Yamaha Electronic Drum Kit Series Overview and Review

Yamaha electronic drum kits are some of the most popular sets in use today. It seems that especially the 400 and 502 series kits are very well liked.

In this article I’ll briefly look at the sets available (plus one discontinued model) in all four of their series – the 400, the 502, the 700, and the 900. (I’d be interested to know why it’s the 502 and not the 500 series.)

Note: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

If you’re in a hurry and just want to check the pricing and availability of these kits at Amazon, you can click any of the links in the list below. In general, quality, features, and prices increase as you move down the list.

• Yamaha DTX400K
• Yamaha DTX450K
• Yamaha DTX522K
• Yamaha DTX532K
• Yamaha DTX562K
• Yamaha DTX720K
• Yamaha DTX760K
• Yamaha DTX950K

If you are interested in the details about one specific series of Yamaha drum kits, you can click a link in the box below. Otherwise, just scroll and read through them all.

Yamaha 400 Series Electronic Drum Kits

At the low end of the Yamaha range is the 400 series which includes the DTX400K and the DTX450K sets.

The DTX400K includes these pieces.

• Snare: 7.5 inch pad
• Tom: 7.5 inch pad
• Floor Tom: 7.5 inch pad
• Bass Drum: KU100 silent kick unit
• Hi-Hat: 10 inch pad
• Hi-Hat controlling unit: Opened / Closed / Foot splash
• Crash Cymbal: 10 inch pad
• Ride Cymbal: 10 inch pad

You can upgrade most of these items. For example, you can get a 3-zone pad for the snare. You can also add another crash cymbal.

You can see the DTX400K in action in this video at the Yamaha site.

The DTX450K gives you just a little more with these pieces. The main differences are in the snare and the bass drum which now has a tower in addition to the pedal.

• Snare: TP70S 7.5 inch 3 zone pad
• Tom: 7.5 inch pad
• Floor Tom: 7.5 inch pad
• Bass Drum: KP65 twin pedal capable pad
• Bass Drum Pedal: FP6110A real kick pedal
• Hi-Hat: 10 inch pad
• Hi-Hat controlling unit: HH65 Hi-Hat controller
• Crash Cymbal: 10 inch pad
• Ride Cymbal: 10 inch pad

Both of these are solid sets, but you might want to use them mainly for practice and learning. They feature what Yamaha calls a “Voice Guidance” system which is an interactive training function.

Both sets have 10 preset drum kits which you can customize.

See this review for more details about the DTX400K kit.

Yamaha 502 Series Electronic Drum Kits

You have to look carefully to find the differences among the DTX522K, DTX532K, and DTX562K, but they are there.

All three kits include these pieces.

• Sound Module: DTX502
• Snare: XP80
• Tom: TP70 x 2
• Bass Drum: KP65
• Ride Cymbal: PCY135
• Rack: RS502

The DTX522K has a rack-mounted hi-hat. The other two kits give you a stand for the RHH135 cymbal.

According to Yamaha, “The hi-hat system of the DTX532K features a dual-zone trigger pad (for edge and bow sounds) that mounts to the included Yamaha hi-hat stand for realistic pedal action and versatile positioning.”

Elsewhere Yamaha refers to “3-zone hi-hat and cymbal pads”, so I’m not sure how many zones the hi-hat actually has.

The DTX522K uses the PCY100 pad for the crash cymbal while the others have been upgraded to a PCY135.

The floor tom on the lower two kits is the same pad as the other tom – a TP70. On the DTX562K, you can an upgraded XP70 pad for the floor tom.

That said, Yamaha also says that the DTX522K and the DTX532K snare has a DTX-PAD whereas the DTX562K has DTX-PADs for all the drums. DTX-PADs are silicone based, and some claim that they are even quieter than mesh drum heads.

Whether these differences are worth the increased cost will be up to you to decide. It probably will depend on your drumming style and how much you use those pieces over time.

Yamaha 700 Series Electronic Drum Kits

The DTX720K and the DTX760K display the biggest differences from one kit to another within a series.

The DTX720K uses same rack as 500 series. One reason the DTX760K needs a new rack is that it includes a second crash cymbal out of the box. It also has a separate stand for the snare.

Here is a comparison of the pieces you get in each set.

The features lists at Yamaha include the KP100 as shown above, but elsewhere on the site it says that the kick pedal is not included with the DTX760K. It seems that at this level you are expected to have your own personal preference in kick pedals and will thus provide one yourself.

The sound module gives you 1268 sounds. If that’s not enough, you can add your own via the 64MB Flash-ROM.

You can also connect to a computer for use as the a VST (Virtual Studio Technology) instrument controller. Learn more about VST and VSTi in this Wikipedia article.

See the Yamaha DTX760K at Amazon.

Yamaha 900 Series Electronic Drum Kits

Yamaha used to have two kits in its 900 series – the DTX920K and the DTX950K. The DTX950K has been discontinued, but you may still be able to find one at online retailers (including Amazon) as of this writing.

These sets are obviously the top of the Yamaha electronic drum kit line.

The pieces for the DTX720K are these.

• Sound Module: DTX900M
• Snare: XP120SD + SS662
• Toms 1 & 2: XP100T
• Floor Tom: XP120T
• Crash Cymbals 1 & 2: PCY135
• Ride Cymbal: PCY155
• Hi-Hat: RHH135 + HS740A
• Kick: KP100
• Rack: RS700

The only obvious difference between this kit and the DTX760K is the better sound module.

The DTX950K features Textured Cellular Silicone (TCS) heads designed with input from Yamaha’s drum artists.

Per Yamaha, “With a different stick response and rebound from the snare and toms, a hi-hat that responds naturally to both hands and feet, along with three-zone chokeable cymbals, the Yamaha DTX950K lets drummers express their passion for rhythm just as they can on an acoustic kit.”

It’s not entirely clear whether the DTX920K also has the TCS heads.

One user says, “Roland may have the widest selection of ekit sounds, but they cost more than Yamaha, and, in my opinion, the triggering options aren’t nearly as good.”

Check out the availability of Yamaha electronic drum kits at Amazon today.