I was inspired to buy this sticks because Dave King from The Bad Plus is playing them. He has this smooth touch on cymbals and these sticks are one of the reasons why.
Vic Firth SD4 lasted 3 months for me. This pair of sticks has a very good sound on the ride cymbal thanks to the barrel roll tip! Feels great to play any style of music, but best for some acoustic stuff like jazz or funk.
They are on the light side, although not lacking a balance. Sticks that are made from maple always have that nice feel to them.
I Would recommend SD4 to anyone who is looking to get some new sound out of their cymbals.