[Olle]

Got my rev9 suffered exhaust installed don my V8. Drove the car for 60km and both hated and loved it. Sure, it sounds great when driving on the highway. But when driving through the city it got annoying. between 2-3k revs it drones a lot.
It also melted my bumper on the right side, maybe the exhaust was angled wrong. Will bring the bumper to the bodyshop and restore it.
I am most definitely sure that I annoyed people living by my favorite roads.

My questioned is- is it normal for a exhaust to drone a lot in the city and does the exhaust get quieter Shen it has been used for some time?

Thinking of installing the original exhaust back on...

 

[R8-Stuff]

Generally, you get what you pay for and this exhaust sells in many places for less than a set of brake pads. Some exhausts are often just sound boxes. The silencers on this looks tiny.

We would personally recommend a used brand name exhaust and avoid buying twice.

 

[Olle]

Generally, you get what you pay for and this exhaust sells in many places for less than a set of brake pads. Some exhausts are often just sound boxes. The silencers on this looks tiny.

We would personally recommend a used brand name exhaust and avoid buying twice.

I have heard great things about rev9 and many from the forum reached out to me before buying it saying it’s a great exhaust.
Anyone running a rev9 that feels that it is LOUD

 

[R8-Stuff]

I have heard great things about rev9 and many from the forum reached out to me before buying it saying it’s a great exhaust.
Anyone running a rev9 that feels that it is LOUD

I think the main problem with exhaust recommendations is that almost all owners will have never fitted anything else - so the benchmark is only vs stock as opposed to other exhausts. Recommendations are pretty useless and highly subjective.

Almost all owners will tell you that their choice is great and that it makes the car sound like an F1 car.

YouTube videos are also useless - does not give any real idea of what the real sound is.

Choosing an exhaust is difficult - very little objective info to go on to make your decision. But when you have super slim silencers and the cost is so low (most likely minimal design work has gone into the internal baffles) you can pretty much expect something that will be loud and somewhat raw.

 

[ExpertRanch]

I have the Armytrix Valved exhaust and when I close the valves it gets very low rumbly... and when I open them, it is exceedingly loud but with the F1 type tone (but I like it)... I don't know about Rev 9 but if there is a valve you might close it. Or take it out of sport mode.

 

[R8TDRRR]

Can you check your PM please? @R8-Stuff. And I have the Rev9 stainless exhaust @Olle it isn’t overly loud to me, only on startup. Highway cruising isn’t that bad.

 

[skar829]

Droning is super subjective though so it will vary from owner to owner. Just be aware droning is usually due to not enough baffle installed in the resonators.

That’s why I went with a valved exhaust because I wanted the R8 to be quiet in a neighborhood with no drone. Having valves will guarantee that.

 

[ezmaass]

I agree with @R8-Stuff regarding the difficulty of properly designing an exhaust, but no less evaluating the differences from a consumer perspective. I would agree that very few people seem to have a frame of reference beyond (a) stock and (b) XYZ fitted afterwards. While I've HEARD a few different after-market exhausts, I'd fall into the same boat of never having spent any quality time driving and living with them, making it really difficult to evaluate.

When I purchased my R8, I was fortunate enough that Audi decided to offer a "sport exhaust" for the final production year (2015). I ticked that box, of course. It's significantly more aggressive than the stock exhaust, but my suspicion is that it's nowhere near as flamboyant as SOME of the after-market options - many of which seemingly go for volume as their priority but may not prioritize tone and all-around drivability.

If you're just looking for something more aggressive than stock, but you still want to maintain a driving experience that works in all conditions, I'd recommend looking at the OEM sport exhaust. It's valved, and in the closed position, without romping on it, it sounds no more aggressive than a nice sports sedan. With the valves open, and if you're pushing it no less, it's a responsible loudness - meaning, you're never going to miss its presence, and it'll echo off all the hard surfaces around you, etc... but it also has a beautiful tone to it. "Mature" might be one word I'd use to describe it - it sounds present and rich, full bodied, and howling in the upper register, with a bit of rasp beyond 5 or 6k. I'd say it suits the R8's character well - the "gentleman's Lamborghini" if you will. But if you're looking for the loudest experience, and drowning out anything around you is the goal, then this won't be your option.

From the little I've experienced, if I was going after-market, I might consider Capristo - certainly loud, but I feel they're well refined.

 

[Che77]

I assume the rev9 isn’t valved? You need something with active valves if you want the drone gone.
Capristo is the best imho, you can even manipulate the active valve parameters if you wish.

 

[slngshot]

if you have an automatic transmission, driving around in manual mode is the only way to mitigate that drone because you can control the shift points.

this is why valved systems are the best of both worlds.
not cheap, but again - you get what you pay for.

 

[ExpertRanch]

if you have an automatic transmission, driving around in manual mode is the only way to mitigate that drone because you can control the shift points.

this is why valved systems are the best of both worlds.
not cheap, but again - you get what you pay for.

I agree and my Armytrix Valved Titanium exhaust drones on the highway at 70 mph so weather in manual or auto I just go up a few mph or down... I don't get any drone anywhere else in auto or manual, just on the highway at steady 70 mph. Which fortunately for me, here in So. Cal. even the prius' drive 85-90 on the hwy! Blew my mind the first time I drove up to the OC cars and coffee.. I was afraid to drive too fast thinking I would be a target...but then Prius' were flying by me, so I just maintained the safe flow of traffic

 

[R8-Stuff]

One of the most common questions we receive on exhausts is "how does it sound?"

We have no truthful way of answering this. We could try to find poetic words - symphony, chorus, banshee, wail - but these mean nothing!
We can only relate customer experience and also provide info on the design features and build quality.
Or refer customers to youtube with a big proviso not to take these as being representative.

