S M B SE (CAI INTERCOOLER EXHUST )

[davekmoore]

Once you start you'll keep going and going, even if you were lucky enough, like me, to buy an SE that was largely "done".

[Lokiel]

With the factory exhaust, the AEM intake is too loud. It completely drowns out the exhaust note and you can't hear what the car is doing.

I now have an AEM intake with the factory SE midpipe and muffler, but have changed the downpipe and catalytic converter. It's now a perfect balance!

That probably explains my experiences too. When I installed the AEM CAI, the whooshing noises were very loud. I thought I'd just tuned them out since I don't notice them at all but it was more likely that the subsequent FM 2.5 exhaust upgrade "balanced" the system (ie. it flowed better so there was less turbulence when the BOV dumped the recirculated air back into the intake).