EFNOTE 5 Review: A Small Birch E-Kit That Looks and Sounds Acoustic

The EFNOTE 5 is the kit people point to when someone asks for an electronic set that does not look electronic. It has real birch shells, a 16-inch kick drum, a small two-tom layout and cymbals sized like the real thing. From across the room it reads as a compact jazz or club kit.

It comes from EFNOTE, a small Japanese maker founded in 2018 that builds its kits around natural, lightly processed samples. The 5 sits between the pad-based EFNOTE 3 and the full-size EFNOTE 7X, and it sits in the $2,000-plus bracket before you add a pedal and a hi-hat stand.

I have not played this kit. This review is based on EFNOTE’s spec sheet as published by Full Compass, Kraft Music’s and Thomann’s listings, DrumSpy’s hands-on review of the closely related EFNOTE 5X, Recording Magazine’s review of EFNOTE’s 3X and 7, and the owner ratings I could find. Where sources disagree, I say so.

Our verdict in brief

The EFNOTE 5 makes one clear trade. You give up the huge kit libraries, coaching games and deep sample import of a Roland or Yamaha flagship. In return you get a kit that looks like a small acoustic set, plays on large 360-degree cymbals and sends eight separate channels of audio to your computer over one USB cable.

The weak spots are mostly about scope and polish. Seventeen presets is a short list. The module’s touchscreen interface is, by DrumSpy’s account on the 5X, slow and a little dated. And EFNOTE’s US dealer network is small, so trying one before you buy is hard in most of the country.

Our score: 8.8 / 10. The best-looking mid-size kit on sale, with sound and outputs to match, for players who shape their own kits.

Who it’s for and who should skip it

Good fit

• Recording drummers. Eight USB audio channels out and two back in means separate kick, snare, tom and cymbal tracks without an audio interface. Our guide to e-kits for recording compares this with the Roland options.
• Small stages, churches and jazz rooms. The kit looks like drums on a visible stage, and the sound engineer gets a quiet stage with full control of level.
• Acoustic players who want a real kick drum. A 16-inch shell with a mesh head is a different target than a kick tower.
• Players who like a short list of good kits. EFNOTE’s approach is a few recorded kits you tune and adjust, not hundreds of presets.

Skip it if

• You want a big library of electronic and genre kits. The sound set is acoustic-first.
• You need hi-hat bell sounds. The 14-inch hi-hat has a cup zone, but the module does not support it.
• You are a first-time drummer on a budget. The kit is easy to play, but you pay for looks and tone, and you still need a pedal, hi-hat stand and throne.
• You live above someone. A 16-inch kick drum and double-headed shells are louder underfoot than a small kick tower, which I cover below.

Is the EFNOTE 5 still current?

Yes. As of November 2026, Kraft Music lists it in stock in White Sparkle, Full Compass carries it, and Thomann has listed it since April 2021. It is not discontinued and there is no announced successor.

EFNOTE also sells the EFNOTE 5X, which Full Compass lists with the same shells plus a second 13×13-inch floor tom and a second 16-inch crash, in a black oak finish, run by the EFD-5X module. If you want three toms and two crashes, that is the version to look at. Above both sits the full-size EFNOTE 7X, and below them the pad-based EFNOTE 3.

What’s in the box

This is the four-drum set as Full Compass lists it in EFNOTE’s spec sheet.

Stands: check the listing

This is the one place where US listings do not agree. Full Compass says the snare stand and cymbal stands are sold separately, and lists EFNOTE’s EFD-SS5 snare stand and EFD-CS5 cymbal stand as options. Kraft Music and Thomann both list a snare stand and cymbal stands as included.

Every source agrees on two things: no kick pedal and no hi-hat stand. Thomann also lists no throne and no headphones. Ask the dealer for the exact parts list before you order, and budget for a kick pedal for electronic drums and a standard hi-hat stand either way.

