Which exhaust should i get? APR or Thermal?

[eurogruppe]

Ok i need to make a quick decision on which one to get, APR Sport or Thermal Race? APR is 2.5" and Thermal is 3". I want the car to sound nice and beefy, dont really care bout the loudness i just want a nice mellow tone, no rice. I will be adding a 3" test pipe to which ever exhaust i get. Eurocode tuning has the Thermal Race for 899 shipped, which ECS has the APR Sport for 950, plus tax plus shipping...so right now Thermal is looking better as far as price but i dont know?

[illaudiill]

Ok i need to make a quick decision on which one to get, APR Sport or Thermal Race? APR is 2.5" and Thermal is 3". I want the car to sound nice and beefy, dont really care bout the loudness i just want a nice mellow tone, no rice. I will be adding a 3" test pipe to which ever exhaust i get. Eurocode tuning has the Thermal Race for 899 shipped, which ECS has the APR Sport for 950, plus tax plus shipping...so right now Thermal is looking better as far as price but i dont know?

Over rated APR dont get.....

[Audi Skate Snow]

Thermal Race exhaust is hands down one of the best sounding exhaust ive heard... i had it for 2 years.

[piaadoll]

Thermal looks pretty but I've heard it can drone.

good luck with your choice!

[Spinnetti]

APR, made by Billy Boat is well constructed but has several design flaws, The pipes break out of the cans sooner or later, and the center resonator is HUGELY restrictive. I'm on my 3rd one after two failures, and this time have a "Y" pipe ("Sport" version) in the middle and I tig welded in a Vibrant straight through resonator in place of the original restrictive one. Makes great power, and I couldn't imagine it an 1.8T sounding better than this, but it is right on the edge of too loud at cruise.. I'd say try the Thermal, and avoid the APR headaches.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

apr is really quiet

[widgget]

i wouldn't trade my thermal r&d race system for anything else on the market.

Click the link in my sig for my other mods, but you can get an idea of what it sounds like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O89ZbybiQU

[illaudiill]

APR, made by Billy Boat is well constructed but has several design flaws, The pipes break out of the cans sooner or later, and the center resonator is HUGELY restrictive. I'm on my 3rd one after two failures, and this time have a "Y" pipe ("Sport" version) in the middle and I tig welded in a Vibrant straight through resonator in place of the original restrictive one. Makes great power, and I couldn't imagine it an 1.8T sounding better than this, but it is right on the edge of too loud at cruise.. I'd say try the Thermal, and avoid the APR headaches.

APR is reallly quiet especially on my friends GLI....he has full turbo back exhaustwith downpipes...ITS so quiet.

"well constructed but has several design flaws" you just contradicted yourself

[Spinnetti]

APR is reallly quiet especially on my friends GLI....he has full turbo back exhaustwith downpipes...ITS so quiet.

"well constructed but has several design flaws" you just contradicted yourself

I try to give you additional data points to make a good choice, and you come back like an ass. Nice job.

[A4 TSCHUSS]

Actually APR is a piece of shit if you want my opinion on it. Several members have had pieces crack on it. Only thing it is good for is if you want a rediculously quiet exhaust and some restriction.

[illaudiill]

I try to give you additional data points to make a good choice, and you come back like an ass. Nice job.

sorry ure points werent very valid

[SleeperAvant]

Go Milltek with a test pipe.

[italian a4 1032]

neuspeed

[MikTip]

I was installing Thermal exhaust systems on DSM cars many years before I bought one for my B6 A4. Their build quality is second to none! They sound good too!

[widgget]

Actually APR is a piece of shit if you want my opinion on it.

i second that opinion, and not just their exhaust systems.

who voted for APR?

[LampyB]

i've heard both APR and Thermal setups in person. with a test pipe the thermal had one of the most amazing tones i've ever heard. i could tell it was my buddy from two blocks away in downtown Denver, and i got so damn excited to see him fly by because his setup sounds f*cking incredible!

[A4 TSCHUSS]

well I guess their diverter valve and snub mount are junk too, but their big turbo kit is really nice and their intake hose is ok if you are running a k03 or k04

[CyberPMG]

Looks like APR is starting to move away from Billy Boat systems. Corsa Performance is doing the APR exhaust for the A3 and the VW GTI (Mk. V). I've heard it in person. Quieter than my current APR exhaust at idle and cruising speed, but gets on a sweet note when stepping on the gas. Better quality in construction too (I've taken a tour of Corsa's plant).

I have no idea if/when Corsa will introduce a system for APR. That said, the current Billy Boat / APR system does have quality issues. I'm on my 2nd exhaust after the main welds connecting to the front of the center resonator snapped (weak/poor welds). I had fitment issues with the replacement system (hanger brackets in wrong location on downpipe, and rubbing against drive shaft).

Go with Thermal or look at some other options.

[7speed]

Thermal or just go full custom

[eurogruppe]

thanks for the input guys, looks like the decision is clear...Thermal! i didnt know APR had that many problems, no wonder why they're moving away from B&B. Id love a Milltek but its a little too pricey, and imo the thermal sounds identicle to it. Neuspeed is ok, but for me it would be like buying a magnaflow or borla....just doesnt float my boat.

[[email protected]]

Milltek is the best 'quieter' exhaust and sounds great but it doesn't sound like a Thermal at all.

