Pearl's new Vision Series Drums are essentially a lower-priced version of their top-of-the-line Reference Series. After having tried out both, I believe Pearl is really on to something here. The Reference Series are among Pearl's most elite, high-end drums. and are the resu
lt of approaching each drum in the set as an individual musical instrument. Wood type and the number of plies used varies from shell to shell in Reference drums, and they sound pretty incredible, right down to the heavyweight champion 20-ply snare drum.The Vision Series also uses varying plies for each drum component, using Birch and Basswood exclusively instead of the Reference drums' mix of maple. African mahogany, and birch. Birch's tight structure accelerates rebounding sound waves and provides particular punch in the mid to high frequencies. Basswood has a softer composition, more condusive to mid and low frequency sound response. By careful balancing the birch and basswood plies, the Vision Series come amazingly close in dynamic response and sound quality to Pea
rl’s pricier Reference Series drums. The Vision sound is killin', with striking fidelity and depth to the toms and a world-class metal snare drum. If you've got the resources, reward yourself with that high-powered Ferrari of drum sets, the Reference Series. But if you're lusting after a pro-sounding set and are operating under tighter budget constraints, you should check out Pearl's Vision Series.
