Evans HD Dry Tom Heads Review

Initial Impressions

The HD Dry has always been a really popular snare head – one that I’ve used and loved for years. So when Evans announced they were bringing that same concept to toms, I knew I had to check them out.

It’s a 2 ply head, with a 7.5 mil inner layer and a 5 mil outer layer. This makes it slightly thinner than most 2 ply heads like the G2s for instance, which uses two 7 mil layers. But the HD Drys also feature a 2 mil control ring on the inside as well as these small vent holes around the edge on the outside. 

They are super durable, but more importantly, they sound amazing right away. They’ve got this focused tone, but you still get that nice shell resonance coming through. And I haven’t had to use any external dampening or gels on them – they just sound great as they are. 

I’ve got the 10, 12, 14 and 16 tom heads set up on my Mapex Armory kit, which uses a birch/ maple hybrid shell. Let’s hear some more of the sounds.

Sounds

I tuned up these heads very easily, and I found I didn’t have to fight them at all to get a good tone. I tuned to a medium tension across the toms, with a nice even pitch interval between each one. They’re just really easy to dial in and super satisfying to play.

They are controlled but there’s still a really nice musical tone that you get from each tom. Nothing’s flappy or weird sounding- nothing’s too boomy. It all feels balanced, and there’s a nice satisfying attack to each hit.

I also took care to tune up the resonant heads- which are just stock clear single plys. And I’ve got those tuned up slightly higher than the batters- which I think has helped to give me a clean, pure fundamental tone across the toms.

There’s no need for any extra muffling with these heads. They’ve already got a short sustain, and the overtones are minimal without sounding completely dead. It’s kind of the best of both worlds – tight and punchy, but still with character.

There’s no annoying ringing or weird high-end frequencies jumping out. Everything’s contained, but the drums still sound musical. If you like a clean, direct tom sound that sits well in a mix — this is that sound.

And because they’ve got that coated finish, you still get that warmth and texture which I really like too. 

Durability and Build

The durability of these heads is impressive. I’ve been hitting these heads pretty hard over the last few weeks, and they’re holding up extremely well. They are definitely built to take some punishment – as there’s no stick marks or loss of coating whatsoever. 

And something else I’ve noticed is that they hold their tuning very well. They’re not dropping at all between sessions which is a big plus.

They’re made in the USA and also use Evans’ Level 360 tech, which basically means they sit really nicely on the bearing edge and tune up evenly. 

And as mentioned- no muffling needed at all. The control ring and the dry vent holes around the edge tighten everything up, so If you’re used to fighting  with heads and trying to kill off overtones with moon gels, you shouldn’t have such issues here. 

Who These Are For

But If you like a wide open, super resonant tom sound, then these probably aren’t the heads for you. You’ll be better off with a single ply head such as the G1.

But if you want your toms to sound tight and focused straight away-  without having to mess around with loads of dampening or tweaking – these are seriously good. 

I think these are perfect for recording and live use where you don’t want any messy overtones and you still get that modern character that still has enough warmth and resonance to avoid sounding flat or dull.

Honestly, I think these would work for so many musical styles including rock, gospel, pop, fusion, metal, country; you name it.

Verdict

I knew I’d really enjoy the HD Drys, but they’ve actually exceeded expectations. Tuning them was easy, they sound like how I want my toms to sound, and I haven’t had to do any extra work to get them sitting right. 

They’ve got that tight, modern sound I’ve always wanted, and for me, offer the right amount of warmth and tonal resonance.

They’ve also proved to be super durable, and these are going to be staying on the kit for a while.

So if you’re on the hunt for a controlled, dry tom sound that still has some body and tone behind it, I highly recommend giving these a try. Evans has done a great job with these.