Equal-length exhaust discussion: new S55 sounds

[JoePcone]

Is anyone running the resonated midpipe on a non-comp car with everything else stock? I know AA recommends non-resonated with the stock downpipe but the videos I see seem a little loud/raspy possibly? Just curious if anyone went resonated mid-pipe with stock downpipes and exhaust.

[1000hp]

Originally Posted by JoePcone

Is anyone running the resonated midpipe on a non-comp car with everything else stock? I know AA recommends non-resonated with the stock downpipe but the videos I see seem a little loud/raspy possibly? Just curious if anyone went resonated mid-pipe with stock downpipes and exhaust.

I had that setup at first. Definitely not loud. It did drone before I deleted cold start, though.

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by JoePcone

Is anyone running the resonated midpipe on a non-comp car with everything else stock? I know AA recommends non-resonated with the stock downpipe but the videos I see seem a little loud/raspy possibly? Just curious if anyone went resonated mid-pipe with stock downpipes and exhaust.

CT_M3

Sounded good to me from the outside not quite as raspy as non-res and a little quieter

[TimmyM56]

Bimmercircut has made its own custom midpipe and a rear section for the F8x platform. Interesting to see and I wonder how it sounds.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUlvhF_lF-b/

Not that I have any stake or biases, I already have my AA EQ midpipe and am still thinking of a full custom single combined rear section or DINAN rear section for that more N54 335i sound.

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by TimmyM56

Not that I have any stake or biases, I already have my AA EQ midpipe and am still thinking of a full custom single combined rear section or DINAN rear section for that more N54 335i sound.

You know, I’ve been thinking lately - it would be cool to have a modular length exhaust system. Like take the OG ubend design from this thread and play with different ubend lengths - like make the ubend swappable, that way you could fine tune the note. N54 has its note because the exhaust is not quite equal. It gets a lot closer with 1M which actually sounds surprisingly similar to EL S55

[shaddy]

Originally Posted by JoePcone

Is anyone running the resonated midpipe on a non-comp car with everything else stock? I know AA recommends non-resonated with the stock downpipe but the videos I see seem a little loud/raspy possibly? Just curious if anyone went resonated mid-pipe with stock downpipes and exhaust.

Yeah! I had this installed yesterday finally. I went with the resonated for the exact reason of it sounding raspy. I will make a video soon with an actual decent mic so people can hear it. But first impressions are that it sounds super smooth to redline. It's a little quieter than my custom midpipe before that was just a cat/resonator delete + xpipe. But the smoothness makes up for it IMO. If I want any louder I'll do a different axle back rather than downpipes.

[six75LT]

is anyone running stock DP + non res EL + awe track rear section? i currently have stock dp + non res el + remus and im looking for something a bit louder. sounds great so far and from the outside its got enough volume, but to be honest theres too much insulation on the inside so you dont hear as much. the remus is already louder than the standard comp muffler so it seems like my only 2 options are to go catless DPs (and switch to a res EL) or do something like the awe rear section. will the setup with the awe rear section even be louder than the remus?

[koh0886]

i have vrsf catless dp, res AA EL, and remus rear. in efficient the car sounds like stock, so very quiet but u do hear a slight exhaust note which i like. sport/sport + tho is much louder...almost too loud for me when driving city but sings on the highway above 4k rpm. ive gotten many compliments from people hearing it on the highway but i do think it drones if u stick at 2500 to 3k rpm. i mostly drive efficient around my house and regular streets. im debating to either go back to the stock dp / getting catted dps....or just sticking with it. i do have to say also that the tone has changed from when i first had everything installed and after about a month of driving. so at first it was very loud but i guess the pipes settled and is now a little bit quieter / refined.

Originally Posted by six75LT

is anyone running stock DP + non res EL + awe track rear section? i currently have stock dp + non res el + remus and im looking for something a bit louder. sounds great so far and from the outside its got enough volume, but to be honest theres too much insulation on the inside so you dont hear as much. the remus is already louder than the standard comp muffler so it seems like my only 2 options are to go catless DPs (and switch to a res EL) or do something like the awe rear section. will the setup with the awe rear section even be louder than the remus?

