After hearing Vistalites years ago, I finally decided to indulge in acrylics by Tama. I believe these have a more focused sound than Artstars and a bit more punch. Have not experimented with all the tuning variations but the stock G2s sound pretty nice out of the box. These drums are VERY expensive and I almost did not buy one. If you can afford them pick up a piece from the Starclassic line made in the USA!