When the kit arrived, everything was packed nicely, and I was immediately impressed with how it looked. The flat black wrap is very clean, and the chrome hardware really pops.
My first bit of criticism is about the kick drum hoop clamps. When DC was still part of the GEWA group, they used round clamps that matched the lugs really well. It’s a shame they switched to the standard DC branded claws, because the older style had a much nicer overall look.
As for the build quality, the drums are excellent. The shells are perfectly round, the hardware feels strong and reliable, and the batter heads are Chinese Remo heads, which do the job just fine. The resonant heads are unbranded. They work for now, and I managed to get the toms sounding good, but better-quality heads will definitely improve the response.
There’s also a small pillow with a velcro strip included for the kick drum. It weighs almost nothing, but it does what it needs to do.
All in all, it’s a fantastic kit, and I’ll be taking it on stage without any thought.