Drumhead Showdown: Remo vs. Aquarian vs. Evans

When it comes to drumheads, every drummer has their go-to brand. But how much of that choice is habit, and how much is based on real differences in sound, feel, and quality? We put three of the biggest names—Remo, Aquarian, and Evans—to the test in a head-to-head (pun intended) comparison.

Why This Matters

If you’re new to drumming, picking the right drumhead can be overwhelming. And if you’ve been loyal to a brand for years, it’s worth checking in to see if things have changed—materials, coating, and even how they seat on the drum can evolve over time.

Using the Dialtune snare, we were able to swap out heads quickly and tune them through their full range without interruption. No retuning. No settling time. Just a direct back-to-back comparison.

First Impressions: Feel & Construction

Before we even got to the sound test, we noticed some key physical differences:

🔹 Coating Texture (Scratch Test)

• Remo Coated Ambassador – The roughest surface, great for brushwork.
• Aquarian Texture Coated – Slightly smoother but still textured.
• Evans G1 – The smoothest coating of the three.

🔹 Collar Shape & Seating

• Aquarian – A thicker, stiffer collar that can affect how it sits on some drums.
• Remo – A slightly lower-profile collar.
• Evans – Features their Level 360 design, which helps the head seat easily, especially on oversized drums.

Tap & Scratch Test

Even before mounting them on a drum, each head had its own character in the tap test—subtle differences in tone and resonance that can shape the final sound.

Sound Test: How Do They Actually Perform?

With each head mounted on the Dialtune snare, we ran them through a full tuning range from low to high, making it easy to compare their response at every level.

🎧 What We Noticed:

• Each head performed well across the tuning spectrum.
• Differences in attack, sustain, and body were noticeable but not necessarily “better” or “worse”—just different.
• At certain tunings, one head might have a slight edge in warmth or brightness, but all three proved versatile.

What Did You Hear?

Every drummer has their own preference, and what sounds best depends on your playing style, music genre, and even the room you’re in.

Did this test change your opinion on your go-to drumhead? Drop a comment on the video and let us know what stood out to you.

🎥 Watch the full video here