Tama all the way. They are the most recorded drums in musical history. Sure Pearl ,has a long list of top notch people in their endorsees list, but if someone offered you some cash and free drums to boot, wouldn't you play them?? Does anyone remember Mike Portnoy playing Mapex's??? He did for years. It's all a matter of personal preference. Right now, I believe there really are no "bad" sets out there. The Tama hardware is awesome. The Pearl hardware fits my '80's Pearl set.......... what's that tell ya??? No innovation in the hardware nor are they attempting to keep up with the competition as far as a change in material used in the mid level and entry level sets shells. Poplar??? C'mon. You can buy a Mapex (with a virgin bass drum shell, meaning there is no hole in it for the upper tom mount!!) or Sonor in the same price range which is 100% Birch or Maple!!! Just an observation here. I would honestly say ..... whatever makes you and your ears happy is what you go with. All companies have pro's and con's and with this being such a vague question, I don't think it's easy to really answer. Both companies mentioned have a long and decent history in drums. Here's a little fact for you all that you may not know .................. Tama started out making guitars in the early 1900's!!!!
