OK, I know this forum needs another exhaust thread like a hole in the head but I think this information can help someone save some money, or at least not get into an exhaust they are quickly annoyed with.
When I got my car the first upgrade I made was an exhaust. I went with EBWerks because at the time they were the latest thing and there were many positive reviews of their product. They were great to deal with and Enrique is a friend now which was the best part of the transaction
I loved the sound and faster spool, of course...on the drive home from installation. I quickly learned that a 996T + 3.0" catless unmuffled pipes can produce some pretty undesirable sounds at certain RPMs and engine loads. My car is a daily driver and there was definitely some enjoyment lost after the install. Enrique was really great about it and installed some resonators for free, and even helped me reinstall the exhaust. This helped a bit, but what can really be expected of 2 3" resonators?
I left it on until last month when I realized there was no way I could do a DE at Laguna with the sound levels of the exhaust and since they were no longer making exhausts I couldn't easily get any support anymore. I sold the EBWerks and decided that Speedtech would make a good replacement becuase they've been around a long time, have a very modular system, and also have consistently good reviews. I went with their full 3" catless muffled system. Here are my impressions.
The install was a breeze and I was able to do it in an hour after work this Monday night. System and component quality were all top notch and the instructions made the install a fun project.
The first drive was a little strange because I was used to the noise and vibration of the old system. It's been three days now and I can't stress how much I wish I would have bought this system first. Everyone is different and has different needs but for me, the noise level and "smooth" tone of this setup is perfect. I can carry on a conversation now while driving, hear music, but still have a fantastic engine note in all situations from idle to WOT to freeway cruising. I'm running Alpha 28's and supporting mods and at my power level I don't feel any restriction or performance penalty from the addition of a muffler. In most exhaust threads people say all 3" systems drone but this one does not. I know drone!
My point is...don't go for the wildest exhaust you can get because the novelty wears off in a hurry. Also, finding a vendor that has some history and is likely to be around for a while will help make sure your investment isn't wasted if you need to change to quieter tips, insert cats, or make other changes later.
The reason there are so many exhaust threads on 6SO is because these cars are not easy to make a good sounding exhaust for without introducing undesirable traits. Sorry for the lengthy post, but I'm just trying to help others avoid the pain I went through.

No cats with EB, No cats with Speedtech...not a fan of cats if they can be avoided

Here in California we have to smog test every 2 years and I just throw the stock system back on for that.

Yes I saw that after my post.. . .Thanks

I have heard the Speedtech and I do not think it compares to the Protomotive for sound quality.

The full 3" proto on my car is very quiet in the cab and it has ZERO, absolutely ZERO drone, I am not kidding; none. But that being said it does throw a bunch of noise out the tail pipes so it would not likely pass a Laguna sound meter.

I was absolutely tickled pink with the Protomotive system after I installed it on my car. I had some issue doing that due to other mods but in the end it went on very very cleanly and it looks good.

John,SpeedTech does make a great quality exhaust and his service is the best...BUT for power,,
I do think though that you did loose some HP/TQ as compared to your prior EB system...All you have to do is compare visibly the X-merge collectors to see how gas flows are routed at that point..
Also the exhaust builder in Canada is coming out with a Proto style exhaust type very shortly..

2ND YOUR POST!

Can not go wrong with their exhaust and especially their customer service!

Well...since both are 3" from turbine flange to tip I'm not sure why you think one would make more power. If anything, the X merge looks smoother on the Speedtech.
It definitely does not feel one bit slower and if I lost any HP it is a negligible amount. A lack of power is not on my list of things to correct.

Suspension, on the other hand....

The Speedtech has each bank of exhaust hit each other in the merge, as some others do, Where the EB is more separated, less of a hit of them.
My opinion,, just saying.

Where does the proto exhaust fall on rough pricing. I've seen some pictures of it, but not a whole lot more about it.

There is a bit of drone with a 3" speedtech. You probably suffered some hearing damage after that EBworks, so you don't notice it :P

That said, I have a 3" speedtech with 100 cell and would totally recommend it. Any exhaust noise at cruising speed is technically drone. It's just whether or not you find it annoying or not.

