XSPower 2.5" Catback reviews
05-07-2010, 09:46 AM
#1
Former Vendor
Thread Starter
XSPower 2.5" Catback reviews
Just thought you guys that have been on the fence or interested might appreciate seeing all of the reviews I have got thus far from customers receiving their XSPower 2.5" catback systems! 
These are all of the reviews I have thus far. A few others who I am still waiting on to have their systems put on and hear their feedback as well!
Just got mine this afternoon and just installed them this evening. The videos do no justice for how good these sound. My one friend has Borla stingers and after going for a cruise tonight he wants to get these. They are very subdue at idle/ cruise with 0 drone on the highway, but damn when you get on it, it sounds INSANE. Ill post up some quick vids when youtube finishes whatever they are doing lol. The fit and finish is very nice and the install was really simple. Here is a few pictures and for anyone on the fence I say DO IT, you wont be disappointed.
Too late to post a pic of the inside. I got'm mounted. Sound great. A raw sound at idle, kind of like having cam and headers, but not quite that good. Under acceleration, they are mean sounding. At steady throttle you almost can't hear them inside. Haven't had them up to interstate speed. At 45 (window open) in 4th gear they sound real mellow, in 5th their very quiet.
They do gurgle when you let off the throttle 1800+/- rpms. You don't hear gurgling above 2k rpms.
As for muffler construction, the inlet side looks like a straight pipe from one end of the muffler to the back side. (just like looking down a pipe with a "U" turn on the far end, no baffles. I stuck a mirror down to try to look at the outlet side, and all I could see is what looked like a flat piece with a hole or two in it. I haven't looked inside of any of the other systems.
If your a profectionist this may not be for you. The tips on the two mufflers aren't perfectly spaced, the right 2 tips are closer together then the left 2. Probably 1/8" difference. Not huge. But they all seam to be level. The pics on the first post are very accurate.
As for performance, they weigh about the same as stock, so you won't gain any weight advantages. There is less engine braking then the stock exhaust, so I would guess that they flow better.
I don't have the ability to take videos, but I can say that I am very happy. It's got a distinguishable growl at idle, barks when you ask, and tame when you cruising, I think the wind might even be louder then the exhaust on the road. Might be the perfect exhaust for someone who wants more then stock but yet does a fair amount of driving. I am pretty sure my neighbors won't be upset at 6am when I head to work. But if you live near an interstate on-ramp, I'll appoligize now, cause they sound sweet at WOT! previously posted videos are quite accurate.
They do gurgle when you let off the throttle 1800+/- rpms. You don't hear gurgling above 2k rpms.
As for muffler construction, the inlet side looks like a straight pipe from one end of the muffler to the back side. (just like looking down a pipe with a "U" turn on the far end, no baffles. I stuck a mirror down to try to look at the outlet side, and all I could see is what looked like a flat piece with a hole or two in it. I haven't looked inside of any of the other systems.
If your a profectionist this may not be for you. The tips on the two mufflers aren't perfectly spaced, the right 2 tips are closer together then the left 2. Probably 1/8" difference. Not huge. But they all seam to be level. The pics on the first post are very accurate.
As for performance, they weigh about the same as stock, so you won't gain any weight advantages. There is less engine braking then the stock exhaust, so I would guess that they flow better.
I don't have the ability to take videos, but I can say that I am very happy. It's got a distinguishable growl at idle, barks when you ask, and tame when you cruising, I think the wind might even be louder then the exhaust on the road. Might be the perfect exhaust for someone who wants more then stock but yet does a fair amount of driving. I am pretty sure my neighbors won't be upset at 6am when I head to work. But if you live near an interstate on-ramp, I'll appoligize now, cause they sound sweet at WOT! previously posted videos are quite accurate.
Just installed them today along with a wcc xpipe. Perfect compromise for someone who doesnt want to be loud all the time. Really civil at idle and cruising speed. Very aggressive at wot. This is exactly what I was looking for.
Funny story with the install today, put everything on and tightened the clamps the best we could. Took it out for a drive when someone told me that I was about to lose a muffler. Pulled into a parking lot, vette went one way, muffler and tips went the other. We couldn't get it tight enough so we ended up doing a little spot welding. I couldn't be happier with my purchase, thanks alot.
