Best Paiste Cymbals – Top Packs and Single Options for Different Budgets

If you’re looking for a new set of cymbals, you’ve come to the right place. Out of all the cymbal brands, Paiste is the one that has the most dynamic options when it comes to different cymbal alloys. I’m going to show you some of the best Paiste cymbals available, and you can use this list as a reference whenever you’re on the hunt for some new shiny disks.

I love the history behind Paiste cymbals. They were used by all the famous drummers that my dad used to show me when I was a kid. Now, they’re a top brand that offers several incredible cymbal options to drummers of all styles.

Bottom Line Up Front

Paiste have an impressive number of entry-level cymbals that use affordable cymbal alloys. Any of their PST cymbals are excellent choices for beginners. If you want something a bit more jacked, the 2002 line is a superior option.

To get the best possible cymbals from the brand, the Signature and Masters Series are your two options. You can get most of these cymbals in packs, but some will have to be bought individually.

My Top Picks at a Glance

  1. Paiste PST 5 Rock Cymbal Set – Best pack for beginners.
  2. Paiste PST 7 Universal Cymbal Set – Best affordable pack with a unique setup.
  3. Paiste 2002 Cymbal Set – Best pack for rock and metal drummers.
  4. Paiste Signature Classic Set – Best professional cymbal pack for all applications.
  5. Paiste Masters Dry/Dark Cymbal Set – Best professional pack for jazz drummers.
  6. Paiste 18” PST X Swiss Thin Crash – Best auxiliary crash for all player levels.
  7. Paiste 15” Signature Dark Energy Hi-Hats – Best hi-hats that you can’t get in a pack.
  8. Paiste 22” Formula 602 Modern Essentials Ride – One of Paiste’s best ride cymbals.

Tips for Buying Paiste Cymbals

Paiste Cymbals

Single Options vs Cymbal Packs

Buying a cymbal pack is the most affordable way of attaining a full set of cymbals. Apart from affordability, you also get a coherent sound across all your cymbals. The brand has placed them together in a pack because the cymbals sound great when used in the same setup.

However, I only suggest drummers get cymbal packs as a starting point. After that, it’s ideal to buy cymbals that you love individually. This will allow you to get your own sound behind the kit that is unique to you.

Interestingly, Paiste was one of the first cymbal brands to sell cymbal packs. They’ve been doing it for decades, so their cymbal packs are epic. If you need a completely new set of cymbals, then check out the pack options that I’ve mentioned below. Otherwise, check out the single options to add a bit of variety to your sound.

Paiste, like most brands, don’t sell all of their lines in packs. For example, their popular 602 cymbals can only be bought individually. There are a few other lines like this as well.

The Paiste Brand

You may be asking yourself – why choose Paiste? After all, they’re only one of the four top cymbal brands. There are a few good reasons to consider their cymbals over ones from other brands.

Firstly, I think Paiste is the best brand for beginner drummers. The main reason for this is that there are so many affordable options. Other brands typically have one or two entry-level lines, but Paiste has a grand total of five. Each of those lines has countless cymbal options, and some of them even have unique cymbal types, such as splashes and chinas.

Another factor that could convince you to get Paiste cymbals is the company’s artist roster. One of the best ways to see how cymbals sound is to listen to professional drummers playing them. If you’re a fan of Stewart Copeland and The Police, you’ll be a fan of Paiste cymbals.

Appropriate Cymbals for Different Styles

Once you’ve made the decision to go with Paiste, you’ll need to make sure to get cymbals that are appropriate for the styles of music that you play. Some cymbals are universal, while others can only be used for certain things.

A great example of this is the Paiste RUDE Series. These are some of the heaviest cymbals around, and they only work well for playing metal. If you use them in any other musical context, they’re going to sound terrible.

Most beginner cymbals work well for multiple purposes, but the cymbal tones tend to become specialized in the higher-priced options. The general rule to follow is that bright and cutting cymbals are great for heavy styles, while dark and dry cymbals are better for jazz, worship, and recording purposes.

Pricing

Paiste Cymbals

With such a large array of options, you’re going to see plenty of varying prices from all the Paiste cymbals. You’ll need to establish a budget before choosing which cymbals to get. The great thing about there being so many options is that most of the packs are within a few hundred dollars difference from each other.

If you can’t afford the cymbal pack you want right now, you may only need to wait a few weeks or months before you can get it, whereas other brands have large price differences between their cymbal packs.

You’ll find that all the PST cymbal packs range from $200 to $500. The intermediate packs range from $500 to $1000, and the top-quality packs range from $1000 to $2000. The higher-end packs are a lot more expensive than the ones from other brands, though. Just keep that in mind.

Selection Criteria

All the packs I’ve selected below are highly popular options from the Paiste brand. They each have very specific benefits that cater to certain groups of drummers. I’ll mention those as we go down the list. The list also starts from the most affordable good set and leads up to the most expensive professional set.

After the suggested cymbal sets, I’ll suggest a few individual cymbals to get if you’re not looking for an entire set to buy. All of the cymbals below are top-quality options, and they’ve been used and loved by many drummers over the years.

