces the loudest sound, and hitting the middle of it is much quieter. This is fairly close to how a real ride cymbal works, but I wish hitting it in the middle produced a bit louder sound. I probably just need to tweak the ride settings. You can set up certain kits so that this cymbal is a secondary crash if you don't need a ride or if you want to use one of the toms as a ride. Chokes very well.

DM7X MODULE: I won't go over all the settings here because there are A LOT of them, and Alesis has a good video on YouTube detailing the module. I'm not sure you'll find this amount of customization in any other kit in this price range (or even a little above this price range). The most annoying thing about this brain is that Alesis used numbers for things instead of names, so you get "Kit 1" instead of "Rock Kit." You basically have to play each kit to learn what it is. The same applies for the voices you can use for each pad. This gets a bit daunting since you have so many kits and sounds to choose from. Overall, though, the tons of sounds/voices combined with the ability to tune and adjust each pad means you can create the perfect kit for you.

The included songs are pretty good but are numbered as well. Most of them seem to fall in the jazz genre and are quite challenging to play. You can record yourself playing which is quite helpful. You can also play along with a metronome and/or utilize the learning functions on the module to practice. If you just want to jam away, plug in your phone or iPod using a standard aux. cable and go to town! I haven't used the MIDI functionality, so I can't speak for that.

I have set my DM7's up and have been setting up my sets and have been practicing a bit now and feel I can post my rating and feeling of the set I purchased. This is the 2nd set of elec. drums I have Purchased.This one was bought in 2005. It Has been improved,, to a point, at which I enjoy playing them for practice.....I live in a Apartment, right now, Have not been able to play my acoustic..Tama's, with all the all the trimmings....lol.. for 2 yrs..With.. extra bdrm..a mxbd,..mic mx,..headphones,..pc,.with 50k oldies,..plus I patch in rad...records..tapes.. cd..all kind of goodies.. all musical inst. too.
But the DM7's are very worth the money.I am pleased with this set.

My husband LOOOOOOOOOVES this. He has not been able to play the drums for decades and now he can. He loves that he can plug in his iPod and play along with the music and I love that he can wear headphones to do this. The only thing he misses is that it does not have a double base option - unless it's a sound effect that he hasn't found yet. But that does not ruin his fun and he plays it almost every night.

For the money this is the best electronic kit out there. It has a great feel and great out of the box sound with plenty of options for creating your own kit and dialing in the exact song your after. I can't say anything bad about it so far.

Delivered as expected, easy assembly, excellent quality.

Only one issue... I can't get my son away from it. He has not stopped playing it since Christmas morning. Thank god I bought him headphones to go with it so I don't have to hear it!!!

These have a great balanced feel to them. They hold up to regular abuse. These are not sticks for intense drumming but for drummers who need sticks for fast action and reduced wrist fatigue. I love these and the price is more than worth it.

Perfect size. Not too large like a B and not to small like a 7a. Honestly I wish there was something between the 5a and 7a. I would give it a shot. Vic firth is wonderful. Sticks are great quality and are always weighted nicely. I bought a set of zildjian sticks recently and sent them right back due to bad match weighting. Vic Firth is quality all day, every day.

So my husband appears to be having his mid-life crisis. He (in his 40's) is requesting to have a full size drum set, mind you he has never played any instrument in his entire life!! So I spoke with my father, who is (and always has been) a drummer. He advised me to get a drum pad and recommended these sticks for him to try and see if he liked it before investing in anything huge. My husband really liked the sticks and said they felt good in his hands. He has looked at other brand sticks after getting these and can really tell the difference between this and the others. With these sticks-the weight of each stick is equal and perfectly balanced. I highly recommend the Vic Firth Drumsticks! Especially with the pricing being as fantastic as it was!Vic Firth American Classic 5A Drum Sticks

Thanks is excelent

Don't waste money on regal tips or any other type of drumsticks. These are durable, light, and they somehow give the snare a better tone. If you love yourself, your friends, that random drummer you saw playing the other day, there is no better gift then Vic Firth American Classics. If your into heavier heavy projection sticks try out the metal ones. They are as advertised.

This chair arrived as scheduled and the setup was simple. So far it has been very reliable and comfortable. Highly recommended.

Great chair for the price. Have no issues whatsoever.

Good so far... My 10 year old uses it.

Perfect for games system, nice and sturdy.

This seat is so comfortable I'm glad I purchased this..definitely worth the price!! I save 50plus bucks getting this and is just as comfortable the bigger brands..

My bson reall enjoys this throne. A great throne for the money.

Nice drum set from Alesis. When everything was put together, I was impressed with the build quality. I was torn between choosing the Berhringer XD80USB or the Alesis DM7x Session. I'm glad I choose the Alesis. Although Sound quality is what one might expect from a drum set in this price range (only someone playing E-Drums for 10 years would know). I must say this though, this is not a toy. This is a serious drum kit. Features such as tuning the pitch of any drum sound and adding reverb for the whole drum kit or just the pad alone is great. These are just a few of some of the nice editing features I liked about this kit. The reason for the four stars is because this kit would have benefited with a third arm for the snare drum instead of the snare and hi hat sharing the same arm. A third arm wouldn't have made the kit any larger just more ergonomic. I purchased a DM10 arm and placed it on this kit and what a difference. More reach and looks beefy too.

First of all, this is the first digital drum set I've ever played or owned. I've played regular acoustic drums for 50 years. The set-up was easy and I had it complete in no time. It did take a few days to adjust the location of the drums and cymbals to my liking. I did spend some time with adjusting the tone, sensitivity, etc for the user kits I programmed in. Yes, there is a problem with the hi-hat, sometimes it doesn't open when you want it to but overall it's not that bad. The ride cymbal is not as loud as I'd like it to be but the crash is fine. I still have some fine tuning to do but you get that with an acoustic set as well. Unless you are performing with a big band and playing major tunes, this set is perfectly big enough to practice with and perform in public. I started out with a set with just a snare, bass mounted tom and floor tom, hi-hat and one cymbal and you can play with most any songs with that. I highly recommend it to anyone just starting out or has played for years and just getting back into it. With any instrument you will have a couple of querks to work out but for the price, you can't get much better.

Great drum kit for the price. Pads sound great and are very responsive. Good computer with lots of sounds, too. Only major draw back is an awkwardly sensitive hi-hat peddle that doesn't always resopond the way you would expect. You can hit the hi-hat with a released peddle and hear nothing, only to hear a ghost sound a second or two late.

I could easily give this a five star rating but is anything perfect? I been playing this kit almost everyday since I got it. I'm a guitarist but enjoy playing drums and hate my drum machien! I was considering getting an acustic drum set for home recordings but then considered how loud that would be and knew it would drive my cat and girlfriend crazy! I watched a you tube video of the DM6 and was impressed with the sound. I saw reviews of the DM7X after seeing the DM6 were out of stock and decided this seems worth the risk. The best thing about electric drums is not having to take hours of time miking trying to get a good drum sound. I'm still exploring everything this kit can do and having a great time and improving very quickly! It sounds great, its not an acustic drum but very close! This kit is great for making home demos. If I have any thing negative to say its about electic drums in general, getting a good cymbal wash, well thats where the real thing is still better! No complaints really, love this and recomend this kit, I can play it with head phones at any time of the day or night and not disturb anyone!

I got this set for my son and myself. We do not know how to play the drums, so we couldn't justify getting the 6-piece Dm7x and just got the 5-pc session kit. We also need something that wouldn't make a whole lot of racket in the house so an e-drum was the logical choice. Its only 2 weeks and I've already learned how to play and rock to AC/DC's Hiway to Hell. We're working on Hotel California right now. Easy stuff for real drummers out there, but considering we have no previous training, it is highly satisfying to be playing along with these bands! We are already looking into expanding the set, maybe at least a multizone cymbal (and it allows for 1 more tom). Our only gripe, the hi-hat control is too moody at times. Even with the hihat supposedly closed, it sometimes registers as an open hit. Dunno maybe were just not stepping on it hard enough, or maybe some associated motor incoordination happening, but its not a deal breaker. Its really a blast to play!

I have no idea how they work as drumsticks, I bought them for a dog costume.

Pretty decent sticks and fairly well balanced.But, i had to sand them off a little as the neck and shoulders were a little rough. I play an electric and if I didn't sand them, they would leave marks for sure.