The module and sounds

Kits and sounds

The EFD-5 module holds 17 editable preset kits and 83 user kits, 100 in all, plus a user instrument library of 128 slots for sounds you build. Thomann lists 98 multi-layer sounds. The instruments are stereo acoustic drums and cymbals, stereo percussion and attack elements you can layer on top.

That is a small library next to a Roland V51 or Yamaha DTX-PROX. EFNOTE’s idea is that each kit is a full, recorded drum set with its own character, so a handful of kits covers a lot of ground. DrumSpy counted about 15 distinct snares across the 17 presets on the 5X, and noted that the cymbals and hats draw on seven or eight samples.

How it sounds

EFNOTE calls its sample approach “Tru-Aco”: stereo acoustic samples with uncompressed waveforms, according to Kraft Music. Effects lean on room ambience and reverb rather than heavy compression. The result, as reviewers and owners describe it, is a drum set that sounds like it was tracked in a decent room before mixing.

That cuts both ways. Recording Magazine’s reviewer found EFNOTE’s kits dry and uncompressed, which made them easy to process later in a DAW, but noted some kits sounded too dry at first. DrumSpy was harsher on the 5X: it called the sounds decent but lacking variety, the library thin, and the crashes “a little abrasive” though mostly good. Thomann’s owner ratings, on the other hand, average 4.9 out of 5 from 15 ratings.

Dynamics and repeated notes

DrumSpy reports one sample per velocity step on the 5X, which means loud, even 16th notes can produce the “machine-gun” effect. Recording Magazine heard the same on fast snare and tom rolls with EFNOTE’s 3X and 7, while noting it is largely masked in a mix. Its reviewer also found the kits respond best to a moderate or light touch, with hard hits sometimes making the sound jump.

If you play quiet jazz, worship or studio parts, that matters less. If you play loud, fast metal, it is a real limitation.

Editing

Per pad you get level, pan, tuning, muffling and a 2-band EQ, and you can layer pads. Kraft Music adds a level control screen, reverb, 10 output buses with per-pad output assignment and an assignable click. That covers what you need to shape an acoustic kit. It does not include modeling of shells or heads like Roland’s flagships.

Practice tools

The module has a multi-function metronome with a beat LED and built-in speaker, a stroke analyzer, a Rhythm Box with more than 90 basic beats (Kraft Music), a 15-track onboard recorder and a setlist feature for kit order and tempo per song. There are no coaching games in the Roland or Yamaha style. Pair it with a lesson app over Bluetooth audio if you want structured practice.

Pads and feel

Snare

The 12 x 5-inch birch snare has head, rim and a dedicated side-rim zone for cross-stick, with a multi-sensor double-layer mesh head. DrumSpy’s one complaint on the 5X snare was that the rim sits a little low, so some rim clicks did not register.

Toms

One 10 x 7-inch rack tom and one 12 x 12-inch floor tom, both with head and rim zones and double-layer mesh. The rack tom sits on a tom holder with a geared L-rod tilter. The floor tom stands on legs. DrumSpy noted on the 5X that the floor toms may sit low for taller drummers and that the rack tom has no adjustable ball mount, so the angle range is more limited than a modern acoustic tom mount.

Kick

The 16 x 12-inch kick is a real birch shell with a mesh batter, a beater patch, a wood hoop and storable spurs. Kraft Music says it has a dual sensor for single or double beaters, and Full Compass lists a bass drum riser to lift a 16-inch drum to a normal beater height. DrumSpy called the kick on the 5X “fantastic.”

Cymbals and hi-hat

This is where EFNOTE kits stand apart. The 16-inch crash and 18-inch ride each have bow, edge and cup zones, 360-degree flat sensing so you can hit or choke anywhere on the edge, and “weight simulation” for a more natural swing. The 8-inch splash has bow and edge zones. Recording Magazine’s reviewer wrote that the cymbals set EFNOTE apart from most other electronic kits.

