Aulos 509B Symphony Alto Recorder

69 Customer ratings

4.6 / 5

You have to be logged in to rate products.

Note: To prevent ratings from being based on hearsay, smattering or surreptitious advertising we only allow ratings from real users on our website, who have bought the equipment from us.

After logging in you will also find all items you can rate under rate products in the customer centre.

response

features

sound

quality

47 Reviews

Aulos 509B Symphony Alto Recorder
$39
The shipping costs are calculated on the checkout page.
In stock within 3-4 weeks
In stock within 3-4 weeks

This product is expected back in stock soon and can then be shipped immediately.

Standard Delivery Times
1
M
A fine plastic alto recorder. Highly recommended.
Mark9073 20.03.2014
I own two plastic alto recorders: the Yamaha YRA-302BIII and the Aulos 509B "Symphony". In this review, I will compare the two recorders: I wondered for some time which of the two I should buy and a direct comparison such as this would have been helpful to me at the time.

In terms of build quality and finish, there is nothing to choose between the Yamaha and the Aulos. They are both extremely well-finished; the joints are tight; they both come in a decent protective case. They are both very attractive musical instruments.

Both recorders are easy to play, in all registers. Reaching the highest notes is not a problem on either recorder.

I have read adverse comments on the web about both of these recorders regarding their intonation. I would disregard these comments entirely. If you were to attempt to play every single note on *any* recorder using exactly the same breath pressure, you would find that some notes played out of tune. This is the nature of the instrument. It is up to the player to play an instrument well in tune by applying the correct amount of breath pressure to each note. Regardless of what you may read elsewhere, don't worry about the intonation of either of these instruments; you will have no trouble playing either the Yamaha or the Aulos in tune.

One difference between the two is that the windway of the Yamaha is somewhat narrower than that of the Aulos, which means that there is more resistance against your breath when you play the Yamaha. This also means that the Aulos sounds louder than the Yamaha - the wider windway means that you blow more air into the instrument. Neither is "better" than the other in this respect; but they do differ and you may prefer one over the other.

Volume aside, the Yamaha has a very different tone quality to the Aulos. In my opinion, the Yamaha sounds more refined and poised, whereas the Aulos sounds more robust and meaty. In terms of tone, I can't say that I prefer one over the other; they both have their merits and I enjoy the sound of them both.

I find that the Yamaha's narrow windway causes it to clog sooner than the Aulos and I do find this annoying. Of course, the Aulos clogs too, eventually. A quick suck clears the windway of condensation on either recorder and enables you to continue.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend either of these recorders. They are both excellent musical instruments and if you're in the market for a plastic alto recorder, I don't think you would regret buying either one. If I were forced to choose between these two recorders, it would not be an easy decision. I think that I would probably choose the Aulos over the Yamaha, mainly because it
does not clog quite so readily. But then I would miss the delicate tone of the Yamaha...
features
sound
quality
response
49
0
Report

Report

j
Great choice for beginners
jcpeeters 04.09.2018
Compared to Yamaha a bit less resistance.
features
sound
quality
response
4
1
Report

Report

B
Bottegin 01.05.2018
I can't say I'm an expert. I love the sound it seems to be quite easy to play. I think it's good value for money.
features
sound
quality
response
1
0
Report

Report

M
Excellent product
Minh-Hoang 30.06.2020
After 2 months with the cheaper Thomann Alto recorder, I decide to buy this recorder. The air-tight design enables Aulos to play high notes easier and much cleaner. The aesthetic is my least favourite trait: I add a coat of other material to imitate the wood. Overall, it is a great product from Japan!
features
sound
quality
response
0
0
Report

Report

A
Beautiful sound
Aiden 22.07.2013
Having learned on a standard soprano recorder, it's lovely to hear the same tunes on this instrument. Lovely earthy sound. For those who are a bit bored with the soprano recorder sound, this is a great solo practice instrument.
My interests: Baroque tunes, Henry Purcell.
Uses: Personal practice
features
sound
quality
response
2
0
Report

Report

YL
good
Yuanshi Li 13.08.2020
compared to yamaha 300 series, it has a more wide "windway" and also
a larger bore , it brings a wide and airy sound.
More difficult to control than 300 sereis , but can make a very colorful sound if you have a good contorl.
features
sound
quality
response
0
0
Report

Report

B
Nice recorder for price
Belosneg2 29.07.2019
It was bout for home studio. Just for recording. It has realy nice balanced sound. It's comfortable. Sound is little bit cold if you copare it with wood recorder. But may be it just seems.
It's suitable for hands, not so big. Bur soprano recorder seems very small ater that.
That is workhorseю
features
sound
quality
response
0
0
Report

Report

N
A nice plastic alto
Nikosper 30.11.2020
Strong sound and speaks well in all registers. In tune but sometimes the "plastic" sound color it's more present. very good feeling as fas as the weight concerns.
features
sound
quality
response
1
0
Report

Report

Aulos 509B Symphony Alto Recorder