Good basic sticks. Took one star off because will probably look for less expensive options in the future. My 13 yr old loses drum sticks constantly so will go the economical route next time.

This is coming from a beginner drummer, but the sticks are perfect for rock/heavier stuff due to the loud but rounded sound it gives, but for me personally, the weight and thickness made it a bit uncomfortable for me.So I chose to stick with the 7A primarily but will still use and try get used to these 5A.ALSO BUYER BEWARE.Maybe I just got unlucky but when I got these sticks, I took off the cardboard square used to hold the sticks but once I put that cardboard down a SILVERFISH almost1 inch long darted out.I was absolutely disgusted because it was very big (1inch is about their max size) and it was lucky I caught it, else it might have gone into my box of comic books that was nearby.So, CHECK FOR BUGS FIRST before you just toss anything away. You don't want something like silverfish to eat away at any of your books and stuff.

I'd been using Novas (Vic Firth's budget version or "seconds" of these) and needed some more sticks quick so I opted to get some of these next day shipping.I'm a heavy hitter & break sticks regularly - no matter what brand. That being said I did notice that the real deal (over the Nova version) had a little better longevity - I'd say about 25%. The American Classics tended to break "better" chipping out at first before fracturing, thus being playable longer. The Novas tend to just fracture and get tossed.Keep in mind some batches of sticks of the same brand are better/worse than others. I'm guessing this mainly has to do with variance in the supply of wood - every tree is different & trees from different areas (possibly even countries) will differ in grain, density, etc.The AC's were also better matched in pairs. Whereas the Nova's tend to have noticeable weight differences - doesn't really bother me - price considered.Conclusion: American Classics are better but cost about twice as much (Personally I'd rather buy some Vaters at that price) but I think the economical choice if you break a lot sticks is to go with Novas. If your not heavy handed & you're picky about your sticks balancing as a pair and don't mind the price, go with the Classics.

These were good drumsticks. I used Vic Firth sticks for a long time, and they were always good. These particular sticks performed very well. They were 5A's, so they were lightweight, easy to grip, and were very easy to move around. When you play drums fast, it helps to have a stick that is not too heavy to use. These also had a lacquer coating, so they had a good grip. My only problem with these were that they had wooden tips. I learned that wooden tips seem to come apart and shred after a while, but only if you're hitting cymbals, not if you're just hitting drums. If you decide to buy these sticks, buy the kind with a nylon tip, they will last longer.

This holds up pretty good but not really Heavy Duty. This will work for playing an electric drumset at home and the 2 hour jam session somewhere once in a while. It is not what you want for playing out weekends, but for the price is a good practice set throne. The black coating looks really good with an electric kit too.

It's comfortable enough, thick padding and stable legs. Simple design. If you think you need to change heights often, say if you play rock band with friends and switch drummers of varying statures often, then another stool might be for you.

Exactly what it says it is. I am just over 300 lbs and feel comfortable on this throne. The bolt style provides a greater sense of assurance that the seat will not move at all between playing and transportation. The screw-wheel for the seat itself is a little annoying but that seems to be standard on all thrones. There could be a bit more padding but overall this purchase was a good value.

Could be better, but it's not bad. If it would spin I'd be over the moon, but it's a basic stool. The seat isn't that tough since it flattens out easily, though still provides some padded comfort. It's not uncomfortable, just basic level. That's not to even say that it's low quality or a poor product b/c it is perfect as a stool for a drummer, but this is an entry-level product.

Sturdy for sure. However does not come with good assembly instructions, very vague. I got it together but hope when a hefty person sits on it that the pole doesn't go right through it. The cushion is very firm also, and compared to my keyboard seat it's just not as comfortable so not to sure how long someone could sit on it. I would have given this 3.5 starts but not an option. It is of good quality though so 4 stars just may be deserving.

Good for the price but not the best. If you are looking to buy for a younger player before you know they will be serious, then this is a great choice. If my son becomes serious about his playing, we'll need to upscale to a sturdier, more comfortable model.

