I'm a guitarist and this is the first Cajon I've ever played or seen in person. That said, I've played for many years and do have a decent ear for tone. From the perspective of my rock/blues/pop-based sensibilities, this has a great sound. My kids have fun with it, and it does a surprisingly good job of taking on the role of a full drum kit during acoustic jams. I couldn't be more happy with it.

The German craftsmanship is much nicer than the cheaper brands "” it looks great and feels solid. The bass sound is on the more boomier side, as it doesn't quite have the dry sound that the more expensive Schlagwerks have (but also is much less expensive). The snare is crisp but a bit subdued, you may need to adjust and tune the cajon to get your desired sound. This unit doesn't have the adjustable snare apparatus, but you can remove it easily if you want to go snare-less.

Just minor gripe is the lack of a proper cushioning pad, as just the non-slip coating can be uncomfortable and quite abrasive if you have delicate clothes.

This thing sounds awesome. The bass is just crazy good - if you hit it right, and don't dampen the head, you will get lovely deep, resonating bass. Play it in a corner - it's really sweet. I wish the snare sound had a little more high end - it is FAT, which is really great most of the time, but I feel like a little higher crack might be nice. I won't dock a star for that, it's just personal preference, and most of the time I am very satisfied with the tone.

Overall, it is excellent, and I use it a lot more than I thought I would.

I have a song recorded with this cajon in it - I'd be happy to share it but I'm not sure how I'd do that, I doubt Amazon will let me put a link in here....

The media could not be loaded. This Schlagwerk cajon is fantastic! I know they are considered a more premium brand, and this has definitely lived up to that expectation.
I enjoy playing it every time. The construction is flawless, down to the beveled edges and corners. I play it at least once a week, and I find the lows are exceptional. It needed very minimal adjustments from the factory settings to produce the tones I have come to expect from cajons.

I thought I would use the removable snare option more, but I've found with the way the snares are placed, I get the sounds I want.
My one caution regards the removing/replacing of the snares. I believe the instructional video I watched showed a different model with a larger rear hole. The video showed the snares coming out with room to spare. On my cajon, the hole is smaller and requires a more careful extraction so you don't damage any of the snare wires. I think the hole size assists in producing the sound I love, so I am happy to take the extra ten seconds to carefully remove the snares when needed.

I was looking to buy a cajon for me and my son. We are both beginners on the cajon, but my son plays the drums so I knew he would pick up cajon playing in short time. I did some research and tried out some Meinl, LP, and Pearl models at a few Guitar Centers. I didn't want to spend much money, but I didn't like any of the cajons I tried out. This is a matter of taste, but I looking for a tight sound with bass notes that weren't overshadowed by the snares. Through reviews, buying guides, and YouTube videos (look for Cajon Comparison), I came to the decision that I wanted the Schlagwerk 2-in-1.

Man, it's an awesome cajon! I'm very happy with the quality of this cajon and the sound we get from it. And the best part is that the sound has been getting better over the 2 months that we've had it. It could be that we're striking the box more properly now than before, but it sure sounds better.

If you're in the market for a low-priced cajon to get started on, I would strongly suggest adding the Schlagwerk 2-in-1 to your list of possible buys. Yes, it costs more than the Meinl Headliner, but you owe it to yourself to give Schlagwerk a try, if possible, before making the final decision.