Vater XD-5A Drum Sticks Hickory Wood

I am a Vater player and always using the Manhattan 7A. I wanted to try something different and I found in these XD-5A what I was looking for: a bigger, rocky and loud stick. And they are, absolutely! But these sticks are not only "loudness": they have also finesse when you are hitting something on purpose, great response all around and in the meantime they allow the crowd to hear your chops clear but not too invasive.
Simply a great balance between musicality and volume. I already ordered a few more ;)