I have a sound recording from my iPhone. Not sure it really helps. I need to find a better recording device.

Not sure this helps...I'll try getting something better:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aKPdAR-DuCo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Edit: If you listen to the sections where it downshifts and sounds awesome...thats the sound I love. The humming/droning sounds way worse in person than it sounds on the video, likely a limitation of the iPhone microphone. The video is just trying to give an approximation of the tone.

 

You're in a 5AT sedan? Maybe it downshifts earlier than the 7AT? My 7AT stays in a low gear quite a bit before it will downshift. I guess because it's always going for the best gas mileage? Sometimes I wish it would shift sooner than it does, so i manually shift.

So even going up a hill under load and at 2500 rpms you don't notice a low boominess from the back of the vehicle?

 

I was just about ready to pull the trigger on the Stillen CBE for my '12 37GSX Coupe. Sooooo glad I read about your problems. I would like a little power increase and some more sound, but couldn't take the constant drone. Any other thought out there?

 

Do you have a 7AT? It's also possible that your car being a coupe you wouldn't experience it, or maybe not as much. I love the sound of the car under full throttle, as you can hear in the clip I uploaded above. It's just the 7AT being sluggish in downshifting that causes the engine to lug a bit and creates the drone in the exhaust. I'm not so sure that other exhaust don't do the same thing, or I might have a bad exhaust. I'm in touch with Stillen and apparently one of the execs/owners is having a look at my case and is going to try and see what could be going on.

 

So I went to the dealer and there were no leaks. I guess the dealer called stillen to ask about it and were told that it was "normal". If that's the case then my advice to any 7AT owners out there:

Don't get the Stillen exhaust. Either go for stock+ or find something more quiet.

I'm really disappointed because I fully expected to love this exhaust. It's a huge disappointment. I'm going to go to Amex and try and get my money back or file a claim under my card warranty protection.

 

Read the entire thread. I'm curious, what difference would being 6mt or 7at make to the sound of the exhaust. If anything, there is less direct coupling of the driveline with the 7at, so more damping going on with the torque converter than a clutch/flywheel setup.

Maybe its just the characteristic of the exhaust that bothers you. In my 6mt sedan with the invidia q300 cbe, I get a very mild resonance in the 2-3K rpm range. Nothing that i'd consider overly loud, or overpowering the radio/conversation with a passenger. In fact, almost wish this was a bit louder. At higher revs, exhaust is noticeably louder and more prominent.

I don't think you'll find a solution that gives you the quietness of stock at low rpms, and the growl of aftermarket at higher. My problem with stock was it being too quiet. Not much of an issue in the 7at, but with a mt, i like to know when i'm on the throttle - engine/exhaust noise is used as a subtle indicator for shifting points, etc..

 

Some people like loud exhausts. You can't tell everyone with a 7AT not to go with Stillen because it was to loud for you. In the begining you said you wanted something a little louder than stock. There are a lot of exhausts out there that a much louder than Stillen's.

I have a 7AT and put on the Stillen exhaust and took it off because it wasn't loud enough. I got the Fast Intentions instead.

Just my opinion.

 

This was good line you used too.

Maybe it's because you've never heard of an aftermarket exhaust before and didn't know what sound to expect?

 

I think any decent after market exhaust is going to have some drone, I'm running Ark and it's the same thing...I really don't notice it normally because I have the music turned up.
I have considered going HFC + IPL Exhaust, I think that would probably be best combo for performance, no drone + increase in loudness of stock, but I just love the way Ark exhaust looks / sounds to much to move away from it.

 

I am a 5AT Coupe.

 

Drone is subjective. It also seems like you have an Auto. Manual drivers have the benefit of controlling drone.

 

Hey pg37 you're not exaggerating at all with your description of the drone. I too put this Stillen CBE on my 2010 G37x sedan because I wanted some sound and maybe some extra power. I had read that this exhaust was "wife approved" and went for it. I am about a month in and my ride to work has become similar to being in a large airplane at 32000 feet. The drone uphill is embarrassing. Like you say when flooring it it's great but regular driving is pretty bad and the cars interest in shifting too soon is just exaggerated. I too find myself manually shifting just to stay above the drone zone. My wife thinks I ruined our "date car" and I think she may be right. I am interested in checking out the other suggestion on here that mentioned going with just mufflers for the better sound. I kept my stock stuff and may change back. BTW, have you noticed how first gear will now wind out so fast, flooring it, that it will go past the redline and cut the engine for a slight pause and then kick in again after switching gears?

 

Yep your experience is exactly like mine, and my wife said the same thing about the car. She said it sounds like a motor boat. Interestingly I put my r2c intake on and it shifted the "drone zone" a bit. It's now slightly less bad on the freeway, but it's now louder going uphill. I'm putting my gen3 on and am going to see how that changes it. I may go to Invidia or modified Oem if I can't figure this out. Not sure I want to try and sound deaden the rear.

As for engine cutoff, that's top end HP my friend. I only get it when I'm losing traction and the VCD kicks in. My VCD kicks in even on dry pavement at 50mph with this beast at top rpm. Like I said, I love it except for the crap drone. If they discounted the exhaust $250 I may consider keeping it and trying to get someone to try and fix the drone. Either a resonator tube (like Ark) or a new muffler, or maybe even trying the stock middle resonator. It's got pretty big piping and is wayyyy longer than stillness.

 

Do you guys have a lot of hills there where you're at or something? Here in TX you'd rarely be going up hill so it probably would not bother you here.

 

I am glad I found this thread in the forum. I had a 2010 G37X that I was happy with. I saw the dealer had a beautiful 2102 white G37XS with 10K miles for sale in December, so in a weak moment brought myself a Xmas present. The car was in mint condition with a spotless interior, a very clean exterior, a nice tint applied to the windows, a clear bra material on the front end and a rumble when the vehicle accelerates. The car listed for 46K new and I felt the price I paid was a bargain.

Initially I thought the rumble or drone was due to the "S" model. It sounded nice initially but now it seems annoying. I popped the hood today and saw the Stillen instillation.

I'm glad I am not the only one concerned with the Stillen drone. Does anyone have an estimate on the cost of returning to the stock exhaust?

Thank you