Tama MDH10-6 10" Die Cast Hoop 6H

Of course this is always an upgrade from normal hoops.

Especially for cheaper drums like a Tama Club Jam Vintage kit.
The snare sounds excellent in stock trim, but the toms are a different matter.

Many reviews say the same thing and they're right:
Don't waste time trying to make them sound better, just ditch the factory batter skins as quickly as possible and replace them with something better.
Which I did, With Evans Hydraulic reds. For starters.

That worked for a better sound eliminating undesirable overtones, but I still noticed a quick detune.
The Evans hydraulics are fantastic problem solvers, very forgiving, but those too couldn't hold a tuning for long.
Normal skins take more time to tune, and they detune quicker than hydraulics.
I was constantly tuning the toms with this set, even on room temperature.
That's why I placed the forged hoops, -only batter side- and now the skins stay in tune long enough to have a good long session (like a gig) without detuning problems.

So with these forged hoops your volume goes a little up, but much more useful is the fact that your tuning stays much more consistent.
Also the toms don't choke as quickly when tuned higher.

It's made the whole sound better on the 2 toms, given the fact I deliberately didn't change anything on the resonance side (still factory skins and hoops).
Those resonance skins will be replaced as soon as they're worn out, and I'll save that for another review.
I will decide if to replace the resonance side hoops when I put normal skins on the batter side and the resonance hoops can't keep up with the overall tuning.
But for now, the combination of forged hoops on batter side and factory hoops on resonance side works well for me.

So buy it or not?
If your drums are very hard to tune and detune quick; yes. Start with the batter side. Especially for the toms of cheaper shell sets.

For the past year I've been updating hardware and features on a Mapex Saturn Jazz kit and decided to invest in some Die Cast Hoops to improve its solidness and more importantly, its sound. After unpacking the Tama hoops the first thing I noticed was the exceptional quality, they were weighty, thicker and more consistent in shape compared to the thin, light, triple flanged hoops I took off.
I use single headed toms (10" + 14" floor tom) and when I put these Die Cast Hoops on Evans G-Plus heads the increase in volume from the drums was amazing, about 35-40% louder! Tuning the tension rods was also a lot smoother and easier with these hoops and allowed greater pitch control from the heads. The heads clearly changed in attack, crispness and resonance for the better and has improved the overall sound of the kit. I use to own a Tama Granstar kit years ago where I was impressed with the density and build of the kit, so I had no problems ordering the Die Cast Hoops, confident i'd be getting great quality from 'the strongest name in drums' - TAMA...

I have these fitted to my 10" Ludwig classic maple tom as well as my 14" floor tom. My 14 sounds superb with these or triple flange but the 10 just comes to life in a very unexpected way. In a studio situation, I was have trouble with overtones and a shell generated ring with the factory standard triple flange, but when I fitted these I was able to tune the drum anywhere I wanted with the need for gel or damping. Of all the hoops I have used, these have been my favourites. The casting quality is superb and the overall standard of the chrome finish is stunning yet incredibly durable. These and the Pearl hoops are a great way to add a different dimension to any drum