I know it is subjective, but with no headers and stock cats, I think the Solo axle backs sound the best.

 

I am biased since I have headers & a cam solo all the way. I have heard stock cars with solo & they sound much better. Is there a reason why you do not want headers.

 

Thanks gents. My universal experience with headers on a street car has been nearly entirely negative... at least since I passed 35 years of age a decade ago...:wink3:
No need for an all out effort, as I have another, far faster go-fast toy. Underhood heat, underhood noise, poor flange to head sealing... all not of interest for me on this car. Don't get me wrong, headers have their place. But for me right now, not on my G8.

With what folks are posting regarding axle-backs, cat-backs, resonator delete, X pipe... mid muffler... I am seeing, perhaps some contradictions in posts...

First, I suppose its best to let me confirm what I think I'm seeing under the car, from the manifold back: Cats, Mid Muffler, resonators, then mufflers. Correct?

 

You need to find other G8s and listen in person. I hate going on YouTube and finding the muffled or cutting out videos that sound like they were recorded with a potato or a Nokia phone from 1999. Sound is just one of those things that is to each their own, and we all have a different tolerance to drone, rasp, etc.

I have long tube headers, no cats, hooker maxflow mufflers. I love the sound, it's deep - not raspy or tinny (tinny = like a rattling tin roof = or most modular mustangs). On a scale of 1 being stock and 10 being open headers, it's probably a 5 1/2. But it drones, and sometimes it gets annoying. I have a friend with Tri-Y headers, no cats, resonated x-pipe, and no mufflers and its like a 4, surprisingly quieter than mine, slightly less drone and to me it sounds different (I prefer mine, and not because I biased to my setup) but his still sounds good. If I take my mufflers off it's almost like open headers,like a 8 1/2, and you can't hear sh*t and its all drone and some guys love that.

So far the best sounding G8 in my opinion was one guy I ran into with long tubes, no cats to a Solo catback. He was honest about how much he spent, like $2-2.5K, don't remember the exact number he gave but it was well worth every penny. He swore there was no drone. If I would've heard his setup before mine I don't think I would've "cheaped out", most likely would've copied him.

 

Very good info Dom. I have to agree. Not really useful listening to clips on internet. I was able to determine pretty well the raspy ones though and rule them out. And so true about the mod motor mustang sound, wow that is not my taste.

What is the effect/significance of the mid muffler? Is it functioning as an X pipe?? Control of resonance?? Any baffling even in there?


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Very good info Dom. I have to agree. Not really useful listening to clips on internet. I was able to determine pretty well the raspy ones though and rule them out. And so true about the mod motor mustang sound, wow that is not my taste.​

What is the effect/significance of the mid muffler? Is it functioning as an X pipe?? Control of resonance?? Any baffling even in there?​

I believe it makes in quieter.

 

I've seen a you tube video of a compilation. Just search g8 compilation and you should find it.

 

I have the Corsa catback with pacesetter catless headers, I get absolutely no drone. They sound great as well, relatively quiet until you get on it and they really open up.

 

I've been through 3 different set ups. I currently have kooks headers and magnaflow axle backs and love it. Prior to that my favorite sounder was x pipe and solo j pipes. They sounded great and with minimal drone. Was way to much with the long tubes tho.

 

I went thru a few combos also. I was never looking for obnoxious loud, just a deep, throaty rumble with some of the decal pop. I LOVE my current set up of Solo HFC's, X-pipe and Solo axle-backs. No drone and IMHO it sounds perfect.

 

I just recently had the Kooks headers put on with Solo mach balanced cat back (and high flow cats).

I've got a header leak that kooks is replacing. But nice sound. Idle and easy on the gas, it's not really heard. But stomp on it, and people look around

 

I just put tri y's on my car no cats and no mufflers with a knock off magnaflow mid muffler and my car is no where as loud as I was expecting. I took my x pipe off and put the mid muffler on anticipating it to be too loud. I'm now on the fence about removing the mid muffler and putting the x pipe back on. I get what you saying this is my first set of long tubes and they are very ticky and raspy. If you don't want headers I would get rid of everything from the cat back with solo axlebacks. That may be your best option for sound.

 

Does anyone have any valved (bimodal?) Mufflers? I feel like this is what I'm looking for, quite cruising, loud at wot.

 

People have fabbed some up using Z06 bimodal exhausts but with stock manifolds and cats I think different options are worth looking into. I clamped a set of C6 bimodals with longtubes and an xpipe and it was too quiet imo. I'm now on catless longtubes to a magnaflow mid muffler and a solo Axleback and it is pretty quiet until 2k then it sings its LS song. The most cost effective option would likely be cutouts before a muffler.

 

Mine is pretty loud bit has zero rasp. Its just straight piped with high flow cats a J pipes to help with drone. Very mean sounding. Its not unbearable while cruising but pretty loud WOT

 

I have LTHs with cats, x tube and dynomax vts(valved). No rasp or drone, quiet at idle, and screams under throttle. Before the supercharger I thought it was too quiet, now its just right. The motor noise is much more noticeable at idle with headers, you can hear the valvetrain. The car is daily driven year round and gets nothing but compliments. At full throttle it makes small children cry.

 

Been out of town and running around.Lots of good replies in the meantime!! Thanks for the info.

So it appears that a very good portion of the muffling occurs with the mid muffler. Hence using the axle back J tubes, and no rear mufflers is not that loud at all it would seem...

 

If you don't plan on doing headers or removing your cats the solo axle backs sound good imo or even one of there cat backs