Just another data point here. Today I opened up the driver's side of the stock intake, and also installed 2slowvw's scoop & grate. This goes with a previously installed AFE drop-in and snowguard delete. Other relevant mods are a 5150 stage 1 E40 tune and an Ebay Twintercooler.
My initial thoughts are positive - throttle response feels slightly improved, the turbo seems to spin slightly quicker, and it feels like it pulls slightly harder. The turbo spool is louder, and the DV is definitely more pronounced. It seems to strike a good balance of making fun turbo noises without being obnoxious. Oh, and the grate itself looks good too. Under real close scrutiny, it may not pass for OEM, but it's close. More than acceptable for me! Besides, it's under the hood, and we have 4 bangers so it's not like some sweet V-12 that needs to be shown off.
I went to my normal spot to take logs, but was spooked by some deer crossing the road (it was dusk). However, I was able to grab a short log, and the turbo hits max boost 100 RPM sooner than before. IATs may have dropped a degree or so, but it's so close that it's probably within the margin of error. Ambient temps in the logs below were within 2 degrees of each other (before was 77, after was 75):
Before opening the intake and installing the scoop:
https://datazap.me/u/hotfart/log-1528083448?log=0&data=2-3&solo=2
After:
https://datazap.me/u/hotfart/log-1530499163?log=0&data=1-2
So in conclusion, this is definitely a small but positive difference maker. It's nothing earth shattering, but I didn't expect it to be either. For the price, I would surely recommend.