When i was searching for thee drums for me i played them (all). Man, i dont want to be difficult here but i honestly dont know what guys see in Gretsch, i wasnt knocked out by the sound at all. Three kits of similar construction were my top three choices for tonal reasons which were DW, Ayotte, and Premier signias. The Signias just stood out as the warmest, beefiest sounding kit in the shop and thats what i took home. Premiers quality control was a total joke. I got some issues taken care of but it was a nightmare. Sound companies always comment on the sound of my kit.
People see in Gretsch what you see in Premier. A kit they like. Thats really all there is in the end. That's why there's more than one company making drums.