Tangerine

Is that statement specific to the 991.2? I know some people don't like the crackle even on the 991.1 (myself I don't always like it, but it lets you change it so easily) but overall I thought the .1 crowd prefers PSE over not by a wide margin.

Also, has anyone been able to confirm that PSE "off" increases backpressure at low RPM and increases performance somewhat? Could be my imagination, and you would think that turning something called "performance" on would only be better, but understanding how it works I'm not completely sure open is better at low rpm...

Needsdecaf

Yes I've been in an SQ5. Don't like that. I daily a GTi, and the first weekend I had it I removed the Soundaktor.

Fake noise was a huge turnoff for me in the M3 too. Had I bought one instead of the 991, the generator would have gone first weekend also. I already had bookmarked the link as I was really close to buying one.

To each their own for sure.

911boy

^M5 too! I guess virtually everything fun & turbocharged will have some sort of sound enhancement.....until everything is electric.

gellie

I Have a 991.2 and absolutely love it. Just an observation on the disappointed owners who might be looking to swap out?

koala

I love the PSE sound, but I actually want even more volume. It's great with the windows down, but with them up, still fairly quiet to me.

AnandN

At least they are crackles and not cackles.
Backfiring sounds are very startling to pedestrians. They sound like gunshots . A nice-sounding car doesn't that this kind of gimmickry.
The GT3 has a lovely soundtrack and from the video I posted, none of those popping and backfiring sounds that seem even more exacerbated on 991.2 (with the SE) than the 3.4 L Boxster S that I used to own.

911boy

^like Ferraris, Lambos and Jags? I dont find PSE as loud or shocking as the Jag but I've never heard a 911 with PSE from the outside.....ever. Is it that bad?

Gary JR

So how do you like PSE?

Joenyc

Doesn't the GT3 still have the NA engine? So the baffle noise and the twin turbo sound are gimmicky? I don't quite get that gunfire/backfire sound but do get a roar when the trottle is opened. I did notice that backfiring in a GT Toyota with headers. But agree be careful with the backfire especially near a senior living facility or dogs around.

Gary JR

The Dragon (pic left) was my first also but can't go with the Confederate Army analogy. In fact it was Mustang club day and they were all much louder than me.

AnandN

No point stalking me. I am not an attractive young person.
Yeah I guess I am not a fan of the sport exhaust. If Porsche could engineer such a lovely sound in the GT3, wonder why they felt it necessary to add all the snap, pop and crackle in the 991.2. The turbo six sounds quite nice without the SE but it is muted compared to the NA engines. My neighbor who is a 996 owner tells me he can hear my car from two houses down the street so I guess it is not that quiet on the outside even without the sport exhaust.

LavaGTS

I suggest you do some reading and research on naturally aspirated and turbo engines. It is not possible to engineer that GT3 sound on a turbo 6 motor.. Especially at a 7500rpm redline.

Turbos act as resonators, thus reducing exhaust sound levels tremendously. Your car can never, and will never sound like a GT3. Porsche cannot even make this happen.

If you don't like the crackles and pops, simply change the drive mode setting into normal or S+. You can also run it in sport mode with PSE off. You are not forced to have the crackles.

PS: Even cars without PSE crackle and pop. Just not as loud.

AnandN

The turbo six in my C4S sans the sport exhaust sounds a bit like the old air-cooled engine (35 s in the second video) actually but softer-edged as expected in a modern car. Also as noted by Henry Catchpole in his review of the 991.2 S without the SE. .
And the backfiring is minimal even in sport mode. I didn't say that the turbo six should sound like the NA 6. Just why all the fakery and drama? Most cars come with the sport exhaust. Maybe folks don't realize how nice the car sounds without it.

LavaGTS

What you're describing is the classic Porsche "howl". All .2 cars have this sound from Base-GTS with or without PSE. It's mainly an in-cabin sound, it's also partially due to the sound symposers in your car..

Yes, .1 and .2's have some "fake" noises in the cabin.

As far as the sound of PSE vs no PSE. It's subjective.

IMO no PSE WITH chrono package is doable but NO PSE and NO chrono.. Ehhh it sounds like ***.

AnandN

Ah yes! The classic Porsche flat six howl. it is well preserved in my C4S with the standard exhaust and you can hear it outside as well not just in the cabin. I have the sport chrono package and in sport mode, the exhaust takes on a slightly louder and gruffer tone but I still hear the turbine-like sound of the flat six as I take the engine across the rev range. Wonderful! The PSE in the 991.2 does two things sound-wise that I find unacceptable. The gimmickry in sport mode is the obvious one. The other is the note of the sound in the other driving modes. It takes on a much gruffer and raspier character and loses some of that turbine-like howl of the flat six. IMHO, it sounds a bit flatulent. Not to my taste. I think a lot of people automatically tick the SE box. After experiencing my Boxster with and without the SE, I realized how much nicer the car sounded to me without the sport exhaust. I am the tiny minority obviously. Also love the MT in my C4S.