Hi all. I posted this in another forum, and I'd like to have this info available here too. I really enjoy this exhaust, and I hope that this review is helpful to those considering an aftermarket catback exhaust system of their own. Enjoy:
The following is a full assessment and write up on ETS' Catback Dual Exhaust System for the Mazdaspeed6...
I purchased mine at the end of Jan., and installed it about a month ago (middle of Feb.). It took a couple of weeks to get to me, as it was hand made at the ETS shops in Washington state. They also updated the design, modifying the tips to be oval, so this added a bit more time than normal to the fabbing process.
The exhaust arrived to me in great shape in a thick double-walled box with the letters ETS stamped on it. It could actually be said that it was over-packed and secured, but with something like this, that is hardly a bad thing. All indications were that everything about the exhaust's craftsmanship was extremely well executed and put together. Welds were uniform and consistent, along with no dents or dings, and great fit and finish to all of the visible metal surfaces and joints.
From the cat, the system consists of a 3" mid-pipe that has the welded on arms used for the factory hangers. That then attaches to a second section of mid-pipe using a slip-joint, which continues on to a 2.5" Y-pipe that is attached w/ another slip joint. Each 2.5" arm of the Y then goes to a single, welded on AeroTurbine AR25 resonator, each of which has an oval exhaust tip attached by way of a slip joint, for adjustablility. Installation is very similar to that of other dual cat-backs that use slip joints, such as CP-E's. WD-40, or similar, is suggested in order to more easily remove the factory exhaust from the rubber hangers, and to more easily attach the new aftermarket one. A impact wrench is suggested for a final tightening of the included heavy duty slip-joint brackets (I did this by hand without a big wrench, and had some nasty leaks during the first week or so). My buddy and I went about the install by first installing the mid-pipe, then the rear Y section with the second mid-pipe loosely attached. We then brought the two sections of mid-pipe together before tightening everything down. At first, the tips sat a little bit low. They weren't so low that they rattled, though low enough that if you bent down and looked you would notice. The pics I have from the day of install show this. Later on I found that a warmed up exhaust, loosened slip-joint brackets, and the business end of a breaker bar were a great recipe for getting things nice and centered
.
Now, onto what matters... The sound and performance. First off, it did take a couple of weeks and a few hundred miles to kind of "break in", where it quieted down and mellowed out a bit from its initial sound, so give it some time in that respect.... Currently, this is a unique piece in the world of Speed6 exhausts. It is not a Magnaflow, as it has a larger diameter mid-pipe, and it uses resonators in place of chambered mufflers. This was done in order to improve engine breathing and performance over the Magnaflow and stock system. It is also not a full 3"+ system such as a CP-E, GHL, or Corksport catback dual exhausts. It goes from a 3" mid-pipe, to 2.5" at the Y-pipe. This is done in order to reduce the amount of air that has to be controlled/muffled/modified/quieted by the resonators, while keeping performance very comparable to full 3" systems by keeping the overall volume of airflow high w/ a combined 5" diameter of exhaust pipe (2.5 x 2) at the Y split. All this is done with the goal of reducing the overall "loudness" that a full 3" system can have, that many find unpleasant and, at times, downright embarrassing. In my opinion, ETS has succeeded. I was fortunate to be able to compare my ETS exhaust to a local owners Corksport cat-back exhaust. The overall sound of the CS was not bad. It had a bit of a race car sound at full throttle on the outside, with a decent raspy rumble at most other times. It was better than the online video clips that I have listened to. The ETS had a similar but still nicely unique sound. I would describe it as smoother, and very simply not quite as loud, especially on the outside. Still very racy sounding, but w/ a smoother bass note to it. On the inside, the sound of things follow a similar theme. There is a bassy tone in the interior w/ the ETS. Something that will be more noticeable off throttle at mid/high RPMs. But at most speeds, including highway, esp. w/ light throttle, I've found it to be, at best, very engaging and downright fun, and at worst only manageable. As an example, while trying to shoot videos of interior sound on the highway, the exhaust was sometimes hard to pickup over the wind & tire noise along with the thumping of the suspension over the road. If you happen drive with the windows down, and/or with the music turned up, you likely will have trouble noticing it at all. One thing that is always there, while simply sitting at idle; something which I miss from my old car (VR6 VW), is a very slight staccato-like pulsation, in concert with the engine, that would softly tingle through the drivetrain, finding its way to your fingertips by way of the gear shift knob, providing a pleasing and steadfast reminder that you are in fact at the helm of a living, breathing machine, at the ready... very good stuff :yesnod: .
