EQUAL LENGTH VS. UNEQUAL LENGTH HEADERS - ft. WRX

Ever wondered how much of a difference headers make? Well, nows your chance.
02' Subaru V7 STI Swap
TOMEI unequal length
KILLER B equal length
Music is royalty free.
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[@TunedRAMS]

That repetitive music needs to go bro

[@moto324]

RammedSane especially when it's playing over the revving

[@carbontsx05]

Yea i agree if ur gonna have sound clips y have music playing during it kinda defeats the purpose 🤷‍♂️

[@Isaiah_Simwinga]

Very annoying and unnecessary music

[@lokozoa1813]

Totally

[@theslimeylimey]

That background music that never shut up is quite annoying.

[@jeffc0099]

+theslimeylimey Yeah should have stopped that once you fired the car up, was super annoying.

[@zanfingust]

+theslimeylimey yeah... lets compare sound of two different exhausts and suffocate the sound completely with shitty music so viewers can't hear shit

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

It's true, you live and learn. I will upload a link with the comparison section shortly with no music.

[@robertarispe3586]

for real

[@knightatnight]

so .. still waiting

[@RChero1010]

The car sounds great, but there is this rhythmic mess in the background that makes it hard to hear.

[@kubarydl1154]

I agree.. no music, pls... :)

[@djstatyk1540]

Noah "Rhythmic mess"

[@bFOURdwZEROlf]

get better ears

[@jeffkim1271]

Sounds great, but you should definitely remove music when trying to do a sound comparison so we can enjoy the tone from a subaru!

[@xbexbe]

I loved the music. Next time just keep playing it the entire time instead of playing sound clips of your Subaru.

[@akira357]

LMFAO

[@boogiestreet594]

ROFL

[@DeadBeatDex]

The equal length headers sounds a lot more smoother, elegant, and like you said, more 4 cylinderish. I actually quite like it.

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

Dexter Yang the sound has really grown on me. I can't lie though, when I hear an unequal header suby pass by, I do get a little jealous

[@Hot-1LE]

that dude can smack a mean bass but that shut needs to turn off during a sound comparison

[@jeraldc.1729]

Hahah i hear tha slap and pop all day..but yes LOL

[@Thee_Sinner]

I knew there was going to be comments about the music, but I didn’t expect t to every single one lol

[@leloodallasmultipass]

come on. this is a video about sound and yet you can't turn the music off for those critical parts? smh.

[@farhadkay4460]

Robin Willaim twin brother is a Subby owner??? awesome.

[@BlizzardHockey4432]

I was thinking the same thing lol

[@lindamcarthur7389]

now that you mention it I see the resemblance!

[@williamgrand9724]

Both sound good, the killer b header sounds like a rally car which is dope af

[@dave1986R]

They both sound awesome. I wasn’t aware that the uneven header lengths were what gave Subaru engines that distinctive rumble. From outside the cabin the even headers give the engine the sound tone but without the rumble, but at least it sounds different from a Honda or Mitsubishi engine.

[@jaydnisevil]

could you possibly re release this video without the shitty music? You've released a sound comparison video and its hard to hear lol.

[@buhrietoe]

Equal! My tomei elh are smooth and sing their song. They really grew on me.

[@o88twitch88o]

can you upload this without the backgrouynd music please

[@KillerBMotorsport]

Thank you for posting this great comparison video. We shared it on our Facebook page.

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

You bet, thanks for sharing. I was very pleased with the build quality on your oil pickup and pan combo. I drive my subaru really hard and your headers had all the right materials and build quality I was looking for. They are handling the abuse wonderfully.

[@jonnybgood2810]

with equal sounds more like an honda but still very good sound but we can't forget he's got bigger cams and exhaust also

[@thefirmament1616]

I was shocked it didnt lose as much of the rumble as everyone said it would.. good sound..

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

assclown true! i have heard other equal length subarus and they sound far more regular 4 cylindery than mine. it may have a lot to do with my magnaflow muffler keeping it sounding deeper, not sure though

[@Folderq]

Very good and detailed material. I wish everyone does it so perfect as You. Great job man !

