I know most people are looking for as much noise as possible, but is there such a thing as headers that come close to the sound level of the stock manifolds? In other words something with performance benefits over stock without the noise increase?

 

You can always keep your factory exhaust. Heard a 97 with headers and high flow cats with factory exhaust and was very tame.

 

most people looking for that go with headers and the z06 Ti exhaust. It flows better over stock c5 exhaust but isn't loud from what I have heard.

 

Actually, the stock exhaust flows pretty good. A set of headers, coupled with the stock exhaust, will be a very mild exhaust note.

 

Stock.

Noise is the by-product of free flowing exhaust gases and more hp

 

My set-up dynoed 489RWHP and 510RW torque at ECS before the 427 was broken in, right after build and before it was given back to me. I had AR Headers (1 7/8) w/X pipe and a lot of cabin noise with Ti's on the back.

Didn't like the noise so I put the stock LS1 exhaust back on, had Doug retune and it only made 424 RWHP (LS1 cats, but was quiet).

With engine fully broken in and looser, I had AR Headers (Nick) build a set of headers (1 7/8) w/X pipe for me but with thicker tubing and then had it all Swain coated (much thicker than regular ceramic).

Car was then much quieter than stock exhaust, made more power than when brand new (over 500 HP and Torque) at the wheels. Was not redynoed but I definately feel the increase over the first dyno measurements. I also stripped the interior and insulated everywhere including doors.

All situations above with the Ti catbacks and with cats, the AR headers when on used their own high flow cats.

 

With heads/cam/intake/headers I have found Ti's to be far too tame so I added cutouts, The Ti's were still too tame in stealth mode so I recently swapped in GHL's which are a bit louder. I swapped the wife's Ti's for a set of NXT's and she was happier with those.

The best exhaust note I have heard on a C5 was when I had FLP headers/hi-flo cats paired with Magnaflow exhaust. It had a very high-quality, deep, muscle-car note but was only about as loud as the Ti's in every mode but WOT. Very nice combo but pretty tame.

 

My 98 has kooks 1 3/4 headers 3" x-pipe with cats and a corsa touring exhaust. Unless I am at WOT it sounds stock and no drone.

 

Melrose Longtube w/cats and Spectre Works SLP exhaust is what I have. It "just right".

 

I'm set up this way. Under idle it's really not much louder than stock. Switching to a cat back only nets me another 2-3 rwhp.

However, under wide open throttle, it sings!

 

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I should mention that I already have the Corsa X-Pipe and Corsa TigerShark TOURING cat backs. Right now the car is quieter than stock except maybe on WOT. Apparently it is that heavy/cast material that absorbs the noise and switching to the thinner tubing just makes it "ring"?