On a side note, in listening to sound clips of MS6's featuring different exhaust systems, I've noticed that all of the systems will more or less produce some bass/resonance pretty consistently in a couple of areas in the RPM range. One area is around ~2K RPMS, and the other is at about ~3.5K RPM. It is a type of bass that can very quickly become unwelcome, and even described as drone and boominess once it reaches a certain volume. I believe there is an entire thread dedicated to this problem in regards to the the CP-E dual cat-back. My best guess is that w/ the ETS, you are getting a similar amount of sound that you would get from a GHL or CP-E with a resonator, but without any degradation of the quality of sound, or quantity of performance that some have mentioned when adding a resonator to their exhaust to lessen the volume and/or certain aspects of the sound. The difference from system to system that I have found is the duration of the bass in the RPM areas I mentioned, and it's overall loudness. The ETS is no exception in those RPM areas. However I did notice that it simply was not as loud as the CS that I listened to, inside and out. The way that I can best describe the ETS exhaust is as a very nice middle ground, or compromise, between a Magnaflow and GHL/CPE/CS. A great, intoxicating sound, at levels that shouldn't vibrate your mirror like an aftermarket sub, set off alarms, or make enemies of your neighbors.
For the first couple of weeks I would, on a daily basis, expect pedestrians and bystanders to take notice of me passing by. It rarely ever happened. Save for the occasional enthusiast, no one ever seemed to bat an eye. Even at near WOT, I had very little attention drawn my way (not that I was trying
). Overall I think it's a great midway point between the Magnaflow and 3" systems in terms of sound levels.
As for the performance, I can't say enough positive things in that regard. I love it! Prior to the exhaust going on, the car has, from time to time, been a bit lumpy in its power delivery. Nothing major, but noticeable none the less. It is now much, much smother. It shoots strongly right up to redline, without hesitation. And even though it seems to arrive there so much more quickly and smoothly, it's easy to know when to shift w/out looking at the tach due to the freshly unearthed engine/exhaust note that now so eagerly explains precisely where you are...again, good, good stuff :yesnod: . For me, the improvement has been throughout the car's power-band, but it has been most apparent near the top end, for obvious (above stated) reasons.
To me, this was a great buy @ $899. It has transformed my car into something that is elevated, impressive, and tactful in terms of performance and sound... At a price that I found to be very attractive, keeping in mind that it is American made, and made very well. I've gone to the trouble of linking to a bunch of pics from the day it was installed, and a positively butt load of video clips from a few weeks later showing as a much about this exhaust as I possibly could via the World Wide Web. Enjoy!
I've set up a Gallery of install day pictures HERE
(tips are near perfectly centered now, btw)
The videos are viewable on my YouTube page HERE
My actual exhaust is apparently featured on ETS' webpage HERE
Once again, enjoy!!! And feel free to ask me about anything that I may have left out. I'll modify the review as needed...
The following is a full assessment and write up on ETS' Catback Dual Exhaust System for the Mazdaspeed6...
I purchased mine at the end of Jan., and installed it about a month ago (middle of Feb.). It took a couple of weeks to get to me, as it was hand made at the ETS shops in Washington state. They also updated the design, modifying the tips to be oval, so this added a bit more time than normal to the fabbing process.
The exhaust arrived to me in great shape in a thick double-walled box with the letters ETS stamped on it. It could actually be said that it was over-packed and secured, but with something like this, that is hardly a bad thing. All indications were that everything about the exhaust's craftsmanship was extremely well executed and put together. Welds were uniform and consistent, along with no dents or dings, and great fit and finish to all of the visible metal surfaces and joints.
From the cat, the system consists of a 3" mid-pipe that has the welded on arms used for the factory hangers. That then attaches to a second section of mid-pipe using a slip-joint, which continues on to a 2.5" Y-pipe that is attached w/ another slip joint. Each 2.5" arm of the Y then goes to a single, welded on AeroTurbine AR25 resonator, each of which has an oval exhaust tip attached by way of a slip joint, for adjustablility. Installation is very similar to that of other dual cat-backs that use slip joints, such as CP-E's. WD-40, or similar, is suggested in order to more easily remove the factory exhaust from the rubber hangers, and to more easily attach the new aftermarket one. A impact wrench is suggested for a final tightening of the included heavy duty slip-joint brackets (I did this by hand without a big wrench, and had some nasty leaks during the first week or so). My buddy and I went about the install by first installing the mid-pipe, then the rear Y section with the second mid-pipe loosely attached. We then brought the two sections of mid-pipe together before tightening everything down. At first, the tips sat a little bit low. They weren't so low that they rattled, though low enough that if you bent down and looked you would notice. The pics I have from the day of install show this. Later on I found that a warmed up exhaust, loosened slip-joint brackets, and the business end of a breaker bar were a great recipe for getting things nice and centered
