Borla Touring System comparison vs Stock

[JAK]

Been doing a bunch of research into what full cat back for my truck. After reading some feedback from few members here who thought the S-type was too loud, I've settled on the touring since I want something that's tame but has a little more "oomph" during WOT.

Finally got my system in Wednesday and it was installed this morning.


A video review will come shortly after for the noise levels. I did however measured the sound level of the stock system vs the touring systemwith my phone, it may not be the most accurate since it is a phone app. But it was done on the same phone and at the same distance etc and I tried to keep most of the variables the same. Hopefully that will give you guys a rough idea of how much more noise to expect.


The following measurements were recorded

1. Cold start - Recorded 6 feet behind the tip of exhaust / @ eye level with exhaust
2. Idle engine right after cold start - Recorded 6 feet behind the tip of exhaust / @ eye level with exhaust
3. Idle inside cabin - Fan speed was on 2. No music.
4. Normal driving thru neighborhood, light accerlation up to 30mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music.
5. Dead stop, hard pull to 45mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music.
6. Cruising speed at 55-60mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music.


1. Cold start - Recorded 6 feet behind the tip of exhaust / @ eye level with exhaust. STOCK SYSTEM


2. Idle engine right after cold start - Recorded 6 feet behind the tip of exhaust / @ eye level with exhaust. STOCK SYSTEM


3. Idle inside cabin - Fan speed was on 2. No music. STOCK SYSTEM


4. Normal driving thru neighborhood, light accerlation up to 30mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music. STOCK SYSTEM


5. Dead stop, hard pull to 45mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music. STOCK SYSTEM


6. Cruising speed at 55-60mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music. STOCK SYSTEM

 

[JAK]

I didn't have time yet to do #5 and #6 measurement on the Touring system. But 1-4 is available.



1. Cold start - Recorded 6 feet behind the tip of exhaust / @ eye level with exhaust. BORLA TOURING SYSTEM



2. Idle engine right after cold start - Recorded 6 feet behind the tip of exhaust / @ eye level with exhaust. BORLA TOURING SYSTEM



3. Idle inside cabin - Fan speed was on 2. No music. BORLA TOURING SYSTEM



4. Normal driving thru neighborhood, light accerlation up to 30mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music. BORLA TOURING SYSTEM

 

[JAK]

I'll post #5 and #6 at a later time along with a video. But initial impression is that this is definitely NOT the tame system I was looking for, it is no sleeper. The tech at the muffler shop that did the install also commented that it was a lot louder than he expected. He said that with time, the system will quiet down a bit after break-in. We'll see how much quieter it'll get..

There is no doubt that I have a aftermarket system when cruising. I used to be able to mask all outside noise with the stock system when music is at 8 or 9. But with this system, I can still hear the exhaust even when music is at 16. Which is a little annoying, I was really hoping that it's similar to stock system when cruising and more aggresive @ WOT.

 

[drsubie]

thanks for the measurements and impressions!

 

[JAK]

Cold Start video is up.

 

[KJRam]

Thank you for posting such a detailed decibal rating for stock vs the borla touring. I know one member had the S type but think they removed it. Well have to try to get someone to post up the S if they have one. What app, so we can be consistent?

 

[ChadT]

I'll post #5 and #6 at a later time along with a video. But initial impression is that this is definitely NOT the tame system I was looking for, it is no sleeper. The tech at the muffler shop that did the install also commented that it was a lot louder than he expected. He said that with time, the system will quiet down a bit after break-in. We'll see how much quieter it'll get..

There is no doubt that I have a aftermarket system when cruising. I used to be able to mask all outside noise with the stock system when music is at 8 or 9. But with this system, I can still hear the exhaust even when music is at 16. Which is a little annoying, I was really hoping that it's similar to stock system when cruising and more aggresive @ WOT.

Thank you for all the detailed information!
Decibel meter? Above and beyond what we deserve.