[@deevita7459]

Thanks bro, that video just convinced me not to go with equal length headers.

[@whatiwant8898]

Cabin noise- EL Exterior noise- UEL Personally I would still go for the EL because I'll be hearing it from the inside more than the outside and the performance benefits are great.

[@timmyzhou1]

Why with EL there is more noise in the cabin?

[@sf2372]

WOW thats a huge difference. Not too bad when moving though.

[@AHavoc907]

Killer B makes the best sounding ELH, especially if you have a single exit exhaust and a good resonator and muffler setup. I hardly lost any rumble when I switched to Killer B.

[@808Cummins]

Nice Honda sound you got going. For me I'd sacrifice a few hp for Subaru heritage lol.

[@SycsFinest]

Wow! Great comparison. Killer B makes great headers. Enjoy the new hardware.

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

thanks, they have been holding up very well.

[@ultralaserblast381]

i got an Equal length header on my 2011 wrx. still has rumble but just not as much BASS and resonance in the cabin. sounds great imo its not as annoying for the daily drive. and still sounds lke a subaru. its sounds like nothing else. maybe close to a classic vw bug but with a turbo and bigger displacement and no air cooling! lol.

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

I couldn't agree more

[@chickenricesteak541]

Equal length sounds better. Unequal sounds like a want to be equal length.

[@AndrewB23]

The header wrap is what probably aided in cracking your header.

[@extrabass287]

at high speeds you can't tell the differnece but when its idal you can

[@XspeakerXforXmarsX]

i really don't feel like you lost all that much subi sound when you were doing actual rolling pulls, in neutral you can tell there is a significant difference but you still hear the distinct boxer sound. i don't know what everyone is hearing. seen a couple of comments saying "generic equal length" but honestly i like both and it still sounds awesome to me. so my 2 cent verdict, more performance and durability for a tone change in neutral? done

[@XspeakerXforXmarsX]

lol @ the music. what did we really learn today maxx

[@XspeakerXforXmarsX]

especially in the cabin you cant hear the rumble :/ its like she cleared her throat or something

[@sevenpointsixtwo]

Ill take minimal Hp loss to keep the Unequal exhaust sound over the generic equal length exhaust sound.

[@donrowe7194]

sevenpointsixtwo its not just a matter of sound. look up ringland failures in subaru engines...uel headers can contribute to that issue. el headers are just better for the overall health of any ej engine

[@sevenpointsixtwo]

Don Rowe re-read your comment,your contradicting yourself

[@OpTicBossaru]

EL= Equal Length UEL= Unequal Length he said: UEL headers can contribute to ringland failure. EL headers are just better for the overall health of any EJ engine He said it correctly, and did not contradict himself.

[@flakey7832]

same

[@dragongroupp]

bloody oath its what made the rex

[@volksbugly]

that sound at 3:34 made me like the equal length header more.

[@tnyce616]

I think I’ve watched the video, over 100 times, I love the killer b headers, and can’t wait to finally get one, I purposely bought a 2011 wrx for those headers 😅😅🤷🏾‍♂️

[@subiflexwrxsti7830]

It's now 3am.... and I've made up my mind on what headers to get, UNEQUAL LENGTH !!!!! #keeptherumble

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

In all honesty, there really is no wrong answer here. I have come to love both types of headers for different reasons

[@ScoobsL]

SubiFLEX WRX STi hell yeah

[@sleeper.simulant7327]

SubiFLEX WRX STi yeah, if you want slower spool, a peaky barrow torque curve and overall slower, more inefficient car that’s more likely to crack a piston ring on the side with longer runners cause exhaust air temps will be through the roof....

[@BlueHokage]

wrapping headers does trap the heat into the actual header, as apposed to allowing it to vent off into the atmosphere... which is why people do it. Problem is, if your motor is actually running hotter, thats a ton of extra stress on the header.

