5 Best Drum Sets Under $500: Cheap and Affordable

PDP New Yorker: Overview

The PDP by DW New Yorker 4-Piece Shell Pack with a 16" Bass Drum offers a high-quality, compact solution for gigging drummers in big cities seeking portability without sacrificing sound quality. The kit includes a 10x8” mounted tom, a 13x12” floor tom, a 16x14” bass drum, and a 14x5” snare, all constructed from poplar wood. This choice of material contributes to a warm, full tone.

Upon setting up the kit, I found the lightweight design to be a significant advantage for quick setups and tear-downs, especially in smaller venue settings. The included bass drum lifter facilitates optimal positioning for the kick drum, accommodating standard pedals with ease. Overall, the quality of the components at this price point is commendable; the low mass turret lugs enhance resonance while keeping the overall weight down.

While the sound is generally impressive, especially after personalizing the heads—many users, including myself, found that upgrading to Remo coated pinstripes and an EMAD for the bass drum can yield even better results. However, it’s important to note that the 16" bass drum may not deliver the same low-end punch as larger configurations, which could be a consideration for those accustomed to traditional drum sizes.

Yamaha Rydeen: Overview

The Yamaha Rydeen 5-Piece Shell Pack with a 20" bass drum is positioned as a professional-grade drum kit, delivering powerful sound and projection. The kit features 100% birch shells, which are known for their warm and balanced tonal qualities. The shells are constructed with a 6-ply design and are 7.2 mm thick. The shells produce a resonant sound that can effectively cut through live mixes.

The configuration includes a 20" kick drum, alongside a 10x7" tom, a 12x8" tom, a 14x13" floor tom, and a 14x5-1/2" snare. The kick drum's size provides a punchy low-end response, while the toms and snare allow for a broad spectrum of tones, depending on tuning.

I love the included Remo drumheads, specifically the Powerstroke 3 on the bass drum and Emperors the toms and snare. You won't need to swap out the drum heads right away, like other starter shell packs. You can get six months to a year's use out of the stock heads depending how you play.

Yamaha's hardware always impresses me, and this kit is no different—though, you will need to pick up a bass drum pedal if you don't already have one. The Yamaha Rydeen is a good value for intermediate players looking to upgrade to better drum shells.

PDP Encore 5-Piece Drum Set: Overview

The PDP by DW Encore 5-Piece Drum Kit is an accessible entry point for aspiring drummers, thanks to its combination of quality construction and competitive pricing. The kit has poplar shells, which are known for their focused tone, making it suitable for most music—a good all-around sound. The kit is visually appealing with a durable wrapped finish.

Assembly of the kit is straightforward and the double-braced hardware pack adds stability. The True Pitch Tuning rods allow for easier tuning, which is good for drummers still learning how to tune properly.

As with most all-in-one complete drum sets, the included brass cymbals are terrible. They're thin-sounding and really sound cheap. And that's not just my opinion. This sentiment is echoed across reviews from retailers. Additionally, the bearing edges on the kit may be inconsistent.

The PDP by DW Encore kit is a solid choice for beginners and is our Editor's Choice pick.

DDRUM D2 Drum Kit: Overview

ddrum is a company most known for their drum triggers. In recent years, they’ve began branching out making all sorts of other drum gear like sampling pads, electronic drum sets, and now, acoustic drum sets.

The D2’s shells are made from high-quality Poplar wood—something common with most entry-level drum sets including the Pearl Roadshow, Ludwig Breakbeats, and many others. This wood typically has a warm sound profile, with good attack and sustain. For the price, the shells are high-quality for a beginning drummer.

The standard sizes of the drums—an 18x22" bass drum, 6.5x14" snare, 8x10" and 9x12" toms, and a 14x16" floor tom—allow for significant resonance and sustain. The drum feature a 45-degree bearing edge.

ddrum offers six color variations of the kit, so there’s most likely a finish out there you’ll end up liking. There are also available add-ons to the kit, so in the future if you decide you’d like another rack or floor tom, the option is there.

This kit includes a drum throne, hi-hat stand, full boom stand, dual-chain bass drum pedal, and tom mounts, all of which are double-braced for added stability and durability. While the overall build quality of the drums is generally regarded as solid, as with every complete kit, the cymbals are once again trash.

The ddrum D2 includes everything you need to get started playing—though I will recommend upgrading your kick pedal to something like the Yamaha FP 7210A, which I suggest for most of these kits that include a pedal.

