[rjd_F30]

Hey everyone,

So I've been saying I'd do a write up on this subject for a while, but I was waiting to get some good videos and extensive seat time before I did it. I would've liked to have gone to the drag strip with the current Stage 2 setup to compare to Stage 1, thus making this write up a bit more objective, but I never got around to it. Hopefully I'll go in October, but I figured I'd just get along with it and post this write up without the drag strip comparison (look for updated times in sspade's N20/N26 Speed Rankings thread, hopefully soon).

EDIT 10/19/18: Went to the drag strip with stage 2, ran 13.088 @101.79. 12's are next! Just gotta figure out what I need to get there.

I already did a write up on my impressions of going from Dinan Sport to BM3 Stage 1, so if you're interested in that, here it is: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1495692. So, the next logical step would be to do an overview of Stage 1 to Stage 2, which constitutes the addition of a Catless DP, FMIC, and Stage 2 93 AGG OTS Flash from Bootmod3. Those are the bare necessities for Stage 2 IMO (some will argue you don't need the FMIC), but I also did one step colder NGK L/I spark plugs, which is a very common Stage 2 "complimentary" mod. So, this is that overview . I decided to break it up into two sections by 'performance' category, so sound and power.

Power and Power Delivery

With Stage 1, the car was certainly quick, putting down a solid 13.4 second quarter mile time. Far from shabby, but also not lightning fast, and I think that's a good representation of my overall impression of Stage 1. The car was definitely quick, enough so that it was worth it to pedal down every once in a while for fun, and enough that it put a smile on my and my friends faces, but it wasn't quick enough to shock you, scare you, or make you think "damn, I actually have a pretty quick car on my hands". It was about as quick as you would imagine a tuned 2.0L 4 Cylinder would be: quick, certainly, but not "fast". Regarding power delivery, it was smooth and came on predictably. It still had a turbo car feel, pulling harder at 3k as you roll into the throttle, but it was always predictable. The same sentiment regarding power delivery still rings true with Stage 2, as the power comes on exactly like it did with stage 1, it's just, there's a lot more of it. The power difference isn't blow-your-mind incredible, but it was immediately noticeable. Just a light dip into throttle at 3k in sport mode will quickly show whoever makes the jump to Stage 2 that the car is definitely quicker. After flashing Stage 2, as soon as I dipped into the throttle like described above, I started cackling like a child. "Good lord," or perhaps a more profane version of that phrase, were probably my first words. Now it's quick enough to shock you, considering it's still just a 328i, and to make you think "damn, I actually have a pretty quick car on my hands." To the pedestrian passenger, it's still not enough power to be frightening or death-grip-on-the-door-pull inducing, but I've had some pretty funny and mildly profane reactions to red-light launches. I feel like now, with Stage 2, it's fair to consider it a "fast" car, something that I wouldn't have said about Stage 1.

Another point worth hitting is the upgraded intercooler. While it won't increase power noticeably, it does noticeable help with heat soak. On the stock FMIC, the first pull would be strong, the second would be decent, and the third would be lack-luster. Now with the upgrade FMIC, all 3 pulls are strong. It's definitely a worthy upgrade, and it's cool to feel it working in real time on the street during back to back pulls.

So to conclude the power section: I wish I could be more objective, hence my desire to compare quarter mile times, but I'll just summarize like this: there is an immediately noticeable increase in power going from Stage 1 to Stage 2, enough that it is completely worth it to make the jump, IMO. It's still no M-Killer, but it's definitely a good bit quicker. Maybe a 335i killer

Sound

Perhaps the most important part of going from Stage 1 to Stage 2 is the installation of a catless downpipe. While the DP is the catalyst (pun intended) to the power gains described above, it also provides a huge improvement in sound. I already had an MPE with Stage 1, but with the AGG tune and catless downpipe, the car is much louder, which is fun, and it pops and bangs quite a bit, which is even more fun. Attached are some videos I've taken both before and after the catless DP and AGG tune. The first video shows revving on Stage one, stock DP and MPE, here for comparison. It's hard to properly display loudness on video, but it's definitely a lot louder with the catless DP. All the other videos are catless DP, Stage 2 AGG tune, and the same MPE. Also, pardon the vertical videos, that's my bad (or my cameraman's bad). Otherwise, here are the videos

Stock DP and MPE Revs:

Catless DP and MPE Revs:

Catless DP and MPE Fly-By:

Catless DP and MPE, Extremely Mild Parking Garage Burbles:

So yah, while it's difficult to accurately portray both tone and volume through video, you can get an idea of the difference. Overall, I'm extremely happy with how the car sounds with the Catless DP. Frankly, it sounds way better than any 4 cylinder has business sounding.

