Best Intermediate Drum Kits: What the Step Up From a Beginner Kit Buys

Kit	Shells	Bass drum	Toms	Snare	Hardware included?
Pearl Export EXX725	6-ply 7.5 mm poplar	22 x 18	12 x 8, 13 x 9, 16 x 16	14 x 5.5	Yes: 830 stands and pedal
Tama Superstar Classic CL50RS	Maple: toms/snare 6-ply 5 mm, bass 8-ply 7 mm	20 x 16	10 x 7, 12 x 8, 14 x 14	14 x 5	No; shell pack with tom holder
Mapex Armory Rock	8-ply birch/maple/birch hybrid	22 x 18	10 and 12 toms, 16 floor tom	14 x 5.5 Tomahawk steel	No; shell pack with tom holder
PDP Concept Maple	European maple; 7-ply toms, 10-ply snare	22 x 18	10 x 8, 12 x 9, 16 x 14	14 x 5.5	No; shell pack with tom holder

Pearl Export EXX725: the complete upgrade with full hardware

If your current hardware wobbles as much as your shells, the Pearl Export EXX725 is the kit that replaces both at once. The five-piece configuration uses 6-ply, 7.5 mm poplar shells, which Pearl describes as delivering “punchy attack” and “booming lows.” Poplar isn’t the maple-and-birch territory of the shell packs below, and the real value here is the hardware.

The box includes Pearl’s 830-series package: a P-930 bass drum pedal, H-830 hi-hat stand, S-830 snare stand, and both a C-830 straight and BC-830 boom cymbal stand. That means you can hang a crash and a ride without buying an extra stand, which most shell packs leave out. The toms hang on Pearl’s Opti-Loc mounting system rather than a bracket bolted through the shell.

Sizes run 22 x 18 for the bass drum, 12 x 8 and 13 x 9 rack toms, a 16 x 16 floor tom, and a 14 x 5.5 snare. The kit ships with Remo UT heads, including a Powerstroke 3 bass drum batter. You still need cymbals and a throne, because this is complete in drums and hardware only, not in cymbals and seating.

Tama Superstar Classic CL50RS: an all-maple shell pack with a 20-inch kick

The Tama Superstar Classic CL50RS is the maple option in this group, and the one to choose if you want a 20-inch kick and a lighter, more focused footprint. Tama builds the toms, floor tom, and snare from 6-ply 5 mm maple, while the bass drum gets an 8-ply 7 mm shell. Tama credits the tone to “carefully selected maple shells” and the bearing-edge shape.

This is a shell pack, which means the kit includes the drums and Tama’s MTH600 double tom holder but no stands, pedal, cymbals, or throne. That’s the tradeoff: you get an all-maple shell set with Tama’s Star-Mount tom isolation and low-mass single lugs, but you need hardware that’s already up to the job. Sizes are 20 x 16 bass drum, 10 x 7 and 12 x 8 rack toms, 14 x 14 floor tom, and a 14 x 5 snare.

The 20-inch kick is the practical detail worth pausing on. It takes less floor space and is easier to carry and fit into a small room. If you’re coming from a 22-inch beginner kick, expect a smaller drum to set up and move.

Mapex Armory Rock: hybrid shells and a steel snare

The Mapex Armory Rock shell pack takes a different path with an 8-ply birch/maple/birch hybrid shell. Mapex describes the layered construction as delivering “tone, resonance, and punch.” You also get Mapex’s SONIClear bearing edge, which the company says lets the head sit flatter for a deeper fundamental and a wider tuning range.

The interesting piece here is the snare. Instead of a matching wood drum, Mapex includes a Tomahawk 14 x 5.5 steel snare with a 1 mm shell and 2.3 mm Power Hoops. Mapex credits the Tomahawk with “long-range projection,” and a steel snare gives you a different voice from the wood toms. For more options, see our guide to the best snare drums.

This is a shell pack with a TH676 double tom holder, so you’ll need stands, a pedal, and cymbals. Sizes are a 22 x 18 bass drum, 10 and 12 rack toms, a 16 floor tom, and the Tomahawk snare. The kick is the standard rock size, which suits heavier playing if you’re leaning that way.

PDP Concept Maple: a maple shell pack with suspension tom mounts

The PDP Concept Maple is another all-maple route, using European maple with 7-ply mounted toms and a 10-ply snare. PDP describes the sound as “punchy attack” with a “warm and versatile tone.” The shell pack includes DW’s Suspension Tom Mount system, which uses the same isolation idea as the other kits: the toms hang rather than being bolted through the shell.

The configuration is a 22 x 18 bass drum, 10 x 8 and 12 x 9 rack toms, a 16 x 14 floor tom, and a 14 x 5.5 snare. The slightly shallower 16 x 14 floor tom is worth noting if you’re used to a 16 x 16: it’s a little shorter, which can make it easier to place.

PDP also lists a few hardware details: dual-turret lugs, True-Pitch tension rods, and low-mass claw hooks on the bass drum. Those don’t change the starting point: this is still a shell pack, so you’ll need stands, a pedal and cymbals.

Complete kit or shell pack?

The split between these four kits comes down to one practical question: what are you replacing?