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

Its a good tradeoff to wrap the headers. Less underhood temperature and keeping the heat in the headers increases exhaust efficiency. Thereby increasing turbo performance. Since going with the stronger headers, I have had no problems, only positive

[@loomspace]

The spotty heat wrap will definitely contribute to imbalanced heating and cooling -> cracking.

[@dgsams]

Well made video.... I love the way you did it..... I wish ppl did this head to head style videos. Especially with sound videos.... Like wanting to compare like a liteSPEC vs a Challenge S2000 exhaust... Again well done! *bow*

[@zedxrom7867]

Having heatwrap around the manifolds will make them retain heat instead of losing it, that's why you have cracks in it, but we all need an excuse to throw new parts on our cars anyway :P

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

ZEDXROM retaining heat in the manifold increases exhaust velocity which in turn makes more power. It's nice to have a header that can cope with the heat of a built motor and wrapping.

[@Ryan-sm6zd]

I have a similar set up in my wagon. V7 sti 6 speed gearing with a 2.5 hybrid torque match together really nice

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

It is a sweet setup for sure!

[@DjJtown]

The Killer B exhaust has a beefier sound, not typical of Subaru, but that's what will make the car stand out. Good choice.

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

DjJtown thank you! I have been very happy with the killer b headers. They have withstood a lot of abuse and are holding up perfectly

[@jasongtivr6]

Unfortunately most of these car videos have music playing in the back ground. I’ve watched videos where they have their stereos playing while telling us to listen to the cams or exhaust. Makes no sense. But either I’d say it was a prefect comparison video. There’s no way I’d give up that Sti rumble sound. It’s so iconic. That unequal length exhaust is why they have the best sounding four cylinder every made. Please stop ruining it😢

[@alexz000]

Old headers sound better, but new headers sound more crisper.

[@chronic_adventure]

GREAT SOUND COMPARISON

[@EJL2004]

Really doesn't sound that bad! A lot of people complain that it sounds like a honda civic, but clearly they're blowing smoke out of their ass. I love the UEL sound, but I'm certainly not against the ELH. When I finally do go for a header I might just go equal length. I hear from some people that it will to a degree provide longer life to the engine, particularly cyl 4 in the EJ25x. I'm curious to know if thats true or not. Something to do with carbon build up. Going for a turbo back exhaust after Christmas on my 2011 wrx hatch, and having a hard time deciding which exhaust to go with. I should probably find a good e-tuner in the area before deciding. Grimmspeed downpipe looks like the ultimate for an internal wastegate set up, but I'm not sure what the consequences would be using a Cobb OTS stage 2 tune vs a non devorced dp. Great vid, the music really wasn't as bad as some where griping about.

[@flakey7832]

unequal is love, unequal is life

[@HEKTIC458]

Great video But unequal length sounds better

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

The new sound really has grown on me and i really do like it a lot. I can't lie though, when i hear an unequal length header suby drive by, a tinge of jealousy creeps in. It sounds cool.

[@brokenbaja]

excellent video!

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

thankyou!

[@matthewautton1472]

you can still hear some of the boxer sound. its quite nice.

[@xXturbo86Xx]

Sounds like shit with the new one. Anyway, i really think you shouldn't wrap them up like that, you should wrap each individual pipe. What this thing does is preventing the heat to radiate (as much as possible) so that you get a cooler space around them and better thermal efficiency (hotter gas has more volume thus spins the turbo faster thus less lag better performance etc etc), So, now you're trapping a lot of heat in the space between the two pipes and they will probably be even hotter than the old ones. Don't be lazy man, do it properly, there's a reason they wrap each pipe and not a bunch of them together.

[@joebrown2197]

The nextinlin

[@SupermanwithaD]

Nice comparison video !!! I like the equal length headers more actually.

[@miketilton4561]

I do as well. I was not sure if I would or not. but after a while with them, I love it.

