I can speak for the 454. It has a very short note, almost too short. With 22 wires, it snares for jazz well. You can get it to sort of crack with a very tight tension on the heads. rim shots are just as quick as the note. For all those reasons I don`t favor it. I hit way to hard for that. If you like jazz or soft Rock, you`ll like it. The teardrop snare has a heavier hoop and lug so I would imagine it will effect the sound difference between the two. I never tried one. Both look presentable shape.