Introduction: A Foreword about the Best Electronic Drum Sets Under $2000

Getting a high-end kit is surely quite an investment for most of us. But if you know that you’re getting the biggest value out of your money, you can feel good about making this important step. It’s time to take a look at some of the best options for electronic drum sets under 2000 USD. What we’re looking at are professional kits suited for seasoned players, performers and recording studios. We know that budget often plays an important role, so we will keep the prices under 2000 bucks, but we’re not going to include mid- and low-end models. If you are a beginner or can’t wait to get an electronic kit and need a more affordable option, you might want to check out our article about the best electronic drum kits under 1000 USD. So, which e-kits fit the criteria? Let’s find out!

QUICK RUNDOWN

If you are in a hurry here is a quick comparison:

ELECTRONIC DRUM SET
KEY FEATURES

#1 Roland TD 25K-S



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  • Equipped with a sound engine derived from the flagship TD-30

  • PDX-100 10-inch mesh-head snare pad with support for positional sensing and rim shot/cross stick playing

  • Three mesh-head tom pads

  • VH-11 V-Hi-Hat mounts on a standard acoustic hi-hat stand

  • CY-12C 12-inch crash cymbal with natural swinging motion




#2 Alesis Strike Kit



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  • Strike performance module with 4.3 full-color LCD screen

  • All new sounds and sampling capability

  • Software editor for creating custom kits and instruments

  • Individual outputs

  • Larger mesh head pads with wood shell




#3 Yamaha DTX562K



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  • DTX52 module with over 691 high-quality drum sounds

  • Dimensions : Width – 251 mm, Height – 130 mm, Depth – 48 mm
  • “Real hi-hat system for authentic, nuanced feel”

  • Includes KP65 Kick Pad

  • “Large 1″” Ride and Crash cymbals and 1″” Hi-Hat cymbal (all 3-zone) with exclusive 36-degree “”choke”” function”




#4 Roland TD-11KV



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  • Enhanced with SuperNATURAL® technology

  • More natural and realistic playing experience

  • Affordable and easy to use

  • Diverse sound library covers a wide variety of musical genres

  • Practice features include Quick Record/Quick Play

  • Large LCD and icon-driven user interface for easy operation



#5 KAT Percussion KT4



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  • 780 studio-grade drum, cymbal, DJ, EFX and percussion sounds

  • With its expanded sound library and sophisticated new feature set, the KT4 is KAT Percussion’s most advanced digital drum set to date

  • The KT4 is a 5-piece kit that features new high-end, professional-quality drum and cymbal sounds percussion samples integrated into its built-in library of 780 sounds

  • For a natural feeling response and real bass drum punch


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BEST ELECTRONIC DRUM SET UNDER $2000

Best Electronic Drum Sets Under $2000
Overview: What’s not to like about the TD-25K-S model? The minimalistic design shines with simplicity and efficiency, yet allows for further customization. The kick is fast and responsive, the mesh heads feel great and the kit generally offers the best of the best from Roland. Sound: The Roland TD-25K electronic drum set is equipped with a sound engine which comes from the famous Roland TD-30 V-drums. In short, these two kits deliver all the expressiveness and variety that makes Roland V-Drums the main choice of numerous professionals. Quality: The TD-25K-S is very sturdy and durable, which makes it ideal for a studio with a lot of band members or tight space. Roland offers a highly reactive playing surfaces and flawless software. Feel: Assembling Roland kits are generally very easy and quick because of their design and the detailed instructions. The pads feel great and generally, the kit is very comfortable. For more about the Roland TD25K-S check out customer reviews on Amazon.   

See it in action:

  • Sound 98% 98%
  • Quality 96% 96%
  • Feel 93% 93%
THINGS WE LIKED
  • Sounds equal to even costlier solutions
  • Easy assembly
  • Intuitive and streamlined interface
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
  • Not quite refined as the TD-30
Overview: The Alesis Strike kit looks and feels a little more like the traditional acoustic kit, making it a great choice for players looking for a feel they’re already used to. Additional inputs allow for a lot of upgrades later on. Sound: This Alesis Strike Eight Piece Kit sounds sophisticated and majestic. Some minor hi-hat issues do appear to exist, but generally, the kit has very good reverb. In addition to that, the reverb everything else is adjustable. Quality: You should make sure that the firmware on the module is updated to the most recent version because Alesis has given us updates that have a greatly improved performance of a generally good kit. Most importantly, it greatly improves trigger settings and the hi-hat performance. Feel: There is something that makes this kit feel extremely similar to an acoustic one. If you want the most organic and natural feel e-drums can offer and are afraid of a too drastic change, then you should still give the Alesis Strike Kit a chance. For more about the Alesis Strike Kit check out customer reviews on Amazon.   

