Analysis of the Apexi N1 Exhaust Note

TurboMan

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2003.5 Titanium MSP
I'm really close to getting a custom mandrel bent 2.5" axleback setup with an N1. However, after going to Stryker's exhaust sound thread and listening to the sound clip of it, I am somewhat concerned. Ideally, I would like my car to sound like a WRX's boxer engine, and the sound clip of the N1 seems to sound ricey. It sounds very much like a honda to me, deep sounding from 1k-3k, and then a high pitched squeel from 3k towards redline. This is really not what i'm looking for. I want it to sound deep and throaty throughout the powerband (note: i know a downpipe helps with this, but i only want to get a catback or axleback setup). I am somewhat torn about this because I really like the inexpensive JDM appeal that Apexi offers in their products. If any of you with N1s or anyone in the know could provide some input on this matter, i would greatly appreciate it. (burnout)
 
i've heard the greddy sp-2 exhaust on other car's and it has the sound your looking for a nice deep sound not ricey.someone has it on a msp and i think their's a sound clip of it with the apex DP.try doing a search for it.
 
Sorry, you will not be able to get an exhaust closly sounding like a wrx. You may be able to get a low tone but it won't sound like a wrx.
 
yeah what he said, also the apexi is deep all the way to redline. atleast the n1 for turbo. i have a very old vid of when it was na. if you want i will be hooking it up in 2 weeks with the turbo and will make a vid. right now i am running open DP.
 

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i'm kinda veering towards the thought that straight-thru style mufflers like the N1 and 5zigen, tend to give a more smooth sound. you can hear what i mean from the clips. the others that aren't that kind of canister style, like the greddy and thermal, they tend to give more of a rumble. listen to them all if you can. and if you don't find one you like, try running an open cat for a bit....if you can deal with the noise, it might be an option to run a cutout.
 
I have an APEXi N1 turbo & at low RPMs, it sounds like a diesel truck & it stays deep all the way, only changing tone at 4k. It's not ricey at all & everyone who has heard it has said they like it (except my mom :o ).
 
mine sounds pretty close, all i have is a 3" stright pipe no cat no res. and the jic magic titanium muffler. it has a nice lopy noise until wide open throttle then it gets really loud but retains a deep sound not high pitch at all.
 
boxer engines sound like they're running on 3 cylinders..but i've heard the N1 exhausts on a prelude and a few other turbo cars. they don't sound ricey @ all and have that nice deep growl.
 
Supraru said:
Sorry, you will not be able to get an exhaust closly sounding like a wrx. You may be able to get a low tone but it won't sound like a wrx.
I love when people say that! Hit the exhaust thread and listen to a few of them...the iON exhaust is ridiculously close. The corksport isn't too far off either...I'm convinced that some of those recordings are as accurate as we'd like as well if people think that their Greddys and Thermals sound close.
 
servoeyes said:
I love when people say that! Hit the exhaust thread and listen to a few of them...the iON exhaust is ridiculously close. The corksport isn't too far off either...I'm convinced that some of those recordings are as accurate as we'd like as well if people think that their Greddys and Thermals sound close.

Umm...I don't get it. Are you sure you've ever heard a Wrx with and exhaust?? Hell I have a Rs with a full exhaust and it sounds crazy. I don't think you've ever really listened to a Subaru with an exhaust. You can hear every cylinder firing. It is a totally different sound. I love it when people try to tell people they don't know what they are talking about when it's them who doesn't really know what they are talking about. Download this http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=487663&highlight=exhaust+sound+clip
That isn't even a wrx, it's a 2.5 Rs. If you still say that some of the Mazda Speed's exhaust sound like a wrx then you are crazy and need help. (hand)
 
Supraru said:
Umm...I don't get it. Are you sure you've ever heard a Wrx with and exhaust?? Hell I have a Rs with a full exhaust and it sounds crazy. I don't think you've ever really listened to a Subaru with an exhaust. You can hear every cylinder firing. It is a totally different sound. I love it when people try to tell people they don't know what they are talking about when it's them who doesn't really know what they are talking about. Download this http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=487663&highlight=exhaust+sound+clip
That isn't even a wrx, it's a 2.5 Rs. If you still say that some of the Mazda Speed's exhaust sound like a wrx then you are crazy and need help. (hand)
It wasn't meant to insult you...slappy! :D

