Hihat Question


Thanks in advance for your opinion-

My system is:

Anthem Integrated 225

Musical Fidelity Cd as Transport

Schiit Modi Multibit

Technics Sl 1200 mk2

Usher Cp6311

Morrow Cables

I like the system overall, plenty of bass, voices sound realistic, highs are not strident, etc.

As a drummer, I love to hear hihats, cymbals, etc. On some systems in the past I’ve heard more of this than through my setup. Most of these setups have been in the past on equipment I perceive is a lower grade than mine.

My question is: 

Should I be hearing most every hihat strike, close? Is hearing these sounds consistently the sound of a revealing system or a ‘tipped up’ presentation that I would likely tire of?

Live music varies to me in this respect, and the music on my my system varies as well. Unfortunately, I’m not able to demo where I live, so I’m interested in your opinion. Fwiw- I hear all a lot more treble in my automobile, but could be due to the euphoric goal of the manufacturer. I’m in my late 50’s, so that may play a part-

On many jazz albums, it’s all there, others not so much.

Sorry for the one post.

Thanks
uncledemp
Another drummer here.  How cymbals are reproduced is also very important to me as part of a system's performance.  I can't listen to a system where cymbals are highlighted, distorted, or muted.  Of course this is heavily recording dependent, so I'll just mention a couple recordings I've used in the past to help me assess whether a system is getting cymbals right -- at least for my tastes.

One is Patricia Barber's "Companion."  It's a live recording at the Green Mill in Chicago, which is an intimate bar setting where I saw her play with her band.  The drums are well recorded so you can clearly locate them in space on stage, and they are of appropriate size as opposed to some recordings where the drums span the entire width of my room.  The cymbals are really well recorded and are situated in their proper positions in the context of the set.  The drums are set back behind the speakers a bit and toward the right side, which is where they were located when I saw them play.  The cymbals sound very clear, distinct, and dynamic.  As a drummer you'll just know it sounds right.

Another recording I've used is Keb' Mo's "Slow Down."  This is a good studio recording where the drums and cymbals sound bigger and more explosive.  Here the drums are in the center rear of the soundstage and sound slightly raised to me.  Crashes are very dynamic, but you can still hear the tone and various weights of the cymbals. 

I mention these recordings because they're readily available if you don't already have them, the music is good, and since you can't get out and demo you might be able to use them as a benchmark of sorts.  If the cymbals sound real and right to you (and certainly not muted) in these recordings then your system is fine IMHO and the other systems are likely emphasizing and/or pulling the cymbals unnaturally forward in the mix.  Given your equipment my money's on your system being just fine.  If you think you might still want more detail and bite, I'd play around with some used silver interconnects like Acoustic Zen Silver Reference or something similar since they're so easy and inexpensive to send through the mail.  Hope this helps. 
I can hear ya...as a crappy bass player, live sound guy and mobile recording idiot without savant...
and you have some superb advice above...
linking back to a reference you know and trust well will keep you from chasing your tail...
hoping Eric Jerde posts here, he plays and has a great ear, some of his references would be valuable...
me ?
i have a nice Sangiovese open, Levon Helm playing on The Last Waltz... some really nice work there....
And the Acoustic Zen are very hard to beat without spending crazy ( as some would even say essential) money $$$$$$
Thanks everybody. I’ll check those recordings out in the next few days. 

The Patricia Barber (A Fortnight in France) disc I own sounds great, drums and all.

I’ll gut check my speaker positioning and listening distance as well to insure I’m not sacrificing treble detail for bass, etc.

Also, I have some various cables to experiment with, nothing exotic, but at least different.

Thanks again for your thoughtful comments and guidance.

Kind regards-
You need a great tube preamp with the right tube. Anthem is good but the hihat will be buried in most mixes because most pop/rock producers feel that a hi-hat is an irritant. Jazz, reggae, funk and disco will have more hi-hat because it fits those genres well.

I am a drummer and I use a McIntosh C2600 with a 12AX7 RCA Long Black Plate from about 1957 in the line stage. This particular tube has the magic you need. I can hear hi-hat detail on everything with this setup.

The hi-hat tends to get buried in rock and pop as there is a lot going on in the mid range with vocals and a couple of guitars. Stuart Copeland’s work with The Police is a rare example where the hi-hat isn’t buried.

The trick with a tube is that it adds harmonics. The hi-hat overtones like most cymbals are not related to the fundamental (they don’t have a pitch or tone). The tube if chosen correctly will add a bit of harmonic overtones to the hi-hat. It is amazing but your ear will hear the fundamental more clearly when you get just a little extra harmonic overtones.

I probably shouldn’t share this trick - it was like a trade secret of Doug Sax at Sheffield Labs. Listen to his remaster of Toys in the Attic and compare it to the original! Doug’s brother built his tube preamplifier.