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.
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.
