How do they change the characteristic of the exhaust sound?

My main concern is drone and increased noise in the cabin. Do headers (with an otherwise stock exhaust) increase drone or noise?

 

I have ARH Longtube Headers with X-pipe (no cats), stock resonator, stock mufflers. No drone. Nice,quiet and civilized when driven normally. Once you step on it.......hmmmmm the monster inside starts to roar!

 

Yep pretty much the same story here except I've deleted the resonators and kept the cats. With Kleeman headers she purrs smoothly without any noticeable drone at any speed. A little too quiet actually only hinting at the beast under the bonnet when putting the pedal to the metal.

 

I have the same exact exhaust setup as Violilo on my CLS55. It's amazingly quiet inside the car, but at WOT it sounds like the space shuttle launching! I highly recommend it.

 

Same here (ARH long tube). However, be are of "header tick"...makes you think you have an exhaust leak, but the thinner walled steel makes you hear more of the engine noise.
However, all sins are forgiven when you stand on it....transforms from mild to EVIL in short order!

 

get them and enjoy the power

 

Very very well said!

 

I have ARH also and feel the same as above mentioned,sounds very tame at idle but really wakes up at WOT..

 

Thank you for all the replies! So to confirm, at cruise you are not noticing any increase in noise then when you had manifolds?

 

Minimal , if anything.. And that's without cats. With cats it's even quieter.

 

 

I have MBH Longtubes , no primaries and E63 exhaust.. Louder than stock at idle and cruising, waaaay louder WOT.. Sounds like Hell is coming for ya.. AND She IS....

 

what about the PLM Shorties on the E63? I have them, but haven't installed yet.

 

I have MBH, secondary cats, stock resonator and stock rear mufflers. The supercharger by far is louder than the exhaust.

 

It's wonderful to know that our beasts sound better than the current F1 racers

 

Kleeman headers, no cats no resi and factory mufflers....slight drone around 1200 rpm but other then then that is has a nice beefy sounds to, the way it should have sounded from the factory. It's sound like a BEAST when you get on it!

 

The cats tame it down a bit...I like the high-flow ones on mine. Keeps the sleeper factor going a bit more and only costs a few ponies. Unsuspecting victims usually don't pay much mind until I wail on it and start disappearing.