Sharing my borla exhaust system story:
So I got a borla XR1 muffler put on my (otherwise stock) exhaust system on my 4th gen Ram.
Supposedly the 1 to 1 comparison to this is more the S-type.
My first thought when I fired it up, "Ohhh s**t, I think I went full retard here?"

I think for one, the stock exhaust is SO quiet that it's a shock to hear the new system fire up that first time. That stock unit is huge. It's like 40lbs. It's like 40inches long. Anything that breathes better is going to have some more noise to it.

Next, anecdotally speaking, I personally believe the XR1 DID take time to break in. I recall thinking it was VERY loud at first, and it seems more mellow now. Is that my ear adjusting? I'm actually going to say while that's possible, that's not quite the total explanation. I was a musician when I was younger and I can pick out audio differences pretty well, I really believe it did quiet up over time.

I'm also seeing rain in your video - you've got a few things going on there audio wise.
One is that the air there is probably cool, pretty dense there if I had to guess, and there's water everywhere helping move that sound.
That's about the loudest cold start the system can give, IMHO anyway (I stayed in a holiday inn express last night)
AND your system is new.
In my experience the only louder cold start?
A COLD start on a winter night, everything is frozen, and the truck has been sitting for a few days.
Pepper your angus, because the truck is going to "Wolverine Scream" at you for being off that long!

Other than that, give it time, let it break in!

ETA: I noticed that you have pedal commander.
If pedal commander has you at slightly higher RPMs than normal (all things being equal), I'm pretty sure that'll add noise

 

[PorBoy]

I currently have the S Type on and in the bed of my truck for install Monday is the Touring. My expectation is not that it will be quiet, but it has to be less loud then what’s currently on. I want my V8 to sound as such, I just don’t need it shaking plates off of shelves as I drive by someone’s home lol.

 

[PorBoy]

Cold Start video is up.

Oh wow that sounds like when I start my truck which has the “ S Type “ system on it lol. If after installing and breaking it in it still sounds like that, I’ll be going back to stock real quick..

 

[KJRam]

I currently have the S Type on and in the bed of my truck for install Monday is the Touring. My expectation is not that it will be quiet, but it has to be less loud then what’s currently on. I want my V8 to sound as such, I just don’t need it shaking plates off of shelves as I drive by someone’s home lol.

Before you have it removed tomorrow, do you think you could try to simulate what @JAK did to compare the touring DB to s type DB

 

[ChadT]

I currently have the S Type on and in the bed of my truck for install Monday is the Touring. My expectation is not that it will be quiet, but it has to be less loud then what’s currently on. I want my V8 to sound as such, I just don’t need it shaking plates off of shelves as I drive by someone’s home lol.

Your opinion will be pretty interesting, you will have had both systems

 

[PorBoy]

We have a 100% chance of rain tomorrow but I’ll do the best that I can before it hits.

 

[Ortiz7983]

Been doing a bunch of research into what full cat back for my truck. After reading some feedback from few members here who thought the S-type was too loud, I've settled on the touring since I want something that's tame but has a little more "oomph" during WOT.

Finally got my system in Wednesday and it was installed this morning.
View attachment 8757

A video review will come shortly after for the noise levels. I did however measured the sound level of the stock system vs the touring systemwith my phone, it may not be the most accurate since it is a phone app. But it was done on the same phone and at the same distance etc and I tried to keep most of the variables the same. Hopefully that will give you guys a rough idea of how much more noise to expect.


The following measurements were recorded

1. Cold start - Recorded 6 feet behind the tip of exhaust / @ eye level with exhaust
2. Idle engine right after cold start - Recorded 6 feet behind the tip of exhaust / @ eye level with exhaust
3. Idle inside cabin - Fan speed was on 2. No music.
4. Normal driving thru neighborhood, light accerlation up to 30mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music.
5. Dead stop, hard pull to 45mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music.
6. Cruising speed at 55-60mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music.


