[gatorfast]

I have been scouring YouTube listening to a ton of 718 exhaust vids which of course doesn’t always give a 100% accurate representation of exhaust volume and tone. Soul, fabspeed, awe, etc. Listened to then all. What’s odd is that, solely based on the vids, most of them don’t really sound that loud?

Even something like the soul performance exhaust which is just a straight pipe doesn’t sound all that loud in the vids. Are the videos just deceiving?

The AWE track exhaust seems to be the only one that sounds loud and aggressive in the vids that i have heard. Am I missing something here? Is it just my ears?

 

[sobiloff]

No, it's just the limitations of microphones and speakers.

 

[Chris NZ]

Sound recordings are subject to the limits of the dynamic range of the recording medium. The wider the dynamic range the bigger the difference between quiet and loud sounds.

Ironically as we develop sound recording mediums that have a potentially wider dynamic range than in the past we choose to consume audio in increasingly uniform and discrete ways (think mini monitors, sound bars, Bluetooth speakers etc.) The end result is that the dynamic range is usually compressed so that everything has a similar volume (i.e. no really quiet bits and no really loud bits, just lots of sound in the middle). The end result is that everything kind of sounds pretty bland with no real way to tell the difference between a quiet and a loud sound.

This initially came about as a result of advertisers wanting their TV ads to 'punch' through or artists wanting their song to sound 'punchier' on air. Ironically, once everyone does it the opposite happens.

P.S. For audio geeks their is an interesting video on Youtube on how streaming services like Spotify are inadvertently reversing the trend, which is a good thing.

For those interested in the subject Googling "The Loudness Wars" would be a good place to start

 

[Third]

...

Ironically as we develop sound recording mediums that have a potentially wider dynamic range than in the past we choose to consume audio in increasingly uniform and discrete ways (think mini monitors, sound bars, Bluetooth speakers etc.) The end result is that the dynamic range is usually compressed so that everything has a similar volume (i.e. no really quiet bits and no really loud bits, just lots of sound in the middle). The end result is that everything kind of sounds pretty bland with no real way to tell the difference between a quiet and a loud sound.
...

Interesting observation. Imagine if we did the same with automobile technology. For instance, if as we develop and integrate higher and higher technology systems into our cars, we were to simultaneously fit them with all with 90HP engines and CVTs.

 

[EuroKip]

Chris NZ makes a good point I still wonder why TV commercials are louder than regular programming

In my humble opinion, loud starts with a 200 cell SportCat. I love mine with the PSE

 

[Soul Performance Products]

It's all in how the video is recorded.

Cameras can have auto-limiting which can lower or raise the gain to prevent peaking or alternatively fill the soundscape (you'll notice that effect if as a car drives away, the noise and ambient sound around it grows as the levels are raised).

Mic design makes a difference. Shotgun microphones focus their metering in one direction - where the mic is pointed - and will usually be louder and fill the speakers with only sound of the car / exhaust and this is also true as the car drives away. Omnidirectional mics, like our phones, will pickup sound from all directions. I normally use an omnidirectional mic here as it gives an accurate representation of the the sound around you - the volume and intensity fades as the car pulls away. A lot of manufacturers will use shotgun style mics as it makes for a more impressive sound and can give the impression of a full, more louder sound. Sometimes I see threads like this and ask myself, what matters more - offering a realistic sound experience that borders on not conveying the true aggression of the exhaust, or using a shotgun mic for a punchier, fuller sound (exaggerated) to bolster the impression of the exhaust to sell more exhausts. There are a lot of sound effects you can apply in editing to embellish the sound, you can adjust levels, EQ, reverb, and many other things. I just normalize the volume levels and sometimes raise the higher end on the EQ of Go Pro footage to sound more realistic as is it's often very muffled.

The AWE Track exhaust and our Performance Exhaust are both lacking sound attenuating devices like mufflers or resonators and you will experience a very similar sound from both, our X-pipe design will smooth the sound a bit for a more refined note. I've had seat time behind almost all of the exhausts you've mentioned - and if you're looking for loud the Performance Exhaust and a downpipe will definitely have massive presence. IMO the Performance Exhaust with factory downpipe will be louder in volume than PSE with aftermarket downpipe.

If anyone has any question about getting the experience they are looking for, I'm always here to help!

-Mike

 

[gatorfast]

Thanks Mike for the info and insight. If I eventually do get an aftermarket exhaust I wont want to touch the factory downpipe and cat so the performance exhaust seems like the most aggressive setup available with oem downpipe in place. I have the PSE on my car but its pretty underwhelming. I dont want my car to be heard from a mile away but I def would like a more aggressive and louder sound that I can actually hear in the cabin, especially for rev matched downshifts and under WOT.

 

[MR69 ALB]

I’m still on the fence and comparing all exhaust options, i too want to have the kind of sound that gatorfast describes and i to have the pse so what about the soul exhaust with valves ?
cheers

 

[Soul Performance Products]

Thanks Mike for the info and insight. If I eventually do get an aftermarket exhaust I wont want to touch the factory downpipe and cat so the performance exhaust seems like the most aggressive setup available with oem downpipe in place. I have the PSE on my car but its pretty underwhelming. I dont want my car to be heard from a mile away but I def would like a more aggressive and louder sound that I can actually hear in the cabin, especially for rev matched downshifts and under WOT.

