On Your Gear!
Sabian XSR Monarch Hi-Hat Cymbals
Overall Rating: 5/5
Experience premium sonic quality and stunning aesthetics without breaking the bank — that’s the promise of the Sabian XSR Monarch series. Leveraging cutting-edge cymbal-making technology, the XSR Monarch series features hammered cymbals with refined profiles and redesigned bells for superior sound dynamics. Get them before they’re gone!
Paiste 900 Series Sound Edge Hi-Hat Cymbals
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Step into the legacy of exceptional sound with Paiste’s 900 Series 14″ Sound Edge Hi-hats. Crafted with over a century of expertise, these hi-hats offer a diverse tonal range, a clear chick, and an ultra-responsive feel desired by drummers at everywhere. Grab yours today!
Zildjian I Series Hi-Hat Cymbals
Overall Rating: 3/5
Unlock a world of sonic exploration without overstretching your budget with these. The 14″ Zildjian I Hi-hats, crafted from thin-weight B8 bronze, deliver impressive output and nuanced expression. Their finely detailed small-bore hammering and fully lathed surfaces create a balanced, mature wash and a crystalline response. Dominate your mix today with these!
The Top 5 Hats
The 5 best hi-hats within this budget include:
1. Sabian XSR Monarch Hi-Hat Cymbals
2. Paiste 900 Series Sound Edge Hi-Hat Cymbals
3. Zildjian I Series Hi-Hat Cymbals
4. Saluda Mist X Hi-Hat Cymbals
These hi-hats are fantastic for beginners to advanced drummers and they all have their own unique sound, so you should be able to find one that fits your style. I’ve sifted through many different ones to come to this list and these cymbal companies are also extremely reputable (especially the top 3/4: Zildjian, Sabian, and Paiste).
Cymbals and Their Expense to You
Hi Hat cymbals, along with ride cymbals, are arguably the most expensive cymbals you’ll buy. With that being said, It’s not a bad idea to look for the best hi hats under 300 bucks. You have many choices, but I’ve narrowed it down to 5 and I want to share those with you.
Tons of Cymbal Choices, But First..
While there are a ton of other cymbal companies and choices and these pretty much include the most popular brands, I wanted to give an overview of each cymbal in this list. This should help you in your decision, but I also hope you’re able to take away details of what your ears like as a drummer. Let’s dive in now!
Best Hi Hats Under 300 Bucks: Top 5 Explained
1. Sabian XSR Monarch Hi-Hat Cymbals
As far as the best hi hats under 300, these are cutting it pretty close. I always talk about how my personal sound has changed (and even in this post) and I believe the Sabian XSR Monarch cymbals perfectly encapsulate that best sound/close to it!
They are a current popular choice among the drumming community.
These 15” hats are priced pretty close to our budget in this post, but they are honestly on par with Sabian’s higher end cymbals. These are crafted from B20 bronze and deliver excellent sound performance at a budget.
These hats offer a dark tone including inherently dry, crisp, and have a woody stick sound. Featuring a thin top hat and medium-thin bottom hat as well as unlathed tops, these cymbals bring a special vintage look and feel to your style.
If you are looking for a brilliant finish, this isn’t the cymbal for you.
I personally am a fan of the 15” size (and really all odd sizes) hats and feel the extra inch brings a bit more depth to the hats. With amazing articulation and oomph, these cymbals can fit a variety of different styles.
I used the Sabian XS20 (XSR predecessor) for many years and always appreciated the expressively fresh sound I got from playing these, especially the hats.
These offer a clean sound, and fit with whatever genre I was playing and they fit right in the mix with the rest of your drum kit.
These hats take the cake for number one because they are such timeless cymbals and Sabian has made it possible to afford such a large sounding hat pair for a steal of a deal!
Pros:
- B20 bronze and on par with Sabian’s high end cymbals
- Vintage look and feel with unmatched, raw potential
- Adaptable with many different styles (jazz drummers, these are perfect for you)
Cons:
- 15 inch hats may not be your thing
2. Paiste 900 Series Sound Edge Hi-Hat Cymbals
With the Paiste 900 series, they do run at a higher price than the last 2. The specific Sound Edge hats are currently priced modestly.
They are crafted from Paiste’s 2002 bronze, also known as CuSn8 bronze. This is pretty much the same as B8 bronze, but these cymbals are actually hand-hammered and lathed!
Overall, the 900’s are dynamic and full with plenty of sharpness to them. The special finish they put on these darken the cymbals and expand the hammer marks and lathing grooves.
These hi-hats are crisp, bright and are flexible for many almost any style of music. They have a well-defined ‘chick’ sound and beautiful open hat sound.
Featuring a medium top hat and medium-heavy bottom hat, it’s the additional machine hammered edge on the bottom hat that creates better articulation and response between the two hats.
I don’t have direct experience with the 900 line, but I am extremely familiar with their 2002 bronze. The Paiste Alpha line used to be at this price point and then they started and expanded upon the 900 series.
Overall, I’ve always liked the versatility of the Alpha line. They always fit well despite the genre I was playing (rock, gospel, blues to name a few). Just like their previous line, you can’t mistake the distinct ‘chick’ these hats provide.
The only complaint I have is that it seems like Paiste cymbals are a little overpriced. While some cymbal companies start to introduce B10, B12, and B20 bronzes into budget-friendly lines, Paiste continues to pump out more expensive CuSn8 (B8) bronze cymbals.
