Zildjian introduced the Gen16 Buffed Bronze Cymbals at NAMM 2014. Chris Ryan demos the new Bronze series in the Gen16 family.

During the press meeting at NAMM 2014, Vice President New Business and Product Development John Roderick explained everything about the new Gen16 Buffed Bronze Cymbals. The most important goal was to improve the acoustic sound of the cymbals. For that, several changes were made to the first Gen16 cymbals:

- the contours of the bell were changed
- Zildjian eliminated the nickel plating and gave it additional lathing on the larger size models
- they have a rich buffed bronze finish to give the cymbals a warmer tone
- This all produces a richer sound; make the sound of the cymbals a little lower, resulting in more natural sounding cymbals.

Also:
- Zildjian expanded the capabilities of the Gen16 Digital Sound Processor (DSP)
- the pickup now has an enhanced DSP based on the new expanded EQ
- The final result: more natural sounding cymbals with a wider range with the tone shaping you have in the Digital Cymbal Processor (DCP)