There most certainly is a difference in the sound you get from each drum and in my very humble opinion the SS is the more versatile of the two! Supra's sound like Supra's, but SS's can be made to sound like a Supra, or Concert/Symphonic snare drum and everything in between!
Recall the sound of a crisp, articulate snare drum in a symphony orchestra. That's the music setting where SS's really shine and where they demonstrate what they can do, that Supra's cannot. They are also great for jazz, rock, Blues, just about any application you can think of. It just takes knowing how to tune them and how to adjust the snares for the sound you desire. I have been a huge fan of SS snares all my life. I always have at least one, more often two (one 5" and one 6.5" depth,) in my stash. Once you figure them out, you've got an amazingly versatile drum on your hands. I've learned them so well at this point, I can pull just about any sound I want out of them, from open and wet, to desert dry. It's worth the effort to learn how to set them up properly.
Tommy - Ludwig's hammered bronze drums are (for my money and ears,) the best sounding drums Ludwig ever manufactured. Bar none! I am always surprised at how few drummers are hip to them. They knock Supra's and everything else right out of the box.
John