Best Paiste Cymbal Packs

Paiste PST 5 Rock Cymbal Set

The Paiste PST 5 Rock Set is my top suggestion for beginner drummers. While there are a few sets from Paiste that are more affordable, I think this one has a lot more longevity, so it’s worth spending a bit extra on.

All the cymbals have a bright and energetic tone. They sing quite well when you hit them hard, but they don’t express full tones when played lightly. That’s expected from entry-level cymbals, though. The hi-hats are the standout addition to the pack as the bottom hat has ridges, causing their overall sound to be more impactful.

Entry-level cymbals often sound quite flat and unresponsive, but these ones have a small bit of responsiveness that boosts them above others. If you’re a new drummer, you’ll love these. Note that you won’t like them too much if you’re experienced.

Here’s What You Get in the Pack

  • 14” Paiste PST 5 Sound Edge Hi-Hats
  • 16” Paiste PST 5 Crash
  • 18” Paiste PST 5 Crash
  • 20” Paiste PST 5 Ride

Pros

  • Best-sounding affordable set from Paiste
  • Sound Edge hi-hats are excellent
  • Bright tones

Cons

  • Not a valid option for experienced drummers

Paiste PST 7 Universal Cymbal Set

If you’re willing to spend a bit more money, the Paiste PST 7 Universal Set is the next step up in Paiste’s lineup. These are Paiste’s most impressive entry-level cymbals, and I think they blow the competition from other brands right out of the water.

They’re made using CuSn8, which is Paiste’s version of the B8 bronze alloy. Most cymbals made from that are fairly low quality and unresponsive, but these cymbals are incredible for what they are.

The 16” crash is a bit of a weak point of the pack, but the rest of the cymbals are epic. They’re bright, with a slight touch of warmth, and they’re quite versatile.

If you want to play gigs with the cheapest possible cymbals you can get, I’d say you’d get away with using these. In my opinion, they’re the best entry-level cymbals out of all the cymbal brands. This pack only costs just over $400, and combining these with a $600 drum set will give you a decent $1000 setup.

Here’s what You Get in the Pack

  • 14” Paiste PST 7 Hi-Hats
  • 16” Paiste PST 7 Crash
  • 18” Paiste PST 7 Crash
  • 20” Paiste PST 7 Ride

Pros

  • Some of the best entry-level cymbals on the market
  • Can be used for gigs
  • Very affordable

Cons

  • The 16” crash isn’t great

Paiste 2002 Cymbal Set

The Paiste 2002 cymbals are bright and powerful. They’ve been this way ever since they were introduced in 1971, and John Bonham was one of the main pioneers of the line. These cymbals are iconic options for rock and metal, so I’m suggesting this pack to anyone who’s a heavy drummer.

It’s one of the few cymbal sets I know of that comes with a 22” ride cymbal, making it quite unique. All the cymbals in the set have large sounds that pierce through dense mixes, even when they’re played softly.

They’re not the most versatile cymbals around, so I’d only recommend them to drummers who stick with playing rock and metal.

Here’s what You Get in the Pack

  • 14” Paiste 2002 Series Hi-Hats
  • 18” Paiste 2002 Series Crash
  • 20” Paiste 2002 Series Crash
  • 22” Paiste 2002 Series Crash

Pros

  • Excellent option for metal and rock drummers
  • John Bonham’s cymbals of choice
  • One of the few cymbal packs available that come with large cymbal sizes

Cons

  • Not the most versatile cymbals around

Paiste Signature Classic Set

The Paiste Signature Classic cymbals are the premium option here. If you’re looking for the best all-purpose professional cymbals, these are the ones. Every professional drummer who plays Paiste cymbals tends to use at least one of these cymbals in their setup, and here they all are in a single pack.

While most of the cymbals are quite bright, they’re musical enough to fit in every setting. They have an almost pre-EQed sound, making them sound excellent in any environment you place them in. They’re also incredibly dynamic, responding to the lightest touches and bringing out fullness of tone quite easily.

You get a total of five cymbals with this set, whereas typical cymbal sets only come with four. Because of this, the set is quite expensive.

Here’s what You Get in the Pack

  • 14” Paiste Signature Dark Crisp Hi-Hat
  • 16” Paiste Signature Fast Crash
  • 18” Paiste Signature Full Crash
  • 20” Paiste Signature Full Crash
  • 22” Paiste Signature Full Ride

Pros

  • One of the best cymbal sets from Paiste
  • Very versatile
  • A total of five cymbals in the pack

Cons

  • More expensive than most cymbal packs

Paiste Masters Dry/Dark Cymbal Set

The Paiste Masters Dry/Dark Cymbal Set is my personal favorite option from the brand. With a price of just under $2000, it’s one of the most expensive cymbal sets you can get. However, these Masters cymbals are incredible.

The set consists of a group of cymbals that are dark and dry in their tone. All of them blend with each other very well, and they’re musically very expressive. Their tones are most ideal for playing jazz, playing in church, or recording in studio settings.

