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Minimum contact lugs are used all over the kit.

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Delightful details

The same can be said of the sumptuous Purple Craze sparkle finish. Pearl finishes are among the best of the major manufacturers, and we've always admired their 'metalflake' style sparkles. As ever, this one is deeply textured and will look ridiculously fabulous under stagelights - it's just gorgeous.

And then there are the finishing touches such as the minimum contact lugs used all over the kit, the rubber-lined bass drum claws and recessed bolt heads - none of which are revolutionary, but all of which are appreciated on a top-end kit of this nature. Set up with the complement of Pearl's excellent 1000 Series hardware, there's a real sense of occasion when you sit behind the Reference for the first time.

It's an incredibly polished, sophisticated kit and one that flies the Pearl flag high in terms of design and execution. And then there's the way it sounds...

Proving ground

Despite the differences in shell material between the Reference drums, there is a real 'family feel' to this kit. Each component part feels linked to the next in terms of the way things sound - that's to say there's a lovely balance of depth, power and clarity to be found in the response from the kick, snare and toms.

The bass drum is typical of the whole kit. Played softly - and allowing the beater to rebound quickly from the head after each stroke - the drum sends out a wonderful, blooming boom with a sustaining low frequency content. As you increase velocity, a mid-range punch makes itself felt which makes the kick far more assertive and aggressive.

As such the instrument is remarkably versatile - and the same kind of statements can be made about the toms. The supplied coated Ambassador batters lend a dry, papery edge to the tone, but there's lots of warmth to be had, balanced by a natural articulation that's great for fast fills.

And the snare is a drum of real character - that thick shell makes for a loud, dry and 'produced' backbeat sound, while the quality of construction means that the snare responds beautifully no matter how softly or hard it's struck. It's not a snare for everyone though. It'll suit funksters and drummers playing r'n'b and pop, but for heavier styles you'll want the deeper 61/2" (as expected) and the 13"x61/2" is worth investigating if you're after something fat but not flabby.

This is a truly superb-sounding drum kit, and one whose acoustic properties are complemented by construction and finishing quality that's hard to fault. In short, it looks, sounds and feels every inch the top-of-the-line drum set that it is.

There's no doubt, however, that the concept of the mixed shell types - and in particular the premium price charged for the Reference Series - will raise questions amongst the drumming community. Is it appreciably better than any other top-end, single-wood acoustic kit (Masters, Absolute, Designer, Collector's, etc)? Does the arrival of the Reference Series immediately render such previous Kings Of The Hill obsolete? Is this the future of flagship drum kit design?

Only time will tell as far as the last two questions are concerned, while the first is a tough call. Given the nature of acoustic drums, the potential for massive improvements in tone at these elevated levels are limited - throw in the 'subjectivity factor' and black-or-white judgements are near impossible to make.