resonator, does the exhaust sound good w/o a resonator? Options

[d3ath2009]

i have the 7a-fe with a magnaflow muffler and i wanna know if i should cut off the stock resonator and straight pipe it for a louder sound and better tone or not. im pretty sure the muffler i have acts as a resonator itself, so is the stock one just counter acting it or is it still needed?

[Galcobar]

Mufflers are not resonators.

Mufflers are either absorptive or baffled, a resonator is neither of these.

A resonator is an echo chamber which bounces soundwaves into each other, cancelling them out. This somewhat reduces the volume, but more importantly it smoothes the tone. That Civic with the buzzy aftermarket exhaust does not have a resonator on it.

The trouble is that most exhaust pieces sold as resonators are not resonators. They are round-bodied mufflers, which have the same general exterior shape as a resonator. It's kind of like selling a GameBoy as a smartphone, because they're both handheld electronics. A resonator does not include any fibreglass, insulation, absorptive material, ceramic mat, steel wool or the like. Anything which does is an absorptive muffler, which if properly designed is very good at reducing an exhaust's volume without significantly impairing exhaust flow.

Here's how to tell the difference in person -- tap on the item. If it rings like a bell, it's a resonator. If it responds with a dull clank, it's an absorptive muffler.