which is the better snare head?

I ordered a cheap new set of Remo heads and ended up with two snare heads (bought two separate "packages"). Just wondering which one would probably be the best to put on and which I should keep as a backup. The first is a 14 in. Coated Ambassador and the second is a Powerstroke something or other.

I know nothing about drum heads.

Two very different heads. The Ambassador is a single ply head. It is very responsive and can be tuned for clarity and articulate playing. It - and a heads of like properties are probably responsible for most of the familiar snare tones of the last 50 years.

The PS3 is a two ply head and has a self dampening design. (less ring basically) It is more durable under hard playing but may be on the unresponsive side for delicate playing.

Hey, thanks.

The PS3 is actually single-ply, if I'm not mistaken.

Got it. Single ply except on the outer ring. Assumed they were 2ply from the Pinstripe look. PS4s are 2ply.

Sorry.

I'd start with the coated Ambassador. This is as close to a "standard" head as it gets, they're used for everything from jazz to metal.

If you're playing out miked you might prefer the PS3 since it kills some of the ring. (You want that ring if you're playing unmiked.)

For some reason known only to the drum gods, I've never been able to get a good result from a PS3 on the snare, despite heroic efforts to do so. I lose the very high ringiness but I always end up with a strange low ringing tone I can never get rid of. Others do though, so it's probably just me.