The JCW intake sounds dead stock until the solenoid operated baffle opens at 4000rpm. At that point (under full throttle) it sounds like a pratt & whitney turbine revving up. Everybody turns and looks

 

Ohh and no matter what you do stay away from the AGS!


Pretty good intake but probably the loudest shrieking one of them ALL!

 

I seldom use my stereo because it blocks the wonderful sound from the Alta CAI.

 

If you're going to the Dragon you're more then welcome to come for a ride. I have an MCSa and love the sound my WMS HDI makes! The sound the SC makes with the exhaust is just great! At cruising speed (70-90) and at neighborhood speeds (25-45) it's not loud... but when you open her up... Now it does whistle, but it's not bad and you can learn to control it.... Also, it's passed the SO factor test!

 

My ALTA failed that one over the phone, good thing its a distance relationship; though she never has cared for the MINI, not as practial as a bone stock Civic .

 

Ive currently got alta - love it. Looking to get BMP intake - dont care about sound, but care about performance, will bmp intake perform better than alta or alot worse? spider u mentioned that u were dissapointed goin to alta cai from the dinan, i suppose u felt that the dinan outperformes the alta cai?

 

Well thats what you get with a roots blower.. Take a cobra, minus the loud exhaust you get the same whine sound. Aslong as you open the intake the sound of the blower will loud. To me its music, and it lets me and everyone know what it has under the bonnet.

 

Did you pop the hood before you bought the car?

Did you notice it had a supercharger on it? Superchargers whine. When you run an open filter element on a car with a supersharger, you will hear lots more whine.

Making the SC spin faster wont help reduce whine.


You could always go to a cooper, they are quiet and make a roar instead of a whine when you put on an intake.

 

srt4 has a turbo which is the "whoosh" sound you're referring to. Definitely cool to hear to turbo spooling, but the SC whine is part of the MCS character.

but come on guys, go easy on him. Live and learn

 

I agree, don't be jerks.

I really think the best option for you silver_baby, is go back to the stock box, but to keep a bit more air flowing into your engine, put in a K&N drop-in panel filter. You'll get the quiet that you like, with a bit more air flow that the supercharger will like.

Remember, ANY CAI's or HAI's will have some sort of wheezing/sucking sound; even moreso if there's a hole going to that driver's side cowl vent.

You need a closed box. Good luck, and let us know what you decide to do.

 

Sounds like you need a closed box CAI. Such as a JCW or a Dinan which doesn't allow as much air in until 4500rpm. This will give the CAI you need and not give as much supercharger noise.

The pulley on the MCSa is very noticable. But if you didn't put enough miles on your car first to know how it reacts in all situations then you won't know how it is effecting your car.

 

How loud is a Madness intake compared to an Alta intake?

 

About the same if you remove the plastic partition.

 

I think it would be a nice idea to have a "drive by" (second gear pass) intake/exhaust sound shoot out at MOTD06

 

We've had the Alta installed for almost a week now and wife does not like it, but is getting used to it. It really only lets itself be known when I get into it a little. Say between 4000 and 6500, then the whine really lets me know it's there. Of course we are 'moving' a little at this time and the whine is secondary.
I have a feeling that as we drive more with it, it will become just background (noise?).

 

My CAI/Pulley combo makes me smile everytime I mash the pedal or blip the throttle. Loud, you betcha.

 

Yah...I want mine louder

 

I have a Madness intake on my car w/a 15% Madness pulley.
It doesn't have anywhere near the constant whine of the Alta. I even have the cowl mod (big friggin hole). It will make noise when you go hard on the go pedal, but such is the nature of the beast.

 

I did the 15% Alta pulley about 10 months before adding the Alta CAI. With only the pulley, the car sounded much like it did when stock, with the exception of the supercharger whine coming on about 1,000 rpms earlier. The CAI OTOH is a screaming banshee of aural delight (guess I like mine). I can see it being a point of contention though as not all of us may like that sound. Just go back to a stock setup for your intake, maybe use a K&N drop in filter for increased airflow but stock noise.

 

Is there that much of a difference in power between the Dinan and Alta?

 

Huge, the Dinan is a box with a butterfly trap that opens at 4,000 rpm. Think of it as a coupe with nitrous oxide injection.

The Alta is an open three sided box with a foam cone sucking for all it's worth. Think of it as a motorcycle.

 

I've been living with the sound of the Alta intake for almost a year now and am also one that is annoyed by it. Does anyone know if their new box top reduces some of the whine?

 

All of that loud sound you are hearing isn't the ALTA. I put the ALTA CAI on and it was loud (I liked it). Then I put the 15% pulley on and as you go up in RPMs it gets louder and louder and louder, but I love it. My wife hates it.She said its anoying.

 

after reading, I drove Baby into work this morning. With a new attitude and reading that this is the sound (which I did honestly expect more of a whoosh then whine) I really enjoyed the ride. Passing was a dream! The power is there and with keeping my foot off it a little bit, the noice was alright.

I appreciate all the positive feedback and suggestions that were made! I truly think it helped me have a better outlook towards it this morning. People always say on these threads that they love the sound but the descriptions weren't there, so I made one up in my head based on the turbo I had. I bought the right car, that I don't doubt!