Okay, if you've made it this far, thanks for sticking with me Hopefully this was at least mildly helpful to anyone considering the jump from Stage 1 to Stage 2, or to whoever was curious. In sum, the car is quite a bit quicker, and sounds quite a bit better. If funds allow, make the switch, it's worth it if you ask me




EDIT 2/28/19: So BM3 released V2.1 of stage 2 for the N20 in December 2018, I only just got around to flashing it late February . Anyway, I was having some problems getting the burbles right, and V2.1 fixed it 100%! Certain DME types were not getting burbles, I guess I was one of them. Video, may update later with some more

[JG_Coupe88]

Great write up!!! Now I gotta jump to stage 2!!

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by JG_Coupe88

Great write up!!! Now I gotta jump to stage 2!!

Thanks! Looks like you've got all the hardware less the downpipe, go for it

[JG_Coupe88]

Originally Posted by rjdnyy224

Thanks! Looks like you've got all the hardware less the downpipe, go for it

The way you described it with stage 1"quick certainly"is spot on! Loving it, so I'm going to do it when I come back from Europe so sometime in Nov/Dec. You didn't do colder plugs?

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by JG_Coupe88

The way you described it with stage 1"quick certainly"is spot on! Loving it, so I'm going to do it when I come back from Europe so sometime in Nov/Dec. You didn't do colder plugs?

Certainly quick indeed, so I understand why you're happy with it for now.

And I did do colder plugs! Forgot to mention that, I'll throw it in there now. Thanks for pointing it out.

[bheng89]

sigh...And here I was thinking I was content with the MPE and stock cat. this video makes me want to go cat-less.

great write up for the comparison! Looks like I will continue my modding journey with this car after all. Those pops and bangs get addicting

Now for the question... do you think it'd be better/worthwhile to experience the stage 1 tune before getting a DP and FMIC?

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by bheng89

sigh...And here I was thinking I was content with the MPE and stock cat. this video makes me want to go cat-less.

great write up for the comparison! Looks like I will continue my modding journey with this car after all. Those pops and bangs get addicting

Now for the question... do you think it'd be better/worthwhile to experience the stage 1 tune before getting a DP and FMIC?

Haha, thanks! The MPE is awesome, but if you're wanting for more oomph in the sound department, going catless will give you that that

I initially got the Stage 1 tune assuming it'd be the last thing I did to this car, and look where that went So I'd say if you plan on ever going to Stage 2, which it sounds like you do, I'd just skip Stage 1 and go right to Stage 2. It'll be more fun that way too, because I'm sure going straight from stock to Stage 2 feels like a huge jump. In the end, I'm glad I got to sample both, but I probably would've gone straight to Stage 2 if I could do it over again. Hope that helps

[Steakpizza]

How would you say the difference in power is from Stock->Stage 1 vs Stage 1->Stage 2?

[BunkerJ]

Originally Posted by Steakpizza

How would you say the difference in power is from Stock->Stage 1 vs Stage 1->Stage 2?

Stock to Stage 1, you're only going to see a small bump in power but what you do notice is how smooth it is when you open her up on the road. Everything feels dynamic for the different situations and you end up with this smooth, linear power delivery. Stage 1 to Stage 2 is where you see the bigger jump in power. Now, I'm not saying it's going to throw you in your seat like supercharger "throw you in your seat", but you'll still feel the power difference alone from being pushed into your seat.

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by Steakpizza

How would you say the difference in power is from Stock->Stage 1 vs Stage 1->Stage 2?