[Rokoz]

Originally Posted by six75LT

is anyone running stock DP + non res EL + awe track rear section? i currently have stock dp + non res el + remus and im looking for something a bit louder. sounds great so far and from the outside its got enough volume, but to be honest theres too much insulation on the inside so you dont hear as much. the remus is already louder than the standard comp muffler so it seems like my only 2 options are to go catless DPs (and switch to a res EL) or do something like the awe rear section. will the setup with the awe rear section even be louder than the remus?

Look up The Daily Driven on Youtube. He's got that exact setup and he's done a number of videos on it

[Playclub]

Has anyone paired their arm resonated catless downpipes with aa equal length resonated midpipes and some sort of after market axle back?

How does this setup compare to regular vrsf catless downpipes with aa el resonated midpipe and an aftermarket axle back?

im looking to do one of these setups to my car with an armytrix axleback, looking for loud and clean sound. Thanks!

if there is sound clips for any of these setups please share them thanks!

[TractionControlDelete]

Originally Posted by TimmyM56

Bimmercircut has made its own custom midpipe and a rear section for the F8x platform. Interesting to see and I wonder how it sounds.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUlvhF_lF-b/

Not that I have any stake or biases, I already have my AA EQ midpipe and am still thinking of a full custom single combined rear section or DINAN rear section for that more N54 335i sound.

Glad to see another option! Currently running a single to a ZCP back box. I bought a non-ZCP muffler to pair with an EL mid but it'll be nice to have different price-point and sound options.

[Kilabyte]

Originally Posted by F82KPowers

Glad to see another option! Currently running a single to a ZCP back box. I bought a non-ZCP muffler to pair with an EL mid but it'll be nice to have different price-point and sound options.

Don't mate the EL to a base muffler if you already have a ZCP on hand

[TractionControlDelete]

Originally Posted by Kilabyte

Don't mate the EL to a base muffler if you already have a ZCP on hand

Good point!

[BMa703]

Originally Posted by Playclub

Has anyone paired their arm resonated catless downpipes with aa equal length resonated midpipes and some sort of after market axle back?

How does this setup compare to regular vrsf catless downpipes with aa el resonated midpipe and an aftermarket axle back?

im looking to do one of these setups to my car with an armytrix axleback, looking for loud and clean sound. Thanks!

if there is sound clips for any of these setups please share them thanks!

Originally Posted by Playclub

Has anyone paired their arm resonated catless downpipes with aa equal length resonated midpipes and some sort of after market axle back?

How does this setup compare to regular vrsf catless downpipes with aa el resonated midpipe and an aftermarket axle back?

im looking to do one of these setups to my car with an armytrix axleback, looking for loud and clean sound. Thanks!

if there is sound clips for any of these setups please share them thanks!

I have arm resonated downpipes, non-resonated EL midpipe, and a dinan axleback. It was fine before the axleback but it became a bit raspy around 2k rpm. I'm going to get some small resonators welded soon. Will post up a video once I do.

[spool twice]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

You know, I’ve been thinking lately - it would be cool to have a modular length exhaust system. Like take the OG ubend design from this thread and play with different ubend lengths - like make the ubend swappable, that way you could fine tune the note. N54 has its note because the exhaust is not quite equal. It gets a lot closer with 1M which actually sounds surprisingly similar to EL S55

Wouldn't be hard to fab at all.

[Kilabyte]

Originally Posted by spool twice

Wouldn't be hard to fab at all.

Well you've done it before, do it again

[Driven 2 Thrill]

Originally Posted by BMa703

I have arm resonated downpipes, non-resonated EL midpipe, and a dinan axleback. It was fine before the axleback but it became a bit raspy around 2k rpm. I'm going to get some small resonators welded soon. Will post up a video once I do.