1. Cold start - Recorded 6 feet behind the tip of exhaust / @ eye level with exhaust. STOCK SYSTEM
View attachment 8758

2. Idle engine right after cold start - Recorded 6 feet behind the tip of exhaust / @ eye level with exhaust. STOCK SYSTEM
View attachment 8759

3. Idle inside cabin - Fan speed was on 2. No music. STOCK SYSTEM
View attachment 8760

4. Normal driving thru neighborhood, light accerlation up to 30mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music. STOCK SYSTEM
View attachment 8761

5. Dead stop, hard pull to 45mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music. STOCK SYSTEM
View attachment 8762

6. Cruising speed at 55-60mph. Inside cab fan speed on 2, no music. STOCK SYSTEM
View attachment 8763[/QUOTE

We have a 100% chance of rain tomorrow but I’ll do the best that I can before it hits.

Cold Start video is up.

does a new catback system help on mpg? Can I keep the same black exhaust tips? Am I able to switch my gears from 3:21 to 3:92?

 

[JAK]

does a new catback system help on mpg? Can I keep the same black exhaust tips? Am I able to switch my gears from 3:21 to 3:92?

Honestly I can't tell at this point. Over the last 2 fuel-ups. I averaged 12.2mpg with mostly suburban city driving and some highway. I'm filling up again later today and i'll see if it got any better. But with just under 1300miles on my truck atm. I can't tell you if it's from the new cat-back system or it's from the engine breaking-in.

Oh wow that sounds like when I start my truck which has the “ S Type “ system on it lol. If after installing and breaking it in it still sounds like that, I’ll be going back to stock real quick..

You're the not first one to tell me that sounded like the S-type. I'll keep it for a little while to see if it calms down a bit, now I do miss the quiet cabin and the luxury feeling of the truck.

I currently have the S Type on and in the bed of my truck for install Monday is the Touring. My expectation is not that it will be quiet, but it has to be less loud then what’s currently on. I want my V8 to sound as such, I just don’t need it shaking plates off of shelves as I drive by someone’s home lol.

Love to hear your take in comparison between the two. With what the tech said at the shop, It shocked him to hear this level of noise from the touring system. And he's been doing it quite a while. With the touring "sleeper" system being this loud, I honestly can't imagine how loud the s-type must be.. god forbit if it's the ATAK system.

Thank you for all the detailed information!
Decibel meter? Above and beyond what we deserve.

Sharing my borla exhaust system story:
So I got a borla XR1 muffler put on my (otherwise stock) exhaust system on my 4th gen Ram.
Supposedly the 1 to 1 comparison to this is more the S-type.
My first thought when I fired it up, "Ohhh s**t, I think I went full retard here?"

I think for one, the stock exhaust is SO quiet that it's a shock to hear the new system fire up that first time. That stock unit is huge. It's like 40lbs. It's like 40inches long. Anything that breathes better is going to have some more noise to it.

Next, anecdotally speaking, I personally believe the XR1 DID take time to break in. I recall thinking it was VERY loud at first, and it seems more mellow now. Is that my ear adjusting? I'm actually going to say while that's possible, that's not quite the total explanation. I was a musician when I was younger and I can pick out audio differences pretty well, I really believe it did quiet up over time.

I'm also seeing rain in your video - you've got a few things going on there audio wise.
One is that the air there is probably cool, pretty dense there if I had to guess, and there's water everywhere helping move that sound.
That's about the loudest cold start the system can give, IMHO anyway (I stayed in a holiday inn express last night)
AND your system is new.
In my experience the only louder cold start?
A COLD start on a winter night, everything is frozen, and the truck has been sitting for a few days.
Pepper your angus, because the truck is going to "Wolverine Scream" at you for being off that long!

Other than that, give it time, let it break in!

ETA: I noticed that you have pedal commander.
If pedal commander has you at slightly higher RPMs than normal (all things being equal), I'm pretty sure that'll add noise

I'll give it some time to let it break it. It does seem a little more mellow now compared to when it was first installed few days ago, could be that i'm getting used to it. I'll try turning off the pedal commander to see if it helps with noise level.

Thank you for posting such a detailed decibal rating for stock vs the borla touring. I know one member had the S type but think they removed it. Well have to try to get someone to post up the S if they have one. What app, so we can be consistent?

