I needed to convince myself, I guess.

[RADRACR]

So last week I was super stoked about finally getting R.E. Diablo exhaust. The first day it was awesome. Then subsequent days of long commutes to work, the novelty wore off and I started getting angry at the off-the-line boom and 4th and 5th gear drone on the freeway. I decided to take them off today and get my $grand back.

Except... now my car sounds even more sickening... in fact, it has no sound at all. It sounds like I'm driving a weak, pathetic Honda. And, as God is my witness, the straight-thru design of the Diablos added noticeable power.

I guess I'll be getting under the car yet one more time tomorrow...

Perhaps a less aggressive exhaust is for me. But honestly, I've been under the car so many times with this (more than twice; don't ask) that I just want to be done with it.

That is all.

[RevsPlease]

Could always Dynamat the interior of the trunk space that sits over the mufflers. I believe there are a couple members on here that have gone that route.

[RADRACR]

That's interesting. Never heard of that before. Does it really help?

[Pheonix]

I have Super Sprint Race and X-pipe. It is not terribly loud and only drone a bit around 2800-3000rpm. I just learned and not stay in that range for too long. Stock/OEM cans are not so bad but doesnt do the car justice. Maybe you could look into Remus? I hear they are very tame.
By the way, i lined the entire trunk with Dynamat extreme. It did help a little bit but mostly with the vibration and booming. Dynamat is a sound dampening. There are couple guys here added ensolite foam on top to help increase the noise insulation.

[chickdr]

I have always heard the Diablos droned and were quite loud. Remus and Stromung seem to be the best compromise from what I understand. It doesn't hurt the Stomung is one of the cheapest too.

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by Pheonix

I have Super Sprint Race and X-pipe. It is not terribly loud and only drone a bit around 2800-3000rpm. I just learned and not stay in that range for too long. Stock/OEM cans are not so bad but doesnt do the car justice. Maybe you could look into Remus? I hear they are very tame.
By the way, i lined the entire trunk with Dynamat extreme. It did help a little bit but mostly with the vibration and booming. Dynamat is a sound dampening. There are couple guys here added ensolite foam on top to help increase the noise insulation.

The problem is that 2800-3000rpm is the usual range that you're at when cruising between 70mph and 80mph in 6th. So getting this exhaust would mean that you'll either have to stay in the slow lane doing < 65mph or stand out like a sore thumb for speeding tickets going > 80mph?

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by chickdr

I have always heard the Diablos droned and were quite loud. Remus and Stromung seem to be the best compromise from what I understand. It doesn't hurt the Stomung is one of the cheapest too.

Remus is barely louder than OEM, not sure if it's more free flowing than OEM. I believed that the OEM cans are already fairly free flowing...so, not sure if the slight increase in sound is worth the money with the Remus.

Stromung could be a compromise, but with all the problems with their business practices, not sure if you want to support them.

[Pheonix]

Originally Posted by XMetal

The problem is that 2800-3000rpm is the usual range that you're at when cruising between 70mph and 80mph in 6th. So getting this exhaust would mean that you'll either have to stay in the slow lane doing < 65mph or stand out like a sore thumb for speeding tickets going > 80mph?

Haha...that is why i don't usually drive in 6th. Still manage to get about 21-22 mpg

[johanness]

Originally Posted by XMetal

Remus is barely louder than OEM, not sure if it's more free flowing than OEM. I believed that the OEM cans are already fairly free flowing...so, not sure if the slight increase in sound is worth the money with the Remus.

Actually, they sound decidedly louder than stock. I've put together what i feel is the perfect sound (for me anyways). Loud enough when u want it, quiet(ish) when u don't. Every aftermarket muffler set on the Coupe will have some amount of drone, although these are lower than others I've heard.
My headers have woken up the Remus cans nicely tho, and are worth every penny IMO

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by aestheticstorm

So last week I was super stoked about finally getting R.E. Diablo exhaust. The first day it was awesome. Then subsequent days of long commutes to work, the novelty wore off and I started getting angry at the off-the-line boom and 4th and 5th gear drone on the freeway. I decided to take them off today and get my $grand back.

Except... now my car sounds even more sickening... in fact, it has no sound at all. It sounds like I'm driving a weak, pathetic Honda. And, as God is my witness, the straight-thru design of the Diablos added noticeable power.

I guess I'll be getting under the car yet one more time tomorrow...

Perhaps a less aggressive exhaust is for me. But honestly, I've been under the car so many times with this (more than twice; don't ask) that I just want to be done with it.

That is all.

Are you sure it's not a placebo affect? I can't believed that the RE Diablos are providing that much more gain over the OEM that is that "noticeable". It's most likely the difference in sound that your mind "thinks" the louder exhaust is more powerful.

