Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Hi all,
I'm curious about where people have ended up with their
choice of sticks to play on the DTXpress. I did the natural
thing and just stayed with my faithful Vic Firth Am. Classic
5A's and was very satisfied until I flipped them over and played
the butt end on the snare. Whoa. Totally different sound. Much
more power and depth on all the drums.

I remember someone else saying that they actually were switching
to mallets to get this "power" sound. Obviously, the balance and 
rebound of the stick is, in my mind, negatively effected by playing
the butt or with mallets, so is there a tipped stick that contacts
the head with more surface area than my 5A Firths and still has 
the weight and balance? I'm thinking that a round nylon tip might 
be better. 

I'm going to experiment a bit but has anyone else beat me to it?

Later,
Rick