This is a beautifully made box (as with all Schlagwerk kit). But what does it SOUND like? The short answer is, not bad - but better as you experiment.
There are two intended playing surfaces, though the other sides and especially the top also give a reasonable sound. The fact is that it's small, so the sounds are bound not to be very deep. The (non-adjustable) snare is fixed to the higher pitched side, which is a nice red-wood colour. It covers just under half the top, which means that when you play this side, there's plenty of space for snared and non-snared sounds.
There is a piece of (re-movable) foam inside which is supposed to muffle the opposite side to the one on which you are playing, thus improving the tone. Yes - it helps to an extent. BUT what makes the real difference is playing around with that sound hole! Not only can you get some very decent wah-wah effects, but covering the hole, even to a small extent dramatically improves the sound, making it less tinny and more substantial. What's more, if you put the cajonito between your legs (I was wearing shorts at the time), you can use both hands to play and work the sound hole with the side of your knee. I don't think this would work if you were wearing long trousers!
All in all - no way a subsitute for a full-sized cajon, but a pretty decent ghighly portable version. I considered the Meinl Bongo cajon, which is cheaper. Yes - it looks nice too, but the Schlagwerk has more versatility I think.