The 14-inch hi-hat is a real two-piece top and bottom that mounts on any standard hi-hat stand with a 1/2-inch rod. It uses EFNOTE’s optical Tru-Motion sensing and needs only one cable. DrumSpy rated it on par with Roland’s hi-hats. The one gap: the module does not support the hi-hat’s cup zone, so bell hits on the hat will not give a bell sound.

DrumSpy also noticed that the hi-hat and splash cables are permanently attached to the pads. If one of those cables fails, you replace the pad, not a cable.

Hardware and footprint

There is no rack. The EFNOTE 5 sets up like a small acoustic kit: the rack tom and splash arm on the kick, the floor tom on its legs, the snare on a snare stand, and the crash, ride and hi-hat on their own stands.

From EFNOTE’s spec sheet:

• Tom holder: height range about 27.6 to 35.4 inches, 7/8-inch tube.
• EFD-SS5 snare stand: fits 12 to 14-inch snares, 19.7 to 25.6 inches tall, 3/4-inch tube, geared basket tilter.
• EFD-CS5 cymbal stand: 31.5 to 59 inches tall, 15.7-inch boom, geared tilter, cable holder.
• Module: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.9 inches and about 1.5 lb, on an arm with a phone tray.

None of the dealers I checked publishes a total kit weight or a footprint. Plan for roughly the space of a small acoustic bop kit, because that is what the layout copies. Any of your existing cymbal stands and hardware will work, which is a real plus for acoustic drummers who already own good stands.

The independent stands give you full freedom over placement. The trade is setup time: you position each piece like an acoustic kit instead of tightening clamps on one rack.

Noise for apartments

Every e-kit is quiet in the air and loud through the floor. The EFNOTE 5 is quiet for stick noise thanks to double-layer mesh heads and rubber cymbals, and one Thomann owner found it quieter than the Alesis Nitro Mesh kit they had before.

The kick is a different story. DrumSpy pointed out that the double-headed shells and 16-inch kick make the 5X louder than typical compact e-kits, and that this may bother neighbors. A beater hitting a drum shell sends more energy into the floor than a beater on a small tower.

For an apartment or a shared house, put the whole kit on a platform or riser, add a thick rug, and practice heel-down on the kick when you can. Our guide to making electronic drums quieter covers each step.

Connectivity and apps

This is the other big reason to buy the EFNOTE 5.

• USB audio: 8 channels out and 2 channels in, Mac and Windows (ASIO) support. Record each drum to its own track.
• USB MIDI in and out, plus Bluetooth MIDI in and out.
• 5-pin MIDI out for hardware.
• Audio outs: two unbalanced 1/4-inch TS line outs (outputs 1 and 2) and a stereo mini-jack phones out (outputs 3 and 4). Kraft Music calls this four analog outs, because the phones jack can be assigned as a second pair.
• Inputs: stereo mini-jack audio in and Bluetooth audio in for playing along.
• Power: 12V DC adapter.

DrumSpy measured a stick-to-sound time of about 4 ms on the 5X and found that the 8-channel USB audio records alongside MIDI without trouble. Recording Magazine found tracking eight channels over USB simple, and the kit worked well as a MIDI controller for drum software. Toontrack’s EZdrummer 3 has mapping presets for EFNOTE 3, 5 and 7 modules, so the kit also drives drum VSTs well.

Two limits to know. DrumSpy found that you cannot switch kits from a DAW. And one Thomann owner could not get a MacBook Air to connect over Bluetooth, so plan on USB for computer work.

What owners say

Public owner reviews are thin, as with every EFNOTE kit. Here is what I could find, with sources.

• Thomann: 15 ratings, average 4.9 out of 5. The written review I could read praised the sound and build quality, found it plug-and-play to assemble even for a beginner and quieter than the owner’s previous Alesis Nitro Mesh. Complaints: an iPad does not fit the holder, and a MacBook Air would not pair over Bluetooth.
• DrumSpy (5X, 4.1 out of 5): excellent triggering, a fantastic kick, hi-hat triggering on par with Roland, and one of the best-looking e-kits. Downsides: a library that lacks variety, a machine-gun effect on loud repeated notes, a dated and slow module, a touchscreen that needed calibration, and a price that promises more polish than you get.
• Recording Magazine (3X and 7): natural, dry samples that are easy to process later, and a kit chosen for a church to get rid of cymbal bleed. It also notes a learning curve, both in the tech and in how you play the pads.

