When I bought my first set of darks nine years ago I went with a trusted name and got some cymbals that sound good and perform well.
I was perfectly happy until a year later I ran into some Byzance darks from Meinl. Back then Meinl wasn't as big a name and I wasn't that familiar with their products but after trying these out I was no longer content with the Zildjians and ran out and bought some of these.
Of course, you cannot really compare Customs and Byzance as they have different sounds and textures but the human mind insists on comparisons and declaring preferences -- and, at the end of the day, if I had to choose one set of darks I'd easily keep the Byzance cymbals and sell my Zildjian K collection.
The materials, workmanship, vibe, sound, nuance, complexity, etc., are all superior in the Meinl cymbals. The Z's are fine but the Byzance cymbals have that extra mojo that the others lack.
I was perfectly happy until a year later I ran into some Byzance darks from Meinl. Back then Meinl wasn't as big a name and I wasn't that familiar with their products but after trying these out I was no longer content with the Zildjians and ran out and bought some of these.
Of course, you cannot really compare Customs and Byzance as they have different sounds and textures but the human mind insists on comparisons and declaring preferences -- and, at the end of the day, if I had to choose one set of darks I'd easily keep the Byzance cymbals and sell my Zildjian K collection.
The materials, workmanship, vibe, sound, nuance, complexity, etc., are all superior in the Meinl cymbals. The Z's are fine but the Byzance cymbals have that extra mojo that the others lack.