The Best Sounding and Highest Quality Handpan for the Price
Like many longtime handpan lovers, I first came across this fascinating instrument by seeing the now widely viewed Daniel Waples video on youtube of his track "Hang in Balance." I had never heard an instrument so hypnotic in my entire life! The tone and notes perfectly encapsulated the emotions and feeling that I had been wanting to convey my whole life (as an amateur musician) playing the guitar, keyboard, and a host of other instruments but could never quite find the ability to express through those alternatives. I knew then and there that I would have to have this instrument, but upon a bit of research I realized just how expensive they were. The early PanArt models were over $4000!...alas, my new found love would have to wait.Fast forward nearly 10 years now, and after seeing a host of new musicians posting handpan videos on youtube, and the recent growth in the numbers of handpans at festivals, it was clear that a whole host of new brands were getting into the manufacturing of this instrument and that maybe it was time for me to revisit my long awaited dream of becoming a handpan owner and player.Scouring amazon turned up a whole host of options...so many options in fact that I was really quite shocked...and at prices that I could actually afford! But as any good value shopper knows...price isn't everything. If you're gonna shell out $500-$1000 of your hard earned money, you want to be sure that you are getting something of real quality and lasting value.Luckily, I feel that I struck gold (pun intended) on this golden Novapans handpan. It checked all the boxes for what I was looking for in my very first handpan:Tone (5/5) - the color of the notes this thing plays are truly as dark and beautiful as those coming from Daniel Waples original PanArt instrument that I first fell in love with all those years ago. Well done Novapans!!Sustain (5/5) - with a properly placed strike of this handpan, you will get sustain for DAAAAAAAYS, ok not days, but a very good length of time, and the pitch holds fairly consistent throughout that sustain as well which hasn't been the case of the few others that I have triedVolume (5/5) - This thing can truly project tone quite a ways. I play this thing on the beach with loud waves crashing, people talking, and drummers drumming, and this thing still cuts through the mix, which is something that is definitely not true of other handpans or Rav Vast Drums I have tried in the same setting.Size of sweet spot (4.5/5) - I feel the sweet spots of the notes on this instrument are actually quite large (especially when comparing to something like a Rav Vast drum). There are a couple notes that have a somewhat smaller and inconsistent sweet spot area when comparing to the rest of the notes, though it doesn't take long to find the right spots to hit and when you do you are greeted with such a gratifying experience.Tuning (3/5) - Being an amateur musician with a small music studio, of course I had to do a bit of testing when I received this thing. Out of the box this instruments tuning was decent. Not perfect, but not terrible for what you are paying for it. Out of the 9 notes, 6 were either spot on or within 5 cents of being so. That left 3 that were around 20-25 cents off of target (1 flat and the other two sharp). Having only had it for a few weeks, I cannot attest to how well this tuning will hold or which direction it will go if it does start to drift, but so far having taken it to the beach multiple times and having it passed around by friends (some with not so gentle a touch), I can say that it has held its tuning thus far. I will come back here to update this review should I notice anything alarming.Durability (5/5) - Taking this thing from the studio to the hot trunk of car to a cold and rainy beach at night, this thing has seen a variety of weather and treatment conditions in its short time with me and it is holding up quite nicely! Have not noticed any denting or pitting or scratches on the material surface yet. The gold finish (though it is a magnet for finger smudges) is holding up very nice as well! The padded case is a great companion too which should hopefully keep this instrument in good shape for years to come.Aesthetics (5/5) - This thing is gorgeous. Plain and simple. The gold finish is classy, doesn't look like cheap plating or anything like that, the black rubber ring is a nice contrast to the gold, and the laser etched logo is cool touch.Overall Value (4.65/5) - With so many handpans out there on the market these days, most of which are significantly more expensive than this one, I feel this option is literally one of the best values that money can buy today. While this is the first one I have owned, I have played a number of others from other brands (both more and less expensive than this one), and I can say that none have been as pleasing and effortless to play as this one. What more could you ask for at this price?UPDATE after 2 years of ownership:I had a friend borrow the handpan for over a year and didn't take good care of it (using it on the beach and allowing it to get wet with salt water and not cleaning it afterwards), which resulted in slight rust spots showing in the nitrided gold finish, which honeslty was a definite sad day for me, but thankfully this version is the nitrided steel type because any other type of handpan would have been in much worse condition than this was in given the circumstances. I ended up using a fine grain steel wool abrasive pad to remove the rust spots (which removed a bit of the gold nitriding coating) but I was able to thankfully remove all the small specks of rust that were starting to show and after a good cleaning with rubbing alchohol, I finished up the cleaning session with a light layer of coconut oil and she was looking like new (aside of the discoloration spots where I was forced to remove the gold nitriding).Also, due to the poor treatment from this "ex-friend", the notes were a bit more out of tune than when I first received it (many more than 50 cents sharp or flat) which prompted me to figure out how to tune it myself which I took a little time to do (since sending it in to be tuned would be cost prohibitive), and thankfully was able to get all the note fundamentals and their 2 most important overtones (the octave and fifth above that) all within 5-20 cents of being perfectly in tune which is close enough for all the playing I do.All in all, this handpan has been great, still has an amazing tone, and I have learned my lesson of lending out my instruments to friends, whether its for a special ceremony or not.
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 GP 
 
2024-02-25
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Well Packaged, Bright sound.
This is my first 12 note handpan and so far I like it. It has decent sustain and all the tone fields sound bright. However, the A3 note is unstable. I may have to have this tuned by someone who knows how. It came packaged very well. The case is good quality. The Ding is off-center to accommodate for the 2 high notes. The Novapans website has some decent tutorials to get you started. Overall I recommend this Handpan, I just wish it was a bit more in tune.
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Tom 
 
2023-06-25
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
What an amazing instrument!
I have wanted a handpan forever and just assumed I'd never be able to afford one. I was so surprised when I had the chance to try one of these and realize that there are now affordable handpans that sound great! I'm sure that the more expensive handpans have improved tone, etc. and for the right people the extra cost is worth that, but for me, this is all I need. If you have put off buying one because you assume the lower cost handpans are junk, I would highly recommend that you reconsider and purchase this instrument!
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Amazon Customer 
 
2023-06-12
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
It's beautiful!
This review is for the 12 notes stainless steel handpan. I'm extremely pleased at the quality for price of this instrument. As a musician I was worried i would not get something in tune or it would be like the dead Chinese instruments I tried at NAMM. It sounds wonderful and I'm very happy!
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Amazon Customer 
 
2023-05-26
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Great value!
I love this hand pan! Easy to play with bare hands. Beautiful sound. I do think, however, one of the notes is off. I’m not an audiophile but it does sound a bit off key. Overall good value for the price point. I appreciate the carrying case that came with it! I’ve taken it on short hikes to drum by the ocean.
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Water Mystic 
 
2022-07-31
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Gen 3 Novapan
The Gen 3 from Novapan is a great instrument if you are looking for a handpan that you can record with and play with others while not spending $2000-$3000. Arrived very well tuned harmonics and all and sounds phenomenal. It's expensive compared to other offerings on Amazon but it's worth it. Couldn't be happier with the purchase.
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Ryan Davis 
 
2022-05-30
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
High value with quality production
I looked around at forums and video reviews for months. I began focusing on Novapans and had some communication with the owner. With a bit of anxiety I finally made the decision to purchase and couldn't be happier.I'm a novice and am confident this instrument with provide me with years of practice and playing. For the price and quality, I don't think there's a better option out there.
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Kman 
 
2022-05-03