Open Box MEINL Byzance Dark China Level 1 18 in.

I've always loved the sound of Meinl Byzance cymbals but this one really took my breath away. It's extremely responsive even at softer dynamics. You can get a very wide range of sounds from it. At louder volumes it really opens up and cuts through the mix. The decay is pretty quick with a nice Ahhh sound. It's worth noting that I primarily play progressive metal so it's taken it's share of beatings, though I do tend to baby it and hold back slightly. It's lasted me 5 months so far with no signs of damage (~8hrs of play per week). I would absolutely recommend this to any drummer looking for an expressive voice to add to their kit (It's also stunning visually). My band begs me to hit it as often as possible because they love the way it sounds too!

This cymbal has so far been an excellent purchase. The tones this thing provides are insanely rich and varied depending on the volume at which you are playing it. It has lots of great overtones which provide a complex blend of sound. It sounds good when struck softly, but really shines when struck harder, with purpose. It's the type of versatile china that you can even get away with crashing as a substitute to a snare strike too. The only thing that I could possibly forsee being a problem with this cymbal is the fact that is is VERY thin and light (not sure of the actual weight, but I'd say it falls in between the "paper-thin" and "thin" range). I would consider myself a medium-hard striker (and I use 5A sticks) so I hope continued play at my intensity level won't cause any cracks, but I can totally see how a hard striker who uses 2B sticks on the reg might end up cracking this cymbal. All in all, this cymbal is expensive, but is of extremely high quality and craftsmanship. It was def a good investment in my book.