LOL yes, technically you are correct about the drone definition, and I probably have lost some hearing ability

The speedtech is just right for me...and I was just trying to suggest to those who still haven't found the exhaust for them not to give up...maybe you will like Proto more, maybe EBWerks, or maybe you'll be like me and be extremely happy with a Speedtech. The right exhaust is out there! Don't settle if you aren't happy with yours.

Glad to hear you're happy with your new setup! I agree, a 3" exhaust, even if it has 2 small standard mufflers, still drones way too much. I loved the sound outside the car, but inside it was just too much.

Here is a Link to Ebay, they are not cheap but they do sound good.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Protomotive-...item3a7215727e

Hi Michael (and Bobby),

Thanks so much for the kind words. Michael, your post so eloquently illustrates the advantages of our product and our company philosophy.

Unfortunately, we hear of "wrong exhaust choices" all the time and work with customers to correct exhaust choice mistakes almost every week. Having been there and done that myself at some point, one of the things I did when designing our exhaust "systems" was to incorporate a very modular design to allow our customers to systematically swap out components in order to change or adjust the sound charactristics of their exhaust. We have a wide variety of component options that allows us to tailor any of our systems to just about any sound level a customer desires - including straight muffler bypass pipes. What this does is insure when you purchase from SpeedTech, you are never "stuck" with a product or sound level you don't like - with no recourse like many of the fixed pipe or limited component systems. For example, Michael, if you came to me today and wanted to make your system either louder or quieter now, we have the ability to help you accomplish that quickly and easily. We also enjoy being able to "help" in these situations and make the transition relatively painless (financially) for our customers, as we appreciate the confidence they have placed in us by choosing SpeedTech for the initial purchase and frankly, we just want them to be happy with their purchase. This does not come up too often, as we usually get it right the first time, but occasionally it does happen or tastes/goals change and then we're always there for our customer...In reading your post, I can see you understand this and it's nice of you to share it with the others on this forum that may be contemplating an exhaust purchase because this is a very important factor that potential customers considering an exhaust upgrade should understand and be aware of...

As for power, you are right on and your observations are correct - you are not leaving much, if any power on the table with our 3" system. Our 3" exhaust makes over a 50HP increase vs. the OEM exhaust on a 996TT with moderately upgraded turbos (i.e. 16G, 18G) and at that point, there is virtually nothing left on the table. All this talk of the two banks hitting each other causing power loss is not a factor with a 3" system using moderate sized turbos, as there is plenty of pipe volume to expel the exhaust gases instantly. Let some think/theorize all they want, but I have driven my car many times with 3" muffler bypass pipes straight off the turbos and then with our 3" X-cellerator system - they is no noticable or perceived difference whatsoever in the performance, but the sound sure is better with our 3" X-cellerator system! What our true "X" mixing does do, that IMO, the other exhaust styles don't do is to substantially enhance the sound quality to produce a very refined and exotic sound that the majority of turbo owners prefer. In my experience, the more you separate the banks, the more you lose the good sound, increase the drone and move the sound more toward the undesirable, traditional aftermarket motorboat sound. Our SpeedTech true "X" design is one reason why our systems are so highly respected for sound quality. We have other variables in place as well, that all work together to combine for our signature sound, but our "X" design is literally at the core of it.

Yes, I agree, these exhaust threads are exhausting :-) but it is an upgrade that many choose to do and the more information out there the better to save others from the same mistakes many have made before them....good post and we truly appreciate the positive feedback.

BTW - a customer has commissioned us to make a cross-over style exhaust, barely touching, similar to the Proto system mentioned and guess what - we are going to produce it modular, so that it can be swapped with any SpeedTech system out there, so that if our customer doesn't like it, we can easily remedy it with one of our 2.5's or 3.0's, instead of him being "stuck" with it - that's the way we like to do things...

Again, thanks so much for the very nice review, we really enjoy it when we are able to make someones day like this!

I hate to see this happen to Protomotives design but Chris from Unobtainnium in Canada told me ,,he is in the processing of doing a similar style exhaust with different pricing..