** PLEASE NOTE I AM NOT A CAR EXPERT, JUST A NORMAL GUY WHO LOVES HIS CAR. EVERYTHING STATED IS OPINION AND YOU MAY FEEL DIFFERENT. THIS IS SIMPLY TO HELP THOSE WHO MAY BE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION.**
Hello fellow S4 drivers,
Because I have used this site considerably from the moment I purchased my 2005 S4, I thought I would contribute to a topic that is on the mind of every S4 purchaser -- A new sound to that V8...I don't know about you guys, but I don't want anyone thinking I am an A4. I want my car to sound like a true V8! (Which is does without any mods imo but nonetheless!)
Anyways -- After much YouTube watching, forum browsing, and Audi Service department chatting, I decided to go with the Milltek non-res cat-back.
First of all, I do attend many business meetings and I don't want to have some loud car that makes my associates wince. So the fact that I can feasibly ease up and keep the sound minimal was crucial to my decision. I conveyed this sentiment to everyone I spoke with and they all agreed to go with non-res cat-back, especially because I was not planning on getting DP's anytime soon. For those considering DP's, the non-res may prove to be extremely loud.
While in the waiting room, I could hear a car revving, nice sound, clearly a V8, and I knew it was mine. The sound wasn't overly powerful, but it did have the deep sound I was looking for. When the mechanic drove the car out of the work area, I could barely hear the difference. I was able to tell mainly during the points when he would give it a little rev. He told me he liked the sound, but didn't seem overly enthusiastic about it. (My thought was because he is used to hearing the 4 cylinder hondas put those stupid tin cans on their cars, and he just wanted a loud obnoxious sound...but who knows).
Once I started up my car, I could right away hear the difference, but then the sound returned to their normal decibal level. Walking to the back of the car, I could hear a lower, more (boom boom boom) sound than before. Sounded like a tamed muscle car. (Yay!) I don't know about you, but I like to get right into sixth to save gas. If you are a gas saver low rpm shifter, this exhaust is not for you. The drone made me stretch my jaw to pop my ears, making me consider calling the shop and telling them not to scrap my stock exhaust just yet. However, if you keep the RPM's over 2k, and shift at 3k, you do not get any drone -- just the nice rumble you bought this cat-back for in the first place.
Keeping the RPM's about 2k kept the droning sound away, and even at 3k in 6th it was not too loud for me. The car had the muscle car sound I was looking for without being so loud that people would be offended by it. When I came in to the garage (Trying to be as quiet as I could), I asked my dad if he had heard me come in. He said no. In short, from 2k+, the whineying engine is louder from the drivers perspective than the exhaust. However, roll down the windows and act like a dog and you hear the V8 symphony being exumed from t he car. It took a bit of getting used to to tweak my gas saving driving style to keep the car from droning, but in the end I really loved the sound. While I have not spent much time with the new milltek non-res catback, I can definetely tell I am going to enjoy it. (Yes, the throttle feels a bit quicker now -- they again I could be wrong because I am just an average joe)
In conclusion, I would definetely pick up a pair of non-res if you are looking for a nice sound. Everyone who has bought the res has complained they were too quite, and those with non-res complained of drone. If you tweak the driving a bit, you can cut out the obnoxious droning sound and simply have the nice muscle car sound to your v8.
The best part is when someone in an A4 asked me how he could get his car to sound like mine. I told him I am no car expert but I don't think thats possible, rolled my window up, and let him hear my new exhaust from a more appropriate position: many car-legnth's behind me.
If anyone ever has a question about the Milltek non-res I would be more than happy to field any questions. While I am no expert, I am sure many of you are not either. We are just consumers who learn from each other, and there is nothing wrong with that =)
I can be reached by email at [email protected]
(Ya Ya, I had a v6 mustand as my first car...I used to get laughed at for not having a V8 mustang. Guess who is doing that laughing now =) )
Thanks for reading this and I apologize for the legnth. Hope you guys find it helpful!!
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