Sonor SQ2 Review

Sonor SQ2 Gallery

Contents

Sonor SQ2 Ratings

Sound Quality

5.0

5.0/5

Build Quality

5.0

5.0/5

Playability

5.0

5.0/5

Versatility

4.5

4.5/5

Value

4.5

4.5/5

Sounds

I’ve had the privilege of playing the Sonor SQ2 drum kit on a few occasions, and it’s undoubtedly one of the best-sounding drum sets I’ve been lucky enough to perform with. 

It’s in the same league as all the drumming industry’s best drum sets, including the DW Collector’s Series, Tama Star, and Pearl Masterworks. 

All SQ2 woods are handpicked for their tonal quality. This drum set in particular is built by hand using North American maple that provides this kit with wonderfully balanced and warm tones. 

These particular shells have a medium thickness, putting them somewhere in the middle when thinking of resonance and bite. 

When striking the rack toms, I love the initial impact sound that comes out. It’s strong and bright, but it’s then followed by musical resonance. 

The floor tom has a much thicker and beefier sound. Yet it still has that wonderful resonance and projection the rack toms possess.

I was able to tune these drums in a variety of ways, and the tonal quality remained superb no matter whether I tuned these drums low, middle, or high.

Sonor’s advanced projection system prevents direct contact between wood and metal and supports the powerful sustain. It helps the drums to resonate as much as possible and remain true to the fundamental tones of the maple plies.

All the drums have a clear definition of pitch, yet they blend and work together to create a perfect harmony.

Supremely dynamic, these drums respond to every touch beautifully. Whether you’re playing lighter, nuanced strokes, or commanding rock fills, they produce such an incredible sound that makes you just want to play them more.

Build Quality and Features

There are several unique build features that go into making this wonderful kit, so I’ll briefly mention all of them and the effect they have on how it performs. 

Starting with the shells, Sonor uses two processes to make them called the Cross Lamination Tension Free (CLTF) and Optimum Shell Measurement (OSM) methods. These ensure that the shells have stable tone quality and that the drumheads sit really nicely on each end. 

The shells also have 45-degree bearing edges, which is the design that I’ve found most drum brands go for to give their drums excellent responsiveness. 

To ensure that no metal parts come in contact with the shells, Sonor uses their Advanced Projection System, which is a series of attached grommets for optimal shell resonance.

Sonor uses 2.3mm thick Power Hoops on these drums which are really nice. I do personally prefer the Die-Cast hoops on my Tama Star kit, but these also offer clean tuning and a crisp attack.

All the drums feature TuneSafe lugs. These lugs hold all the tension rods firmly which helps minimize them from loosening over time. I’ve experienced this happening with most kits, but it never happened while I played the SQ2. 

You can even tune all the drums very loosely and the tension rods will stay in place. 

Lastly, and probably my favorite feature of the whole kit is these patented knurled dials for the bass drum lugs, which is such a good design and makes it so easy to tune the bass drum. You’re not having to bend over and break your back with a drum key on this kit!

Playability 

One of the biggest things about high-end drum sets is that they feel far more solid to play compared to more affordable options. 

I felt this especially when playing the Sonor SQ2. It has such immaculate build quality that the toms never rattle, and the kick drum feels incredibly solid on impact.

The drums are also incredibly easy to tune. You don’t need to do much refinement with the tension rods, as the drums always seem to sound amazing. 

Across the kit, the drums sound so good that I keep finding myself coming back to the toms to play them more!

I found that you get the best sound with very little muffling, as that brings the truest amount of resonance that the shells are designed to produce. However, the kit still sounds incredible when you put a few Moongels on the toms. 

One thing I did notice about the kit was that it was heavier than I suspected. The heavier weight makes sense with all the higher-end hardware components, but it’s just something to keep in mind if you plan on traveling with the set to play gigs. 

I also loved the stock drum heads that came with the kit. You get a USA made Remo heads across the kit, both top and bottom. It’s a Powerstroke 3 on the kick batter and reso, and Remo Emperor clears on the toms on top, and clear Ambassadors on the bottom.

Value 

We’ve been looking at the 4-piece version of the Sonor SQ2, and it costs well over $5000. That’s incredibly expensive for four drum shells but remember that this is the absolute best of what Sonor has to offer. 

I think the value of the drum kit depends on who is looking to buy it. If you’re a beginner drummer without experience using high-end gear, the detailed and refined build qualities aren’t going to interest you and you’re going to find this kit far too pricey. 

If you’re a professional drummer looking to get the last kit you’ll ever buy, this could be the one. It’s definitely a dream drum set option for many drummers, so I think it’s worth the high price if you’re going to use it and appreciate its sound and build quality. 

There’s just one gripe I have with the SQ2 line, and it relates to the finishes that are available. Personally, I prefer the finishes that come on the Tama, DW, Pearl, or Yamaha kits in the same range. 

Many of the SQ2 finishes look great, but there are quite a few striped finishes that I’m not a big fan of. Other drummers may not share the same opinion as me, but I think it’s worth mentioning! 

Versatility 

Let’s move on to versatility. Whatever plan you may have for this kit, it will perform brilliantly. I got to use it as a studio kit when I was recording a few sessions for a local artist in my town. 

I was absolutely blown away by the sound that came through the microphones, and the studio producer I was working with shared his love for the kit and how he tracked hundreds of albums with it. 

The sound quality also translates brilliantly through microphones on a live stage. The drums are punchy and vibrant, making themselves present within a mix of instruments.

However, I wouldn’t personally use this kit as a gigging option if I owned one. There are so many risks when moving your gear around, and I’d prefer to keep it safe while using a far more affordable kit to play gigs. 

That’s just something that many drummers choose to do when owning really high-end gear. If you’re just playing a short bar gig, bringing your $6000 drum set may be too much of a risk. 

You may feel the complete opposite, though, and that’s okay! Just know that this kit is an absolute workhorse wherever you use it. 

Verdict

The Sonor SQ2 drum making process is the result of decades of research and experience.

And this is truly one of the best drum sets I’ve ever played on. It has such a high level of quality, with the shells producing beautiful tones and the hardware keeping it reliable. 

I’d highly recommend this kit to anyone who can afford it. You won’t have to buy another kit ever again if you don’t want to, as there aren’t too many options that are a clear upgrade. 

With that said, it’s one of the priciest drum sets on the market, and there are plenty of good professional drum sets that cost thousands less. If you have a lower budget, you can still find a top-tier option that isn’t the SQ2 from Sonor or any other brand.