Stillen CBE = Disappointment...
 

First off I have to say that I was very happy dealing with Stillen direct, very fast shipping, very quick and easy transaction, and whoever I talked to on the phone was very helpful and easy to deal with. The exhaust also looks great on the car!

The Disappointment...

I was not happy with the loudness from the second I started it up. It's not that much louder than stock (which is the reason I purchased an aftermarket exhaust in the first place).

I have a Tanable Medallion (muffler only) on my Infiniti G37, and it is known as one of the quieter exhaust systems...and that is a bit louder than the full Stillen exhaust on my 370. I don't like really loud systems, so I wasn't expecting anything like that...was just hoping for something comparable to the Tanabe on the G (unfortunately not the case).

Other than that I was very happy with Stillen, one of the best companies to deal with...their exhaust just isn't for me.

You need to throw test pipes on it than, or high flow cats.... My exhaust is plenty loud with stillen and Berk test pipes. Its by no means a quit system with test pipes, its plenty loud and very aggressive.

PM me and lmk where in NY you are from if you want to possibly hear mine..

Add test pipes and be done with it. Only exhaust system i've heard thats anywhere near the noise level you want w/o TP's/HFC's is the Meistercraft.

Stillen is a great company but there still on the conservative side. When I installed my Stillen Cat-Back on my 08 3.5 Altima it sounded good but not very loud at all. I removed there resonater and installed a straight pipe. It was better but still no where near the level I like. Next I put on an aftermarket Y-Pipe that really opened it up. Sounds like test pipes would really help you.

they have tons of exhaust that are alot louder..

Sounds like you didn't do your homework.......
Stillens can be loud if you modify your intakes and cats. Otherwise they are pretty civilized with a nice tone under load...Something a lot of people here appreciate (not wanting to sound like ricers and all)....

minus resonators, sure.

+1

:iagree:

Yea, I didn't do enough I guess. But I thought the Tanabe was suppose to be the quiet exhaust, so I expected the Stillen to be at least as loud. I read a bunch of threads on here and watch a bunch of videos, but it was hard to tell without actually hearing in person.

But all in all, I am very happy with the exhaust. It looks great on the car and it does add a very nice sound.

Thanks for all the input!

You can always add performance exhaust washers for a louder sound :)

^ but really you should never do that.

I thought the same thing until i put the HFC's on that really bought the sound level up without over doing it. It has a very sporty sound without sounding like someone farting in a coffee can.

:iagree: Although I also installed the HFC's and the short intakes by Stillen. They have probably the best sound I have ever heard from a sports/performance car.

Maybe you should do as others have suggested, go with HFC's or Test Pipes as well as an intake.

Good luck!

homework.........i hate it

Wait a minute!!! You need to change the muffler bearing!!!







(just kidding)

You should always do that for best performance!.....:tup:

http://images33.fotki.com/v1071/phot...bearing-vi.jpg

That's the wrong bearing for that muffler.

I love my saclam and it screams when u step on it

I have to say that at first when I read this thread I was very concerned that our service, product, or any other aspect could have been of poor quality. After reading the OP's post I am very happy to see that you were happy with your shopping experience with STILLEN and that you were happy with the quality of the product you received! :tup:

In regards to the sound of the exhaust. As others have mentioned it is always a goal of ours to offer a product that is "refined." We don't want something loud or anything with drone or something "annoying." We always strive to balance aggressive with refinement and class. Our systems are not for everyone and some people like systems that offer more noise and/or more aggressive appearance. As others have mentioned, I'm sure you will be happy with the sound and performance after adding our intake and/or high flows. Both of these items will open up the exhaust and get a bit more tone out of it. :tup::driving:

Im confused how still cbe is a big disappointment when you didnt do your homework on the exhaust (this is obvious or you would have known how it sounded) There are dozens of other options out there and you could have gone with them if you wanted it to be louder. There is so many youtube videos out now that you should know exactly what your getting into.

I can say from my own experience that adding the G3 Intake will ABSOLUTELY open up the sound quite a bit. It won't be as loud as the Fast Intentions or some of the other exotic exhausts out there, but it will be MUCH louder than stock.

That said, I'm fairly surprised that you found the CBE itself to be not much louder than stock. I definitely consider it to` be measurably louder.

I listened to quite a few videos...apparently I wasn't paying too much attention to sound. I guess I just figured that the Tanabe was the quietest and Stillen would have been louder (it's not the easiest thing to tell from a video).

Haha, yea I realized the title was a little harsh after posting it (and tried to change it, but I apparently don't have control of that).

After getting back from a ride, I do really like the exhaust. I originally wrote this post after my first ride home and was more bummed with the noise level than anything...which lead me to my original rant. It's a great exhaust and anyone that is looking for something a little louder and better sounding than stock should certainly consider the Stillen.

I would say it is noticeably louder than stock, but I didn't think it seemed too much louder...but that's just my opinion. It actually seemed louder after taking it for drive this evening.

It's unfortunate that the thread title will continue to mislead people long after this conversation dies. Everyone needs to think about the message they convey in their thread titles prior to posting. Something like "Stillen CBE - great experience/product but not very loud" would have been much more appropriate.

also keep in mind, the tone will change once its burned in, give it a few hundred miles, could be louder or more mellow....

:iagree: this happened with a Berk thread and an FI thread as well