The pattern is consistent. People buy the EFNOTE 5 for the look, the cymbals and the natural sound, and the complaints center on the module’s software and a few hardware details.

Problems and fixes

1. The sound feels dry or thin at first

The samples are raw by design. Add ambience, set tuning and muffling per drum, and use the 2-band EQ before you judge it. Recording Magazine found its first mix dull and planned to fix it by reassigning the headphone outputs, so check your output routing too.

2. Machine-gun rolls

Play the dynamics you would on an acoustic kit, rather than even, loud strokes. If you need perfect repeated hits for recording, trigger drum software over USB MIDI and keep the EFNOTE samples for practice.

3. False rim triggers

Recording Magazine saw false snare rim triggers on an EFNOTE kit, fixed by tightening the mesh head and adjusting the crosstalk setting. Check head tension first, then the module’s crosstalk values.

4. Hi-hat opens when you change kits

The same review found EFNOTE hi-hats default to open after a kit change. Give the pedal a press after switching, and set up the hi-hat sensor carefully with the stand you will actually use.

5. Rim clicks that do not register

DrumSpy found the 5X snare rim sits a little low. Raise the snare stand slightly or angle the snare so the stick meets the rim cleanly, then adjust rim sensitivity.

6. Touchscreen feels off

If touches land in the wrong place, run the touchscreen calibration, as DrumSpy had to on the 5X.

Upgrades worth buying

• A kick pedal. Not included. A good single chain-drive pedal is enough, and the dual sensor means a double pedal works too.
• A hi-hat stand. Not included. Any standard stand with a 1/2-inch rod fits the EFD-H14.
• Snare and cymbal stands if your dealer does not include them. EFNOTE’s EFD-SS5 and EFD-CS5 match the kit, but stands you already own will work.
• A throne with height adjustment, because the kit copies acoustic geometry.
• Closed-back headphones or in-ears. The room sound in these samples is lost on cheap earbuds.
• A riser if you play above a neighbor.

Alternatives

EFNOTE 3

Same sound approach in a pad-based kit with a 12-inch snare and a 16-inch ride, for much less money. You lose the shells and the two-piece hi-hat. Read our EFNOTE 3 review.

EFNOTE 7X

The full-size version: a 14-inch snare, 20-inch kick, two floor toms and a 20-inch ride. It costs far more and needs more space. See the EFNOTE 7X review.

Alesis Strata Prime

A full-size kick drum, a 14-inch snare and a big touchscreen module with sample import, for less money than the EFNOTE 5. It is more processed and more feature-packed. Read the Alesis Strata Prime review.

Roland TD516

Digital snare and ride, the V51 module and 32 USB channels. It is a pad kit, not a shell kit, but it outclasses the EFNOTE 5 on module depth. Our Roland TD516 review has the details.

Yamaha DTX8 Series

Yamaha’s premium kits with a choice of mesh or TCS silicone heads, wood-shell kick and the DTX-PRO module. See our Yamaha DTX8 review.

For the wider field, our list of the best professional electronic drum kits puts the EFNOTE 5 next to the Roland and Yamaha flagships.

Final thoughts

The EFNOTE 5 is not the kit with the deepest module or the most kits at its price. It is the kit that looks most like a small acoustic set, has some of the most praised cymbals in electronic drums, and records cleanly over USB. If that is what you want, the short preset list and missing pedal are easy to live with.

If you want hundreds of kits, a polished interface and a store down the road, Roland and Yamaha are the safer path. If you want a compact kit that sounds and looks like drums, put the EFNOTE 5 near the top of your list.