[@augustortiz]

I cant believe im saying this, but i think the new headers sound better if you are planning to use it daily. I sometimes get tired of having the rumble, specially when i turn the car on at 5am

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

I have a friend three houses down from me. Sometimes shortly after starting my car he texts me "good morning!" Still pretty loud, although pulse pressure inside the cabin is much better for daily driving

[@augustortiz]

+maxxjett films i replaced my bugeyes stock seats for 2013 sti seats and i still feel the rumble tingling my spine, im getting sort of tired of it! Might consider an equal length header soon thanks to your video

[@Raudi_5pot]

my perrin el header sounds amazing compared to the stock annoying subaru rumble. even without a tune it feels much better.

[@IainB]

Great video and comparison!

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

Thanks

[@harrisondodge6956]

dude this vid is amazing, how do you only have 215 subs?

[@revym3366]

Only thing I can think of that makes this worth it...is the fact that compared to Tomeis EL header is the header design...since a stock header is 4 to 1 & kb is 4 to 1 is able to maintain the distinct low rumble note that equalizes a bit up top...Tomei being 4 to 2 to 1 just sounds awful imo. Good purchase.

[@paul4733]

The killer b headers are perfect but it would sound better with a tomei catback exhaust

[@AwesomeBob]

I didn't know Robin Williams had a WRX.

[@zachlee3735]

nice comparison of background music........so damn helpful smh

[@Copedawg_340]

Pretty sure I've seen you around town a couple times w/that plate. Sounds great and I'm sure you're really happy with the performance gains!

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

I get around, and its a unique car

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

And yes, I do like it a lot

[@MrJordanowski]

Loved the background music, keep it up!

[@offdutydan9346]

good job man! great video!

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

Thanks, glad you liked it!

[@anthonyf4525]

Great video. Yea you lose the rumble that that exhaust note you now have just screams i'm fast and not being restricted.

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

Anthony F i thought the exact same thing😎

[@AndrewB23]

The power differences from el to uel headers isn't very noticeable, the benefits for boxer engines are just cooling down those two cylinders which is beneficial but not fully if you're just running stock power, he could also help by not wrapping the headers because it's known to make headers have a higher chance for cracking. The worst part is it makes it sound like a Honda, I'm pretty sure that's why the brand is called killer bee, it has a buzz instead of a rumble.

[@philippayne6655]

great video . thanks. (you do look like Robin Williams though)

[@UploadATutorial]

Well your power gains with Equal length headers are way better. But Unequal does make a better sound than equal lengths do.

[@goracks69]

Very interesting comparo! Makes me wonder what a GT86 sounds like with unequal length headers. I personally woulda sacrificed a few horsepower for the sound of unequal length headers, for the same reason I went with GT takeoff exhausts instead of an aftermarket set up for my V6 Mustang. Yeah the aftermarket stuff would've freed up to an additional 10+hp, but it sounded so raspy, whereas the GT takeoffs still added power while giving me the sound I want. If I wanted all power, I wouldn't have bought a v6 Stang. Afterall, I live with the exhaust ALL the time, but I only floor it sometimes. So Im always stuck with the sound. But rarely need ALL the horsepower I can get.

[@bFOURdwZEROlf]

It sounds less bogged down because they're an equal length. the turbo spools up quicker

[@OggaDugga]

I came back for the music. I want to slap bass

[@l700wrx]

sounds complicated but nice sound,not too raspy like mine is

[@maryburgess9293]

Killer b for the win

[@adrianl6754]

I didn’t notice the music until i started reading the comments then it started to to drive me slowly insane. But other then that’s nice bugeye and mods

[@Thr33.Sid3z]

For $2000 They better be good. I just couldnt do it. For $700-$1200 you can have a completely custom Manifold fabricated by the best Fabricator in ur city! DOC RACE here in Portland would fab up a fresh ass set of UELs for $1k and u'd not only keep the rumble, but not have to worry about quality!

[@sleeper.simulant7327]

Evol_AF EL power gains are worth it though

[@Wakos_HQ]

Like watching food channel.. but i like it 😋

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

Lol!

[@SpicyBurger]

Can't hear anything over the music

[@dmo.amgc633]

That's also a nice sound on you bov what type is it ... I'm watching as I'm thinking to buy a set of headers to now I see this VS everywhere now too decide.. great video mate

[@thimble288]

MUCH better sound, the BRZ/FRS/GT86 sounds a lot better with EL headers too.