See it in action:

  • Sound 93% 93%
  • Quality 90% 90%
  • Feel 93% 93%
THINGS WE LIKED
  • Natural, organic feel
  • Great firmware
  • Astonishing design
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
  • Some minor hi-hat and trigger problems
Overview: Yamaha might be overdoing it with the 600+ drum sound, but their policy is not “quantity over quality”. All of the sounds are high-quality recordings and emulations, which in combination with the almost lifelike hi-hats give great sound. All in all, this is an amazing kit for a plethora of genres and styles. Sound: A very important difference compared to low-end kits is the 360-degree “choke” function. As for the acoustic decibel level, there is little to no noise, so these drums make a perfect home practice kit. The reason for the great sound is also the fact that Yamaha uses real drum sounds from their acoustic sets and loads them into the amazing 502 brain. Quality: This is a really high- quality kit that will last you for years to come. Sadly, adding additional gear to this kit is somewhat hard as the number of inputs is limited. Feel: These are some of the most responsive e-drums on the planet. The pads aren’t as bouncy as with some other kits, but that is a matter of personal taste. For more about the Yamaha DTX562K check out customer reviews on Amazon.   

See it in action:

  • Sound 93% 93%
  • Quality 88% 88%
  • Feel 95% 95%
THINGS WE LIKED
  • Extremely responsive
  • Countless drum sounds
  • Lightweight considering size
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
  • Difficulty with installing further upgrades
Overview: The TD-11KV has most of the advantages of other Roland kits. While it lacks the high-end features of other Rolands, it still comes with a great module and with a great Gibraltar 4711SC Bass Drum Pedal. Sound: This kit boasts amazing dynamics and feels of the QUIET mesh head pads! NO cross-triggering as some other brands had when tested while power playing. Easy interface to create custom kits. Quality: The mesh heads are just fantastic and feel great, mostly because they are adjustable. The cymbals allow for expressiveness as they are chokeable. The ride has 3 zones, the crash has 2, and the hi-hat has 2, so you can set your drums up to have a total of 7 cymbal tones. Sadly the hi-hat pedal isn’t as good and responsive as with more expensive models. Feel: Equipped with the SuperNATURAL system, the Roland TD-11KV V-Drums offer a more natural and realistic playing experience than other electronic drums. The software is also very responsive.   For more about the Roland TD-11KV check out customer reviews on Amazon.   

See it in action:

  •   Sound 92% 92%
  • Quality 86% 86%
  • Feel 93% 93%
THINGS WE LIKED
  • Great feel
  • Adjustable
  • Multi-zone cymbals, crash and hi-hat
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
  • Somewhat unresponsive hi-hat
Overview: KAT kits are affordable and offer decent performance. Sitting on the verge of mid-end and high-end E-Drums, they offer a great experience for a fair price. Sound: The KAT KT4 Stock Kits are very decent, but where this kit shines is its compatibility with EZDRUMMER 2, offering a lot of versatility. All the cymbals are chokeable and you can assign midi notes to every pad using EZDRUMMER. Quality: This kit looks great on stage and is very stable and durable. In addition to that, it’s extremely easy to set up. The downside is that it is extremely heavy – one of the heaviest kits we’ve had on our lists. Feel: While not quite as good as some more expensive kits, the KAT still feels stable, strong and responsive, making it an amazing recording tool that’s fun to play. In combination with its tonal properties, this is a great kit for a studio. For more about the KAT Percussion KT4 check out customer reviews on Amazon.   

See it in action:

  •   Sound 93% 93%
  • Quality 89% 89%
  • Feel 89% 89%
THINGS WE LIKED
  • Durable and stable
  • Amazing looks
  • Great price-performance ration
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
  • Very heavy kit

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

First of all, you should make sure to get responsive mesh heads as they offer the best feel on electronic drums. Rubber pads feel similar to a practicing pad. Mylar pads are slightly better, but as you’re looking to invest into a valuable instrument, you should try getting mesh heads unless you are a hundred percent sure that you prefer one of the other two types. The second important thing is the brain. Having a durable module is very important. The module will, of course, influence your sound, tone and performance abilities, as well.

Best Electronic Drum Sets Under 2000 USD
As a seasoned player, you should be able to tell the difference between a durable and a weak, low-end kit. In addition to that, the stand and stand should be tweakable. As Roland puts it on their website, “Buying an electronic kit that doesn’t support your playing position will slow your progress and could even cause injury”. Lastly, the whole kit should be very responsive. The response rate will depend on the design, the kind of pads, the module and generally the quality of the whole hardware and software. One thing to have in mind is how you’re going to reproduce the sound of your new electronic drum kit. You can go with a set of speakers or a more practical approach is to get a good headphone for electronic drums if the kit doesn’t come with one.

CONCLUSION

E-Drums are sensitive and require taking care, and when you have an expensive kit, you want to make sure that they last. If you make sure to follow these steps, you will get the most out of your electronic drums.
  • Clean the module with a soft and dry cloth only.
  • If you have recalcitrant grime or stains on your module, use a slightly damp cloth
  • Do not let moisture build up on the module.
  • Do not use industrial cleaners, OTC cleaners or soapy cloth.
  • Never use alcohol and thinners on your module, if you want them to remain new.
With this set of instructions, we will end this article. Make sure to let us know your opinions and experiences, and also check out our past articles if you want to know more about maintaining and using e-drums.