And yes I've heard the exhaust on a WRX and 2.5 very often...I almost bought a WRX, I race AutoX with a couple of WRXs and 2.5s and my girlflux drives a Legacy GT (97). So yes...I know what the boxer motor sounds like...it's spectacular. I'm not saying that the MSP's exhaust can have that ability, but a lot of people seem to think that they can get close with their exhausts. I just wanted you to take a listen to the stuff in the exhaust thread...I went and listened to the link you posted. The Cobb and the one with Borla headers sound very differnt from what I've heard, though...The boxer motor can have quite a few different sounds it seems.

Just listen to some of the MSP exhuasts...they can't match the same patterns exactly, but the Thermal, Corksport and Ion really don't sound bad at all. That is all. :p
 
servoeyes said:
It wasn't meant to insult you...slappy! :D

And yes I've heard the exhaust on a WRX and 2.5 very often...I almost bought a WRX, I race AutoX with a couple of WRXs and 2.5s and my girlflux drives a Legacy GT (97). So yes...I know what the boxer motor sounds like...it's spectacular. I'm not saying that the MSP's exhaust can have that ability, but a lot of people seem to think that they can get close with their exhausts. I just wanted you to take a listen to the stuff in the exhaust thread...I went and listened to the link you posted. The Cobb and the one with Borla headers sound very differnt from what I've heard, though...The boxer motor can have quite a few different sounds it seems.

Just listen to some of the MSP exhuasts...they can't match the same patterns exactly, but the Thermal, Corksport and Ion really don't sound bad at all. That is all. :p

Yeah, I went to that thread and didn't hear one that could be close to a wrx. Maybe to an Rs with just a cat back, but still not really close. The only thing that could be the same would just be a deep noise, but the rest of the exhaut will sound nothing near to that of a wrx or an Rs with a full exhaust. So I don't know what wrx's your hearing but you might wanna make sure they aren't screwd up because no Mazda Speed comes close. Not even to an Rs with just a cat back. So I don't get how how you can come off saying "I love it when they say that" like I don't know what I'm listening to?
 
I think the pattern from the Corksport is close, but not deep enough. The Ion is deep enough, but the modulation isn't right. The thermal's modulation is right, but not the frequency of the exhaust note. The only ones that I've heard are the stock WRX, which is a lot different than WRXs with different cat-backs, i guess...that's really the sound that I like most other then rally spec stuff.

--edit--
sorry for not being *entirely* informed regarding the WRX aftermarket. :)
again...didn't mean any offense.
 
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Ok?? So you've only heard stock wrx's but your trying to find an exhaust that sounds like a stock wrx?? I don't think we're on the same page. Yes as soon as you thrown any cat back on a wrx it totally sounds different and mean. It took me header, and a cat back to get that noise. Then I put on a highflow cat and it just made you hear every cylinder while on the throttle too. I think those exhaust sound fine so why try to make your car sound like something it isn't. You need a boxer motor to sound like a boxer car.
 
Supraru said:
Ok?? So you've only heard stock wrx's but your trying to find an exhaust that sounds like a stock wrx?? I don't think we're on the same page. Yes as soon as you thrown any cat back on a wrx it totally sounds different and mean. It took me header, and a cat back to get that noise. Then I put on a highflow cat and it just made you hear every cylinder while on the throttle too. I think those exhaust sound fine so why try to make your car sound like something it isn't. You need a boxer motor to sound like a boxer car.
yes...yes you do need a boxer. :( I just think anything sounding relatively close is nice...I like my exhaust but it's realtively restrictive. Hence, if I change it I don't want to sound like I'm driving around in a rice-mobile...I'd like to sound like another automobile that I really like (that is, if I can't get my exhaust customized to work with bigger piping.)
 

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