Funny you should post this as that's the reason I sold my HKS. I'm running HR Y-pipe, CM, and stock muffler. Sound is perfect for me.

And yes, I am old

 

You hit the nail on the head here. If you want to cruise and accelerate calmly, it does drone significantly at those rpms. If you are accelerating spiritedly or WOT, it is not a problem b/c it sounds great winding up the tach. It is even ok while cruising at hwy speeds as far as drone--not too loud. However, for the reason you mentioned, I am going back to stock muffler + cp mp. I've already done the DaveB-Fatboy mod to the stock muffler.

btw, before I purchased my Z06, I would not really calmly cruise in the G--it was always spirited driving. Now, I want to be more comfortable/quiet in this car.

 

I notice that some of you guys that are complaining about the drone, don't have a 2005 or newer car. I think they changed the mid pipe resonator in that year and that makes the sound different.

 

2005 here. Ran the HKS with my stock mid and the CM. Drone with the CM was significantly worse than with the sedan mid, but I didn't enjoy either after about 6 months.

 

Like others have said, it's very subjective. I like mine, going on five years now.

 

Has nobody dyno'd their car after installing a full exhaust, just to see where any gains can be made with an exhaust?

 

Oh yeah, but you won't find the gains that they advertise. I think, at most, you might gain 5 hp.

 

i have a slight "drone", or low-bass sound at 1500-2000 while gently accelerating. but i like the sound so that's all good.

with the 6MT i can modulate rpms to alleviate any drone, but i haven't noticed any problem while highway cruising. i've had the CM & HKS combo for 2 years and still ove it.

 

I am actually tempted to put the stock back on but the exhaust just looks
so nice. I am going to have to drive differently(spiritedly) but I don't want to consume more gas than I have to just because I am avoiding the horrible drone in the lower RPMs. It does sound good when you get on the gas and hold the RPMs but I can't drive like this all the time where I live(police station is 1 block away), I would just get the unwanted attention from the cops.

 

Drone is VERY subjective. I just read 15 posts on how the hks drones alot, and i must say im one those people who could hardly hear it. I actually want something louder.

Ive heard other exhausts which have an obnoxious drone. I have had 45 year old ladies in my car and they dont even know i have an exhaust.

I will agree that there is that slight drone between 1500-2200 rpms, but i got so used to it that too quiet for me now. Once you hit highway speeds though, it literally disappears.

 

I'll agree, drone is very subjective. There is good drone and bad drone. Good drone sounds pleasing to the ears, doesn't resonate your brain or passengers, isn't overbearing (ie needs sounds insulation, need to turn up the radio), and it doesn't vibrate your butt nor can be "felt". My prior Borla TD had bad drone and it was annoying as hell. The drone range was 1800 to 2400rpms, depending on load. That exhaust lasted all of 2 weeks on my car before I sold it.

My current setup is the HR y-pipe, 05/06 sedan midpipe, and stock muffler. I've had the coupe midpipe and the sound as just off and it had some bad drone (not terribly significant). I chalk it up to the fact that the coupe midpipe resonator is designed to compliment the crossflow muffler of the coupe. The sedan's muffler is a more straight-thru design, hense the need to a larger midpipe resonator. My setup current is perfect. Maybe it does have a little drone, but it sounds so pleasing to the ears. Much like how a healthly V8 sounds pleasing to the ears. It has velvety deepness that neither the coupe midpipe or Borla TD could match. It doesn't sound bad at any rpm much like my old Z28 with a Flowmaster exhaust. The sound is always there, but NEVER overbearing. I'm 35 and highly critical of exhaust mods and I am not willing to compromise daily driveability and annoying volume/drone for a few HP. My setup is absolutely perfect for me. I'm not 16 anymore and my tastes have become more refined.

 

Did we ever determine if the HR Y-pipe was the same as the AWD Y-pipe??

I know we had the thread a while back and discovered that externally they look the same, but did we ever determine if in fact they were?

 

I didn't see that old thread, but I did see a Y-pipe from a 2005 G35X for sale on ebay a few weeks ago. Looked just like an HR y-pipe from the outside and he had pictures of a measuring tape on the inlet and outlet, 2" and 2.5", respectively.

Edit: Forgot that I was watching that auction, so I still have the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

 

Happy with my Megan Y-pipe back, got it from mrwong@statik.

 

There not the same. They just look the same, it was done this way to go around the transfer case. When i swapped out my awd y-pipe with the hr y-pipe, my car growled like a lion.

It's only a sound improvement, i felt no hp improvement at all. I think it benefits the rwd y-pipes more because the airflow pattern of there pipes has a different design. Unlike the awd y-pipe which is nearly the same.