I agree with Bunker on Stage 1 to Stage 2, there is (clearly, considering the thread) a good increase in the "pushed into your seat" feeling going from Stage 1 to Stage 2. I'm actually gonna disagree though, on the Stock to Stage 1 point. I think the difference from Stage 1 to Stage 2 is close to proportional to the difference from Stock to Stage 1. In other words, the percent increase in the pushed back in your seat feeling is almost the same going from Stock to Stage 1 as it is Stage 1 to Stage 2. The percent increase is definitely larger in Stage 1 to Stage 2, but not by all that much. The incremental difference is close to the same, from my experience. You could actually do the math on it with quarter mile times if you're smarter than I am . With Stock to Stage 1, I saw a .8 second reduction in quarter mile time (using 14.2 as the stock baseline from the internet) but I highly doubt I would see a .8 second reduction from my Stage 1 time to the Stage 2 time. Now I know that you would have to weight the power difference mathematically, i.e. 50whp makes little difference on a 9 second car, but a huge difference on a 14 second car... either way, you get my point.

[madmortar]

Nice !!

[BunkerJ]

Originally Posted by rjdnyy224

I agree with Bunker on Stage 1 to Stage 2, there is (clearly, considering the thread) a good increase in the "pushed into your seat" feeling going from Stage 1 to Stage 2. I'm actually gonna disagree though, on the Stock to Stage 1 point. I think the difference from Stage 1 to Stage 2 is close to proportional to the difference from Stock to Stage 1. In other words, the percent increase in the pushed back in your seat feeling is almost the same going from Stock to Stage 1 as it is Stage 1 to Stage 2. The percent increase is definitely larger in Stage 1 to Stage 2, but not by all that much. The incremental difference is close to the same, from my experience. You could actually do the math on it with quarter mile times if you're smarter than I am . With Stock to Stage 1, I saw a .8 second reduction in quarter mile time (using 14.2 as the stock baseline from the internet) but I highly doubt I would see a .8 second reduction from my Stage 1 time to the Stage 2 time. Now I know that you would have to weight the power difference mathematically, i.e. 50whp makes little difference on a 9 second car, but a huge difference on a 14 second car... either way, you get my point.

Good point of view. My experience of Stock to Stage 1 is more limited but because it's a smaller bump in power (Stage 1 probably nets you 15-25whp?), it didn't feel too different. I was also spoiled with Stage 2 power already, so that could've diminished it as well.

[Noelified]

Awesome write-up and videos. I wish I had taken video of mine before changing back to stock DP. After hearing this with the MPE, I think (for my purposes and DD) would have been a better choice than Catless DP and AWE suite. I started with the VRSF catless DP knowing I would go BM3 stage 2 with no plans to change the exhaust from DP back. To my disappointment a catless DP and stock catback sounds very tinny and not good at all. Reminder this is an N26 so I had the second cat as well which is an additional 400CPSI. With just the VRSF DP and BM3 not flashed yet, I got very minor pops on hard throttle and after each shift in sport+.

I was excited this week to get my AWE catback suite (single side). I installed it removing the stock catback in one piece. I have to say AWE makes some quality stuff and was easy working alone on jack stands. Ok so now that I have catless DP and AWE resonated mid-pipe and awe 180° rear resonator....no kidding the sound is like a straight pipe high redline 6+ liter engine. While I have to say it sounded awesome for a weekend rip around town or cruise it was way to loud for a daily. At least for my taste. This is still with the stock programming, I haven't flashed BM3 yet. Cold startup in the garage you can't talk to the person next to you. Revving sounded like firing 6-8 rounds from an AK...I'm not joking it would startle anyone. After driving for several miles and accelerating slowly from a stop it's as loud as a modified and even people that don't want to look have to look. In sport+ under normal acceleration it pops between shifts, when under hard acceleration it pops for almost 2 seconds between shifts. During acceleration of any kind and letting off the gas for cornering or downshifts it pops and burbles in sync with the tranny like an imsa car. Granted it's not the same tone but the same behavior, and don't get me wrong, this is incredibly awesome and I LOVE it, but for a DD it's doesn't work for me. I literally could not talk on the BT phone at any speed other than highway cruising, and if I stepped on it in the slightest could not hear my radio. This is not a complaint, I really enjoyed the sound this setup gave and that was without the BM3 flash yet. I absolutely loved it.

