its good to know there are alternatives to the noise can. i was aware that the majority of major mods were going to require more airflow, and i was afraid that there weren't any options for me. for now i'll probably just keep my car stock and ride my warranties for the next 30,000 miles, then decide whether i will mod or not. Thanks for all the info guys. props to awd-pwnz and his sexy subi....sorry for the salty comment today.
I've only heard the JDM Genome a coupla times, and never when it was being opened up, but at idle and normal driving it was only barely more audible if at all. It was, however, a little bit deeper in note and rumbled in an oh, so sexy kinda way. Gotta follow your own joy, man.
For reference, on the same car with the same meter at the same distance: STi axleback (baffled... very very baffled) 76db at cold start 67db at warm idle 74db at 3500rpm JDM STi Genome (straight through) 70db at warm idle 78db at 3500rpm WOT = sexytime big fart can tho.
Cobb catback (Maddad header/uppipe, stromung shorty, MD test pipe, Cobb catback) same meter and distance as above on a different car 92db at cold start 81db at warm idle 89db at 3500rpm Cobb LOOKS closer to stock but is noticeably louder. Not obnoxious, but much louder. Maddad whisper would be the way to go imho. When I had that on my wrx, it was barely louder than the sti catback but with straight through design.
sheen, we need to check my car. resonator in the midpipe and a 3" RT cat out the bumper - needs to meet RA's 105 dB limit (can't remember the distance and rpm but I can get that info)
the only thing on the tech sheet states MAX of 105dbA @ 18" and at 45 degree angle. nothing about RPM?!
All my measurements were taken at ~6ft (armspan distance). I'm guessing that is at idle bc most of the cars I've heard sure sound like they are WELL over 105db at WOT.
I dunno, all I got scribbled down for your readings is "Shibbs rules..." which can't possibly be right.
Sounding loud and sounding good loud are two different things. Some folks simply don't know the difference. As well, everyone's tastes are different. I personally prefer a relatively quiet exhaust. I don't want the noise, the drone, or wake neighbors. Some folks actually want that stuff. Some people specifically buy a loud exhaust to actually annoy neighbors, set off car alarms, etc. Simply buy what you want. If you want a quieter sound, buy a muffler that's actually quiet. Look into something like Borla's Pro XS muffler or Hooker's Max Flow muffler. For prefab options, Greddy's Evo 2 exhaust is rather quiet.
There are many exhuast options for Subies that are not melon shooters, although they are not as common. Stromung is a great exhuast it keeps a relatively stock look but frees up the piping to get more flow. The sounds it not considerably louder than stock but you get more power. +1 for Nathan's exhuast. I had him make me a couple pieces (headers, 3 mid pipes, and a catback) and I love them all. Although my the catback he made for me can be kind of loud :hsugh: The STi Genome is amazing if you can fork over the money for it. As Idget posted it isnt that loud compared to the stock one but its a straight through type muffler which gives way better flow. It also adds its own wicked tone to the already sweet STi sound. You might also consider going with SPT exhaust from Subaru. It can be kind of spendy, but it is a great exhuast and it sounds pretty good. It looks just like stock. You might also think about getting a down pipe to make the turbo alittle bit louder. Getting a catted system will help keep those Dbs down, if that is one of your concerns.
Like said before, the best thing you can do is hear it in person. Sure youtube videos can sound nice but trust me when i say that they dont always do justice for tone or how loud.
Remembe rthat one of the most effective mufflers in your car is the cat. Go with a high-flow over a cat-less if noise matters.
That is part of it, but it is loud with the turbo on there too. IIRC I have only been pulled over with it when I had the turbo on. Both times...
I'm about in the same boat as you. I had the SPT catback for all of a week and even it was too loud for me. I think I'm about settled on going the ported stock route in place of headers. There's been more then a few people on IWSTI that have gone that route after owning headers and have found pretty much zero power loss (stock turbo). No added noise and no heat or fitment issues is a bonus, too. Turbo back will most likely be a catted maddad whisper back. Beyond all the obvious reasons to run a cat it should also help with the exhaust noise. Yes, it's a restriction but I'll take the trade off.
In my experience, high flow catted exhaust do not give up as much in terms of flow. 5 WHP after a custom tune..maybe. The biggest offender are any stock cats, or a poorly flowing muffler. With that said, the whisper axleback flows very well for how quiet it is. You'll like that setup.
