3rd Exhaust in 2 Months…HKS Wins (Full Review)

[Mike Roadway]

Hi 22+ Twiners,

I bought my 2023 BRZ a few months back and cycled from the Invidia N2 (terrible…on the car for ~1 hour), to the 22+ Borla S-Type (not too bad…deceleration drone brutal though), and now to the HKS Legamax Premium Axleback. This HKS is the winner for me…so smooth with a regal tone. Below is my full review for those interested; fast forward time stamps are in the video description. Cheers, — Mike

[BioRebel]

HKS really knows how to make an exhaust for a 4 cylinder

[AK2112]

sounds great outside... can't really hear it much in car

wish I was in hawaii

[MikeNSX2]

I have both the HKS Legamax Premium axle back and the Nameless Performance axle back with the dual 5" mufflers. I swap them back and forth on my BRZ a few times a year.

The way to have the sound level increase inside the car is to lower the rear seatback. Definitely makes a difference.

[Mike Roadway]

Originally Posted by BioRebel

HKS really knows how to make an exhaust for a 4 cylinder

100% right on that 🤙

Originally Posted by MikeNSX2

I have both the HKS Legamax Premium axle back and the Nameless Performance axle back with the dual 5" mufflers. I swap them back and forth on my BRZ a few times a year.

The way to have the sound level increase inside the car is to lower the rear seatback. Definitely makes a difference.

Good point on the back seats. Why the swap between the two? What’s the Nameless like?

[MikeNSX2]

Here's my comparison between the HKS and the Nameless axle backs.

APPEARANCE: The polished finish of the muffler and the large blue burnt tips of the HKS look far better than the Nameless system with its slightly smaller brushed tips.

TONE: The HKS has a nicer deeper tone than the Nameless.

LOUDNESS: With 1 being stock and 10 being a Remark muffler delete axle back (which I used to own), the HKS is a 2 to 3 out of 10 and the Nameless a 5 to 6 out of 10.

The reason I swap them back and forth is that sometimes I want my car to be quiet and sometimes I want it to be louder. Since I have both exhausts, I can do that.

BOTTOM LINE: If I had to only keep one and sell the other, I would keep the Nameless. Not too loud...not too quiet...just right. I only wish the tips looked better.

That said, if the HKS was a 5 to 6 loudness wise, I would pick the HKS. Unfortunately, it's not.

BTW, I do have the fake noise disabled in my car.

[alphasaur]

have HKS Spec L and it's chefs kiss.

HKS ftw

[BioRebel]

Anyone else with a spec-L 1 or 2 notice a weird resonance/vibration coming from the back during cold start? I thought it was the floor panel in the trunk but I'm not so sure anymore.

[Liquidsnake]

Originally Posted by MikeNSX2

Here's my comparison between the HKS and the Nameless axle backs.

APPEARANCE: The polished finish of the muffler and the large blue burnt tips of the HKS look far better than the Nameless system with its slightly smaller brushed tips.

TONE: The HKS has a nicer deeper tone than the Nameless.

LOUDNESS: With 1 being stock and 10 being a Remark muffler delete axle back (which I used to own), the HKS is a 2 to 3 out of 10 and the Nameless a 5 to 6 out of 10.

The reason I swap them back and forth is that sometimes I want my car to be quiet and sometimes I want it to be louder. Since I have both exhausts, I can do that.

BOTTOM LINE: If I had to only keep one and sell the other, I would keep the Nameless. Not too loud...not too quiet...just right. I only wish the tips looked better.

That said, if the HKS was a 5 to 6 loudness wise, I would pick the HKS. Unfortunately, it's not.

BTW, I do have the fake noise disabled in my car.

This is why I sold my Legamax Premium and went with a Gen 1 Spec L. The tips suck compared, but the sound is right where I want it. So so very nice. I went Gen one because it is supposedly louder than Spec L gen two.