[Phyrexia]

So ya'll mean to tell me the stock exhaust manifold with the PE is as loud as headers with stock catback?

I'm considering moving on to headers, but want to keep the car as quiet as possible. I am 100% happy with the PE volume right now (which, admittedly, is not very loud.)

I still have my stock exhaust and have considered a headers->stock secondaries->stock midmuffler->PE muffler, has anyone ever tried this?

I may end up mixing and matching until I find something I like.

[The Nightman]

I had midpipes + PE before and found it too loud. Everything I've read suggests that catless headers + stock cat back sounds very close to stock except at WOT. I went back to a stock exhaust and now have AA headers waiting to be installed.

I'm also very curious how this setup would sound with the PE muffler. I miss the pops and burbles!

[gT-BMW]

I have AA headers and secondary cat deletes but keept the stock resonator and muffler. Im very happy with it i got noticeable power increase everywhere through out the rpm (i really like the low end torque increase but my cats where clogged because my engine burns oil.) sounds like stock and i get these subtle pops and bangs. Only thing i dont like, i can smell the exhaust when i come to a stoplight if i have my windows down. also has this small rasp that happens between 1700-2k rpms but it goes away when shifting above that. oh and the rear end of my car gets covered in soot more often than id like.

I also have the CEL for not having the cats, still average around 25mpg but still traps 98mph with the stock muffler and intake more or less the same as more modded n52s on here so it cant be all that of a restriction.

[Biginboca]

I ran AA headers with all stock exhaust for a few months. It sounded pretty much stock under all conditions except cold start had a little more balls. I then added a secondary cat delete while keeping stock muffler for a while and it also sounded 90% stock.

If you want max power and no loud sounds do the headers and secondary cat delete with stock muffler. That set up should be worth ~25hp and sound pretty much stock.

[6ixSpd]

Headers plus stock exhaust here. It's as stealth as you can possibly be, and is by no means loud whatsoever. There is no way it's as loud as PE and stock headers, lol. Not even close.
I barely noticed any change in exhaust sound after doing headers with a stock cat-back.

I daily my car and prefer it this way. My Magnaflow axleback and stock headers/exhaust combo was way louder.

[CTinline-six]

Honestly if you like the way it sounds now, I wouldn't mess with it.