I've had this for about 2 years now. It's a decent rig but the kick pedal is trash. The wire inside broke and I could never get it to work again so I just used the hi hat controller which also isn't that great. The on board sounds are ok but I highly recommend hooking up to a computer and using it as a midi controller with real drummer software. What a difference that made in sound quality. The pads are durable and can take a beating and also are pretty good and picking up ghost hits which I loved. They aren't too loud when playing although I think the kick pedal is the loudest thing. Setup was pretty easy which surprised me being my first electric set. If your on a budget these will work but if you can afford it go with a roland.

I've been playing on these drums for months now. My number one complaint, which I've seen across the board, is the damn high-hat pedal. It just doesn't function right, and it seems like it never will.

Now, this might not be for everyone, but I record drums through midi onto my workstation. The electric drums are better for my because I record from home, and real drums are impossible because they would be too loud. I use Logic Pro.

When recording to midi, the drums often register extra-hits to toms when I hit a cymbal. That is a midi-sending issue specifically with these drums, as I've never had it before on other instruments.

For the price, it works. Except for the high-hat pedal.

Hi hat pedal troubles me as a drum player, it does not stay closed, you have to press the pedal the whole time, one little inch it is an open hi hat sound. Everything else is great except for the fact that you don't know the sound playing, "sound 1" or 2 or 3 and so on are there names.

After spending a couple months doing research on a good starter drum kit, it seemed that several people have had had great luck with the Alesis DM6. The DM7X Session kit seemed like an upgrade. Newer Module with newer features, and additional ports for an extra cymbal and Tom.

For the most part this drum kit performs fantastic. It is the only kit I've ever used, but for my purposes plays and responds well to different velocities, and the drum heads themselves have a good rebound. I use this Drum kit as a MIDI controller to send MIDI instructions to my PC which has Native Instruments Abbey Road Modern Drummer installed. I highly recommend purchasers of any electronic drum kit go with an external sound library as the quality difference in sounds is night and day.

The only problem I have had (which is still massive) is the Hi Hat Pedal is a piece of Junk. The session kit comes with the DM Hat controller instead of the Realhat and only has Open/Closed positions. The problem is when your foot is flat on the pedal and your playing notes on the hi hat in the closed position, sometimes it just doesn't work. Playing while watching the module you see the corresponding component lights your playing light up. The Hi hat control light and the hi hat cymbal light are supposed to light up on every hit, this is the same for all the drums in the kit. When you strike a drum the corresponding light on the module lights up. When the malfunction occurs, say for example your playing 16th notes on the hi hat with the pedal pressed down, if you alter pressure at all (even though the pedal is still pressed all the way down) you will get nothing. No sounds, no lights until you resume a more firm pressure on the pedal. If your trying to play something you will notice this ALL THE TIME. It is incredibly frustrating.

Alesis customer support is a mixed bag. One guy told me I had to send in the old pedal and wait for it to get there before they would ship out a new one. A 4 week turn around for a kit I just bought, but I got disconnected and got another guy who just sent it out, not even asking for the old one.

After receiving the replacement I was dissapointed to see I still had the same issue. So unless I have a bad cable (which doesn't really make sense) it's just a bad bad design. I plan on living with it for now, and possibly looking for a used Roland FD-8 Hi Hat controller on Ebay, to see if that makes a difference.

Bottom Line, There's been some great reviews of this kit on here and I know that, but just be aware that this problem is something that can happen. Another note. If you do end up with a bad cable, you can't replace it. All 1/4" cables that plug into the components terminate at the opposite end in a big parallel printer port looking connector. If a cable goes bad you can't go to Radio shack or walmart and just get another guitar cable to replace it. You need the whole "snake cable" as Alesis calls it. Good luck finding one.

I don't believe anyone has addressed the differences between the five and six piece set, so here goes:

I bought this Five-Piece kit but ran into a technical issue with the hi-hat occasionally triggering another drum, so I sent it back and opted to upgrade to the six-piece DM7X. Aside from the brain controller, these kits are much different. Not only do you get an extra tom and crash, but, each tom dual-zone (rims) that can be programmed for different sounds which essentially gives you an additional four more pieces. The toms in the five-piece kit are not dual zone!

In addition, the rack seemed to be more durable and of better quality. Much easier to assemble out of the box as well (actually, most of the rack come pre-assembled as opposed to the five piece). Also, the snare has its own rack mount which makes for a better setup.

Overall, this kit plays and sounds great but the extra $100 for the six-piece is well worth it.