Funny story with the install today, put everything on and tightened the clamps the best we could. Took it out for a drive when someone told me that I was about to lose a muffler. Pulled into a parking lot, vette went one way, muffler and tips went the other. We couldn't get it tight enough so we ended up doing a little spot welding. I couldn't be happier with my purchase, thanks alot.
Last night I installed my new XSPower 2 1/2" axel backs. Now it sounds like a vette should. It took me just over 2 hours (most of that was unwarpping them) great quality. I had an issue with the clamps not holding them in position but cured that today with some heavy duty clamps (3/8" dia U bolts) from Car Quest about $4.50 for two. I couldn't be more pleased with the sound - very mellow when curising with no drone at all and turning heads when you get on it. Anyone thinking of an axel back system these are worth checking out. Anyone in the San Diego area that would like to here them in person let me know my 98 vette is box stock right down to the paper air filter (soon to be corrected). My gas milage is going to suck - I can't keep my foot out of it now.
It's been a week now since installing the XSPower cat backs and I've had a chance to drive it around town and on the highway up to 75 or so both with the top up and down.
Overall, I am very pleased with fit and finish of the system. The welds look uniform, solid and consistent. They installed much easier than I had anticipated. Even a novice can uninstall the stock exhaust and install these in about 2hrs or less. While I had a lift accessible to me, the timing was off and I was impatient so I simply raised the car on ramps and did the install off the ground. Still, less than 2hrs for the cat back. I did not install a header setup or X pipe and kept the stock H pipe setup.
The sound at idle does have a "motorboat" sound but I'm not picky about that at all. It's still MUCH better than stock. Gentle acceleration from a stop sounds loud but not obnoxious. WOT from a stop and at speed does make them wake up and do some talking! There is absolutely no drone at highway speed with the top up or down and I'd say they are just about the same as stock in loudness at highway speed. It's amazing how quiet they are cruising at 70. I'm very pleased with with that as we are planning a 3k mile trip in a week or so.
As a bonus, it has appeared that we have gained a slight mileage increase in gas consumption as well. About 2-3mpg combination town/highway. We'll see how it's affected when strictly on the highway from tank to tank. Certainly happy about that! That means they'll eventually "pay for themselves".
Only one downside I have encountered. As mentioned above, the U-bolts just don't seem to have the ability to keep the tailpipes from slipping out of alignment. It's been a little irritating and I've considered a couple solutions. A: JB weld the inside of the slip joint then clamp, B: TIG weld the joint either completely and get rid of the clamp or spot weld and use the clamp, or C: drill a hole in the joint and install a #10 or larger SS screw and still use the clamp. I guess the polished SS pipes just don't afford enough friction to overcome the torque from the weight of the back of the muffler and the 90 deg elbow going into it. Perhaps having the finish scuffed up to a matte surface inside the sleeve and outside the pipe would help or maybe having a "key" crimped in it but the latter would reduce the ability to fine tune alignment. Not sure how I'm going to proceed yet but it has to be addressed. Certainly don't want a departing muffler while on the road!
I'd like to get rid of the U-bolts altogether and just have it tig welded and it may come to that. Finding someone who can do that on the car and do a good job is becoming a bit of a challenge though.
For those on a budget or just someone who simply wants a great deal, I can't recommend these enough for an upgrade over the stock pipes.
Overall, I am very pleased with fit and finish of the system. The welds look uniform, solid and consistent. They installed much easier than I had anticipated. Even a novice can uninstall the stock exhaust and install these in about 2hrs or less. While I had a lift accessible to me, the timing was off and I was impatient so I simply raised the car on ramps and did the install off the ground. Still, less than 2hrs for the cat back. I did not install a header setup or X pipe and kept the stock H pipe setup.
The sound at idle does have a "motorboat" sound but I'm not picky about that at all. It's still MUCH better than stock. Gentle acceleration from a stop sounds loud but not obnoxious. WOT from a stop and at speed does make them wake up and do some talking! There is absolutely no drone at highway speed with the top up or down and I'd say they are just about the same as stock in loudness at highway speed. It's amazing how quiet they are cruising at 70. I'm very pleased with with that as we are planning a 3k mile trip in a week or so.
