Sorry bare with me here..

I just got my 2.5" DP back (delete 2nd cat), with a 14" 5x8 magnaflow muffler and 4" tips, which many people here have been doing, but a buncha people have gone with 3".

I loveee the sound for sure, but @ 2,900 rpm to 3600, and im ~25% on throttle, it drones to the point where I can't hear myself talk- and gives me a headache after driving on the highway for 30 minutes.

My brother's got a 2.5" system on his a4 1.8T (dual exhausts), and that is loud, and drones a little, but nothing compared to my car- so I know that with some drone I can handle and actually like, but at the levels I'm at, it resonates my music making my speakers sound like they're blown, and you cant hear yourself talk haha.

I don't know how you DP back people who have gotten a 3" can drive- i know theres gonna be drone and I don't mind that- but damn, its definitely unbearable @ 3k rpm especially in 6th gear cruising at 80mph-

now question is- i was talking to my exhaust guy, and (he reccomended at first that i dont take off the 2nd cat, but i did anyways =p) but i know that will reduce the sound by a fair amount- or I can do another magnaflow resonator to try to quiet it down. But I know since the magnaflow resonators are so straight through, there isn't much packing to quiet it down there. He agrees and doesn't think it'll make much of a difference in sound- plus the stock cat i already have, and i'd pay another ~60$ for a magnaflow resonator...

also, i'm getting some exhaust smell (compared to when i had a leaky cat in my audi), so I know its probably because i've deleted the 2nd cat-- but could i get some feedback/opinions from those who have deleted the second cat and also anyone who has the magnaflow with a cat on it and a magnaflow resonator? Thanks!

 

I have the same setup but with 3" DP-back w/o cat nor resonator magnaflow exhaust with 3 inch tip. My exhaust does not annoyingly drone like others for some reason. My mother,father, and brother (older) drive my car and none of them ever complain about the exhaust even with hours of driving. When I go on the highway and hit cruise control, its nice and peaceful. When under WOT of course ull hear someone or when you let off the gas in gear and let the engine rev down. I am no exhaust expert but maybe since my exhaust piping is mandrel bent, it would make a difference in tone.

 

Invidia deletes the second cat and is also 2.5"....no drone with mine. Theres a straight through resonator section on it though, so maybe try adding a res.

Also, I have no exhaust smell...the 2nd cat doesn't really do much anyway, so you shouldn't be getting the cat-less exhaust smell. Either you have a leak somewhere or you are just smelling the new piping and muffler burning-in.

 

Thanks
I read the invidia thread and many say theres no drone- others say there is unbearable drone- same with the magnaflows.. ugh i got the ***** end of the stick =[
well i ordered a magnaflow res, so i'll try that first, to keep it free-flowing, if it doesnt help, i'll throw on th stock cat too.
with the leak, it would have to be before the first cat, so i dunno- that was untouched. though, its only after accelerating hard, and its not a continuous unbearable smell- so i think it may just be some getting past the first cat and unfilted by a non existing 2nd cat- combined with the new piping/muffler smell.
Thanks!
heres a vid btw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr5E0...e=channel_page