What Is The Best Midpipe Sound & Performance

[TexasEd]

I'm just now getting back into an F82 and one of the first mod's will be the exhaust. I've read about a single larger midpipe and also the Active Autowerke equal length midpipes. I definitely do not want drone but would like improved sound and performance. Would appreciate recommendations. Thanks in advance.

[llvsixaxisvll]

Originally Posted by TexasEd

I'm just now getting back into an F82 and one of the first mod's will be the exhaust. I've read about a single larger midpipe and also the Active Autowerke equal length midpipes. I definitely do not want drone but would like improved sound and performance. Would appreciate recommendations. Thanks in advance.

I think it's very subjective, but what I can say is that I've seen a lot of people on the forums swap back their EL pipe for the single one.

[1000hp]

Originally Posted by TexasEd

I'm just now getting back into an F82 and one of the first mod's will be the exhaust. I've read about a single larger midpipe and also the Active Autowerke equal length midpipes. I definitely do not want drone but would like improved sound and performance. Would appreciate recommendations. Thanks in advance.

Here comes the holy war!


It's personal preference, really. But my experience has been the following:

single midpipe: no rasp, no drone, car still sounds like a fart.

equal-length midpipe: no rasp, some drone when the pipe is cold until I deleted cold-start, sounds MUCH better than stock or single.


EDIT: The equal-length did NOT sound good on my car with high-flow catted downpipes. I put the stock downpipes back on for that reason.

[taz2ko0]

I like my single midpipe from active.

[TexasEd]

Originally Posted by taz2ko0

I like my single midpipe from active.

It would seem in the least to improve performance since you are deleting the secondary cats and resonators with their backpressure. And the main thing with me is drone which I cannot tolerate.

[taz2ko0]

Originally Posted by TexasEd

It would seem in the least to improve performance since you are deleting the secondary cats and resonators with their backpressure. And the main thing with me is drone which I cannot tolerate.

The exhaust flaps would help with the drone

[BGxNYC]

Personally went single because I don't like rasp. I find the tone to now be deeper with more bass which is my preference and a couple notches louder than stock. I have stock DPs and ZCP back.

[BoxKing]

I debated this for months since the EL MP came out, and I ended up with the Single AA, and it will be paired with a REMUS (XPH had an amazing deal last month for this combo around $3750 with carbon tips- still waiting on the Remus).

I wanted the deeper tone, without rasp. My car is setup with VRSF DP's which Im not swapping out just to make the EL setup sound better.

[TopJimmy]

AA Single Mid for both sound and performance.

The big single pipe lowers the tone and adds volume.

The 2-into-1 picks up a tiny bit of power with the pulses merging.

Rasp comes from de-cat DPs or sport-cats letting the pop down the tube. Resonators can only try to clean up rasp. My sport cats allowed very little rasp, but my Res DPs let a bunch of rasp through over 4K RPM. My stock cats only cost a few HP and don't stink… Pick your poison.

[TexasEd]

Originally Posted by TopJimmy

AA Single Mid for both sound and performance.

The big single pipe lowers the tone and adds volume.

The 2-into-1 picks up a tiny bit of power with the pulses merging.

Rasp comes from de-cat DPs or sport-cats letting the pop down the tube. Resonators can only try to clean up rasp. My sport cats allowed very little rasp, but my Res DPs let a bunch of rasp through over 4K RPM. My stock cats only cost a few HP and don't stink… Pick your poison.

Thanks for the information. So to be clear you recommend the big single pipe and stock oem downpipes?

[TopJimmy]

Originally Posted by TexasEd

Thanks for the information. So to be clear you recommend the big single pipe and stock oem downpipes?

Yes, that's right.

[TexasEd]

Originally Posted by TopJimmy

Yes, that's right.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it. That seems to be the best setup for my preferences.

[jayyp]

Originally Posted by TexasEd

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it. That seems to be the best setup for my preferences.

I switched from the single midpipe to the equal length midpipe and don't regret it one bit! Love my EL midpipe!!

[RE36TRO]

Stock DP's, AA Single, MPE. Louder volume, deep tone, no rasp or drone but still F8x farty. Want to lose the fart but don't want to gain rasp or drone. I do think about trying out an unresonated EL but don't want to push my luck.

[RugbyBro]

EL is about sound and experience, end of story. On performance, you’re not going to get any significant performance bump out of a stock car from just swapping out a midpipe

[Kilabyte]

Originally Posted by RE36TRO

Stock DP's, AA Single, MPE. Louder volume, deep tone, no rasp or drone but still F8x farty. Want to lose the fart but don't want to gain rasp or drone. I do think about trying out an unresonated EL but don't want to push my luck.

I like mine, same configuration, I posted a video before



If I was forced to take off the EL and go back to any non EL config I'd sell the car, I don't care how many excuses people make, non EL exhaust on the S55 sounds like absolute crap no matter how you mod it.

[RE36TRO]

Originally Posted by Kilabyte

I like mine, same configuration, I posted a video before



If I was forced to take off the EL and go back to any non EL config I'd sell the car, I don't care how many excuses people make, non EL exhaust on the S55 sounds like absolute crap no matter how you mod it.

If any BF deals I'll consider trying out an EL as I'm def an S55 sound hater (esp owning a S54 and S65). If I like it, it's too bad the AA Single resale value is kinda garbage. Another reason for the tough decision to swap; spending $1500 on something you already have and not much value to recover cost.

[mikey914]

We’ll here’s my setup.

I’m completely catless with SSR catless downpipes, AA equal length midpipe and awe switchpath axleback exhaust. I installed 2 custom resonators on my midpipe and that’s all I have for a completely catless setup and my car sounds incredible.
It’s not raspy and it’s definitely deep sounding

[E92TiAg335i]

Originally Posted by TopJimmy

AA Single Mid for both sound and performance.

The big single pipe lowers the tone and adds volume.

The 2-into-1 picks up a tiny bit of power with the pulses merging.

Rasp comes from de-cat DPs or sport-cats letting the pop down the tube. Resonators can only try to clean up rasp. My sport cats allowed very little rasp, but my Res DPs let a bunch of rasp through over 4K RPM. My stock cats only cost a few HP and don't stink… Pick your poison.

I thought the AA single technically loses horsepower as it's a tick smaller diameter than the 2 stock pipes?

I have AA catless downpipes and am dying for the AA single midpipe— but i don't want to lose any performance.

[TopJimmy]

Originally Posted by E92TiAg335i

I thought the AA single technically loses horsepower as it's a tick smaller diameter than the 2 stock pipes?

Its the merging of the pulses that helps add/maintain velocity down the pipe. The added velocity supersedes having the two pipes. Gains are minimal, so make this pick based on the sound you like.

[1000hp]

Originally Posted by E92TiAg335i

I thought the AA single technically loses horsepower as it's a tick smaller diameter than the 2 stock pipes?

I have AA catless downpipes and am dying for the AA single midpipe— but i don't want to lose any performance.

A single will usually have less restriction than dual of the same or even slightly smaller overall volume because there is less friction in one pipe vs two.
The AA pipe has like 200 bends in it, and each or those bends adds restriction.

But you're not going to feel that. In a car that gains 150hp from a tune, you don't need to concern yourself with five bullshit horsepower at 6900RPM.


If you have catless downpipes it may or may not sound like you want it to sound with the equal length. The single doesn't sound good, IMO, but it might be less shitty than catless downpipes + equal length sound.

[mike@x-ph.com]

sound is subjective, but the single and equal length is the most popular

The single midpipe is the safest as it sounds good with all setups.

Equal length gives the car a non-turbo like sound, but you need to pick your setup carefully or it wont sound good