Sonor HS2000 Hardware Pack review

Sonor is currently overhauling all its hardware series. At the top end is the German-built 6000 series, followed by the mid-range 4000 and the budget 2000, both made in China.

For review we have a standard 2000 series pack, comprising a snare and hi-hat stands, two mini-boom cymbal stands and a bass pedal. There are also alternatives within the 2000 series, not reviewed here.

Thus the single-braced stands of the 100 series become the SSLT (lightweight) 2000 hardware, while the SSXS (extra short) 2000 snare stand has a lowered basket height.

Build

Although intended to accompany Sonor's budget Essential Force series kits, the standard 2000 hardware is reassuringly strong. Double-braced tripod bases are as heavy duty as anyone except the most violent beast of a player would need.

Other new features include ergonomically comfortable semi-circular wing nuts and gearless snare drum basket tilter, while all cymbal tilter threads are changed from 6mm to industry-standard 8mm.

Hands On

With any boom cymbal stand the fear is of toppling. Well, Sonor's new monster rubber feet have outstanding grip, combining with the massive tripod spread (each leg is around 45cm) to infer excellent stability.

With just the one vertical extension tube, the mini boom stands are restricted in height, but unlikely to topple. All Sonor's cymbal stands now have a retractable boom arm - meaning you can slot it in vertically or as an angled boom. The 2000's knurled 12mm boom arm is just 36cm (14") long, extended by a finely ratcheted 12cm tilter and new rubber cymbal sleeve cup.

Another must for some of us is provided in the snare basket tilter which is thankfully gearless. Geared tilters, even when the teeth are fine (and thus inevitably not the strongest) never give you the precise angle you want.

Both hi-hat and bass pedals have the distinctive Sonor target logo footplate, hinged at the heel. After studying Jojo Mayer's latest DVD, we're not sure that friction grip footplates like this are the best design, but we did manage some foot slide.

The hi-hat is a good compromise between strength and weight - it's actually lighter than the mini-boom stands. There's a memory lock for height adjustment, plus simple solid tilter and clutch designs.

While the hi-hat chain tension is not adjustable, the spring on the bass drum pedal obviously is. This SP473 pedal is actually from the 4000 series and has a single chain over a direct-drive semicircular cam, lined with felt for silence.

There's a full base-plate, but the pedal is clamped to the bass drum hoop underneath (not from the side), which is always slightly awkward. A removable toe-stop adjusts forwards/backwards by about one inch. Personalised playing adjustments are via the spring and the stroke angle, while the beater head is double-sided, offering hard plastic or felt.