So I put my stock N26 Cat back on and it is still loud, low growl tone and pops and burbles almost as much, just lower tone and decibel. I'm completely happy with this sound but not happy I can't stage 2 with this setup. I know BunkerJ has the aforementioned setup with catless and AWE, and I've listened to it loving it. Maybe I didn't pay attention to the actual volume level and I was only listening to the tone, or for some reason my N26/VRSF/AWE setup is just that different.

So I'll flash BM stage 1 this week, run that for a while with this setup and decide where to go from here if I want stage 2. I just can't DD with the VRSF catless and AWE setup. Don't hate me for not being able to do it...I did love what a head turner it was and the AK at will (Feuer Frei!).

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by Noelified

Awesome write-up and videos. I wish I had taken video of mine before changing back to stock DP. After hearing this with the MPE, I think (for my purposes and DD) would have been a better choice than Catless DP and AWE suite. I started with the VRSF catless DP knowing I would go BM3 stage 2 with no plans to change the exhaust from DP back. To my disappointment a catless DP and stock catback sounds very tinny and not good at all. Reminder this is an N26 so I had the second cat as well which is an additional 400CPSI. With just the VRSF DP and BM3 not flashed yet, I got very minor pops on hard throttle and after each shift in sport+.

I was excited this week to get my AWE catback suite (single side). I installed it removing the stock catback in one piece. I have to say AWE makes some quality stuff and was easy working alone on jack stands. Ok so now that I have catless DP and AWE resonated mid-pipe and awe 180° rear resonator....no kidding the sound is like a straight pipe high redline 6+ liter engine. While I have to say it sounded awesome for a weekend rip around town or cruise it was way to loud for a daily. At least for my taste. This is still with the stock programming, I haven't flashed BM3 yet. Cold startup in the garage you can't talk to the person next to you. Revving sounded like firing 6-8 rounds from an AK...I'm not joking it would startle anyone. After driving for several miles and accelerating slowly from a stop it's as loud as a modified and even people that don't want to look have to look. In sport+ under normal acceleration it pops between shifts, when under hard acceleration it pops for almost 2 seconds between shifts. During acceleration of any kind and letting off the gas for cornering or downshifts it pops and burbles in sync with the tranny like an imsa car. Granted it's not the same tone but the same behavior, and don't get me wrong, this is incredibly awesome and I LOVE it, but for a DD it's doesn't work for me. I literally could not talk on the BT phone at any speed other than highway cruising, and if I stepped on it in the slightest could not hear my radio. This is not a complaint, I really enjoyed the sound this setup gave and that was without the BM3 flash yet. I absolutely loved it.

So I put my stock N26 Cat back on and it is still loud, low growl tone and pops and burbles almost as much, just lower tone and decibel. I'm completely happy with this sound but not happy I can't stage 2 with this setup. I know BunkerJ has the aforementioned setup with catless and AWE, and I've listened to it loving it. Maybe I didn't pay attention to the actual volume level and I was only listening to the tone, or for some reason my N26/VRSF/AWE setup is just that different.

So I'll flash BM stage 1 this week, run that for a while with this setup and decide where to go from here if I want stage 2. I just can't DD with the VRSF catless and AWE setup. Don't hate me for not being able to do it...I did love what a head turner it was and the AK at will (Feuer Frei!).

Thanks For your purposes, it sounds like an axle back would be perfect! My car is definitely not nearly as loud as you made yours sound, at least I don't think. My setup is pretty loud, loud enough that it can really rattle your eardrums revving in a parking garage or something, but if I'm being ginger on the gas, you can easily have a conversation in the cabin without issue. Anyway, I do have a suggestion for you: since you've got the AWE muffler, maybe you could re-install the catless downpipe and mate the AWE muffler the stock mid pipe, thus retaining the second cat and stock resonator. I'm sure that would tone it down quite a bit, while still allowing you to run the catless downpipe and thus the stage 2 tune. So the final setup would be: VRSF Catless Downpipe, Stock Midpipe w/ second cat and resonator, and AWE muffler. I think that might work for you...