You're most welcome! If you're not willing to change out the downpipe, the Performance Exhaust would be the way to go. We worked with Suncoast Parts to design a system that would be durable enough for their track car and warrantied for track use as they experienced failure from another manufacturer's system. It sounds great and with factory downpipe it's not overbearing. You can even add a BMC air filter to add a slight amount of turbo and intake sound to match.

I’m still on the fence and comparing all exhaust options, i too want to have the kind of sound that gatorfast describes and i to have the pse so what about the soul exhaust with valves ?
cheers

Our Valved Exhaust was designed primarily as an alternative for non-PSE cars looking for a valved upgrade. It's only around 5% louder at most - not really a good option for anyone with PSE looking for an upgrade. If you have PSE and you're willing to modify an emissions device our Sport Catalytic Converter Downpipe is a great way to add more sound without it ever being too loud. You'd also expect no check engine light. It would unlock more turbo sound without adding drone. As I mentioned above if you haven't done the BMC filter yet it's a good start to get some more sound at a very low price.

-Mike

 

[jimmuller]

I know this post is off-topic, but I just want to say that I appreciate it when vendor representatives like Mike from Soul Performance Products take the time to write intelligent and useful answers without it seeming like just an ad.

Now back to your regularly scheduled discussion of exhaust sounds in videos. (I pay no attention to those videos anyway and am not looking to replace my OEM exhaust system.)

 

[jiffy]

The Soul Performance exhaust is a nice upgrade if your looking for more sound. I put a video of it in another thread. I feel like it has the bite I'm looking for without being overly obnoxious.

 

[jimmuller]

Sometimes, no, make that all the time, I wonder about the guys who write the online car stuff.

My phone's browser is always giving me suggestions for what to read. I ignore most of it. A 718 Cayman article on a new website name popped up a few days ago and I finally read it. The site was called motorbiscuit. The writer started with the expected superlatives, even of the base 2L F4T. But then he said it was too loud! Huh? And here we are with folks discussing how to make the F4T louder. Then the writer went on to say the 2.5L was much nicer, smoother-sounding. I never got far enough through the article to read about the 4.0 F6. Or maybe I did and just forgot.

What was that adage about monkeys with keyboards?

 

[HooosierDaddy]

Unedited audio, trick is to not put the mic right next to the exhaust. Check out my channel for more clips.

 

[gatorfast]

Unedited audio, trick is to not put the mic right next to the exhaust. Check out my channel for more clips.

Thanks for the vids. I would prob just go catless downpipe and call it a day if it werent for the CEL (dont want to tune right now).

Is your car ceramic coated? The master blaster seemed to work really well dispelling the water. I have an electric leaf blower which works ok but the tapered end of the master blaster looks like it really focuses the wind stream.

 

[HooosierDaddy]

Thanks for the vids. I would prob just go catless downpipe and call it a day if it werent for the CEL (dont want to tune right now).

Is your car ceramic coated? The master blaster seemed to work really well dispelling the water. I have an electric leaf blower which works ok but the tapered end of the master blaster looks like it really focuses the wind stream.

Thanks, I have a few videos that are with the Sport Cat as well. I went that way first, but once I tuned the car it was my chance at more volume! Oh, and
I just remembered that the car wash video was done before I did the cat delete, so that's what you'll end up with if you do the Sport Cat downpipe.

Yes, car is wrapped in STEK Dynoshield and coated with Modesta BC-04

 

[gatorfast]

Thanks, I have a few videos that are with the Sport Cat as well. I went that way first, but once I tuned the car it was my chance at more volume! Oh, and
I just remembered that the car wash video was done before I did the cat delete, so that's what you'll end up with if you do the Sport Cat downpipe.

Yes, car is wrapped in STEK Dynoshield and coated with Modesta BC-04

Are you able to post any more vids you have of the sport cats?

 

[HooosierDaddy]

Are you able to post any more vids you have of the sport cats?

There is a longer version of this one with some switching from normal to sport mode using just the Sport Cat DownPipe. I'll see If I can find that one on my computer and upload it. I edited it because my phone audio was cutting in and out.

 

[HooosierDaddy]

Here's the full length. You can tell where I'm in the normal PSE mode and then switch open the exhaust. Again, I only did the Soul Downpipe with the sport cat in this video. Video's still processing, so the video quality may be a bit low for awhile.

 

[gatorfast]

Sounds great, thank you!

 

[CaymanMatt]

Chris NZ makes a good point I still wonder why TV commercials are louder than regular programming

My understanding is that the total programming needs to have a certain average loudness (SPL, dB) during the presentation. Advertisers want more volume to sell their product so the presenters reduce the average volume of the show, allowing more volume headroom for the advertisers. It does seem to have gotten worse recently though.

FWIW