ASH_C43

AWE, OEM MB Performance Exhaust, Brabus, iPE, Armytrix, GTHaus, ...

- How do these different exhausts stack up in your opinion?

- Have you had a chance to listen to some of them in person?

- How do you rank them based on loudness?

- Which one has the preferred tone for you?

- Which one makes more/fewer cracks & pops?

5ilver-5urfer

I think Mercedes really hit the nail on the head with the release of the performance exhaust. It's a great balance of quiet when you want to get from point A to B comfortably, and obnoxiously loud when you want to overtake the jerk that just cut you off.

If your car doesn't have the performance exhaust, I would look for an aftermarket solution that has a remote switch to open up and close the valves. You don't really appreciate the ability to control the loudness of your car until you actually have it. I don't think the AWE solution has this. I do, however, think that the ArmyTrix solution has this...but as quoted in another thread, the cost estimate for this solution is over $4k from the vendor...

If you do have the performance exhaust...I personally wouldn't really look for a louder option because anything more than the performance exhaust will probably end up sounding tacky imho.

bgm130

It's going to be tough to answer all these questions as most sound is sibjective. You want loud go for downpipes. That is going to be your loudest. All the other exhausts are pretty similar. People have had good luck with just removing the rear resonators on he non perf exhaust and putting straight pipes.
And awe offers 3 solutions.
Track is one valve in the X pipe.
Switchpath has two options. One for people with the perf exhaust and one for epeiple without. All are under 3k. Added the valves you get a remote to control them.

darwin329

hey bro. I have the Valvetronic performance exhaust on 2015 c63s. Am not ready with the downpipes yet. deleting the resonator is another option to make the exhaust tone louder? no issues on drone or lose torque. i want to try removing the resonator ( the one in the middle) and replace with straight or Xpipe?? Thank you

ASH_C43

Thanks for your replies!

I made a mistake by not adding the Performance Exhaust option to my C43 sedan build.

And now, I'm considering the alternate switchable options:
-AWE has SwitchPath for C63. C43 not available yet.
-Armytrix has one for C63. Does it works with C43?!
-GTHaus GTS has one for C450.
-Any other option??

I'm not after the loudest one but rather a reliable, reasonable, and high-quality one.
Overall, it is really hard to choose among them by just looking at video clips.

sean1.8t

I think manufacturers are putting out great quality OEM products (great uniform bends, good diameter piping, good flowing mufflers) these days and with the addition of valves, it's that much better. With the valves open, the non-performance exhaust on my 450 is honestly loud enough for me; especially so since it's a daily driver. I'm sure it's flowing enough that it won't be a true restriction until 600+hp. With all that, I don't see a need to add an aftermarket unit at this point. I'm just going to be adding downpipes to add a deeper tone to the sound and because I think they are the only real restriction in the exhaust.

These aftermarket companies better take note as they are losing their market to sufficient OEM choices. Especially the companies like Armytrix that are putting $2,000+ markups on their units. You don't need an aftermarket exhaust anymore. So unless they fix their strategy on pricing, the only people that are going to buy them are the people with "f#ck you money". And there aren't a lot of those people out there.

ASH_C43

I agree that the markups on the aftermarket choices are hard to swallow.

I also wish the addition of OEM PE part after the build were an option offered by MB.

With regards to your suggestion, do downpipes require any other change to the car/exhaust? Shouldn't transmission be lowered?!
Also, you mentioned that your C450 sounds loud enough when valves are open. Are they always open or have you made it that way? Can you please elaborate? Sorry, I'm not that technical...

sean1.8t

Hey no need to apologize, man. This is what this forum is for

As far as having the PE offered by MB: That would be sweet but they would probably charge $5,000 for if after the fact.

Downpipes do not require much in regards of install. Some say 1 hour, some say 3, but you do not need to drop the transmission like you do in the c63. I'll know exactly what is involved in about a week or so and be making a thread on it. You will need software to utilize them though. Many have said that they make the car run in 'limp mode' (a safeguard mode in the ECU that lowers boost and must be reset by the dealer). Also if you go with catless DPs, you will need to have the software remove the CEL (check engine light) code you will get for this.

The flaps on the exhaust open up when you put the car into 'sport' or 'sport+' mode. And I'm pretty much always driving in 'sport+' mode

PL27

lol ur so smart u little genius! Theres no flaps in the exhaust, the car being louder has to do with the cars computer. How would i kno? U may ask. Because i have a straight pipe and its the same how it was in comfort just louder in s+

sean1.8t

Umm I'm sorry guy, but we're talking about the c450/c43 here. Not the c63 that your parents bought you. Pretty sure we have flaps but hey, I could be wrong. I'm just assuming since it gets MUCH louder in sport+. Hard to believe it gets that much louder with just a change to the ECU.

Are you following me around now? This is getting pathetic.

rmt52

if you have the amg performance exhaust it has flaps.

Andyroo

Both exhaust have flaps in the h-pipe too

Mr. J

There is no valve control on the stock C450 exhaust. It was never an option from MB at the time the cars were produced. The volume is based on RPM and the crackles and pops come from the ECU creating a controlled "miss" on rpm overrun.

C43 perf exhaust is a valve controlled option with valve control that can be operated in tandem with or independently of the drive mode.


Armytrix, Meistershaft/GT Haus are the two biggest names for valve controlled systems for the C450/C43. They also carry the biggest price tags at around $5k US

I don't think AWE has a switchpath solution for the 450/43 yet. If someone shoots Josh from AWE a PM he may chime in with some updates.

blue00r6

fight fight fight.. Now this is what forums are for

JPMBenz

I have the Eisenmann system on my C63 S. It's about 30% louder and deeper then the OEM PE. I absolutely love it!

ASH_C43

Eisenmann seems to only offer exhaust for C63. But it's interesting that it just worked with the PE infrastructure in place in terms of modules (if any) and the software. Do you have the button control in the console?

Do you have any idea about how Eisenmann compares to AWE, Armytrix, or GTHaus?

ASH_C43

I did ask Josh and it's in their pipeline. Not ready yet...

Hammer Down

Has anyone deleted the rear mufflers and put a straight pipe in its place?

JPMBenz

No I haven't heard any others besides mine. Eisenmann is some of the best out there and you won't be disappointed.

cenzo86

this dude had it done recently. He's on the board, forgot his name though.
im curious to hear from him to see if the noise is getting to him yet.

Dthquazi

How exactly does a car's Ecu make an exhaust louder without flaps?


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Mr. J

RPMs and shift points.

sean1.8t

Those shouldn't make a difference. I usually spend my time between 2000 RPM and 5000 RPM and the tone is drastically different no matter the load input I give it. There may not be flaps, but there's got to be something mechanical changing it. The ECU could not alter the tone that much.

Dthquazi

No

Do a little experiment. Cold start your car and stand behind it. When it idles for a couple seconds it quiets down. There is minimal to no rpm change when this starts to happen. When the revs drop to idle, Rev it to that same spot. Not the same.

Back the car up to a wall while it is running. Open your door and listen. Rev it a little. Get out and listen. Then change your car to race mode and compare.

https://mbworld.org/forums/c43-amg-c63-amg-c63s-amg-w205/638040-psa-deleting-overriding-exhaust-valves.html

Mr. J

C450/c43 do not have race mode. And the exhaust systems are not comparable to the C63/C63s.