A shell pack (the Tama, Mapex and PDP kits) is just the drums plus a tom holder. You keep your existing stands, snare stand, hi-hat stand, bass drum pedal, throne, and cymbals. That’s why it makes sense for an upgrader: a beginner bundle usually included cymbals and sometimes a throne, and if those are still holding up, you don’t need to buy them again. You’re spending your money on better shells rather than duplicating the metal that already works.

The Pearl Export EXX725 is the complete-kit path in this group, though “complete” has a specific meaning here. It includes the 830 stand and pedal package (bass drum pedal, hi-hat stand, snare stand and two cymbal stands) but still no cymbals or throne. So you’re replacing drums and hardware together, while keeping or upgrading your cymbals separately.

The rule of thumb: if your current hardware wobbles, skips, or has been mended one too many times, get the Pearl. If your hardware is still solid and your main frustration is the drums themselves, a shell pack like the Tama, Mapex, or PDP puts the whole budget into the shells.

What the upgrade actually buys

When you compare a beginner kit to an intermediate one, the difference usually hides in four places: how the shell is built, how its edge is cut, how the toms attach, and how much metal is holding it up. These are the things you’re paying for when you move up.

Shell plies and wood. A ply is a thin layer of wood pressed into the shell’s curve. More plies usually means a stiffer, more stable shell, though the wood type shapes the voice. The four kits here span poplar (Pearl), maple (Tama and PDP), and a birch-maple hybrid (Mapex). A BestReviews buying guide describes maple as warm and balanced, birch as punchy, and poplar as bright, but treat those as starting points, not verdicts. Your heads, tuning and room also change the sound, often as much as the wood does.

Bearing edges. This is the angle cut into the top and bottom rim of each shell where the head meets the wood. A cleaner, more consistent edge lets the head seat evenly, which matters for tuning and resonance. Mapex specifically says its SONIClear edge lets the head sit flatter for a deeper fundamental and a wider tuning range. The other makers shape their edges differently, but the principle is the same: consistent edges make the drum easier to tune and more predictable.

Isolated tom mounts. Each kit here uses a mount its maker designs to hold the tom with less contact with the shell: Pearl’s Opti-Loc, Tama’s Star-Mount, Mapex’s SONIClear suspension and PDP’s DW Suspension Tom Mount. The makers present these as a way to let the shell resonate more freely than a bracket bolted to the shell.

Hardware. The last part is the metal. Heavier, double-braced stands don’t wobble when you play hard, and better pedals keep their adjustment. A musicngear guide suggests double-braced hardware for heavy use. The Pearl kit is the only one here that includes a fresh set; the others assume you already have decent stands and a pedal.

Sizes: 20- or 22-inch kick, 10/12 or 12/13 toms

The bass drum is the first practical fork. Pearl, Mapex, and PDP all use a 22 x 18 kick, which is the standard size for rock, pop, and most band settings. The musicngear piece suggests a bigger kick for rock, and 22 inches splits the difference between projection and portability.

The Tama Superstar Classic goes with a 20 x 16 bass drum. The smaller shell is easier to get through a doorway, doesn’t dominate a small room, and still drives a full five-piece setup. You give up a little low-end mass for that convenience, which is usually the right tradeoff in a home studio or shared rehearsal space.

Rack tom sizes split the same way. The Pearl pairs 12 x 8 and 13 x 9 rack toms, while the Tama, Mapex, and PDP kits use 10- and 12-inch toms. That’s a setup preference more than a quality difference: the 10/12 spread is common on newer intermediate kits, while the 12/13 layout on the Pearl feels like a classic rock configuration.

What you still need

Every kit on this list is a drum-and-hardware purchase, not a turnkey setup. Here’s what’s missing depending on which path you choose.

Cymbals. None of these kits include cymbals. If you’re upgrading from a beginner bundle, you can often keep the hi-hats, crash, and ride while they last, then replace them piece by piece. If they’re the same starter brass that came with the original kit, check our guide to the best budget cymbal packs, because worn-out cymbals can undercut good shells.

Hardware and pedal. The Pearl Export includes a full stand and pedal package. The Tama, Mapex, and PDP shell packs do not, so count on stands, a hi-hat stand, a snare stand, and a bass drum pedal if you’re not reusing yours. Our guide to the best drum hardware packs covers what a complete set should include, and we’ve rounded up the best single bass drum pedals if you’re replacing just that piece.

Throne. None of these kits includes a throne. A wobbly or too-low throne makes everything else harder to play, so plan to keep or replace it. It quietly matters more than most people expect.

Heads. Kits usually ship with usable stock heads, but new heads are the cheapest real tone upgrade you can make. If the kit arrives and still sounds flat, compare the best tom drum heads before you blame the shells.

How we chose

We built this list from current maker pages and Amazon listings, not from hands-on testing or playing. The shell ply counts, sizes, mounting systems, and box contents come from the manufacturers’ product pages for each exact model; the Amazon listing confirms the variant and what ships in the bundle. We did not evaluate tone, projection, or durability by ear, and the only sound descriptions in the article are the makers’ own words, marked accordingly. Price is shown on the product cards, not in this article, because retail pricing moves faster than any written guide should.