Reviews
Disappointing
"I’ve had the kit since Christmas 2024. I’m an intermediate drummer, and thus far, the crash cymbal’s stopped working and I’ve somehow torn/ripped through the mesh on THREE OF THE DRUMS. For a $3,500 kit, I’m really disappointed."
— Kaile M. (3/5)
Great feel and sounds!
"After a lot of research & testing a lot of different kits, I decided to take the plunge on the bronze Alchem-e kit in early August 2025 after the 1. 8 software update was released. My initial experience - so far - is nothing but enjoyable and I am very satisfied! While this is not a long-term review, everything works great after a little tuning within the module to calibrate the hi-hat and symbols. I love the feel of the heads, the feel of the symbols - especially the hi-hat. Overall, the feel of this kit far exceeds any of the other e-kits that I have played. I also like the sounds and the amount of configurability within the module. It's just enough for me without giving me decision fatigue. Overall, I'm very satisfied and having a blast!"
— Jeff W. (5/5)
Terrible
"There are several issues with these kits. Please keep in mind that I have only owned the kit for under a year. These issues all happened within 10 months of playing the kit, with most of the issues appearing within just a couple months or right away. 1. Cymbals cutting out. This happened mainly with the crash, however, it did happen a few times with my ride as well. I replaced the ethernet cable for the crash, and for a while this worked very well. I was told by Zildjian that it is a known issue! The heavy cables that come with the set seem to tub too heavily while hanging down from the cymbal, and therefore the cymbal can cut out at times. I purchased new, lighter cables and that seemed to work much better. However, one day when I played the cymbal, it kept choking and cutting out. It is now unplayable even with trying ANY new cable. 2. The drum heads. The mesh heads that come with the kit are much weaker than they should be. They don't seem thick enough. I've had to replace them with Roland heads. I was promised by Zildjian that they would replace them whenever they are able to sell them! This is a complete joke. DO NOT SELL US A DRUM KIT THAT YOU CAN NOT PURCHASE PARTS FOR!!! (I never ended up getting the heads). 3. The hi-hat. This is the reason I purchased this drum set; for the real hi-hat feel. However, with always making sure the module was updated as instructed by Zildjian, as well as always tinkering with the settings, it never helped. The hi-hat would cut out around 35% of the time, at the most important times; when opening it! 4. Customer support. It’s impossible to get through to them in any real, significant way where they actually call you back and take care of your issues. I dealt with ONE person that was able to get back to me on a regular basis, and that’s only because I complained on social media about their lack of customer service. For 7 grand CAD, that’s WAY too many problems to have to deal with, especially with little to no help. I think Zildjian should have kept testing these kits for a lot longer before selling them like this. Buy Roland instead. These kits are NOT ready for the market, not even close."
— Shawn (1/5)
EXTREMELY HAPPY
"Wow. Just WOW!! I've had a couple Roland kits over the past 2 decades. Sold my TD-10 when I downsized. Had my eye on the VAD307. . . but then I saw these. I purchased the Bronze. Absolutely beautiful sound AND esthetics."
— Scott M. (5/5)
Most Satisfying E-drum I have tried!
"What an experience!! It is amazing for a sensory drummer -the feedback you get from real cymbals and the air vibrations you feel are on a different level!! Thank you for making such an amazing kit and concept!! Hope you keep on innovating :)"
— Meg D. (5/5)
Metal :sign_horns|type_2:
"Outstanding kit! As a percussionist for over 30 years, and an owner of various acoustic and ekits including alesis, dw, pearl, and roland, I’d argue this is the best and most immersive drumming experience around."
— Smith, C. (5/5)
Top-Tier Kit, Next-Level Customer Service
"My Alchem-E Bronze EX electronic drum kit sounds and feels amazing! I've been playing a high-end e-kit for nearly 20 years, but when I heard that Zildjian, the gold standard in cymbals, had created an electronic kit with REAL cymbals, I had to check it out. My 8-year-old son, who’s been taking lessons for three years, has been wanting an acoustic kit, but volume is a problem in our small basement. The Alchem-E was the perfect solution because it is a true hybrid of electronic and acoustic. It’s not exactly plug-and-play, there’s definitely a learning curve and some setup involved. But once dialed in, the result is incredible. A funny mishap early on: our puppy chewed through a cymbal cable while I was setting up the kit. I left a message with Zildjian tech support after hours, and to my surprise, Brian called me back soon after. He walked me through a temporary fix and shipped a replacement cable at no charge. Later, when I struggled with the hi-hat setup, he talked me through it step by step over the phone. That level of support is rare and made all the difference. In short: amazing sound, responsive feel, and truly outstanding customer service!"
— Phil (5/5)
Half price and maybe. . .
"Sell it for half and that will be the right price. Otherwise it's nonsense. Sorry"
— Scott S. (2/5)
