Best sounding exhaust

[Sid_E46]

I had that setup 15 years ago. It sounds good, but man does it DRONE. I do think those Eisenmann tips are the best looking set (size/placement) of any muffler sold for the chassis.

... why are people still buying CPI headers?

I used to have CPI headers. There is nothing really that bad with them but they don't really make more power over much cheaper headers such as Megans.

I also used to have an Eisenmann sport muffler and the drone was horrendous.

[Obioban]

I'm really enjoying stock headers, stock section 1 & 2, and Eisenmann race section 3. Sounds stock(ish) from 0-3.5k RPMs...and above 3.5k things really start to get violent. Great, higher pitched tone. Eventually I'll do some CPI headers and their section 1 for some extra power--but the car will not sound nearly as good. Plus no smell is nice.

I had that setup 15 years ago. It sounds good, but man does it DRONE. I do think those Eisenmann tips are the best looking set (size/placement) of any muffler sold for the chassis.

... why are people still buying CPI headers?

[maw1124]

Feels like a decade since i've seen this one, very lol

I’ve never heard of such… that’s horrible…😂🤣😅

maw

[cornerbalanced]

I'm really enjoying stock headers, stock section 1 & 2, and Eisenmann race section 3. Sounds stock(ish) from 0-3.5k RPMs...and above 3.5k things really start to get violent. Great, higher pitched tone. Eventually I'll do some CPI headers and their section 1 for some extra power--but the car will not sound nearly as good. Plus no smell is nice.

[Sid_E46]

I have gone through so many different exhaust setups on my car but eventually landed on something that sounds almost stock, a SuperSprint Street. S54 induction > S54 exhaust all day.

[Phoenix///M3]

Feels like a decade since i've seen this one, very lol

My favorite YT of all time.


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[keljos]

Someone said whistle? Whistle pipe and rasp combo, only loud in the morning when you're supposed to be up cookin breakfast anyway

https://youtu.be/zUXow3d3-b0?t=31

Feels like a decade since i've seen this one, very lol

[Phoenix///M3]

[whistle!!]... Foul on the play... can't compare a 6 to an 8 as far as exhaust sound... carry on.

maw

Someone said whistle? Whistle pipe and rasp combo, only loud in the morning when you're supposed to be up cookin breakfast anyway

[slithershift]

I'm *eventually* headed the CSL intake / quieter exhaust route but for now I've got mine to a point where it sounds absolutely incredible above 4000 rpm screaming through a tunnel and is at least tolerable at lower rpm with *almost* zero rasp and drone. Setup is Fabspeed headers, Fabspeed HJS catted section 1, SGT resonated section 2 x-pipe and Rouge El Diablo section 3.

I started with just the headers and section 1 with stock section 2 and 3 and hated it (too quiet plus rasp). I was like, I did all this work on the headers for this??? Then added the El Diablo and liked it much more but the rasp and drone were amplified. Finally added the resonated section 2 and it mellowed everything out at low rpm and gave everything a more bass like sound. Still have a slight "rasp event" right at 2500-2800 rpm but you can drive around it gear wise. It really does scream and sound amazing at high rpm.

Closest thing I've heard captured is this youtube video at around the 0.40 mark. There's some debate in the comments on what all he was running but definitely AP headers and El Diablo. This video actually led me to going with the El Diablo.

I agree these cars are a mess exhaust wise and better off going CSL and something like a SS Street.

My experience is very similar. The video of this LSB car is the best E46 M3 exhaust sound I've heard and inspired me to get what I think is the exact same setup: Agency power headers, stock section 1 &2, Rogue Diablo muffler. I did headers before changing the rest of the exhaust system and I too thought, what have I done this is raspy as hell and awful. After adding the muffler, there is still a RPM+load combination between 2000-4000 rpm that is pretty raspy, which isn't apparent in the video of the LSB car, but above 4k it makes a sweet sweet smooth sounding scream with a hint of rasp. The S54 just seems fundamentally raspy compared to other inline sixes and I dont know what causes it exactly. To me, getting rid of the stock headers is key to making the sound pleasing with a louder exhaust.

[Chas3n]

CSL intake/headers w/ cats an a OE muffler

[Jimbo's M]

Well, I'll chime in here. The very first mod I did was 18 years ago and that was replace the cat-back (I guess it can be called that) as I wasn't a big fan of the rasp. So after researching what was available back then and various sound clips, I went with....wait for it....the UUC Rasp-X and muffler. It remains on the car to this day. The polished T304 steel (I think that what it's called) still looks new and the sound is perfect for me, just a touch more aggressive and drops about 15lbs over stock. Goes great with my CAI induction growl as well. Still have all the stock plumbing in the garage too.

[old///MFanatic]

the muffler is resting against the chunk of trunk floor that sticks down .. the "spare tire" area if you will. That is where the leak is coming from and I too am interested in how bad the crack in it is. The muffler sounded pretty good when I had stock headers, the resonator and this section 3. Now, with the catless headers and the muffler in it's current condition, it's horrible to drive the car.

Well some of those AA mufflers are very boxy design/ construction compared to canister types. Wonder if a seam cracked. Since it’s the housing of the muffler it seems possible to weld in a new skin there in the housing where the breach is. But cracks of internal baffling gets messy so hard to say.
Your previous cats as you know basically act like resonators so without those you’re going to get more sound. Going CSL muffler sure seems to me you’ll be getting noticeable “tinny” metallic rasp sound from what you had.

[S14]

Curious to see where the AA muffler cracked. One would think it could be repaired by welding.
Since you want quieter I agree with another poster that Supersprint Sport or SS Street would be considerations because of what you want to achieve. With Street being quieter but heavier.

the muffler is resting against the chunk of trunk floor that sticks down so that the bulky tools can sit under the trunks false floor. the "spare tire" area if you will. That is where the leak is coming from and I too am interested in how bad the crack in it is. The muffler sounded pretty good when I had stock headers, the resonator and this section 3. Now, with the catless headers and the muffler in it's current condition, it's horrible to drive the car.

[old///MFanatic]

Gents, I need a new exhaust.
Over the summer I installed a Turner CSLish airbox, and AA headers and the car already has the added resonator (AR20?) in section one and an AA rear muffler. During a track day the car got noticeably louder, so doing a nut and bolt check post track day I see that all of the muffler hangers have failed and the AA exhaust is now split in the back and is a big contributor to the car sounding like poo.
I'd really like a quiet exhaust. Without spending $8k on a full supersprint setup, or choking the motor down, what direction should I take?
Right now I'm leaning towards adding cats to the already resonated section 1, and an OEM CSL rear muffler. Thoughts?

Curious to see where the AA muffler cracked. One would think it could be repaired by welding.
Since you want quieter I agree with another poster that Supersprint Sport or SS Street would be considerations because of what you want to achieve. With Street being quieter but heavier.

[Casa de Mesa]

...and the driver will be less likely to lose their hearing

WHAT DID YOU SAY??!?

Yeah, this is where I'm at too. Got a smoking deal on the SS Race on the car now, but I also enjoy music. Want to keep enjoying it for some time to come.