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Quiet Exhaust

29K views 23 replies 9 participants last post by  arcticscythe 
#1 ·
I have a 2007 WRX, stock. I have read as much as I can about quiet exhausts. Most people recommend the Borla Hush or the Maddad Whisper V2. Do any of you run either of these exhausts? Do you have any information or advice about which I should choose? What downpipe to go with? Places to get the best pricing or kit pricing for a full TBE that uses either of these CBEs?

I am a total noob and I am basically very uncomfortable making this decision. I will be attempting to do the work myself (because I think it will be fun/interesting). Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
#2 ·
I have a Borla Hush, big fan. For a downpipe, I'd go with a catted bellmouth. It'll also keep the noise down as well as the stick which sounds like something you may be interested in too. Much more sleeper and doesn't really slow the car down any with a stock-like turbo. The Maddad is also very nice btw.

The difference between the two sound wise is that the hush is a deeper sound and a good bit louder at WOT. Both of them are fairly quiet at low RPMs but the hush is louder than most people think at higher RPMs. Personally, I think the hush is a good mix of quiet and loud mattering on your RPM disposition. I also prefer the deeper rumble. The Maddad is a better choice if overall noise level is your concern. Some people prefer the more "rounded" sound as well which is particularly excellent on the Maddad.

Personally, I limited myself to twin tip exhausts right away. Much less attention grabbing. Even without the noise, the 3"-4.5" tip on some of them get more attention than I would like.
 
#3 ·
on my old 03 that I used to daily I had the hush with a megan racing bellmouth dp and I loved it...just like mosc said it was quit at idle and normal driving conditions but when you stomp on it it'll get pretty loud but not too crazy like some of the other ones...plus it looks pretty stock so it'll be easier for you to pass inspection
 
#4 ·
My brother has the Maddad whisper and it sounds nice. Really quiet on idle, almost stock sounding. But at WOT, it's pretty loud. Looks and sounds stock but full 3" =). Best places to look for exhausts: NASIOC. Buy a catback/turboback used. It's a lot cheaper than buying brand new. If you must buy brand new, I would trust rallysportdirect.com , raceinspired.com. Raceinspired has one of the cheapest name brand exhausts for sale that I have seen. I got my Apex N1 for 450 brand new when they sell for 500+
 
#5 ·
Quiet Exhausts

I don't know if it's still available, but on my old '02 I wanted the same thing, quiet, but gave a better performance edge and tone. It had the HKS (I don't remember the model) carbon fiber one to begin with, and I hated it. I replaced it with the GReddy evolution muffler and had a local shop weld it up. It was SO much better! It was barely louder than stock, but left it with a very low tone that gave the perfect Subie bubble sound. I'm not sure if GReddy still makes the EVO or EVO2 mufflers, but if you can find one, even used, it'd be worth your while. On my '08, I opted for the SPT CBE. Same overall satisfaction. It looks mostly stock, except for the huge y-pipe from underneath. My local dealership actually had a deal on it because of the recession and what not. I picked up the entire CBE (keep in mind it's a dual muffler for '08) for just $350! They said they would have the special on them until the last one they had was sold. I'd check with your local dealership as I got mine in February, they may have something similar at your dealership too. Subaru list price for it is $900. It's also a full 3" from SPT, so you get the performance gain as well as a tamer sound. Both were still louder than stock, but completely manageable and you don't have to roll up the windows and drive timidly to hear the radio. Hope that helps you. Good luck and exhaust is a great first step to modifying your car.
 
#6 ·
I run the Cobb full TBE, its pretty quiet at idle, but lets you know your at WOT when the pedal is on the floor. Its not much different looking than the stock 07 exhaust except it says Cobb on the tip when you are looking down at it. Bit all the ones listed so far are very good for both quiet and price range. Shop around, look to see if you can find a used one if money is tight. Best of luck choosing.
 
#8 ·
The only thing I don't like about COBB TBE is that it hangs a little too high! Maybe get extended hangers? There is a lot of quiet exhausts out for our cars...

SPT
Borla Hush
Maddad Whisper

and if you want semi-loud you can get the Perrin Dual Tip. Not stock sounding but looks "stock"
 
#16 ·
Thanks everyone for the comments, lots of helpful suggestions. For those of you who actually have any of the quieter exhausts, can you tell me which DP you chose and if you had any issues with fitment. I am just really OCD about stuff like this and I would be a lot more comfortable choosing a combination that has been verified by a few people. Also, if you needed adapters or other extras and you could list them that would be awesome.

Thanks again!! Thumbs Up
 
#22 ·
Quiet?!

I'm honestly baffled that there's a whole thread of people who want a quiet WRX. LOL!

Besides supposedly not drawing LEO attention, why would anyone want this? I don't get it.

I was actually searching for some opinions on why Subaru would make the car so quiet you can't even tell it's on. I make fun of hybrids because of that, and I sure as hell don't want my WRX to sound like a Prius, which it basically does. Straight pipes would be best, but obviously Subaru could find a happy medium between pipes and virtually silent. Wish they had. Anyone wanna share some thoughts???
 
#23 ·
I'm honestly baffled that there's a whole thread of people who want a quiet WRX. LOL!

Besides supposedly not drawing LEO attention, why would anyone want this? I don't get it.

I was actually searching for some opinions on why Subaru would make the car so quiet you can't even tell it's on. I make fun of hybrids because of that, and I sure as hell don't want my WRX to sound like a Prius, which it basically does. Straight pipes would be best, but obviously Subaru could find a happy medium between pipes and virtually silent. Wish they had. Anyone wanna share some thoughts???
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you don't have kids. Amazingly, some people DO procreate. I mean, you were born after all...
 
#24 ·
Welcome to our forums,

I know this is your first post so Im not going to give you ahrd time for reviving a 7 year old dead thread.

Toanswer your questions the reason many drivers would like a quiet car is the same as the reason people want soft seats and AC, Just because we drive a fast car doesn't mean we need our eyes, ears and butts assaulted by them. Quiet and or reformed noises are a marker for quality, Thats why many high performance cars have very well tuned and refined exhaust systems. As people grow up we find that refined volume is better than raw noise.I like the un-equal length header rumble but that doesnt mean I need to bend a straight pipe up through my floorboards so I can hear it all the time.

I do not intend to launch a personal attack but often times the excessive volume presented by hondas and harleys makes people look desperate for attention. If you like loud then please enjoy your loud parts but forcing others to listen to your loud parts and inhale your straight pipe fumes is not considerate of others. //hippy rant// Straight pipes are not the best, back pressure is a crucial component of a properly tuned turbo setup and performance CAT also goes a long way towards keeping our breathing air clean and keeps corrosive gasses out of our atmosphere. //end hippy rant// As evidence many international rally organizations require at least one catalytic onverter and on some rally preped vehicles you will find a honey comb catalytic converter affixed to the very end of the exhaust system.

We dont intend to make our cars sound like a Prius, but there is plenty of middle ground between straight piped V8 noise and an electric car.
 
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