It was "Sound Meter" from the google play store on a Moto droid X. Different mic from different phones could produce different readings so it's hard to keep it consistent across the board between different members.

 

[John813]

That startup sounded good.

Thanks for sharing the Decibel readings!

 

[Nails]

Thanks for the details and vid on exhaust mod you’ve done and others that have chimed in comment on their own in comparison . This is helping myself and others in the community to determine what is good for us. Much appreciated!!

 

[ChadT]

You're the not first one to tell me that sounded like the S-type. I'll keep it for a little while to see if it calms down a bit, now I do miss the quiet cabin and the luxury feeling of the truck.

Love to hear your take in comparison between the two. With what the tech said at the shop, It shocked him to hear this level of noise from the touring system. And he's been doing it quite a while. With the touring "sleeper" system being this loud, I honestly can't imagine how loud the s-type must be.. god forbit if it's the ATAK system.

So here's my guesstimate on what's going on here.
The Borla systems are roughly going to have that same sound/tone, with different volumes.
Same pipe thickness and material, the bodies of the mufflers are apparently similar too, looks like it's the innards that change.

Parting this together, seems like:
The ATAK sounds similar to the S-type on cold start, but it stays that loud the whole time and doesn't mellow down. Naturally, I'm guessing noise-wise it's "wide open throttle" sounding at all speeds, they're not muffling much sound at any speed.

The S-stype mellows down, but will have sound on WOT and is significantly louder than stock.
The touring is probably at its loudest in a dense air cold start, and WOT. It is probably measurably quieter (when broken in) than either of the above around town, cruising, up until the hammer goes down and now it's "in the conversation" but last place.


But I will say..... while that exhaust is nice and loud..
Once, just one time, when you get a chance to safely pass someone on a highway, in say, a prius?
Give it the juice. Put some mustard on it. Put a second patty on the burger.
Let yourself fall in love with that sound.

 

[Nachizl8]

Honestly I can't tell at this point. Over the last 2 fuel-ups. I averaged 12.2mpg with mostly suburban city driving and some highway. I'm filling up again later today and i'll see if it got any better. But with just under 1300miles on my truck atm. I can't tell you if it's from the new cat-back system or it's from the engine breaking-in.



You're the not first one to tell me that sounded like the S-type. I'll keep it for a little while to see if it calms down a bit, now I do miss the quiet cabin and the luxury feeling of the truck.



Love to hear your take in comparison between the two. With what the tech said at the shop, It shocked him to hear this level of noise from the touring system. And he's been doing it quite a while. With the touring "sleeper" system being this loud, I honestly can't imagine how loud the s-type must be.. god forbit if it's the ATAK system.



I'll give it some time to let it break it. It does seem a little more mellow now compared to when it was first installed few days ago, could be that i'm getting used to it. I'll try turning off the pedal commander to see if it helps with noise level.



It was "Sound Meter" from the google play store on a Moto droid X. Different mic from different phones could produce different readings so it's hard to keep it consistent across the board between different members.

Thanks JAK for all that info! Do you think you'll get around to posting a video inside the cabin soon?

 

[JAK]

Thanks JAK for all that info! Do you think you'll get around to posting a video inside the cabin soon?

I did take this video yesterday, light acceleration in suburban driving. Gives you an idea how much you can hear inside the cab with gentle throttle. I'll try to take a video of a hard pull soon.

Side note: I did email Borla about the noise levels on the touring systems. Ryan told me that they are developing a resonator for the touring system as well. I think I read in another thread that they're making one for the ATAK and the S-Type systems but didn't mention anything about one for the touring. Touring owners are not forgotten!!

I'll see if I can get more details from Ryan about it. Timeline, how much sound dampening, cost etc.

 

[Ramlax]

I installed the flow master catback and it was way to loud, so I installed the Borla touring as well and while it sounds much more crisp and clean. It’s still to Loud for my liking as well. Let me know when you hear about the resignator. Good luck buddyb