Best sounding/performing exhaust?

[jacobslide]

Looking to upgrade my exhaust system, and hopefully let loose some of the beast on to people's ears in the process.

Any recommendations on the best sounding/performing exhaust?

Cheers
Jake

[Blackstallion]

first off search.

Everyone will have different opinions for sound but performance wise anything thats 2.5 i.e Fast Intentions

I advice you to do more than catback..

[One Nice Audi]

Anything 2.5". Sound wise is up to you. Like my e60M5, I like my Supersprint setup while other said it's too quiet.


Edit:

Yeah, I still miss it.

[Kookie]

Looking to upgrade my exhaust system, and hopefully let loose some of the beast on to people's ears in the process.

Any recommendations on the best sounding/performing exhaust?

Cheers
Jake

All these things are relative. Where are you in the US? Maybe you could go to a meet and hear a couple different exhausts and make an informed decision this way?

I personally enjoy the sound of the Fast Intentions Resonated.. It's pretty civilized when you want it to be, and not when you ask for more..

Like i said, exhaust is all preference.

[SlideWays]

Gut your OEM precats at the least, or all cats. Or go for 2.5" downpipes (lots of options). This will help you get the best performance, mileage, heat maintenance, and sound from your exhaust system.

As for sound, go search youtube sound clips. 2.5" systems like FI are best for performance. Cheaper 2.5 systems like magnaflow are also good options. 2.25 systems like AWE or Milltek are better performing than stock, but don't flow as well as 2.5s (obviously).

Sound is subjective, so go listen to some clips. Or better yet, meet up with some people in your area and listen in person, both in and out of the vehicle.

Resonators can help tone down rasp (the metallic/tinny noise the exhaust makes) while non-res will be a bit more raspy (and debatably marginally louder depending on the size/type). Removing cats will also change the sound and reduce rasp. Some find that full catless and nonres has some drone to it, but YMMV.

I run gutted precats with an RS4 2.5" Magnaflow system. No rasp, no drone and a good growl at WOT, while still civilized at cruise/low RPM.

[jacobslide]

Thanks all. I appreciate the insight. Will do some more research. Understood that sound is opinion based. Cheers!

[M|R]

Catless 2.5" downpipes mated to a 2.5" fast intentions 12" resonated exhaust. Love it and it sounds like a beast at wot, sets off car alarms in open parking lots (dont even ask about garages).

All kidding aside, its a loud setup but it isnt obnoxiously loud or even raspy for that measure. Best advice, listen to lots and lots of yt videos and if you can, listen to some in person and find what you like. Fast intentions? Perhaps even corsa...its all about what you want but definitely go with a 2.5" system.

If you think swapping exhausts is where it stops...its only the beginning. It never stops, but thats half the fun

[jacobslide]

Being in California, is there anything I should avoid for DMV and smog check reasons?

[BUD-S4]

Here's my set up:

RS4 non-res Magnaflow + Milltek catless DP's

[Axel-]

OP, you do realize that there's a thread for this already right? It's called the Official Exhaust Compilation

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...st+compilation

[BUD-S4]

Being in California, is there anything I should avoid for DMV and smog check reasons?

My understanding is that they no longer use the sniffer. It's only a visual check now. So if you don't have a cell (check engine light) and everything else appears to be kosher you should be good to go.

[jacobslide]

No I did not, but thank you!

[quattroism25]

OP, you do realize that there's a thread for this already right? It's called the Official Exhaust Compilation

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...st+compilation

Maybe if someone stickied the damn thing like we've been asking. Yea I'm looking at you Mods.

[M|R]

Maybe if someone stickied the damn thing like we've been asking. Yea I'm looking at you Mods.

x2.....

[the huff]

Mine came with piggies and res FI. I'm pretty happy with the sound, though would like to do FI downpipes at somepoint.

[vdubjetta02]

haha I know, no one will sticky my damn Exhaust thread...... I forget that I even created that

[c13h18n2]

All I can say for sure is that 2.5" catless DP's and 14" resonated Fast Intentions cat-back sounds really bitchin. At low rpm parking lot or neighborhood speeds the exhaust note sounds good but it is refined. No obnoxious drone like you hear from those silly ricers but there is a base note. I can just hear the rumble/murmur sound of my car idling in my detached garage from inside my house if there is no other noise.

