Wires vs Combustor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Wires
This audio plugin emulates a vintage wire recorder, transforming sound into lo-fi echoes and effects reminiscent of secret operations. It offers unique dubbing capabilities and can be used for creating atmospheric beats or experimental audio.
- Vintage wire recorder emulation
- Lo-fi echo effects
- Secret operation soundscapes
- Unusual dubbing echoes
- Atmospheric beat creation
- AUv3 and Standalone formats
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Made originally for military and secret service use across the Iron Curtain, in the hands of a few avant-garde musicians, the MN61 wire recorder became a magical lofi-tool and ghostly echo machine. Now this rare and rather finicky to operate piece of hardware is available for the first time as a faithful yet modern plugin. Transform your audio to the world of numbers stations and secret operations, dub out to very unusual echoes or make the most lofi beats to study too. Available as AUv3 and Standalone.
Combustor
This audio effect extension transforms tracks with a unique time-bending resonator. Create vibrant textures, subtle resonances, and dynamic sweeps. It's designed for electronic musicians and producers seeking to add wild or organic qualities to their sounds.
- Time bending resonator effect
- Creates distorted textures and physical resonance
- Envelope follower for dynamic control
- MIDI input for melodic control
- Performative interface
- AUv3 compatible
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*** Note: Combustor is an Audio Unit effect extension and requires an AUv3 compatible host app, like Logic Pro, Drambo or GarageBand. It does not run as a standalone app *** Combustor is a unique, wild resonating body fashioned to spice up or extremely transform your tracks. At the heart of Combustor is a custom time bending resonator that doesn't sound like anything you have heard before. You can create anything from vibrant, distorted texture, perfectly suited for "hardcore" electronic musicians, to subtle physical resonance, which is often lacking in synthesized sounds. Combustor contains an envelope follower, to create dynamic-controlled pitch or filter sweeps. It also has MIDI input, that controls resonator's pitch, to make something melodic and organic out of non-melodic sounds, like drums. With just a few knob turns, a boring sound can be turned into screaming madness that sounds like it went out of control. A simple and straightforward interface makes Combustor a performative tool that allows you to directly interact with your sound.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Combustor at $4.99 against Wires's $19.99. Combustor also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months). Wires's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (89% vs 80%). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Wires costs $19.99 and Combustor $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Wires holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 20 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Wires's written reviews are positive against 80% of Combustor's.
Wires ships an update every 10 months, Combustor every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Wires | Combustor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | $4.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (20 ratings) — better | 4.7 (20 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 88.9% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 20 | 20 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 62 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AudioThing Ltd. | BeepStreet |
Customer experience
Wires
Combustor
In-app purchases
Wires
No in-app purchases
Combustor
No in-app purchases