We rarely ever get to hear them. In person, have heard Akrapovic, Armytrix, Capristo, IPE, Larini and Tubi.
From memory. could not give you any accurate comparison on these. Have never heard them together.
From memory, the ones that provoked most smiles were the IPE and Tubi - and these are not the most expensive of the group.

Very pleasantly surprised by the Tubi sound - higher pitched. Not high pitched - the R8 engine does NOT produce a high pitched sound. High pitched is a Ferrari F355
The Tubi Rumore does not look as sophisticated in build quality as the others but the sound is glorious - and non-valved is absolutely fine.

Hope that this highly subjective info helps. I will add many * to my opinion

 

[ExpertRanch]

One of the most common questions we receive on exhausts is "how does it sound?"

We have no truthful way of answering this. We could try to find poetic words - symphony, chorus, glorious, wail - but these mean nothing!
We can relate customer experience and also provide info on the design features and build quality.
Or refer customers to youtube with a big proviso not to take these as being representative.

We rarely ever get to hear them. In person, have heard Akrapovic, Armytrix, Capristo, IPE, Larini and Tubi.
From memory. could not give you any accurate comparison on these. Have never heard them together.
From memory, the ones that provoked most smiles were the IPE and Tubi - and these are not the most expensive of the group.

Very pleasantly surprised by the Tubi sound - higher pitched. Not high pitched - the R8 engine does NOT produce a high pitched sound. High pitched is a Ferrari F355
The Tubi Rumore does not look as sophisticated in build quality as the others but the sound is glorious - and non-valved is absolutely fine.

Hope that this highly subjective info helps. I will add many * to my opinion

I almost went with the IPE as I felt it sound closest to f1 type sound but they stopped making them for V8 as I recall, so I went with Armytrix and am very satisfied. Also, it depends one what sound the owner wants. Some guys with V8's like and want the low grumble of a knarly V8 some want more of a whine at higher rpms (me)... V10's sound awesome pretty much with anything, so I can't speak for them. I should have gotten a V10, but then there would be no reason to up the Horse Power and do all sorts of stuff to it! ha hahahha ha

My suggestion is go to a R8 drive (

) like this one and if you hear one you like, just ask them what it is.

 

[FoD]

I’ve never understood the “it sounds like an F1 car!” No it doesn’t. Not even close. Go to an F1 race and listen. F1 during this current era don’t sound crazy. The V10’s were nuts! ANY and EVERY aftermarket exhaust makes the R8 sound louder. Better is subjective. Comparing it to F1 is ludicrous.

 

[WinterRunner]

My Avior pipes do not drone, they are also 2.5” vs many 2.75-3” systems. I suspect the rev9 baffles amplify certain unwanted sounds.

 

[FoD]

My Avior pipes do not drone, they are also 2.5” vs many 2.75-3” systems. I suspect the rev9 baffles amplify certain unwanted sounds.

I had Avior pipes on mine until very recently. Just swapped over to a valved Capristo. Will be listing the Avior shortly. It’s loud! And without any mufflers, it sounds like this engine was intended. And absolutely no drone!

 

[ExpertRanch]

I’ve never understood the “it sounds like an F1 car!” No it doesn’t. Not even close. Go to an F1 race and listen. F1 during this current era don’t sound crazy. The V10’s were nuts! ANY and EVERY aftermarket exhaust makes the R8 sound louder. Better is subjective. Comparing it to F1 is ludicrous.

Relax tiger.... I don't think people mean a literal 1:1 comparison.. I know I don't. I mean it has a sound that has some similarities (compared to stock) and I have been to F1 races... so I know what you mean but people are searching for subtleties to try and describe one exhaust tone from another. So we reach. We're also not running 15,000-20,000+ rpms

 

[Scott-AhlmanPerformance]

I’ve never understood the “it sounds like an F1 car!” No it doesn’t. Not even close. Go to an F1 race and listen. F1 during this current era don’t sound crazy. The V10’s were nuts! ANY and EVERY aftermarket exhaust makes the R8 sound louder. Better is subjective. Comparing it to F1 is ludicrous.

Definitely understood and mostly agree with your feedback here. I am certainly a bad gauge for the OP's question as we run the Velocity AP Race X-pipe...no mufflers / resonators. Good thing I don't live in a neighborhood...cold start is loud!

But we do have a great ~3/8 mile tunnel here where I would say the non-muffled X-Pipe V-10 at 8,500 RPM is definitely in the vicinity of the F1 V10 sound. Certainly the lower RPM and catalytic converters affect this comparison, but she has that very similar wail.

Scott

 

[CharlieNJ]

+1 On the Tubi Rumore. It wasn't cheap, but sounds really nice and is not obnoxious. It does not drone on the highway. You know you have an exhaust, but it is not LOUD until you mash the gas. Cold start is cold start, non valved will be loud.

 

[ForceFed]

I can only imagine what it’s like to go from stock to an aftermarket system haha, quite the contrast. I’d imagine that’s the extreme you’re experiencing.

I however am going from an Unresonated Milltek to a titanium system for a pitch change. Switching from V8 rumble to a smoother higher pitch tone an X pipe and titanium material produces. I’m also gathering it’s a louder system which doesn’t bother me either, even as my daily driver.

I have the Armytrix Valved exhaust and when I close the valves it gets very low rumbly... and when I open them, it is exceedingly loud but with the F1 type tone (but I like it)... I don't know about Rev 9 but if there is a valve you might close it. Or take it out of sport mode.

I too ended up with the titanium Armytrix system. I ordered the Valvetronic controller but don’t have much intentions of closing the valves anyway. Just liked the idea of having the option for rare occasions.