Ludwig Questlove Pocket: Overview

Ludwig is a drum manufacturer that needs no introduction. They make killer drums and some of the greatest drummers of all time endorse the manufacturer. Ludwig’s Questlove Pocket kit is no exception. It’s incredibly affordable and looks incredible on first glance.

The Ludwig Pocket Kit Black Sparkle is designed specifically for young drummers aged 4-10, co-developed with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. This compact drum kit includes everything needed to get playing: drums, hardware, cymbals, and a pair of drumsticks—this kit is a perfect starter package.

Three color options are available, and the sparkle finish looks fantastic. One thing to note, this drum kit is marketed towards younger players, so if you’re an adult, it may be much too small for you to play comfortably. Despite being a smaller kit, I’ve read countless numbers of people online who are upwards of 6′ tall who play the Questlove kit!

From my experience, assembly is straightforward, which is a significant plus for parents setting it up for their children. The drums stock, out of the box, produce a sound that is very much adequate for beginners. Changing out the stock drum heads and proper tuning will make the sound even better.

The included cymbals, as with most all-in-one drum sets, are subpar. Additionally, while the hardware is generally sufficient, you may run into threading issues or metal pieces breaking after a while.

The educational component of the kit, which includes access to web-based lessons, offers guidance on setup and techniques. All in all, the Ludwig Pocket Kit provides a solid foundation for budding drummers. Do your self a favor and pick up some new cymbals and drum heads; you’ll have a cheap drum set that sounds fantastic.

Pearl Midtown: Overview

Coming up next is the Pearl Midtown. The kit is at a steeper price point than other cheap drum sets, but it offers quality and value. Pearl isn’t an unknown name in the drum world; in fact, they are one of the most popular drum makers to date. The Midtown offers quality that other cheap drum makers can’t match.

The Pearl Midtown 4-Piece Complete Drum Set in Matte Red presents an interesting option for drummers seeking portability without sacrificing sound quality. The set features a compact configuration, including a 16x14 bass drum, a 13x12 floor tom, a 10x7 tom, and a 13x5.5 snare, which collectively aim to deliver a full-sized sound in a smaller footprint. The included single-braced hardware pack is designed to be lightweight and easy to transport.

The kit is similar to the Ludwig Breakbeats, but includes cymbal stands and a kick pedal, which is a big plus. The Midtown kit sounds excellent right out of the box, but if you decide to change the stock heads out, your shells will sound even better. I did notice a couple of drawbacks: specifically, some lugs were chipped near the shell where they attach.

No cymbals are included with the kit, so I’d suggest getting a cheap cymbal pack from Wuhan—something like the 457 series. Be sure to pick up a hi-hat clutch, as well, else you won’t be able to set those up. If you’re a beginner, I wouldn’t worry too much about the sound of your drums and cymbals; try to focus on learning the fundamentals of playing.

The metal hardware included isn’t going to wow anyone, but it’s far better than most of the other kits’ hardware I’ll be listing here. From my personal experience, I believe Yamaha makes the most excellent drum hardware, but it’s really up to your taste.

You can always upgrade to a different set of hardware at a later date. Pearl’s Midtown kit is a fantastic set of cheaper drum shells that are perfect for any new drummer on a budget.

Mapex Comet: Overview

The Mapex Comet 5-Piece Complete Drum Kit with a 22" Bass Drum offers drummers an affordable, entry-level option. This kit features a 22" kick drum that provides a solid low end, delivering a punchy sound suitable for various styles, from rock to jazz.

The combination of a 12" rack tom and a 16" floor tom allows for classic rock tones, while the optional 10" rack tom can be integrated for those looking for a jazzier sound. Notably, the SONIClear bearing edges on the drums enhance resonance and sustain, contributing to their overall tonal quality.

The snare drum, at 14", is equipped with triple-flanged steel hoops. The included cymbals—a crash/ride and hi-hats—offer essential sounds for beginners. The crash/ride presents a bright, shimmering crash and smooth ride, while the hi-hats provide that quintessential "chick" sound when closed, or a more sloshy effect when open.

In terms of hardware, the kit comes with a sturdy throne, snare stand, cymbal stand, hi-hat stand, and bass drum pedal. The hardware is compact, designed to withstand both practice and performance.

Tthe Mapex Comet 5-Piece kit presents a balanced blend of warmth and clarity, catering to a wide range of musical genres.