The quality is good, but it is really stiff. I don't know what kind material it made. It caused my wrist not feel good and sometimes felt sour second day after my drum practice.

Look nice and well balanced but broke two pairs fairly quickly due to my playing style. Purchased a value pack separately which have held up much better.

I must admit I really enjoyed the sticks. They feel natural and well-balanced. They're smaller than the 5B and my grip tends to naturally lean toward the 5A.My downside is that they are pretty weak under moderate to heavy usage. You can buy a new set of sticks and within one practice session have them start cracking down the middle. Playing at church regularly, I've gone through three sticks in a weekend. It's not exactly like I'm beating the crap out of them but I am using them pretty bluntly in order for the dynamics to come across. The tips will regularly chip-off leaving you with one side shipt and in doing so the tip will have rough edges which could damage your drum heads.

I always break these.. buy Vaters

Decent, but expensive. I don't notice anything better over the cheaper ones.

The tips keep coming apart in the wood grain. Once the tips are degraded, it doesn't sound the same. I had the same issue with the Jazz Classic sticks by Vic Firth--those broke in a day practicing jazz ride cymbal at a moderate volume. At least these lasted a week or two. I like the feel and balance of these 5A's but I can't spend so much replacing them when they don't hold up. I plan on trying Vaters next bc I've heard they're rugged. Or I might try a pair of Vic Firth with nylon tips.

Kinda flimsy for a big guy using it, but you get what you pay for. I didn't want to pay $100 for a chair to use for Rock Band.

This is my first drum throne so I have nothing to compare.The padding is okay, get's somewhat uncomfortable after sitting for a while.Also, the assembly creaks A LOT when playing, had to WD-40 between the components several times to quiet it down.Does the job.

I purchased this for my son, who is new to drumming. It works well for him, but I would not say that this is rated for their max load. When I'm sitting on this thing, and jamming for about an hour, I'm sitting on the wooden base. I only weigh 180. While this won't break, I would say it's not very comfortable from an adult's perspective. If you're getting it for your kid, then it's a great throne!

Its not super great but it gets the job done, i recommend that if you are a person of a larger build that you should look into other options... it broke after 5 months of heavy use from my bands drummer who is 6'2" and 275lbs

Decent drum throne for a beginner and the price. It's fairly sturdy. Padding definitely leaves something to be desired. I'm barely 150LB and in about an hour I start to get uncomfortable sitting on this throne.

I am annoyed that they call this heavy-duty. It's fine. But any heavy-duty fellow (say someone weighing 185lbs or more) would sit on this and feel the plywood under the cushion right away. There's very little padding and what is there is soft. You can squeeze it down to the hard surface just by pressing your finger. If it were a light-duty seat for kids and smaller drummers, yeah. The thing is great. It's well worth the money. I can't imagine that the sum of the sum of the parts alone would cost less than $30. But it's just misnamed. It should not be called heavy duty.The steel is fine, the hardware's fine. It's all fine. Just not very heavy-duty.

Purchased these exact same drumsticks in January. This newly purchased pair was used tonight and one stick broke immediately. The weight seemed off. These 2 pairs of sticks were 3 oz less than the pair bought in January. If you are a drummer you know this is significant. The wood looked different and the feel was different. The pairs bought in January still have not broken. But this pair broke after one song. Disappointing. Weights shouldn't change...Vic Firth needs to work on quality control. Disappointing.

Not sanded smooth. They are rough/splinters.

Too long ....wanted ahorter one.

Best balanced, and most versatile stick ever made. Unfortunately the tip will snap off on the ride cymbal if you're a medium to heavy hitter. I wish Vic Firth would fix this Achilles heel because the sticks are too pricey to have to wonder if the tips will make it through a song.

These are probably ok for someone who is a talented established drummer. These are not great for me. If you tend to go all Muppet Show on your set, I might recommend Shira Kashi Oak…less likely to split and fall apart.

They seem like a knock off to me. All of the Vic Firth 5A sticks I've bought in stores were way more solid than these. I could immediately feel the differance. The taper at the end is slightly different too. I just wonder if they changed the design or if these aren't the real deal.