I’m not completely trashing on Paiste for this, but I’ve never really understood why they did it like this. I’ve said it in my other article(s), but I’m not really a fan of the B8 bronze.
This is mainly because I’m so attuned (wow, I really used that word? lol) to the sounds of B20 bronze and it’s evident when you start hearing the differences between these bronzes. Regarding the best hi hats under 300, I think these are a solid choice for any drummer.
Pros:
- Hand-hammered and lathed hi-hats with plenty of sharpness to them
- Flexible for several different music genres
- Additional hammering on bottom hat increases response and articulation of the hats
Cons:
- The same type of bronze as the other lines, but significantly more $
3. Zildjian I Series Hi-Hat Cymbals
The Zildjian I Series has the drummer on a budget in mind. These hi-hats are a solid choice for anyone.
These hats offer a bright sound with a well-expressed “chick”, featuring a medium weight hi-hat bottom and a medium-thin hi-hat top.
These are also higher-pitched and offer great sustain if that’s what you’re looking for. The material is B8 alloy, which is the standard for entry-level cymbals and it also features a traditional finish.
My experience with the I series is with their predecessor, the ZBT line. The responsiveness they offered always made me do a double-take. There’s some nice value packed in these cymbals.
The idea behind discontinuing the ZBT line with the I series was to feature more modern profiles, weights, and FX sounds.
I will say that I’m not a fan of how these sound when they’re semi-open to open. There’s a little too much bite for my personal taste. Let’s look at some pros and cons.
Pros:
- Great price and more affordable than most the other choices
Perfect for several styles, such as for rock drummers, hard rock, funk, fusion and much more
Bright sound and responsive hi-hats with a nice chick
Cons:
- They don’t have the most pleasant semi-open to open sloshiness
4. Saluda Mist X Hi-Hat Cymbals
I’ve mentioned Saluda in a few of my articles and for a good reason. They are fully custom, beautiful, and affordable B20 bronze professional cymbals.
I’m very familiar with the Mist X line and have always been a fan of the projection, brightness and great sustain these have. Also, for a tad under the $300 limit, these hats are considerably cheaper than the Paiste 900s.
These are lively hats with great stick definition and open hat sounds. They feature a polished shine, but you can customize it the way you want it. If you want it another way, you can email Saluda and they’ll make it happen.
The hats that I have are the medium ones, but there are a few options that you could go with. Thin, medium-thin, and rock are a few sizes that are available.
These hats have led me through several different music genres, such as: rock, heavy rock, metal, funk, blues, and punk rock to name a few! If you’re looking for versatile cymbals, these are it.
I will say that my desired sound has changed and I’ve moved away from the Mist X series. They are personally a little too explosively bright with too much sustain for me nowadays. The best hi hats under 300 will gladly accept B20 bronze cymbals in my book!
Pros:
- Fully custom beautifully affordable B20 bronze cymbals
- Tons of projection and brightness
- Great for a slew of different music genres
Cons:
- While I used to love these, they’ve become too bright and piercing for my desired sound
5. Sabian B8X Hi-Hat Cymbals
The Sabian B8X series is another one that has you covered in terms of budget. These are well below our limit and also constructed of B8 alloy. These hats are lively with a crisp sound for chicking the pedal and stick response. They are also bright and are able to penetrate through the mix.
They feature a medium-heavy hi-hat top cymbal and a heavy bottom. This means that they are more higher pitched than the I series hats because they are thicker.
The B8X line also has more hammering, including fully hammered bells. Zildjian’s I series doesn’t include a hammered bell, but they are hammered everywhere else.
This hammering enhances the projection and adds some nice complexity. I also have to say that I really dig the way the hammered bells look.
This leads me to my experience with the B8X line. I played the B8 line Sabian used to have for years and always liked the bright projection they had.
I mainly played punk, hard rock, and metal with them and they fit the bill with those styles of music! I will say that I’m also not too thrilled with the semi-open/open sound these hi-hats make.
This is my own opinion and you may like the sound. If you do, these are a solid hat pair. Now, let’s look at the pros and cons.
Pros:
- Good option on the pocketbook
- Similar to the Zildjian hats, these are perfect for a variety of styles. such as rock music, punk, metal and much more
- Increased projection and complexities due to hammered bell (and it looks awesome)
Cons:
- Like the Zildjian I hats, I can’t get behind the unpleasant sound of these semi-open/open
Pick Any Cymbal Bronze You Choose
All the hats we’ve discussed are my personal favorites for this specific price range. I know there are so many other choices and that is a great option for you to be able to explore!
I have been playing drums for 20 years and I’m always discovering new sounds and products that I want to immediately add to my arsenol.
I did want to note that it doesn’t matter what bronze you pick as a drummer. I feel like I pick at B8 bronze a lot, but that’s only because I’m not a fan. If you love them that’s all that matters!
My Recommended Hi-hats
As for the best hi hats under 300, I highly recommend the Sabian XSR Monarch Hats. They are astoundingly volume-friendly vintage-esque beauties with a modern spin.
Dang, put a cherry on top of that sentence. If you’re ready to buy the Sabian XSR Monarch hats and take the challenge of improving your sound, you can grab them at Zzounds here.
Which are your personal favorite hats? Please comment and let me know, even if they’re not on this list!
Also, be sure to better your chops now with these FREE drum hacks, plus more!
Until next time!
– Evan C.