Pearl Decade Maple 5-Piece Drum Kit — Satin Slate Black Fusion Configuration with 930 Series Hardware Pack

The Pearl Decade Maple 5-Piece Drum Kit (SKU: DMP925SP/C-227K) in Satin Slate Black is Pearl's mid-tier professional shell pack in a Fusion configuration, paired with the Pearl 930 Series Hardware Pack for a complete play-ready setup. The Fusion configuration features a 22"×18" bass drum, 10"×7" and 12"×8" rack toms, a 14"×14" floor tom, and a matching 14"×5.5" snare drum — a tighter, more articulate tom voicing than the standard 16" floor tom configuration, well-suited to jazz, fusion, and contemporary styles where quicker tom response is preferred over the lower, fuller voice of the larger 16". The EvenPly-Six shells are 6-ply, 5.4mm 100% Maple across the entire kit, with Pearl's low-mass hardware appointments: NDL mini lugs, OptiLoc Suspension tom mounting, Uni-Lock gearless tom arms, insulated die-cast claw hooks, and R40 Air Suspension floor tom feet. The 930 Series Hardware Pack includes a bass drum pedal, hi-hat stand, snare stand, and two boom cymbal stands. Cymbals, drum throne, and drumsticks are sold separately.

Fusion Configuration — 22/10/12/14 Tom Setup

The Fusion configuration (22"×18" bass / 10"×7" tom / 12"×8" tom / 14"×14" floor tom) is designed for playing styles where quick, articulate tom response is a priority. The consistent interval between the 10", 12", and 14" toms — two inches each — creates an even tonal spacing across the kit, making fast roll patterns and descending tom fills feel consistent in pitch graduation. The 22"×18" bass drum provides a full low-end fundamental with good projection for live performance, while keeping the overall kit dimensions manageable. The double tom mount on the bass drum holds both the 10" and 12" rack toms via two TH-900I/C tom arms included in the package, maintaining stable and independently adjustable positioning for each tom. If you later wish to add a second floor tom or reconfigure the setup, additional Pearl 900 Series tom hardware is compatible.

6-Ply EvenPly-Six 5.4mm 100% Maple Shell Construction

Pearl's EvenPly-Six shell uses six plies of 100% maple at 5.4mm total wall thickness — a thin shell specification that sits at the resonant, sustaining end of the maple tone spectrum. Thinner shells vibrate more freely, producing more sustain and a fuller, broader fundamental; thicker shells produce more attack and volume projection. The 5.4mm specification is an intentional design choice toward dynamic sensitivity and tonal richness: the shells respond differently at different dynamics, with quiet strokes producing full-bodied tone rather than a dull thud. Each EvenPly-Six shell is bonded under consistent pressure to ensure even ply adhesion and a precisely round shell profile — both are fundamental to consistent head seating and stable tuning across the entire pitch range.

The UV-cured lacquer finishes of the Decade Maple are applied to each shell exterior via Pearl's multi-stage finishing process, producing deep, polished colour with complexity that shifts under different lighting. The UV-cured finish is applied to the shell exterior only and has no acoustic effect on the drum's tone.

Low-Mass Shell Hardware — NDL Lugs, Uni-Lock Arms, and OptiLoc Suspension

Pearl's design philosophy for the Decade Maple centres on minimising the mass and rigidity of hardware contact with each shell. Every rigid contact point between hardware and shell creates a potential vibration path out of the drum — hardware mass in direct contact with the shell absorbs and dampens some of the shell's post-stroke resonance. The NDL (newly-designed) mini lug is Pearl's low-mass tuning lug for the Decade series: smaller and lighter than standard lugs, it maintains tuning stability while minimising contact mass on the shell surface. The 1.6mm steel triple-flanged hoops provide a wide tuning range with a slight flexibility that contributes to open, sustaining tom resonance.

The Uni-Lock gearless tom arms allow stepless angle adjustment and lock via a friction mechanism rather than a gear-and-ratchet system, providing more precise positioning and no gear wear over time. The TH-900I/C tom arms included with this kit are Pearl's 900 Series tom arms — mid-tier professional hardware consistent with the Decade Maple's specification. The insulated die-cast claw hooks on the bass drum hoop reduce vibration transfer between the hoop and shell, contributing to cleaner bass drum sustain. The R40 Air Suspension floor tom feet (rubber-isolated) prevent the floor tom from coupling its vibration energy into the floor, allowing the shell to resonate freely after each stroke.