[BunkerJ]

Originally Posted by Noelified

Awesome write-up and videos. I wish I had taken video of mine before changing back to stock DP. After hearing this with the MPE, I think (for my purposes and DD) would have been a better choice than Catless DP and AWE suite. I started with the VRSF catless DP knowing I would go BM3 stage 2 with no plans to change the exhaust from DP back. To my disappointment a catless DP and stock catback sounds very tinny and not good at all. Reminder this is an N26 so I had the second cat as well which is an additional 400CPSI. With just the VRSF DP and BM3 not flashed yet, I got very minor pops on hard throttle and after each shift in sport+.

I was excited this week to get my AWE catback suite (single side). I installed it removing the stock catback in one piece. I have to say AWE makes some quality stuff and was easy working alone on jack stands. Ok so now that I have catless DP and AWE resonated mid-pipe and awe 180° rear resonator....no kidding the sound is like a straight pipe high redline 6+ liter engine. While I have to say it sounded awesome for a weekend rip around town or cruise it was way to loud for a daily. At least for my taste. This is still with the stock programming, I haven't flashed BM3 yet. Cold startup in the garage you can't talk to the person next to you. Revving sounded like firing 6-8 rounds from an AK...I'm not joking it would startle anyone. After driving for several miles and accelerating slowly from a stop it's as loud as a modified and even people that don't want to look have to look. In sport+ under normal acceleration it pops between shifts, when under hard acceleration it pops for almost 2 seconds between shifts. During acceleration of any kind and letting off the gas for cornering or downshifts it pops and burbles in sync with the tranny like an imsa car. Granted it's not the same tone but the same behavior, and don't get me wrong, this is incredibly awesome and I LOVE it, but for a DD it's doesn't work for me. I literally could not talk on the BT phone at any speed other than highway cruising, and if I stepped on it in the slightest could not hear my radio. This is not a complaint, I really enjoyed the sound this setup gave and that was without the BM3 flash yet. I absolutely loved it.

So I put my stock N26 Cat back on and it is still loud, low growl tone and pops and burbles almost as much, just lower tone and decibel. I'm completely happy with this sound but not happy I can't stage 2 with this setup. I know BunkerJ has the aforementioned setup with catless and AWE, and I've listened to it loving it. Maybe I didn't pay attention to the actual volume level and I was only listening to the tone, or for some reason my N26/VRSF/AWE setup is just that different.

So I'll flash BM stage 1 this week, run that for a while with this setup and decide where to go from here if I want stage 2. I just can't DD with the VRSF catless and AWE setup. Don't hate me for not being able to do it...I did love what a head turner it was and the AK at will (Feuer Frei!).

Your description is spot on honestly with the exception of being too loud. I do agree with you on the cold start and before I had my cold start disabled, I had to shift into drive to cancel it and then put it back in park, otherwise, I set off car alarms. Once it was disabled, it was (is) perfect. I also don't have a huge issue with it being too loud for DD. I personally listen to music at a loud volume level (who doesn't like singing till their lungs are sore?) but even at a moderate level, shifting around 2k keeps it down.

Other than those two, spot-on description for the burbles. Loud when you want them to be and the decel/shift pops are perfect.

Also, to caveat off your comment about AWE's quality, she is a straight-up beast when it comes to taking hits. Living in California where like 30c of our gas tax is for roads/public transportation, our roads are trash. My exhaust has hit the road so many times and yet, no holes.

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by BunkerJ

Your description is spot on honestly with the exception of being too loud. I do agree with you on the cold start and before I had my cold start disabled, I had to shift into drive to cancel it and then put it back in park, otherwise, I set off car alarms. Once it was disabled, it was (is) perfect. I also don't have a huge issue with it being too loud for DD. I personally listen to music at a loud volume level (who doesn't like singing till their lungs are sore?) but even at a moderate level, shifting around 2k keeps it down.

Other than those two, spot-on description for the burbles. Loud when you want them to be and the decel/shift pops are perfect.

Also, to caveat off your comment about AWE's quality, she is a straight-up beast when it comes to taking hits. Living in California where like 30c of our gas tax is for roads/public transportation, our roads are trash. My exhaust has hit the road so many times and yet, no holes.