I'd be interested in hearing your current setup without the additional resonators. Have any vidoes you can share?

[LaCross]

Is there any drone with non-res downpipes on stock zcp cars?

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by LaCross

Is there any drone with non-res downpipes on stock zcp cars?

If installed correctly, downpipes on their own do not drone

[1000hp]

Originally Posted by LaCross

Is there any drone with non-res downpipes on stock zcp cars?

Nobody likes to talk about it, but the EL midpipe does cause an obnoxious drone at around 3k RPM when the car is cold.

Mine went away after I deleted cold-start with BM3. This was pre-downpipes.

When I installed high-flow-catted downpipes, which I would imagine are quite a bit quieter than the catless ones, some of the drone came back. It wasn't nearly as bad as before deleting cold start, but it was enough that I put the stock downpipes back on the car after listening to the noise for 6hrs straight on a road trip.

The catted downpipes also made the car sound like a twangy POS Honda exhaust overall. Another reason I pulled them off. Not worth the extra power if it sounds like I'm driving a Civic Si This this the other reason I took the DPs off, and probably why some people say the EL doesn't sound good. Even with the resonated EL, the car sounded like a BS four-cylinder once the downpipes went on. Fair warning.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by 1000hp

Nobody likes to talk about it, but the EL midpipe does cause an obnoxious drone at around 3k RPM when the car is cold.

Mine went away after I deleted cold-start with BM3. This was pre-downpipes.

When I installed high-flow-catted downpipes, which I would imagine are quite a bit quieter than the catless ones, some of the drone came back. It wasn't nearly as bad as before deleting cold start, but it was enough that I put the stock downpipes back on the car after listening to the noise for 6hrs straight on a road trip.

The catted downpipes also made the car sound like a twangy POS Honda exhaust overall. Another reason I pulled them off. Not worth the extra power if it sounds like I'm driving a Civic Si This this the other reason I took the DPs off, and probably why some people say the EL doesn't sound good. Even with the resonated EL, the car sounded like a BS four-cylinder once the downpipes went on. Fair warning.

I had zero drone on my M4, same with hundreds of other customers.


As I mentioned previously, I had the same issue as you at first and I even called Active Autowerke about it. After rechecking the install and adjusting the mipdipe, it went away.

I strongly recommend you re-check the install as well (mine was off by only 1 inch). Its either that or your specific setup is a bad combination with the equal length, but the equal length itself does not drone.

[slaughter.mode]

Originally Posted by 1000hp

Nobody likes to talk about it, but the EL midpipe does cause an obnoxious drone at around 3k RPM when the car is cold.

Mine went away after I deleted cold-start with BM3. This was pre-downpipes.

When I installed high-flow-catted downpipes, which I would imagine are quite a bit quieter than the catless ones, some of the drone came back. It wasn't nearly as bad as before deleting cold start, but it was enough that I put the stock downpipes back on the car after listening to the noise for 6hrs straight on a road trip.

The catted downpipes also made the car sound like a twangy POS Honda exhaust overall. Another reason I pulled them off. Not worth the extra power if it sounds like I'm driving a Civic Si This this the other reason I took the DPs off, and probably why some people say the EL doesn't sound good. Even with the resonated EL, the car sounded like a BS four-cylinder once the downpipes went on. Fair warning.

LOL. It definitely sounds like a 4 banger with resonated EL mid pipes and it sounds brassy as all hell with non resonated mid pipes when paired with cat-less downpipes and valves open. I'd compare it to a CR-X with a magnaflow muffler. Sounds nice at 4500+ RPMS though...but that's about it. It also definitely didn't give me more power, it took some away in exchange for mid-range/torque. My local shop was curious since I was one of the first in the area to get the EL setup and let me throw it on the dyno after and it dropped the highest 25 and lowest of 5 whp. Ambient temps were down 15 degrees too. Pretty sure I still had a packing peanut stuck on one of them I took them off so fast.