If I had a grand to burn on a B6/7 S4 with piggies and a clutch, HANDS DOWN this is what I’d do
I’d add an extra $200 and go JHM tune ($500) and Magnaflow catback ($700) for a grand total of $1200.
Tune the exhaust helps but the tune is the key to better performance and so is the intake manifold but that’s out of reach as it sounds
Tune first. Mods that follow will grow with your tune.
To clarify… I will be getting both within the next 3 months. Just wasn’t sure what to prioritize.
Thanks Joe sounds like you know what I was trying to say lol
As suggested by Axel, looking into Magnaflow as an exhaust option.
Any opinions on FI vs Magnaflow?
FI sounds better, more HP due to better design. Magnaflow still sounds great and makes good power, if money is an issue I would go with the magnaflow.
Yeah, just looking at the pictures of both, its easy to see that FI will flow better and thus make more HP.
I know it may be difficult… But can you define “better” in terms of how the FI sounds. Deeper? Smoother? Less rasp? Etc.
if money is an issue I would wait for a used fast intentions. I have yet to see a magnaflow car run anything impressive… Anyone else noticed this? It gets the job done but the fast intentions rapes it.
I’ve only heard magnaflow in person, not FI. From the youtube videos and what people have described it’s deeper/smoother/retains the “euro” sound. I don’t think either system will be raspy you have a v8 not a 4 banger 
I’ve heard an s4 w/ magnaflow in person and it sounds great IMO. I think Axel has a magnaflow exhaust.
better question for you, what’s the price difference between the two?
I do indeed have the Magnaflow and I absolutely love it. Not too loud puttering around town and nice and loud going up to redline. Saki’s heard it best at redline when filming me from the side of the road lol
I think the Magnaflow is 55% of the price of an FI. Especially if the “audipipes” coupon code still works at Performance Peddlar.
Magnaflow owner here - FI all the way. Sounds way better IMO. Proven to perform better, too. Magnaflow costs about $620 before taxes and shipping, FI from JHM is $1095 new for the B6
Having said that I ran 13.3 @ 105 on a cold day with piggies, so not too far of the FI/piggies cars.
Not much out there beating the catless DP/FI combos that bora and saki had on their B7 S4’s. Yes, I’m even including the (stock) RS4 in that comparo. Not heard the 3" JHM RS4 exhaust in person though.
I don’t think we can really compare magna flow and FI performance wise just because no one has ran a good time with a magna flow exhaust.
Case in point would be V8RyanS4 running 12.83 with a 2.25" AWE catback.
Don’t get me wrong, the fit and finish of the FI system is superb, the sound is amazing, but it would be hard to argue a few hundred dollar performance advantage over the Magnaflow system.
magnaflow sounds awesome. It is resonated and sounds deep and great. Sound is not an issue. I just think I would hold out for a used fast intentions. Someone should throw up a side by side comparison of the two. The fast intentions is a fantastic exercise in how to design a catback for an na v8.
It’s like $700 more for fast intentions. If you are buying new that’s tough to justify. But you can get a used fi for around $800…and they are super high quality and look like new years later so I wouldn’t hesitate.
Yeah, I’ve been looking for a used setup. Seems like everyone is selling B7 catbacks these days though. There is a B6 one on AZ but its the oval RS mufflers, which IMHO looks kinds lame with the plain old B6 rear balance.
But if Magnaflow sounds good, then maybe I will go with that… At 4500 feet elevation, I just need to realize that my car will never be breaking any records. But on the flip side of that argument, maybe I need every last bit of power I can buy.
$650 vs $1100 is hard to argue though. Ugghh… Decisions decisions.
I actually didn’t like the FI sound. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t get it. Of all the exhausts I’ve heard in person, it’s my least favourite. To each their own I guess. The fact that the Magnaflow was cheaper made my decision that much easier.
Again, I’m sure this is hard to quantify but do you remember what you didn’t like about it?
It’s too high pitched and too loud for my personal taste. I like a lower/deeper/smoother/beefier and slightly quieter sound [than the FI] when driving normally around town and a mid-pitched scream above 5000rpms as opposed to a higher pitched one.
Personal preference. The FI is has excellent build quality and probably the best design but that design difference is so small that the audio aspect still trumped everything.
There’s one exhaust I like even more than the Magnaflow. A guy here as JHM Piggies + Stasis X-Pipe and although it’s a tad loud for me, it sounds so freaking nice to my ears. Don’t know what diameter it is though (whether it’s 2.25" or 2.5").