Thermal is real sexy at WOT

[AudiA4Turbo22]

APR equals the FAIL products

[TapouTx914]

Neuspeed =

[a4wd]

I say go with Neuspeed. SPP should have them available and it comes with a downpipe i believe. They sound pretty sweet to .As for me, I am running custom turboback with jeff lee testpipe (2.5") and magnaflow 14851's. The tone is nice, but it can def drone and I am actually using two resonators!! But I spent $600 total including the testpipe and install..full mandrel bent stainless steel piping...
But reading your thread again, I see you want a 3" downpipe, then you should def go thermal to not cause any bottlenecks in the exhaust.

However, I can say thermal with 3" is going to be hella loud.

[kneel]

NEUSPEED!!!!!!!! I have mine with a 034 TP and i love it
Heres a sound clip for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhDC8jXt92U

[A4SoftWalker]

Milltek is the best 'quieter' exhaust and sounds great but it doesn't sound like a Thermal at all.

Thermal is real sexy at WOT

Correct the APR sound is closest to the Milltek. I bought mine on sale but would not recommend it due to the weld issues with the center resonator inlet. If you want a "quiet" exhaust the choice is btw APR and Milltek

I'll have to say that I put a lot of research into the design and the failures b4 making my APR purchase and Spinnetti is also correct. The construction is as good as can be but the design/materials with the single inlet pipe places a lot of stress in a small area. Even the stock center resonator divided the stress into 2 inlet pipes and the Milltek follows this principle by using 2 separate resonators.

Now take a std car with the squishy motor/tranny mounts and more power from maybe a chip or a BT/BAT; that motor is going to be rocking back and forth with accelleration and decelleration - NOT GOOD FOR THE CENTER RESONATOR WELD.

When I bought my exhaust I wanted improved breathing but not at the expense of noise and a "Made in the USA" product if possible. I figured that with the lifetime warantee I would take the "calculated risk" of getting APR and doing the following:

1) Mounting the "improved" 034 engine and tranny mounts to reduce engine movement and hence the stress on the exhaust system and most importantly the center resonator.
2) Switching out the "old" exhaust hangers for new ones.
3) Prepping and painting the welds going into and out of the resonator/mufflers with 4 coats of hi-temp exhaust paint.

I'm not in a snow belt state so not sure if my results will reflect on others but its almost a year now and I'll be the 1st to point it out here if I have to make a warantee claim.

That being said I voted for Thermal since the OP was not worried about a little noise.

[Skeee]

Eurocode said that Thermal is been sold to Decorsa, so an Exhaust that is built by Thermal with decorsa logo.. Any thoughts?

Just bought my Thermal/Decorsa from them 2 weeks ago and got it installed.. I totally loved it, the fitment and quality is top notch.

[F16HTON]

You are correct. Thermal R&D just manufactures the exhaust and DeCorsa distributes it.

[dougyfresh]

I have an APR 'stealth' and I do have one crack on the center resonator but it is not progressing so I'm comfortable with it for now. It sounds great to me. Pretty quiet. I can't complain, I bought the whole kit with around 500miles on it including a new Forge DV for $400

[A4SoftWalker]

I have an APR 'stealth' and I do have one crack on the center resonator but it is not progressing so I'm comfortable with it for now. It sounds great to me. Pretty quiet. I can't complain, I...

Where is the crack on ur center resonator??? On the weld(s) middle of the structure, input, output, or ???

[eurogruppe]

You are correct. Thermal R&D just manufactures the exhaust and DeCorsa distributes it.

Yes i ended up ordering the decorsa a few days ago, along with the atp 3" tp...should have it sometime next week and installed by the weekend. Will have pics and video's to follow up. thanks for the help guys. btw ended up getting the exhaust for 949 with free shipping.

[MikTip]

Yes i ended up ordering the decorsa a few days ago, along with the atp 3" tp...should have it sometime next week and installed by the weekend. Will have pics and video's to follow up. thanks for the help guys. btw ended up getting the exhaust for 949 with free shipping.

Thermal makes 4" tips...

[a4husslin]

Everyone talks about how the apr exhaust cracks? Is that the sport version or the stealth? I have been running the sport for 2 years and I am under my car every weekend and it still looks flawless and it still sounds badass! And quiet it is definitely not.

[Turbo1A4]

where did you order your thermal from?

[widgget]

got my thermal from some place online, was $719 shipped (did not include the down pipe).

[phsingl]

APR stealth - 6 months and 7000 miles. Fingers crossed but its been fine so far...
Fit and finish was excellent - couldn't have been easier to fit. I guess I'll keep an eye on the suspect weld-point and wait.

[eurogruppe]

Thermal makes 4" tips...

3" Test Pipe

[festerfm]

here is my b6 w/ apr sport and testpipe... was on the car when i bought it... dont mind me talking..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNL5tDJSKNc


and for the record, the euro tails are gone... liked the factory ones better... was coming from a cheap japanese non-honda w/ eurotails and bought them 2 days after i got the car... i've grown up..

and for the record in the 2 yrs i've had the car w/ the apr sport, theres been no cracking or anything.. no probs whatsoever... the only mount i replaced was the snub, all the rest are factory... does replacing the motor/trans mounts make a noticeable difference?? i had a neon that i put stiffer mounts all around along w/ a solid trans mount and it vibrated inside the car pretty badly.. is audi the same??