Categories: Cymbals

Sabian 18″ HHX Legacy Crash Cymbal

Sabian’s HH line represents the dark side of the force, and the HHX are classified as “Modern Dark”, with the Evolutions being a specific set of crashs, splashes, high hats, and rides that have special dynamics that make them easy to play. Another variation on the HHX is the HHX Legacy, and the 18″ HHX Legacy Crash is reviewed here. It is darker than the 18″ HHX Evolution Crash. The HHX series only comes in several diameters, not specified weights, and a Sabian distributor told me that they vary in weight depending on the particular style (Evolution, Legacy, X-Plosion, Studio, etc.)

Specifications

Manufacturer Line: HHX Legacy
Type: Crash
Style: Thin
Alloy: B20 – CuSn20 – 80% Copper, 20% Tin
Diameter: 18″
Metal Work: Machine Hammered, Hand Lathed, Brilliant Finish
Weight: 2.5 Pounds
MSRP: $ 508 USA; Street Price $305
Sabian

Compared to the 18″ HHX Evolution, the HHX Legacy has fine lathing on the bell, all the way out to the edge of the cymbal. There is no variation in the lathing pattern, as there is on the Evolution. The hammering is a bit different as well, with the Legacy having more visible (deeper) hammer marks.

The sound of the Legacy is not only darker than the Evolution, but â€œtrashierâ€, and if you are not familiar with that word, it has only recently worked its way into the cymbal lexicon. It really just means a more intense wash. Compare the sound files of the two cymbals â€“ reviewed here at Percussion Reviews â€“ and it will become apparent. I am not sure the word â€œtrashyâ€ as applied to a cymbal’s sound, will ever appear in Webster’s Dictionary, but it certainly is used quite often in cymbal discussions.

Like the Evolution, riding the Legacy produces a sound where the ping is about the same loudness as the wash, so I would not recommend it for riding. However, riding the bell produces a crystal clear bell tone, and would be suitable.

The spectrum shows major peaks at 450 Hz, 550 Hz, 1.6 kHz, then slowly rises and begins its decline at about 8 kHz to 60 kHz. The high frequencies decay more rapidly than the low frequencies.

The peak of the crash occurs at 0.2 seconds and is followed by a rapid decay (more rapid than the 18″ HHX Evolution).

Click HERE to listen to an audio sample, which will include crash (when appropriate), ride, and bell sounds (these are 24 bit, 176.4 kHz wav files, so be sure your sound card is capable of handling these high resolution sound files).

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John E. Johnson, Jr.

Editor-in-Chief Emeritus. John E. Johnson, Jr. founded Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity in 1994, shortly after publishing a hardcopy book of the same title. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity until 2022. John has been involved in audio and video for more than 50 years, having built radio transmitters, amplifiers, turntables, and speakers from scratch. He was also one of the founders of the Northern California Audio Video Association, now The Bay Area Audio Society. John holds four university degrees, including a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, and has published numerous scientific books, along with dozens of scientific articles on biomedical research topics as well as imaging technology. He was the founder and Editor-in-Chief of two medical/scientific journals for 20 years. John holds several patents, including one on high resolution image analysis and one on a surgical instrument. He has been affiliated with NASA, The National Institutes of Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Stanford Research Institute, and The University of California at Berkeley. He is President of the consulting firm Scientific Design and Information, Inc., which is based in Redwood City, California. John resides in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife and multiple kitties! His daughter, Cynthia, who was an integral part of SECRETS for many years, resides in San Francisco.