Aphex 204 Aural Exciter

[worrasf]

Has anyone any experience of the Aphex 204 Aural Exciter (steady now) :lolsign:
http://www.aphex.com/products/204-aural-exciter/

Seriously, I have been conversing with kevin at KAB about suitable MM cartridges for my Jelco 750 shod Technics SL-1210 and apart from some specific recommendations he threw the idea of getting one of these babies into the system. Well, it sounds a bit like heresy but I have a lot of respect for his opinions (also they are not mucho denari).

Anyone?

Steve

[Barry]

Has anyone any experience of the Aphex 204 Aural Exciter (steady now) :lolsign:
http://www.aphex.com/products/204-aural-exciter/

Seriously, I have been conversing with kevin at KAB about suitable MM cartridges for my Jelco 750 shod Technics SL-1210 and apart from some specific recommendations he threw the idea of getting one of these babies into the system. Well, it sounds a bit like heresy but I have a lot of respect for his opinions (also they are not mucho denari).

Anyone?

Steve

Great if you wan't to 'fizz-up' your music. But don't kid yourself it's got anything to do with fidelity!

Regards

[worrasf]

Hi Barry

That was my reaction as well - all looks a bit artificial.

Regards
Steve

[DSJR]

Oh I dunno, I had heard that the first Dire Straights' album was processed through one - and many of us loved the results...

I think a lot of LP's from the late 70's may have been processed with an Aphex as well, but I don't know which ones. This device was a hot gossip product back then as I remember - a load of "comb filters" apparently.

[worrasf]

:mental:

I can see a £200 ish experiment coming down the tracks :eek:


Steve

[Techno Commander]

Sounds like something Marco keeps in his cupboard. :)

[Beechwoods]

What are you trying to 'fix' Steve? Maybe there's a better solution elsewhere in your signal path, or in terms of component synergy?

[Barry]

Taken from http://www.superseventies.com/spdirestraits.html :

Communiqué. Produced by Steve Winwood's brother Muff and recorded using the Aphex Aural Exciter (a "black box" which adds natural harmonics to enrich sound quality) the album was a big hit with "soundies." In CD form, the bass and drum lines are tighter, Knopfler's stratospheric flights of Stratocaster fantasy less likely to hit a wall of dull distortion. But there is an overall "tubbiness" and thickness.

Also see: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/high-end/277571-why-aural-exciters-bbe-maximizers-taboo.html, for reasons why the Aphex Aural Exciter sounded ‘impressive’ in the late ‘70s. Hell, even Joe Meek used one, and we all know with what hit-single he made his name with!

Apparently it might also an alcoholic drink – sort of along the lines of the ‘Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster: http://www.thewombforums.com/showthread.php?t=11002&highlight=rum&page=3 . But then again it was likened to Vegemite: ”A little goes along way”.

The nail in the coffin is provided by: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan09/articles/classictracks_0109.htm, from which this is quoted:
Status Quo’s ‘Rocking All Over The World’ was one of the first UK albums to heavily feature the Aphex Aural Exciter. ‘Nuff said.

Regards

[worrasf]

What are you trying to 'fix' Steve? Maybe there's a better solution elsewhere in your signal path, or in terms of component synergy?

Hi Nick,

Not trying to "fix" anything - just enjoy messing around a bit. I'm under no illusion that the Aphex is a sound processor and so implicitly departs from default fidelity but at less than £140 second hand it might be fun to play with over the holidays. :)
In addition to my Vinyl and CD sources I also have a Wadia iTransport feeding a Beresford Caiman and it's in this rig that the Aphex might be interesting to play with.

Quote from email to me on the Aphex from Kevin at KAB - "if you try it out, let me know what you think.If you are like everyone I have sold these to, they will never part with them."

Regarding my main system I'm pretty much where I want to be at the moment. I recently acquired a NoS Nagaoka MP-11 Boron and I'm stunned by what it is doing - stunning tracking to boot. Bass extension and slam is just marvellous. I suppose my "Holy Grail" is to get a single MM that has the bass qualities of the MP-11 Boron with the finesse of my Astatic MF-100 or AT 150 mlx. I have suggestions of a Garrott Optim S2 from Barry at Decibel HiFi or a re-worked Decca Blue from Glenn Croft. I am also considering a Nagaoka MP-50. After discussing MM v MC with Glenn I am sticking to the MM as the phono stage in the Croft 25R is to die for :)

If I do take the plunge I will report back -

Steve

[DSJR]

I hated cartridges with a neutral response back in the 80's, so the charms of the Nagaoka's and Technics EPC205III passed me by while the flawed Asak and Rega R100 were the order of the day. Glad the old Nags are finding such favour today - shows hope for the current ones :cool:

[worrasf]

Well I've taken the plunge and ordered one of these brand new. Kevin at KAB has been a huge help with setup info etc. :respect:

I will post my findings in due course.

Steve

[worrasf]

I have had the Aphex in the system for a day now and my first impressions are highly favourable :)

I expect that many "purists" will denounce this as heresy and not high fidelity but after thinking through the subject I personally do not believe this to be the case. To my mind it is no different to me "shaping" the sound I want by using different valves in my pre and power amps and goodness only knows how many hours and dollar I have spent on that. Neither is it different IMHO to choosing/preferring one interconnect over another for the sound they produce.

While no expert like many senior members of AoS nonetheless I am confident in what my ears are telling me (well auditory cortex to be precise ;)) and that is that the Aphex is not adulterating the sound and going all "Lo-Fi". Having listened to tracks I know very well on CD and vinyl I am convinced there has been no diminution or degradation in detail, quite the opposite in fact.

I saw Ludovico Einaudi live in Leeds last week where he performed Nightbook and Divinere solo. The biggest difference I noted between the live performance and my CD back home was the bass overhang and mid/bass harmonics from his Steinway - this is what gave the music so much drive and power. My CD had all the detail and phrasing but lacked some of the pathos and emotion. Well guess what, with the Aphex in the system I have heard as near as damn it from my CD what I heard live.

I don't expect many to necessarily agree with me but if I could perhaps persuade Marco to arrange to demo one and report back I am sure more out there would be less sceptical.

Best £250 I've spent in a long while :cool:

Steve

[hornucopia]

If I look at the back of Linda Ronstadt's LPs, I'm sure I'll find that mentioned. "recorded with the Aurex Exciter.....

Great review! If it works for you, why not? It's the music we want to hear. Ignore the 'purists'........

[worrasf]

Just came across this very helpful and well written review of the Aphex 204.
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_11_3/aphex-204-big-bottom-7-2004.html

Steve

[jantheman]

I just listen to Nigella on Thursday evenings, she gets me as excited as I deserve to be....:lolsign: