Even the drummers here at GearNuts don't often get our hands on sandblasted hi-hats which is why we were excited to give these Meinl 14" Byzance Vintage Sand Hi-hats a try and boy were we pleasantly surprised. The sound is dark but not in a muddy way - more like biting into an exquisite piece of dark chocolate - with just the perfect amount of warmth to fold the sound into the mix.