Their jazziness is the reason that they’re my favorite cymbals on this list. That’s typically the type of sound that I gravitate toward when it comes to cymbals.

Here’s What You Get in the Pack

  • 15” Paiste Masters Dark Hi-Hats
  • 17” Paiste Masters Dark Crash
  • 19” Paiste Masters Dark Crash
  • 18” Paiste PST X Swiss Medium Crash
  • 21” Paiste Masters Dry Ride

Pros

  • Excellent cymbals for playing jazz, worship music, and recording in studios
  • All the cymbals are incredibly musically expressive
  • The cymbals have unique sizes, which is quite attractive for many drummers

Cons

  • Most expensive cymbal set on this list

Best Single Paiste Cymbals

Paiste 18” PST X Swiss Thin Crash

If you want to add a single cymbal to your setup that will change things up a bit, the PST X Swiss Thin Crash is an interesting option. It’s essentially a trash crash, meaning it has a trashy sound that adds a unique dynamic to your cymbal setup.

The best thing about this cymbal, and all the PST X cymbals, is that it’s extremely affordable. Most high-end crash cymbals cost between $300 and $500, but this cymbal costs less than $200. Even though it’s inexpensive, you’ll see countless professional drummers using it, thanks to its desirable trashy sound. It also works quite well when stacked with other cymbals.

Pros

  • Affordable cymbal that drummers of all levels can use
  • Trashy tone adds a unique texture to your cymbal setup
  • Great cymbal to use with stacks

Cons

  • Trash crashes are a bit aggressive in certain settings

Paiste 15” Signature Dark Energy Mk I Hi-Hats

The Paiste Dark Energy hi-hats are some of the highest-quality hi-hats offered by the brand. These stand out for their beautiful dark tone. They’ve incredibly musical, and they work well in every setting you put them in.

I’d only recommend getting these if you’re a pro drummer or avid hobbyist, though. I can’t see anyone other than that wanting to spend over $600 on a single pair of cymbals. However, they’re highly worth the cost!

Pros

  • One of the best pairs of Paiste hi-hats
  • Complex tones that are universal in their use
  • Incredible responsiveness

Cons

  • Extremely expensive

Paiste 22” Formula 602 Modern Essentials Ride

The 602 Modern Essentials Ride is one of my favorite Paiste cymbals of all time. It’s a favorite of many others as well. This cymbal does everything, hence the name. While most 22” ride cymbals are thick and heavy, this one is thin enough to be crashed on quite aggressively without the sound becoming overwhelming.

You get a balanced stick sound when hitting the bow, and the bell sound cuts enough to be distinctly heard. This ride is another versatile machine from Paiste, and any drummer would benefit from using it.

Pros

  • Highly versatile ride cymbal
  • Can easily be crashed on for an epic sound
  • The bell tone is distinct

Cons

  • Expensive

FAQs

Question: How Popular are Paiste Cymbals?

Answer: Paiste cymbals fall under the grouping of the big four cymbal brands. This means that they’re one of the most popular cymbal brands to choose from in the world. There is so much history behind the making of their cymbals, and thousands of drummers have used their products since the company started.
A few decades ago, Paiste was a well-known brand used by mostly rock drummers. However, their product line covers all genres, and you’ll see drummers from all styles of music having Paiste setups.
When walking into any music store, it’s highly likely that you’ll find some Paiste cymbals available to buy. That’s always the best indication of how popular a music gear brand is.

Question: Are Paiste Cymbals Good for Beginner Drummers?

Answer: Yes. One of the best things about Paiste is that they have dozens of options that fall under the entry-level category. All their cymbals with the PST name are affordable and suitable for beginner drummers.
While the PST 3 cymbals are the most affordable, the PST 7 cymbals are more ideal. They have superior tones, and they’re only slightly more expensive. You also get the PST 5 and PST 8 lines. Beginner drummers and drummers looking for affordable options are spoiled for choice with Paiste.

Question: Which Famous Drummers Use Paiste Cymbals?

Answer: Paiste cymbals first rose to fame when popular rock drummers used their products back in the Classic Rock Era. Some notable names were Stewart Copeland and John Bonham. To this day, John Bonham is still one of the most famous Paiste artists, and he was known for using the 2002 cymbals.
A few more modern drummers that use Paiste cymbals are Jared Falk, Daru Jones, Danny Carey, Dave Lombardo, Aquiles Priester, and Steve Jordan.

Conclusion

If you’re a relatively new drummer, I’d suggest checking out the PST packs. The 2002 Series, Signature, and Master Series packs are the better options for more experienced drummers. If you don’t want an entire pack, then check out the single cymbals I suggested above. I selected them specifically because they work well in any style of music.

I know several drummers who started using Paiste cymbals, and they’ve never looked back. Paiste is a top-quality brand, and all the cymbals I’ve mentioned above are amazing within the purposes they’re intended for. Choose which cymbals suit you the best, and place your order!

For more interesting readings on drum gear, check out the following articles:

Scroll to Top