As a bonus, it has appeared that we have gained a slight mileage increase in gas consumption as well. About 2-3mpg combination town/highway. We'll see how it's affected when strictly on the highway from tank to tank. Certainly happy about that! That means they'll eventually "pay for themselves".
Only one downside I have encountered. As mentioned above, the U-bolts just don't seem to have the ability to keep the tailpipes from slipping out of alignment. It's been a little irritating and I've considered a couple solutions. A: JB weld the inside of the slip joint then clamp, B: TIG weld the joint either completely and get rid of the clamp or spot weld and use the clamp, or C: drill a hole in the joint and install a #10 or larger SS screw and still use the clamp. I guess the polished SS pipes just don't afford enough friction to overcome the torque from the weight of the back of the muffler and the 90 deg elbow going into it. Perhaps having the finish scuffed up to a matte surface inside the sleeve and outside the pipe would help or maybe having a "key" crimped in it but the latter would reduce the ability to fine tune alignment. Not sure how I'm going to proceed yet but it has to be addressed. Certainly don't want a departing muffler while on the road!
I'd like to get rid of the U-bolts altogether and just have it tig welded and it may come to that. Finding someone who can do that on the car and do a good job is becoming a bit of a challenge though.
For those on a budget or just someone who simply wants a great deal, I can't recommend these enough for an upgrade over the stock pipes.
These are all of the reviews I have thus far. A few others who I am still waiting on to have their systems put on and hear their feedback as well!
05-09-2010, 12:37 AM
#5
Ok, I got these badboys installed on my stock 02 Z06 today. First just let me say right out of the box, these things sound EPIC, totally awesome.
I have been apprehensive about getting rid of the Ti's, because they do sound good, just too quiet. Let me just urge anyone considering the same swap to go for it. This exhaust sounds amazing. I'm not sure how it compares volume wise to the bullet/borla stinger style catbacks, but don't let the size of the mufflers here fool you, this is not a "mild improvement" and will never be mistaken for stock. It sounds very very mean. I suppose my Z06 has less sound deadening/insulation, but it sounds very aggressive while driving and is very much the exhaust this car has been needing. I started to say it sounds loud but that kinda denotes drone or something. I don't think this drones at all, and sounds great.
I did buy some beefier standard ugly exhaust clamps from AdvanceAuto for $2.50. Just thought the included clamps were a little flimsy. No big deal, and the included clamps may have been good enough to do the job. I just prefer to really crank down on clamps, always been paranoid about exhaust clamps.
Anyway, it's got a very nice, deep yet still kinda exotic sound to it. It burbles some on decel (stock H-pipe and such of course) which I think sounds incredibly awesome. I really couldn't be happier. I have just a couple pics I snapped real quick for now below. I think I may want to adjust the drivers side muffler/tip alignment a bit, looks like it might be angled/lower just a bit compared to the passenger side, but the adjustments are easy to make, being just a two piece kit (per side obviously) it isn't some nightmare to align like I hear some of the other affordable units are with 3 separate pieces.
Pics:
My greasy fingerprints and smudges are showing up on the tips, guess I need to wipe em down. They actually look very nice.
I'll make a separate thread at some point about doing this swap yourself in the garage w/o a lift, but I was surprised at how painless it was. I guess I pysched myself out after reading the threads here about how precarious it was to get the car as high as needed, etc. Totally easy as pie as long as you have a set of large jackstands (mine went up to 24" high) and some jacking pucks. You basically just use a few wood blocks on top of your jack (my jack lifts to 20" high by itself) under the rear crossmember to get the car up high enough to rest on the jackstands under the two side lift points under the doors, I used a doubledecker hockey puck jacking puck on each side above the jackstand. I had no issues getting the car right around 32" high measured from the ground to the bottom edge of the rear fascia. No trouble at all snaking the stock Ti system out. So if you are apprehensive about doing the swap yourself but have the tools above, don't be, and go for it. With a bit of common sense to make sure you're lifting the car safely, it is no trouble. With a buddy to help I made the swap in 2.5 hours taking my time and that included a trip to the parts store for the clamps.