Pearl 930 Series Hardware Pack

The Pearl 930 Series Hardware Pack included with this kit provides everything required to mount and play a standard 5-piece kit: bass drum pedal, hi-hat stand, snare drum stand, and two boom cymbal stands. The 930 Series is Pearl's mid-tier hardware range — a step above the entry-level 50 Series in construction quality, stability, and durability, appropriate for the mid-tier professional specification of the Decade Maple shell pack. Having two boom cymbal stands included is a practical advantage: a standard hi-hat, crash, and ride cymbal setup requires at least two cymbal stands, and both are covered by this hardware pack without an additional purchase. The boom arm on each stand allows independent positioning of each cymbal at the height and angle that suits your playing reach and technique. Pearl 930 Series hardware features locking mechanisms across all adjustment points, ensuring stands remain in position through the vibration of regular playing.

Note: a drum throne (stool) is not included in the 930 Series Hardware Pack and is sold separately. If you need a throne recommendation to suit the Decade Maple's level and price point, our staff at Angkor Music can advise.

Matching 14"×5.5" Snare Drum

The kit includes a matching 14"×5.5" snare drum in the same EvenPly-Six maple shell construction and Satin Slate Black UV-cured finish. The 14"×5.5" is the most versatile snare drum specification across contemporary drumming styles — the 14" diameter is the standard for the vast majority of popular music, and the 5.5" depth produces a full, balanced snare tone that works across rock, pop, R&B, country, and funk. The maple shell maintains the same resonant character as the rest of the kit for consistent shell voicing across the full setup.

Who Is This Kit For?

The Decade Maple Fusion configuration suits two specific players: an evolving drummer who is stepping up from a beginner poplar kit and wants 100% maple shells with professional mounting hardware, and an experienced player who favours a compact, articulate kit for jazz, fusion, contemporary, or small-venue work. The Fusion tom configuration (10/12/14) is well-suited to styles where the floor tom is used melodically in fills rather than primarily as a low, booming accent — the 14" speaks quickly and cleanly. With shells, hardware, and heads included, the only additional purchases required before playing are cymbals, a throne, and sticks. This is not a first drum kit — it is a step-up kit that rewards a player who can tune drums, maintain heads, and use the full dynamic range that well-made maple shells provide.

Specifications

Pearl Decade Maple Shell Pack — Fusion Configuration

Pearl 930 Series Hardware Pack

Not Included

Frequently Asked Questions

What else do I need to buy to be ready to play?

The Decade Maple DMP925SP with 930 Series Hardware Pack includes everything except cymbals, a drum throne, and drumsticks. You will need hi-hats, at least one crash cymbal, and a ride cymbal — the hardware pack includes two boom cymbal stands to mount them on. You will also need a drum throne to sit on. If you already own cymbals, a throne, and sticks from a previous kit, all are compatible with this setup. Our staff at Angkor Music can help you select cymbals and throne options that suit your style and budget.

What is the difference between the Fusion and standard Decade Maple 5-piece configuration?

The Decade Maple 5-piece is available in two floor tom configurations. The standard configuration uses a 16"×15" floor tom (deeper, fuller pitch, longer sustain — suited to rock, pop, and most contemporary styles). This Fusion configuration uses a 14"×14" floor tom (higher pitch, faster attack, more articulate response — suited to jazz, fusion, contemporary, and playing styles where the floor tom is used melodically). The shell pack, hardware, and all other specifications are identical between the two configurations; only the floor tom size differs. If you play primarily rock or heavier styles and want maximum floor tom depth, the standard 16" configuration is the better fit.

What is OptiLoc Suspension and why does it matter?

OptiLoc is Pearl's free-floating tom suspension system. Rather than mounting the tom with a fixed arm that bolts rigidly through the shell wall — which creates direct contact that absorbs and dampens shell vibration — OptiLoc uses a ball-and-socket mounting point that suspends the drum at isolated contact points only. The shell is free to vibrate through its full surface area after a stroke, producing more sustain, more tonal complexity after the initial attack, and more dynamic sensitivity to quiet playing. In practice, OptiLoc toms produce a noticeably more open, resonant sound than fixed-mount toms of comparable shell quality.

How different does 100% maple sound compared to a beginner poplar kit?

The difference is real and meaningful. Poplar produces a warm, balanced tone with a solid fundamental — it is a capable tonewood at its price tier. Maple delivers a broader fundamental with more natural sustain, more complex overtones, and greater dynamic sensitivity between quiet and loud playing. A soft ghost stroke on a maple shell has tonal body where a poplar shell might give only a flat thud; a hard floor tom hit on maple sustains and blooms in a way poplar shells typically do not. Maple is also more sensitive to careful tuning — well-tuned maple shells respond to subtle pitch adjustments in ways that beginner kits do not, rewarding the investment in learning to tune properly.

Does the 930 Series Hardware Pack include a drum throne?

No — the Pearl 930 Series Hardware Pack included with this kit covers bass drum pedal, hi-hat stand, snare stand, and two boom cymbal stands. A drum throne is not included and is sold separately. Pearl offers a range of thrones at different price points; our staff at Angkor Music can advise on a throne that suits the Decade Maple's level of construction and your playing requirements.