I might use this as an extra thing to sit on when people visit, maybe.. if they don't mind wobbling whenever they move. Admittedly I bought this because it was cheap and looked nice, plus my trusty long time throne had started wobbling at the base of the padded seat. I'm 155lbs and it's already wobbling 2 weeks in with minimal use. The problem is all the plastic in the hardware, but oh well. Lesson learned!

This product is pretty aweful. Makes an unbelievably annoying squea sound and isn't comfortable. I gave it 2 stars only because I should have known better buying such a cheap stool. Spend the money. I just bought a roc-n-soc (whopping $160) but its AMAZING!! If you need something really cheap for the interim then this one will do the job but be prepared for lots of squeaking while playing the drums.

It's basically just a seat, not a real drum throne. Doesn't rotate well and just feels cheap. Go ahead and spend the extra 40 to 50 dollars and get a good one.

You get what you pay for... the bottom leg clasp will not hold 190lbs even after firmly tightening and the it wobbles. Decided to go to a very popular guitar store and buy a sturdier throne.

doesn't swivel

Heavy Duty is a bit of an exaggeration. It was inexpensive and I believe we received what we paid for. If you want a better chair, pay a little more for one. The drummer that uses this stool said it's already bent a bit during use.

I use this set with Xbox 360. It worked for a while, but now I need help from customer service as the pads are not sending MIDI signals on every hit. Alesis never answers emails (other than the automated response that you will get an answer in 24-72 hours). Do not buy their products unless you can fix them on your own. Low quality product and even lower quality customer service.

I wish there was the option of giving no stars... Just received the Alesis DM7X session kit, it is the main Christmas gift for a boy. Set it up and tried to power it on, it will not power up. If I press and hold the power button the control unit will power on but as soon as the button is let go it powers off.Alesis says up to 4 weeks for a replacement which is crazy on a brand new DOA product. Going to return this and buy a different brand as the power button and the control unit overall seems very poorly made.

The stealth kick for the Alesis dm7x is very unstable and stopped responding after a few months. Unfortunently i couldnt get the drum set replaced because it was out of the return policy date. My recomendation would be to go with a roland set. there more stable and provide quality sounds and prodcuts

Very small to gears2 classic dont waste your money

Did not include the sticks.

The tip broke within the first hour I played with them.

We only had this 1 week and one of the sticks shattered. ??? !!!!! Hmmm did they change how they made them based on all the good reviews I wonder why/how this happened. ?

My hands always smell strongly of varnish after I use these sticks.

One of the sticks broke in just a few days, and I don't even hit that hard!

great tripod base..great stem ..adjustable...and the seat, not worth ten cents. six graders could make a better seat in art class

This was the least expensive drum throne on Amazon. The quality is low, parts do no fit well, the padded seat was not fitted properly. I don't think it could hold a 150lb person although it states weight up to 250lbs. Not recommended for purchase.

I received a broken cheir

This is the worst product I have ever purchased from Amazon. It advertise as a heavy duty throne and maximum weight is 250 lbs. the stool would be lucky to hold 25 lbs. this is not worth the fantastic box it comes in, oh yeah, the box holds more weight than the stool, oh by the way, the throne arrived today, I put it together really quick sat on for one half hour and fell over when it bent, and I hit my head when I fell off the darn thing.oh by the way, I did keep the thing, I took off the pad and installed a small self and use it as an accessories table

I rather seat on the toilet without the seat cover, much softer

UPDATE: Received the replacement for this dud. Check Amazon for "Pacific Drums and Percussion 700 Series Drum Throne" Spend the extra $24 and get it instead. It's great. This Spectrum isn't. Original review follows:This is the loudest, squeakiest throne I've ever heard. Using it for my Roland kit, can hear it squeaking away even while wearing headphones. When I'm drumming, the squeaky throne is the only think my wife hears two rooms away.I weigh 160 lbs and the padding isn't quite enough for my (apparently) fat butt. I can also feel the hard stuff under the non-cushion, on my butt bone.Is it sturdy? Aside from above (LOUD, not enough padding) I'll say, I guess so?The price is right, but the features (quiet and comfortable) aren't there. Going to try to find the box and return this dud.Replacing it with something better either way.If you're looking for a throne for somebody who weighs 100 lb or less, this might be quiet and padded enough, but I wouldn't count on it.