Like I said, headers (IPE long tubes which are both headers and mid-pipes) on stock rear section (resonator and two rear silencers) is very loud. Better after a few mild but still very loud although no drone and with cats in the mid-pipes, little smell.

If you have the $$$ then to have the best of both you need a valved rear section, IPE, Agency Power, Akra, whatever. The silencers on these systems are much better sound deadened than stock so naturally will be tamer with the valves closed. The stock system is so loud as it is, as a completely stock system, because it has little sound deadening and with headers is basically a megaphone.

Where are you located? Can you meet with someone who has either option you are considering? Videos don’t do either justice.

By the way, installing headers is a tricky job.

I wouldn’t bother with a cat-back on its own, only if you were going for headers later on.

When you first fit headers to stock cat-back, it is ungodly loud. I remember thinking WTF have I done and thought that for about 100miles. It then started to deepen a quiet down to a point where now, I guess 1000miles later I smile a lot and appreciate it. No mistake, it’s loud when you push on but it’s a nice sound, real V8 goodness. It doesn’t drone, or shout when you’re cruising, you can pull in and out of city centres, car parks etc going relatively unnoticed unless you floor it. One thing to mention is that cold start is very loud and always will be and warm start sounds like a gun shot, so at gas stations when you start up, people get neck trauma.

I guess I’m not selling it , but it’s not bad at all in my opinion and certainly I wouldn’t feel bad taking it to see clients. It’s really tame cruising, not like a straight-piped Mustang or anything.

I don’t have any videos but I will get some soon if you haven’t made the move. My car it stored October to April generally, but maybe longer this year as winter is holding strong.

I wouldn’t bother with a cat-back on its own. It’s expensive, it yields no extra power and they all sound worse than the stock exhaust. I’d only get a cat-back if I had headers and didn’t want the loudness of a stock car-back.

Idling is fine, basically not louder than stock.

The full IPE exhaust (inc headers) with valves closed is about as loud as a full stock but deeper. With the valves open it’s the loudest thing you’ll get aside from full straight pipe. I like it but for me not worth the expense and cutting of my wiring loom to splice in a live wire.

I would say so yes, by a lot and it’s always loud whereas headers on stock cat-back can cruise quietly and no drone.

It does quieten down yes, I am happy with mine after 1k miles. After 300miles it was noticeably settling in.

Supersprint exhausts have amazing quality, they are well known here in Europe and have been around for years. I’ve had them on previous cars that I’ve rallied and they were solid despite the abuse. They are however expensive. I chose IPE for this car as they are the most readily available for RHD cars, whereas American LHD brands don’t always fit so good.