[RADRACR]

Originally Posted by XMetal

Are you sure it's not a placebo affect? I can't believed that the RE Diablos are providing that much more gain over the OEM that is that "noticeable". It's most likely the difference in sound that your mind "thinks" the louder exhaust is more powerful.

No. I actually wasn't planning on any power gain at all. I bought them for cosmetics only. But I was actually "surprised"... caught off guard, if you will, by the power gain. Of course it's only noticeable when the pedal is to the metal. This car has been my DD for 3 1/2 years and I can tell the difference. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I would bet good money that it would show a significant gain on dyno. And it makes sense, as the stock mufflers have an extra bend (or two?). These are straight pipes with some muffler material around them.

I think I'll try the Dynamat and some memory foam on top of that. Wish I would have known before I took them off...

[Sephiroth]

In the subie world the Maddad exhausts have a really good reputation for no drone yet great sound when you really go for it...seems their trick is in the baffle design. Too bad no Z4M application.

http://www.daddysscp.com/BMW_135i_Exhaust_s/31.htm

[pokeybritches]

The Diablos will quiet down a little bit after a few thousand miles. The explanation I've heard is that carbon fills in all of the microscopic holes in the metal, thus "maturing" the sound a bit. They will still be loud and drone from 1500-2500 rpm. I've noticed a significant drop off in drone from 2500 rpm on.

I've heard a few Remus systems, and I can only say positive things about them. There is no mistaking a Remus system for a stock exhaust. I would recommend selling the Diablos and getting the Remus. You could easily sell the Diablos in the F/S section; people PM both my girlfriend and me for our Diablos every so often, even though neither are listed for sale.

[wyatth]

Give it another few weeks. Albeit you might lose the return option, but you could sell it used for most of the value.
1) You might get used to it
2) It should break in a bit

[GP20]

Get a different exhaust. Don't bother with sound deadening. I tried it in my Z4MR with hardtop. It's either not going to work very well, or to get it done right you'll be adding a ton of weight.

Do you like Rick Hunter's Eisenmann Sport? I had the Eisenmann Sport on my Z4MR and thought it was awesome. Nice sound and loud enough to get your adrenaline going but not enough to blow your ear-drums. Weird thing about it was that it's super quiet in 6th gear at cruising speeds. I now have Remus; they're quieter, but perfect for me now as I get older.

[RADRACR]

The price of Eisenmanns and Super Sprints is absurd. Maybe I'll try Remus...

[gatorfast]

Ill chime in as a Remus supporter. I have them on my M coupe and they sound great. Definitely louder than stock but by not means obnoxious. I have an RE x-pipe on the way to give me a little more growl out of them.

[Pheonix]

Originally Posted by aestheticstorm

The price of Eisenmanns and Super Sprints is absurd. Maybe I'll try Remus...

I agree, the retail prices are crazy. Wait and pick up a used set. I think there will be plenty of them go on sale once DKF system gets release

[Rick Hunter]

Diablos and Eisenmann Sports are arguably quite similar sounding, decibel-wise. Remus has a mature-yet-conservative sound to it but a little too quiet for my tastes. YMMV obviously.

I think you haven't allowed your cans to break in yet and thus are not having the ideal experience. I say keep the things on for a couple thousand miles and your opinion will change. Let the cans mature.

And screw dynamat. If you want to go that route then you might as well just go to Remus.

[mfanatic325]

Originally Posted by Pheonix

I agree, the retail prices are crazy. Wait and pick up a used set.

used but in good/great condition FTMFW. It's the only way with higher-end markets IMHO. Unless of course, you're ballin' out of control (which I'm certain a lot of people on car forums are ), but I'm definitely not one of them

Originally Posted by Pheonix

I think there will be plenty of them go on sale once DKF system gets release

This one's debatable

[RADRACR]

It's rare to find used exhaust and when they do pop up, they're snatched up within hours. I spent about a year of casual searching and posting WTB threads for used Diablos and ended up just buying retail.

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by aestheticstorm

It's rare to find used exhaust and when they do pop up, they're snatched up within hours. I spent about a year of casual searching and posting WTB threads for used Diablos and ended up just buying retail.

Yep. I've seen one used Eisenmann here in 2 years. They sound great too, the wife's M has them, and there's no drone at all in the 2K-3K range. I just can't swallow the price of these new however. For now, I'm waiting on the DKF system to see whether I'll go that way or see if the used market has more to offer once it's up and running. (Looks like an easy way to deal with the secondary O2 for my Euro headers as well as providing high-flow cats with no permanent changes to the OEM cats)