.Now, onto what matters... The sound and performance. First off, it did take a couple of weeks and a few hundred miles to kind of "break in", where it quieted down and mellowed out a bit from its initial sound, so give it some time in that respect.... Currently, this is a unique piece in the world of Speed6 exhausts. It is not a Magnaflow, as it has a larger diameter mid-pipe, and it uses resonators in place of chambered mufflers. This was done in order to improve engine breathing and performance over the Magnaflow and stock system. It is also not a full 3"+ system such as a CP-E, GHL, or Corksport catback dual exhausts. It goes from a 3" mid-pipe, to 2.5" at the Y-pipe. This is done in order to reduce the amount of air that has to be controlled/muffled/modified/quieted by the resonators, while keeping performance very comparable to full 3" systems by keeping the overall volume of airflow high w/ a combined 5" diameter of exhaust pipe (2.5 x 2) at the Y split. All this is done with the goal of reducing the overall "loudness" that a full 3" system can have, that many find unpleasant and, at times, downright embarrassing. In my opinion, ETS has succeeded. I was fortunate to be able to compare my ETS exhaust to a local owners Corksport cat-back exhaust. The overall sound of the CS was not bad. It had a bit of a race car sound at full throttle on the outside, with a decent raspy rumble at most other times. It was better than the online video clips that I have listened to. The ETS had a similar but still nicely unique sound. I would describe it as smoother, and very simply not quite as loud, especially on the outside. Still very racy sounding, but w/ a smoother bass note to it. On the inside, the sound of things follow a similar theme. There is a bassy tone in the interior w/ the ETS. Something that will be more noticeable off throttle at mid/high RPMs. But at most speeds, including highway, esp. w/ light throttle, I've found it to be, at best, very engaging and downright fun, and at worst only manageable. As an example, while trying to shoot videos of interior sound on the highway, the exhaust was sometimes hard to pickup over the wind & tire noise along with the thumping of the suspension over the road. If you happen drive with the windows down, and/or with the music turned up, you likely will have trouble noticing it at all. One thing that is always there, while simply sitting at idle; something which I miss from my old car (VR6 VW), is a very slight staccato-like pulsation, in concert with the engine, that would softly tingle through the drivetrain, finding its way to your fingertips by way of the gear shift knob, providing a pleasing and steadfast reminder that you are in fact at the helm of a living, breathing machine, at the ready... very good stuff :yesnod: .
On a side note, in listening to sound clips of MS6's featuring different exhaust systems, I've noticed that all of the systems will more or less produce some bass/resonance pretty consistently in a couple of areas in the RPM range. One area is around ~2K RPMS, and the other is at about ~3.5K RPM. It is a type of bass that can very quickly become unwelcome, and even described as drone and boominess once it reaches a certain volume. I believe there is an entire thread dedicated to this problem in regards to the the CP-E dual cat-back. My best guess is that w/ the ETS, you are getting a similar amount of sound that you would get from a GHL or CP-E with a resonator, but without any degradation of the quality of sound, or quantity of performance that some have mentioned when adding a resonator to their exhaust to lessen the volume and/or certain aspects of the sound. The difference from system to system that I have found is the duration of the bass in the RPM areas I mentioned, and it's overall loudness. The ETS is no exception in those RPM areas. However I did notice that it simply was not as loud as the CS that I listened to, inside and out. The way that I can best describe the ETS exhaust is as a very nice middle ground, or compromise, between a Magnaflow and GHL/CPE/CS. A great, intoxicating sound, at levels that shouldn't vibrate your mirror like an aftermarket sub, set off alarms, or make enemies of your neighbors.
For the first couple of weeks I would, on a daily basis, expect pedestrians and bystanders to take notice of me passing by. It rarely ever happened. Save for the occasional enthusiast, no one ever seemed to bat an eye. Even at near WOT, I had very little attention drawn my way (not that I was trying
). Overall I think it's a great midway point between the Magnaflow and 3" systems in terms of sound levels.As for the performance, I can't say enough positive things in that regard. I love it! Prior to the exhaust going on, the car has, from time to time, been a bit lumpy in its power delivery. Nothing major, but noticeable none the less. It is now much, much smother. It shoots strongly right up to redline, without hesitation. And even though it seems to arrive there so much more quickly and smoothly, it's easy to know when to shift w/out looking at the tach due to the freshly unearthed engine/exhaust note that now so eagerly explains precisely where you are...again, good, good stuff :yesnod: . For me, the improvement has been throughout the car's power-band, but it has been most apparent near the top end, for obvious (above stated) reasons.
To me, this was a great buy @ $899. It has transformed my car into something that is elevated, impressive, and tactful in terms of performance and sound... At a price that I found to be very attractive, keeping in mind that it is American made, and made very well. I've gone to the trouble of linking to a bunch of pics from the day it was installed, and a positively butt load of video clips from a few weeks later showing as a much about this exhaust as I possibly could via the World Wide Web. Enjoy!
I've set up a Gallery of install day pictures HERE
(tips are near perfectly centered now, btw)
The videos are viewable on my YouTube page HERE
My actual exhaust is apparently featured on ETS' webpage HERE
Once again, enjoy!!! And feel free to ask me about anything that I may have left out. I'll modify the review as needed...
