maximizer / exciter shopping

[Jimbobntnr]

I'm looking at some maximizers and was wondering if you could tell me which one you use, the pros and cons, and if I can trouble you to give me a recording of the same line with and without it in the chain.

Thanks a bunch.

[PaulSimonon]

From what I've heard the BBE and the Aphex models are the two best ones out there. I'm considering a BBE myself, sound pretty good to my ears at any rate.

[edgebass5]

the BBE site used to have a really great explanation of the difference between a maximizer and an exciter. I've owned BBE stuff, and played on Aphex Xciter stuff... BBE hands down.

I personally think the Xciter products sound like garbage. They completely over-hype the high end of your tone... admittadely they make the bottom end sound pretty good... probably better than the BBE due to it being less boomy, but the sacrifice to the mids and highs is too much for me to handle.