Hello people,

I am upgrading to an intermediate kit and have whittled my choice down to two: the Tama Superstar Hyperdrive (6pc) and the Mapex Armoury (6pc). The Tamas are around £1000 whilst the Mapexes are about £650. As far as I can see, both have similar specs save for a few differences:

- Tama SH is all maple while Mapex is Birch/ Maple/ Birch hybrid.
- Tama hoops are all high quality die-cast. Not sure about Mapex?
- Tama SH includes a handy 5pc hardware pack whilst Mapex doesn't.

I guess my question is whether the Tama is really worth the extra £350? Especially when you consider that the Mapex has some cool innovative features as well, particularly the SoniClear edge on the shells as well as the gorgeous flat black finish option. Also they let you choose 1 of 5 different snares to go with your kit. Am I just paying for the maple? Is the maple *much* better than the birch/ maple hybrid? Are there any other pitfalls to either kit/ brand that I haven't considered?

Alternatively, do you have any recommendations for intermediate kits between £600 and £1000?

Thanks for reading and for your help

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