Q300 vs. Perrin resonated: trouble deciding
 

I know that a lot has been said about these two exhausts on this forum, but out of everything I've read nothing relates to my current situation.

I'm doing a full exhaust upgrade minus the front pipe (I want to be at least semi-legal here in NC). I have a JDL uncatted uel header on the way and I already have a non-resonated catback on. For the sake of brevity, we'll just say it's an N1 and move on. It was a cool exhaust initially but in the last month I've started to get really tired of the constant drone, and I feel embarrassed starting my car up in the morning since I live in an apartment complex and I know I'm waking people up. I also don't really like the actual sound of it anymore too, it just sounds flat all the way through the revs. I've put about 6k miles on it and honestly I've had enough of it.

Knowing that my header will make my car even louder, I'm going to go ahead and swap my catback for a resonated one. My primary two choices are the Q300 and Perrin and I just want to get some owners' opinions on them. So far I've read that the Q300 is almost as quiet as stock, but I'm wondering if it will be loud enough with the header. The Perrin is the ideal buy but it's also $300 more. Overall I'd like to know what it's like to live with these exhausts. Do they sound as good as they cost? Are they well made, have any fitment issues, rasp at all? Will they last a long time?

To summarize, I want something that is relatively quiet on a normal drive but can be easily heard when driven hard, has little to no drone, will fit evenly in the rear bumper, and will last most of the car's lifetime. I don't plan on replacing my catback again after this so this one will be in for the long haul. I'm also open to other catback options, but I'll really only consider something priced in between these two.

You cant go wrong with those. If budget is not a problem, go with perrin resonated (2.5)

in my opinion, go with the Q300. the UEL will make your exhaust loud so you want to rely on the catback to quiet it down. you won't go wrong with the Q300 as it is the quietest exhaust out there. it is also a good idea to keep your front pipe stock. I swapped mine out with the invidia resonated front pipe and my exhaust note has some rasp past 4k RPM which I don't like. plus it's way louder lol. I have a Gruppe-S UEL header + over pipe, invidia resonated front pipe, and MXP SP catback. it is a little louder for my tastes, but I can deal with it. I do have to be careful around cops though, especially CHP

It is. Getting the Perrin means an extra 2-3 weeks of working (I work part-time since I'm a college student), and that $300+ could go to some other upgrade or at least to my apartment rent.

Go with q300, you will have deep bass rumble

I've got the Perrin 2.5" resonated + JDL catless UEL header + JDL OP + Berk catted FP.

The quality and fitment on the Perrin CBE is excellent. I think it looks great, filling in the bumper cutouts perfectly. I've had no issues with it for 3+ years.

In terms of sound, this combination has just enough bite to sound crisp without being raspy. At the track days I go to, a few random people will usually tell me they like the sound.

My only complaint is I think it's about 20% too loud. Don't get me wrong, it's not crazy especially compared to some of the other exhausts I've heard, but I could just be getting old. With this setup, if you punch it on the street, you will definitely draw attention. From what I understand, the Q300 is quieter so probably the way to go if you want something more tame.

I'll probably switch to a catted header and keep the rest of the exhaust components. (My wife had been complaining about the catless exhaust smell anyway.)

I purchased a catless JDL UEL header about 2 months ago, and my exhaust setup already consisted of a Motiv OP, Invidia catless resonated FP, and a Tomei 60S. As soon as I slapped that header on it was extremely loud on another level.

I ended up purchasing a Q300 and since I was used to the sound of the 60S, it sounded like I went back to stock. Sitting in the car while revving or driving it around I couldn't hear a thing, all I could hear was the engine and transmission, but standing behind the car you could hear the deep tone and rumble. It wasn't obnoxious loud either. Even going WOT on freeway on ramps it still sound stock to me.

Ever since I installed the Q300, it's either gotten a little louder or my ears are now used to the quieter, more deeper tone. I have thought about going with a Perrin resonated 2.5" or an MXP Comp RS just to get a little more sound in the cabin, but I'm really satisfied with the Q300. Cold starts in the morning and going WOT without pissing off my neighbors and drawing unwanted attention feels so good lol. Love the quality and fitment of it as well. I also installed some Torque Solutions polyurethane exhaust hangers and this exhaust doesn't move one bit. It fills the exhaust cutouts on the bumper nice and tight.

I've had them both and the Perrin is much louder than the Q300

As most have mentioned, both of those are superb exhausts.

I'd go with the Q300 just because I've seen, heard it and driven a BRZ with it and it is truly quiet and drone free. With the header it should give you just the right amount of noise.

Also, another good option if you have no budget boundaries, would be the Fujitsubo Authorize R.

I've had a q300 twice due to how much I like the sound, with an uncatted UEL header it is pretty damn loud, and cold starts are pretty brutal.

Not as bad as when I had the N1 system, but it is no longer a "quiet" exhaust when paired with a UEL.

Save up the $$$$ Buy the Perrin. It's not crazy loud just loud when it needs to be. No drone. ;)

So, does the Q300 sound louder than stock or basically exactly like stock? I'm not trying to make my exhaust sound stock again, I hated how quiet it was stock. Does it at least have a different tone? I don't like exhausts that produce a flat note, I prefer them to be slightly raspy.

Basically what I'm saying is that once someone can confirm that the Q300 actually sounds impressive I will pull the trigger on it.

I tried the q300 and it sounded like crap with a UEL. Cold start and on throttle were like a 90s civic. The Miltek (similar design and sound to Perrin) I have now is sooo much better. It produces a deeper note so doesnt seem as loud.

Save up and spend the money on the Perrin (of Miltek 2.5 res). The muffler material in the Q300 isnt as high quality and resonates funny when paired with free flowing systems. It sounds great without headers. Do it right. Do it once.

That's kinda what I'm getting at.

In about a month I'm taking the BRZ to a shop to have the header, a CAI that I already have, and whatever catback I choose installed and then get an ECUtek tune for the car, and after that I'm done upgrading for a long time, so I really do want to get this perfect.