[@thimble288]

***** You still get that pancake motor chuff with equal length headers, it's just refined a little. I've learned to hate that "subie growl", because whenever I turn to look I end up seeing something out of Ken Block's douchiest wet dream. A lot of the time it sounds like an airplane that can't take off to me. I hate most Harley's I hear too. Sounds like a big wet fart.

[@sleeper.simulant7327]

Eric Leippe I’m with you. I live where WRX’s are every other car, and it’s always some dumb kid who’s straight piped it. You can hear it climbing a hill from over a mile away. It’s ridiculous...

[@thesniperofcs]

the sound of the unequal is better, the performance of the equal is better. can I go with dual exhaust 😜

[@primozdornik8069]

why did you put the music on the exhaust sound??????

[@mrmurray8698]

Equal sounds better imo, the tomei was more raspier which I don't like

[@djstatyk1540]

I just had exhausted work done to my 92 legacy 2.2 I'll post videos soon

[@Boxer7911]

Vtec just kicked in YO!

[@Matt_B98]

it sounds way better, sounds more like a subaru

[@jaysheeze]

Thanks Robin Williams step brother. 😂 👍

[@Watchingyou-daily]

You are losing the boxer sound.

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

Yes, in my quest for more power and durability, I have lost some boxer rumble

[@FusterIsBased]

I'd take performance and reliability over sound any day.

[@husseinkurdi7625]

I notice the new one have smaller ports did you compare the ports??

[@HoweDoYouDo1999]

Haha that wrx has seen it all but yet I’d stick to what subaru knows best and that happens to be a rumble ready system😂

[@MrPantopantalones]

Killer B holy hell the music is so bad. :-D Great video though!

[@boostedbuiltgarage]

Not as different as I thought they'd be, def a bit more ricer-ish, but still has that sound still. I'm in the same mind-set, trying to decide whether I lose the mad unequal sound for more performance lol

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

I thought the same thing. it sounds different at idle and from inside the car, but outside, you can definitely tell it's still a subaru

[@boostedbuiltgarage]

Haha well that's all that matters!😌

[@stugats77]

great vid did you have to adjust the tune after fitting the new headers?

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

I did not have to tune the car after the install, but I did get it tuned shortly after because I also changed out my boost controller. I would recommend a tune to maximize performance and reliability though

[@SteveBlues87]

Equal headers give more power than unequal

[@codithheretic110]

great vid!

[@sflbahari]

car sounds great, btw where can i get that shirt

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

They don't make it anymore, but search fwd sucks and some different but not as good versions come up

[@jabadahut50]

the equal length headers sound good but nowhere near as good as the unequal lengths. The unequal lengths add a lot of character to the note... the equal length ones just sound like another loud turbo car on the road.

[@oneilclarke8494]

Mrs Doubtfire actually had a son....wow

[@HoweDoYouDo1999]

if it’s a Subaru it shouldn’t have to be equal it should be unequal it’s where it’s character comes from without that sound it loses a bit of itself 😂

[@69mrsteveo]

Better for the turbo, no pulse.

[@ProVision3187]

Thats why when you blow it you rebuild it with tougher internals.

[@sleeper.simulant7327]

Better for ringlands, keeps EAT’s lower, especially on the side that had longer runners.

[@mrmurray8698]

Why the hell are they cracking? Are you using anti lag launch control often?

[@jeffreydlazar]

Nice video. In the future when making a video focused on sound, it would be preferable to leave out the background music.

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

Jeffrey Lazar thank you, lesson learned

[@owlcoast1513]

It didn't really change the rumble that much

[@Jradi4Me]

Unequal sounds way better in my opinion

[@05EVORS]

If I keep my Sti ill end up blowing a wad on ELH and oil pan/pick up, EWG and delete Tumblers, My old Evo was funner w 4G63 all those motors needed was cams and a throttle body to run great. These scoobs need way more $$$ to run hard

[@maxxjettfilms6322]

05EVORS true! I have always been jealous of evos for that very thing