Santal 33 vs Symphony
Side by side. Scored honestly.
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Verdicts
Santal 33
Cardamom and violet open with a cool, almost smoky spice before sandalwood and cedar move in and take over the heart — smooth, dry, slightly milky wood with an iris edge that adds a powdery chalk note without going feminine. Leather stays low and clean throughout, never harsh, grounding everything into a skin-close dry-down that projects modestly but leaves a persistent, intimate sillage. It wears like worn wood and clean skin, not loud but oddly hard to ignore — fall and winter, for anyone who wants a unisex signature that reads as effortlessly considered.
Symphony
The opening is cool and powdery, iris and aldehydes hitting together with that slightly soapy, almost metallic lift that classic aldehydic florals are known for — refined rather than sharp. Rose steps in to soften the heart without turning sweet, keeping things restrained and slightly abstract. The dry-down is where it earns its price: sandalwood and amber build a warm, skin-close base that holds the powder without turning gourmand, while musk keeps sillage intimate and long-lasting. Projection is moderate — it announces, doesn't broadcast — Em dash — best worn in cooler months by anyone who wants something quiet and genuinely elegant, whether in a boardroom or a winter coat.
How they overlap
Santal 33 and Symphony share 2 notes (iris, sandalwood). The same note name doesn't always mean the same scent — different houses use different vanillas, different woods, different musks — but a multi-note shared spine usually does indicate genuinely-comparable wear character. The remaining notes (4 unique to Santal 33, 4 unique to Symphony) are where the divergence happens.
The buying decision
Santal 33 is the cheaper original at $245 compared to $600 for Symphony — about 59% less. Santal 33 has 5 scored dupes, with the top accuracy at 9/10 from Dossier Woody Sandalwood ($29–$49). Symphony has 5, top accuracy 8/10 from Khadlaj Island Dreams ($18–$30). On the budget side, Symphony's top-3 dupes start at $18 versus $29 for the other — the cheaper entry point belongs to Symphony.
Recommendation
Both Santal 33 and Symphony have credible top dupes (within one accuracy point of each other). The choice comes down to which scent direction you actually prefer — the descriptions above are the better guide than the scores.