I have been apprehensive about getting rid of the Ti's, because they do sound good, just too quiet. Let me just urge anyone considering the same swap to go for it. This exhaust sounds amazing. I'm not sure how it compares volume wise to the bullet/borla stinger style catbacks, but don't let the size of the mufflers here fool you, this is not a "mild improvement" and will never be mistaken for stock. It sounds very very mean. I suppose my Z06 has less sound deadening/insulation, but it sounds very aggressive while driving and is very much the exhaust this car has been needing. I started to say it sounds loud but that kinda denotes drone or something. I don't think this drones at all, and sounds great.
I did buy some beefier standard ugly exhaust clamps from AdvanceAuto for $2.50. Just thought the included clamps were a little flimsy. No big deal, and the included clamps may have been good enough to do the job. I just prefer to really crank down on clamps, always been paranoid about exhaust clamps.
Anyway, it's got a very nice, deep yet still kinda exotic sound to it. It burbles some on decel (stock H-pipe and such of course) which I think sounds incredibly awesome. I really couldn't be happier. I have just a couple pics I snapped real quick for now below. I think I may want to adjust the drivers side muffler/tip alignment a bit, looks like it might be angled/lower just a bit compared to the passenger side, but the adjustments are easy to make, being just a two piece kit (per side obviously) it isn't some nightmare to align like I hear some of the other affordable units are with 3 separate pieces.
Pics:
My greasy fingerprints and smudges are showing up on the tips, guess I need to wipe em down. They actually look very nice.
I'll make a separate thread at some point about doing this swap yourself in the garage w/o a lift, but I was surprised at how painless it was. I guess I pysched myself out after reading the threads here about how precarious it was to get the car as high as needed, etc. Totally easy as pie as long as you have a set of large jackstands (mine went up to 24" high) and some jacking pucks. You basically just use a few wood blocks on top of your jack (my jack lifts to 20" high by itself) under the rear crossmember to get the car up high enough to rest on the jackstands under the two side lift points under the doors, I used a doubledecker hockey puck jacking puck on each side above the jackstand. I had no issues getting the car right around 32" high measured from the ground to the bottom edge of the rear fascia. No trouble at all snaking the stock Ti system out. So if you are apprehensive about doing the swap yourself but have the tools above, don't be, and go for it. With a bit of common sense to make sure you're lifting the car safely, it is no trouble. With a buddy to help I made the swap in 2.5 hours taking my time and that included a trip to the parts store for the clamps.
Last edited by GM Fan; 05-09-2010 at 12:41 AM.
05-10-2010, 07:45 AM
#6
Former Vendor
Thread Starter
Thanks for the great review Ray! I appreciate the nice time you spent doing the review, pictures, and videos! Keep on enjoying and thanks again, glad you are happy!
05-10-2010, 09:40 PM
#9
Former Vendor
Thread Starter
05-12-2010, 07:51 PM
#10
Here's my video to add to the reviews! Love the sound I get to cruise on Friday when taking the wife to the airport will write a review on distance driving and cabin sound! So far love them!
05-14-2010, 09:02 AM
#12
Just got back from my 3hour drive to and from the airport and can now say ZERO drone cruising on the highway! Wife approved, no headaches for her and was a nice smooth ride. Love this exhaust, quite when you want it to be and nasty when you command it. Thanks again for the product!
05-14-2010, 01:29 PM
#13
Former Vendor
Thread Starter
Just got back from my 3hour drive to and from the airport and can now say ZERO drone cruising on the highway! Wife approved, no headaches for her and was a nice smooth ride. Love this exhaust, quite when you want it to be and nasty when you command it. Thanks again for the product!
Glad you are happy, thanks again and tell your friends! 
-Jon
05-14-2010, 10:55 PM
#15
Former Vendor
Thread Starter
02-04-2013, 12:31 AM
#18
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Member Since: Dec 2012
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02-14-2013, 05:48 PM
#20
Le Mans Master
During the summer I installed the 3'' xs power catback. I got the polished 3'' long lap joint band clamps from summit and they worked real well. The pipes sound good and loud.
