Pearldrummer, I started with a ddrum D2 kit. It was entry level to say the least, but as it turned out it was fun to play, and it really wasn;t too bad for an entry level kit. It didn't take me too long to realize that I was serious about my playing, and I upgraded to a Gretsch Catalina Maple kit, and the difference in tone, and projestion was tremendous.
I know that the word around here is that the bearing edges on the ddrum kits are suspect, so people are advising to stay away from ddrum. The PDP kits have a very good reputation as a solid intermediate kit. If I were you, I would decide what type of sound I liked first. You'll just have to get to a music store (take you own sticks) and hit a few drums. Make sure you find out what wood each kit is made of, so you can compare the sounds. My preference was an all maple shell, because I liked the warm sound that the maple shells have. Other here prefer all birch shells, and some prefer blended wood shells. It all depends on what your ears like. Once you narrow down the sound that you like, you'll begin to narrow down the manufacturers to those that produce the kind of drum shell that you are looking for.
I hope that helps.
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