Loud Mufffler and CSL airbox

[Chas3n]

I’m running headers/no cats/stock
Muffler. HATE it as the rasp over powers the box. As soon as my OE headers sell I’ll be welding in race cats to quite up the sound and reduce smell.

The airbox is a much nicer sound than the exhaust on this car.

[usdmej]

Me, I have supersprint ss race with ss section 2 non resonated and evolve air box. I can hear my airbox up top. I love the sound

funny you should say that because when i ran an SS race that's all i could hear, and eventually i couldn't hear anything

[TosM3]

Me, I have supersprint ss race with ss section 2 non resonated and evolve air box. I can hear my airbox up top. I love the sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BySeujVZVNU

[Thoglan]

Put a few bolts in a soda can then shake it... basically our cars stock.

Can't speak for US spec M3's but this has never been my experience with the Euro spec cars. If anything putting a loud exhaust amplifies that sound IMO. When I say BMW nailed it, I mean on the CSL and to a certain extend the standard euro spec m3 (although the airbox is really what makes the sound special). After hearing CSL's on track and on the street, I'm convinced that is the only route worth going. These days I really just want the exhaust to be as quiet as possible and I think the stock euro exhaust is possibly the best at doing that.

[EthanolTurbo]

BMW nailed it with the S54 like Mazda nailed the rotary sound. Put a few bolts in a soda can then shake it... basically our cars stock. The El Diablo, from what I've read, is the favorite exhaust sound from almost everyone who hears it. I have yet to hear it so I'm biased towards titanium. The El Diablo is rather tame but growls. That, mixed with the CSL airbox, it might be up your alley. Since you still have cats, you really shouldn't have much issue hearing the induction noise with anything quieter than what you have.

Dixis is the best exhaust. 🙊

[Arith2]

BMW nailed it with the S54 like Mazda nailed the rotary sound. Put a few bolts in a soda can then shake it... basically our cars stock. The El Diablo, from what I've read, is the favorite exhaust sound from almost everyone who hears it. I have yet to hear it so I'm biased towards titanium. The El Diablo is rather tame but growls. That, mixed with the CSL airbox, it might be up your alley. Since you still have cats, you really shouldn't have much issue hearing the induction noise with anything quieter than what you have.

[Syfon]

Do you have a video of the exhaust? Is your x pipe resonated as well?

I'll find one and upload it. Also have an in-car video filmed recently so you have hear both the exhaust and intake under load through 2nd & part of 3rd. x-pipe has a relatively open magnaflow muffer

[Thoglan]

Stock euro exhaust with csl Airbox is the way to go I reckon. Nice balance of depth from the Airbox and rasp from the stock euro headers. Not loud until you step on it, no smell. Perfect.

Been there done that with the loud exhausts. So much more refined and unique to the s54 when you have a quiet exhaust loud intake. Bmw nailed it from factory.

[Arith2]

I still hear the growl with a GruppeM. It's much louder outside than inside though. Our car are pretty sound deadened. Remove all the front sound deadening you can. With my windows up, I barely anything from anywhere. Maybe I'm just deaf.

[maupineda]

Short answer is yes, and the CSL sound is way more appealing than exhaust noise of the S54. I had to quite mine as I heard more exhaust than intake, which made spending so much on an intake system a bit pointless IMO. I guess you choose what you like better

[Jake.s54]

Yep. My exhaust setup is SS Stepped V1, twin 2 1/4" section 1 (with two bottle resonators), SS 3" x-pipe section 2 and SS Race Section 3. It's very loud.

It does not drown out the intake noise! Airbox is verrrrry loud. Can hear it clear as a whistle.

Do you have a video of the exhaust? Is your x pipe resonated as well?

[Syfon]

Yep. My exhaust setup is SS Stepped V1, twin 2 1/4" section 1 (with two bottle resonators), SS 3" x-pipe section 2 and SS Race Section 3. It's very loud.

It does not drown out the intake noise! Airbox is verrrrry loud. Can hear it clear as a whistle.

[LSBNick]

Currently running TMS V2 box with ARH, catted ARH section 1, stock section 2, and meisterschaft titanium section 3. Windows down, exhaust is 70% dominant. Windows up, airbox about 65% dominant. Sounds great though!

[SVPREME]

Anyone running CSL Airbox with RE El Diablo sec 3 + RE X pipe? I’m not running EVC.

Planning on running airbox in future but wondering if my current will take away from it.

[Mr.wReckless]

Ultimately, it'd be hard to argue that any exh setup is more fun to listen to than the airbox, so I would error on the side of quiet/calm for exh to really enjoy what is the premier mod for our car (induction).

I think the best thing to do would be install a cutout and run a stock sect2/3, then open it up when you wanna get loud.

This,

I get more from a rock concert standing in the middle rather than next to the loudspeaker. And no matter how sonorous an opera singer might be, I'd rather he/she sing gently to me (at a socially accepted distance) when we converse rather than sit right next to me and scream into my ear.

I don't get loud exhaust purely for loudness. I can get a "nice" tone/sound which happens to be loud-ish. But the S54 isn't known for being sonorous or nice sounding so I'd err on the side of quiet too. IMO straight pipes never sound nice, they're just loud.

My 2 cents