comparing with the price, quality, at yung tibay nito, which makes the better brand po?
istanbul
stagg or
meinl
who has the best sound
what's the cheapest
what breaks easily
q: which has the best sound?
a: istanbul or meinl, depending on whether you prefer your cymbals to be old school (istanbul) or new school (meinl). even meinl's traditional line, byzance, is cleaner and more shimmery (ie, more modern sounding) than istanbuls.
however, the real answer is whichever your ear likes best. istanbul and meinl have excellent track records when it comes to sound, while stagg is more inconsistent. it's not out of the realm of possibility for one to like stagg more than istanbul or meinl, though.
q: which is the cheapest?
a: stagg, overall. but istanbuls are being sold for ridiculously cheap, especially considering that these are the real deal, genuine turkish cymbals. meinl, on the other hand, is OBSCENELY OVERPRICED. PhP 42,000.00 for a 22" ride?! please.
q: what breaks easily?
a: whichever one you abuse the most. claims that a brand or alloy is more durable than another are just myths propagated by the said brand's manufacturer / alloy's user to push their product. any cymbal regardless of size and weight, provided that they are manufactured precisely, will survive for a lifetime if used correctly.