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Mk7 Exhaust Tech. How to get the sound you want.

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Just curious if anyone has any sound clips of the Vibrant 1792 bottle-style resonator with a catted downpipe? I'm got a catted IE downpipe. I originally had an Oettinger axleback (with res delete from stock midpipe), but I wanted more grunt/volume. So I went with an Armytrix catback and kept the IE downpipe. The switch from a non-resonated catback section to the resonated Armytrix catback actually resulted in the exhaust being a fair bit quieter, despite the very small Armytrix muffler (I was driving it with the valves open all the time and still wasn't happy with the volume). So I went and deleted the resonator. Sounds much deeper/rougher now, but it sounds little like a tractor at idle with the valves open. I do like the sound at WOT and don't mind a bit of the edginess and rasp. Don't really even mind the drone (and there's quite a bit of it although not undriveable). None really with daily driving with the valves closed.

I guess I'm wondering, could I smoothen out the exhaust tone a bit using a bottle-style resonator Vibrant 1792, as opposed to the larger Vibrant 17950? I've got a Vibrant 17950 in my garage, and tbh it looks almost identical in size/shape to the Armytrix resonator. So I feel it'll sound very similar to the Armytrix resonated catback (and quiet down the exhaust too much). I want to preserve the volume, just make it a bit more smooth/refined if that makes sense. Would the Vibrant 1792 accomplish this without compromising on volume (I know it probably won't be sufficient to reduce drone but that's not why I'd be doing the resonator)?

Video clip; apologize for poor video quality.

I'm looking for your thoughts on the exhaust. honest feedback appreciated. Should I leave it as is?

You're right kinda tractorish. Contact jlbaun26@gmail.com
 

El_bigote_AJ

Autocross Champion
Location
Las Vegas
Car(s)
2019 GTI bunny
Honest feedback - HELL F***ING no you should not leave it as is 😂. Since your not concerned about the drone then yes a smaller resonator will help clean the sound up some. When I first had a horrible sounding exhaust I added a small $40 bottle type resonator and it help clean up the sound a good bit but since I was trying to delete the drone more I ended up cutting that out and adding the larger vibrant in the end.
 

GTI Jake

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
You're right kinda tractorish. Contact jlbaun26@gmail.com

To be fair, only contact me if you wanna buy once cry once and be done with it. This thread is the free advice, my email is the pay for American made products that actually achieve what you’re looking for.

As for him trying the smaller Vibrant resonator I highly doubt anyone’s tried it. It’ll probably make some difference, but he’s already tried and failed several thousand dollars worth of experiments that didn’t pan out. There’s no reason to settle for drone, the 17950 takes care of that (as you know Jim, since you’ve got one), the issue here is clearly with the Armytrix muffler being too much of a reduction in volume for his taste.
 

GTI Jake

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Honest feedback - HELL F***ING no you should not leave it as is 😂. Since your not concerned about the drone then yes a smaller resonator will help clean the sound up some. When I first had a horrible sounding exhaust I added a small $40 bottle type resonator and it help clean up the sound a good bit but since I was trying to delete the drone more I ended up cutting that out and adding the larger vibrant in the end.

Im with you, honestly that sounds like poo (90hp Honda bending over a Kubota diesel).


 

RisingFallens

Autocross Champion
Location
Raleigh
Car(s)
MK7.5 GTI!
I’ve been running all these things through my head. Watching YouTube videos, reading forums, and I just don’t know what I want 😂 I want something that’s kinda sly, like >80db at idle, but something that gives you that guttural hypercar-turbo spinning sound (if anyone is picking up what I’m putting down…?) I currently have an MAPerformance DP, a 17950 sitting in the box, and an idea that an AWE track will be near the sound I want, but I’m not sure. Anybody able to fill some voids?
 

Supermoto

Autocross Champion
Location
San Diego
Car(s)
2019 Autobahn DSG
I’ve been running all these things through my head. Watching YouTube videos, reading forums, and I just don’t know what I want 😂 I want something that’s kinda sly, like >80db at idle, but something that gives you that guttural hypercar-turbo spinning sound (if anyone is picking up what I’m putting down…?) I currently have an MAPerformance DP, a 17950 sitting in the box, and an idea that an AWE track will be near the sound I want, but I’m not sure. Anybody able to fill some voids?
After trying quite a few systems, the Borla S Type with a vibrant res + downpipe turned out to be exactly this. At idle I almost couldnt tell it was aftermarket. When driving around normally it would just sound like you have a nice system, but still factory sound levels. But when you go through a tunnel and floor it... Man that thing really screamed.
 

RisingFallens

Autocross Champion
Location
Raleigh
Car(s)
MK7.5 GTI!
After trying quite a few systems, the Borla S Type with a vibrant res + downpipe turned out to be exactly this. At idle I almost couldnt tell it was aftermarket. When driving around normally it would just sound like you have a nice system, but still factory sound levels. But when you go through a tunnel and floor it... Man that thing really screamed.
Did you ever feel like the sound changed over time?
 

GPL

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
UK
Car(s)
2018 7.5 Golf 1.5
You guys will be the second to know if i can trace this bloody drone.
Thank you for all your input so far.



I have now replaced standard resonator for the 17930 had it welded into position.
I have competed over a thousand miles since and can now say it has reduced the drone by a good 50%
and it moved the drone that is left more to the front of the car instead of the rear.

I can now live with this.

i will say on this 1,5 TSI evo engine there is a lot of vibration when revving the engine at a stand still
between 2,200 and 2.800 RPM. you can feel it through the steering wheel.

Cheers guys hope this might help someone else in the future.
reading this thread made me go for the resonator swap

By the way the Factory resonator on this model is very complicated and not simple at all.

Cheers VIBRANT CHEERS GUYS.
 

stevelatt

Ready to race!
Location
Vermont, USA
Car(s)
2020 GTI S
Just want to post an update on my setup for anyone else thinking of doing the same thing. I installed the ECS muffler delete on my car with the stock resonator and downpipe/cats and while it was noticeably louder, which I liked, it was also very bassy/boomy in an unpleasant way and droned quite a bit when cruising on the highway. Cold starts sounded great but when accelerating, even slowly, the tone was just very obnoxious in the 1.8k-3kish range and while I could live with it if I had to I didn't really want to so I took the advice of everyone here and ordered a Vibrant 17930.

After several weeks of calling around to several shops and no one having the time to do it I finally found someone who got my car in this morning. Just took it for a quick cruise and it has made way more of a difference than I expected. The exhaust is a bit quieter, almost like stock but a little louder and definitely bassier, when slowly accelerating. However, when you get on it it still makes some noise and is exactly what I was looking for in the first place. As we all know the stock exhaust on these cars makes almost no sound at all and this is perfect for me now. Noisier when you get on it and want it to be loud but still tame when you take it easy and want it to be quieter. I would highly recommend this set up for anyone looking to upgrade the factory exhaust without changing the downpipe. All in it still cost me less than every cat-back I was considering so I couldn't be happier.
 
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Henrique Rueda

New member
Location
Brazil
Car(s)
Golf TSI 1.4
Hi everyone.

I have a 1.4 TSI with the following configuration:

- Aftermarket catless DP
- Stock Ressonator
- Rear muffler delete

I'm getting some drone between 1500-2200 RPM, in any gear, but more often when Im 75-95 km/h with 6 or 7 gear.

Do you guys think that If i replace the Stock Ressonator with the Vibrant 17930, It will reduce the drone?

Ty.
 
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