Man, I mean, I love how my car sounds now, but I'm thinking I should've got AWE...

Do you think yours and my setups are similar in volume? Both catless, both have a resonated catless mid pipe (I'm N20) and both have an aftermarket muffler. I'd be down to get a decibel meter and test it out if you are... I'm really curious, for science!

[Noelified]

Originally Posted by rjdnyy224

Thanks For your purposes, it sounds like an axle back would be perfect! My car is definitely not nearly as loud as you made yours sound, at least I don't think. My setup is pretty loud, loud enough that it can really rattle your eardrums revving in a parking garage or something, but if I'm being ginger on the gas, you can easily have a conversation in the cabin without issue. Anyway, I do have a suggestion for you: since you've got the AWE muffler, maybe you could re-install the catless downpipe and mate the AWE muffler the stock mid pipe, thus retaining the second cat and stock resonator. I'm sure that would tone it down quite a bit, while still allowing you to run the catless downpipe and thus the stage 2 tune. So the final setup would be: VRSF Catless Downpipe, Stock Midpipe w/ second cat and resonator, and AWE muffler. I think that might work for you...

Great point/idea and it won't cost me anything more than time. What I failed to pay attention to is that the AWE axle back is really just another resonator, basically its a straight pipe ported in a tuned box....just like a Bose acoustically tuned speaker box. Its perfectly designed for street legal use as I'm sure they tuned it with that in mind-- someone keeping the stock DP cat. I do love the overall setup and how much the exhaust popped and burbled. 49% of me wanted to keep it that way and if it wasn't a car I want to DD I would keep it that way, but picking up my kid at school or driving to coach soccer it felt a little too much over the top.
I will admit it would have been fun to drive to the school and rev it to watch everyone duck and run...

[Noelified]

Originally Posted by BunkerJ

Your description is spot on honestly with the exception of being too loud. I do agree with you on the cold start and before I had my cold start disabled, I had to shift into drive to cancel it and then put it back in park, otherwise, I set off car alarms. Once it was disabled, it was (is) perfect. I also don't have a huge issue with it being too loud for DD. I personally listen to music at a loud volume level (who doesn't like singing till their lungs are sore?) but even at a moderate level, shifting around 2k keeps it down.

Other than those two, spot-on description for the burbles. Loud when you want them to be and the decel/shift pops are perfect.

Also, to caveat off your comment about AWE's quality, she is a straight-up beast when it comes to taking hits. Living in California where like 30c of our gas tax is for roads/public transportation, our roads are trash. My exhaust has hit the road so many times and yet, no holes.

Yeah I really did love it but as I mentioned above was a bit too much over the top for a DD with my use. Lol I listen music to feel it not hear it, so probably like you Yet with the VRSF and AWE it was about as loud as straight headers no pipes.

I won't bottom out here in CT but yeah this exhaust setup is complete quality and worth every penny. The welds are sexy, thick walled SS, and the designed piece system is perfect for anyone to DIY and get it lined up. A ton of R&D must have went into the design. I found it to be easiest by doing DP piece to hanger section, resonated mid-pipe, skipping to rear muffler, then go back and fit the last piece in between before tightening all the clamps. Working alone, I was able to drop the stock system and bolt this all up in 2.5 hrs and I was only lifted 14" on 4 jack stands.

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by Noelified

Great point/idea and it won't cost me anything more than time. What I failed to pay attention to is that the AWE axle back is really just another resonator, basically its a straight pipe ported in a tuned box....just like a Bose acoustically tuned speaker box. Its perfectly designed for street legal use as I'm sure they tuned it with that in mind-- someone keeping the stock DP cat. I do love the overall setup and how much the exhaust popped and burbled. 49% of me wanted to keep it that way and if it wasn't a car I want to DD I would keep it that way, but picking up my kid at school or driving to coach soccer it felt a little too much over the top.
I will admit it would have been fun to drive to the school and rev it to watch everyone duck and run...

I totally understand the DD angle, especially for you because you don't want to emulate... well gunshots in a school zone.