WOT is totally different. It's pretty shouty but it's a nice flat tone, too. No raspyness at all. Definitely a signature European sound in my opinion. I would compare the resonated version of this set up to a Grrrrrr/Rawr versus the non resonated set up which is a more snorty Rawr/Snarle lol

Hope I helped

[S4_Artillery]

Why are there so many responses and no answer?

OP, the best sounding cat-back is Corsa PERIOD. Be warned, if you run catless it will get a little obnoxious.

[dparm]

It's subjective. Listen to lots of clips, go to a few local meetups and hear them in person, etc.

That being said, Fast Intentions and Magnaflow are the two big sellers.

[vdubjetta02]

If you are not chasing power - AWE sounds fantastic

If you are chasing power gains - Labree, Fast Intentions and Stasis for the b7 sound great and are 2.5" systems

[TexS4]

I personally still want to know exactly how this exhaust was done on this S4 b/c it has such a nasty note to it. Only thing it says in the comments is that its "custom" Wish the music could be removed from the video too b/c this S4 sounds awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps1Yujh6UMA

[vdubjetta02]

I personally still want to know exactly how this exhaust was done on this S4 b/c it has such a nasty note to it. Only thing it says in the comments is that its "custom" Wish the music could be removed from the video too b/c this S4 sounds awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps1Yujh6UMA

my best guess is catless, with an X pipe and magnaflow mufflers.....

[dparm]

That video alone almost convinced me to buy an FI exhaust on the spot.

[42Quattro]

How come APR hasn't been mentioned yet...

[beemercer]

for performance, catless headers, old jhm xpipe and whatever nonrestrictive muffler you like the sound of

soundwise, same as above but with 2.5" milltek mufflers

If you are not chasing power - AWE sounds fantastic

If you are chasing power gains - Labree, Fast Intentions and Stasis for the b7 sound great and are 2.5" systems

from what I recall the crossover is placed fairly far back in the stasis systems and didnt look like the best design in general, Id skip it

How come APR hasn't been mentioned yet...

not sure if srs

[burdoogo]

Anybody running milltek catless dps with the FI catback? I'm hoping to have this setup soon.

And to OP, I honestly don't think you can go wrong with the FI catback. I'd look definitely look into that, and go from there. Just listen to some youtube clips and form your own opinion. I'll literally just sit and search for setups, and decide what I like, and what I don't like. Good luck!

[42Quattro]

not sure if srs

I was serious... maybe I'm mistaken but it is 2.5" is there something I missed, I bought my car with the system.

[vdubjetta02]

Anybody running milltek catless dps with the FI catback? I'm hoping to have this setup soon.

And to OP, I honestly don't think you can go wrong with the FI catback. I'd look definitely look into that, and go from there. Just listen to some youtube clips and form your own opinion. I'll literally just sit and search for setups, and decide what I like, and what I don't like. Good luck!

Yes, I have this...... LOUD AS NASCAR (filmed on android phone, imagine how loud it would be on a real camera)

catless & Non resonated

[burdoogo]

Yes, I have this...... LOUD AS NASCAR (filmed on android phone, imagine how loud it would be on a real camera)

catless & Non resonated

Oh yea, I watched all of your videos. Sounds beastly, man! Also really loud. I was thinking about getting the resonated version. How are the gains? Noticeable at all? Any fitment issues with the Milltek dps meeting with the catback?

[beemercer]

I was serious... maybe I'm mistaken but it is 2.5" is there something I missed, I bought my car with the system.

some were 2.25" some were 2.5", the general layout isn't flow conducive, and for the price you could do better

[vdubjetta02]

Oh yea, I watched all of your videos. Sounds beastly, man! Also really loud. I was thinking about getting the resonated version. How are the gains? Noticeable at all? Any fitment issues with the Milltek dps meeting with the catback?

Suprisingly my Milltek DP's fit like a glove to my FI exhaust. I just bought two new exhaust clamps (2" in length)

If you are going catless and it is your DD, I would recommend going resonated..... If you are running a high flow cat or piggies I would recommend non resonated. It all depends on the downpipe set up weather to go resonated or non resonated.