As gongs can sound so different, I wanted to know how it sounded before buying one. Of all the gongs I could hear samples of online, this was the sound I wanted, so I ordered one. I was a little unsure that it would sound as good as the sample on the Thomann website, but it did not disappoint - that's exactly how it sounds, so I'm delighted. It's a big sound for such a small 35cm gong. It's well made and Thomann packaged it well and it was delivered quickly. And it came with the mallet shown in the photo, so I could use it straight out of the box. I will use this gong for sound therapy and incorporating it into recorded songs, but it could also be used as part of a live band. It's a quality instrument.