Anyway, I really think you should try bolting up the AWE muffler to the stock mid pipe with the secondary cat and the VRSF DP, like you said, it costs you nothing but a few weekend hours. I think that would suit your needs well. Then sell the AWE mid pipe on here

[BunkerJ]

Originally Posted by rjdnyy224

Man, I mean, I love how my car sounds now, but I'm thinking I should've got AWE...

Do you think yours and my setups are similar in volume? Both catless, both have a resonated catless mid pipe (I'm N20) and both have an aftermarket muffler. I'd be down to get a decibel meter and test it out if you are... I'm really curious, for science!

Yeah, we could definitely do that! I'd garner to say mine is probably a little louder but who knows, they could be the same or maybe you're louder. :0

[Noelified]

Originally Posted by rjdnyy224

Man, I mean, I love how my car sounds now, but I'm thinking I should've got AWE...

Do you think yours and my setups are similar in volume? Both catless, both have a resonated catless mid pipe (I'm N20) and both have an aftermarket muffler. I'd be down to get a decibel meter and test it out if you are... I'm really curious, for science!

I know you can get a decibel meter app for iPhone...it's free and works great. I'm sure there is one for android too. I'm stupid for not thinking to use it when I was catless, then all three of us could compare.

PS I don't want to speak for BunkerJ but would venture to guess my VRSF/AWE setup was louder than your MPE setup. At least with the AWE axle back I have. It seriously is a ported straight through pipe inside what looks like a muffler, there is no resistance or muffling glass. Just a ported pipe to trap and bounce certain frequencies. Maybe there is glass packed in the outer chamber, but either way, it's still just a straight pipe. It does sound awesome and feels bullet proof. They also have a small drain hole for moisture and condensation to blow out. I think that's a great design element. The MPE is an actual muffler that forces the gases through a maze of pipes inside the can. I'd imagine this cuts down on decibel volume considerable as compared to the AWE.

Either way you go, I think you're working with top quality stuff. This AWE setup is perfect and is a strong beast. I'm sure a lot of R&D went into it, as such we know the MPE is top quality with just as much R&D to make sure it's perfect. It comes down to the sound you want.

[rjd_F30]

Originally Posted by BunkerJ

Yeah, we could definitely do that! I'd garner to say mine is probably a little louder but who knows, they could be the same or maybe you're louder. :0

Nice, I'll download the app and see if I can find time today to go test it out. Maybe we could start a new thread on it, or keep it here if that's easier, I don't really care... We should figure out the testing method too so it's a fair comparison, i.e. using the same app or meter, 3 ft behind exhaust tips, revving to 5k in sport mode or something like that.

Originally Posted by Noelified

I know you can get a decibel meter app for iPhone...it's free and works great. I'm sure there is one for android too. I'm stupid for not thinking to use it when I was catless, then all three of us could compare.

PS I don't want to speak for BunkerJ but would venture to guess my VRSF/AWE setup was louder than your MPE setup. At least with the AWE axle back I have. It seriously is a ported straight through pipe inside what looks like a muffler, there is no resistance or muffling glass. Just a ported pipe to trap and bounce certain frequencies. Maybe there is glass packed in the outer chamber, but either way, it's still just a straight pipe. It does sound awesome and feels bullet proof. They also have a small drain hole for moisture and condensation to blow out. I think that's a great design element. The MPE is an actual muffler that forces the gases through a maze of pipes inside the can. I'd imagine this cuts down on decibel volume considerable as compared to the AWE.

Either way you go, I think you're working with top quality stuff. This AWE setup is perfect and is a strong beast. I'm sure a lot of R&D went into it, as such we know the MPE is top quality with just as much R&D to make sure it's perfect. It comes down to the sound you want.

I think you're right, Bunker's car will probably be louder than mine, considering what you said about the design of the AWE system and the MPE, and your description of the AWE. And I don't mean it as a "who's bigger" kind of thing lol. I think it would be a cool test just for fun, and to help anyone deciding on what they want to pair their catless DP with (and because I'm curious). At least we'll have a comparison of two pretty common options, and if anyone else wants to do the same measuring with their setup, it would be cool to have a few more inclusions so the comparison is more representative of more options on the market.