Fragrance comparison

Aperture vs Thebes Grade 1

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 24 Oct 2026 186 ratings analysed

Aperture

Ulrich Lang

4.3094 votes

Rank #10,998 MuskyAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Thebes Grade 1

Sultan Pasha Attars

4.1392 votes

Rank #5,467 White FloralAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Thebes Grade 1 takes 5 of 7 categories.

Aperture
Choose it for a musky and aldehydic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Thebes Grade 1
Choose it for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Aperture2/7

Thebes Grade 15/7

Ratings & consensus: Aperture
Community sentiment: Aperture
Longevity: Thebes Grade 1
Sillage & projection: Thebes Grade 1
Value for money: Thebes Grade 1
Versatility: Thebes Grade 1
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Thebes Grade 1

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

ApertureUlrich Lang

Thebes Grade 1Sultan Pasha Attars

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.30/ 5 · 94 votes

Have 27%Had 6%Want 66%

4.13/ 5 · 92 votes

Have 41%Had 7%Want 52%

Category winnerApertureRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

26%Like

1%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

94 votes

59%Love

18%Like

8%Ok

15%Dislike

0%Hate

66 votes

Category winnerApertureMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevityThebes Grade 1

SillageThebes Grade 1

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value34

¤ Price value64

Category winnerThebes Grade 1Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

aldehydic92%

fresh84%

amber77%

white floral69%

animalic61%

white floral100%

animalic92%

earthy84%

woody77%

iris69%

fresh61%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both white floral, animalic and fresh

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesPink PepperBlack PepperWhite Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

TobaccoLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineCedar

Base6-8+ hrs

AmbergrisMuskVetiverAmber

Top

Lily-of-the-ValleyRoseAldehydesBergamot

Heart

IrisBulgarian RoseJasmineMusk

Base

VetiverAnimal notesAmbergrisAmber

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Ambergris. Durations are only published for Aperture, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring83

Summer24

Fall100

Winter72

Day100

Night64

Spring88

Summer29

Fall100

Winter88

Day80

Night100

Category winnerThebes Grade 1Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men34

Unisex66

Women0

Work 33%Casual 31%Date 25%Party 11%

Men25

Unisex63

Women13

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#10,998

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews15

Overall rank#5,467

PerfumerSultan Pasha

Launched—

Reviews32

Category winnerThebes Grade 1Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Aperture by Ulrich Lang is a cool, aromatic woody scent that captures the crisp chill of a photography darkroom. The fragrance opens with an icy prickle of white pepper, black pepper, and pink pepper suspended in airy aldehydes. As the initial sharp burst settles on warm skin, dry cedar and sweet pipe tobacco take cen…

Reviews →

Thebes Grade 1 by Sultan Pasha Attars is a somber, meditative floral composition for those who appreciate the intersection of animalic depth and powdery iris. It features lily-of-the-valley, iris, and a challenging vetiver base, making it a distinct choice for cooler weather. This unisex attar requires patience, rewar…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Aperture or Thebes Grade 1?

Thebes Grade 1 takes 5 of 7 categories. Aperture is rated 4.30/5 from 94 votes; Thebes Grade 1 is rated 4.13/5 from 92 votes. Choose Aperture for a musky and aldehydic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Thebes Grade 1 for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Aperture or Thebes Grade 1?

Thebes Grade 1 lasts longest (Thebes Grade 1 78/100, Aperture 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Aperture or Thebes Grade 1?

Projection is very close: Thebes Grade 1 68/100, Aperture 66/100 for sillage.

Do Aperture and Thebes Grade 1 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, animalic and fresh accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Ambergris.

Is Aperture or Thebes Grade 1 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Thebes Grade 1 is the stronger pick. For winter, Thebes Grade 1 is the stronger pick. Aperture suits daytime wear; Thebes Grade 1 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Aperture and Thebes Grade 1?

Aperture has top notes of Aldehydes, Pink Pepper, Black Pepper and White Pepper, heart notes of Tobacco, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Cedar, a base of Ambergris, Musk, Vetiver and Amber. Thebes Grade 1 has top notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Rose, Aldehydes and Bergamot, heart notes of Iris, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine and Musk, a base of Vetiver, Animal notes, Ambergris and Amber.