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Manufacturer: Spoon Sports - http://spoonsports.us

Product: EK9 Tail Silencer N1

MSRP: $452

Quick Rating: 5 out of 5 (Highly recommended)

"The Spoon N1 muffler was developed and used on Spoon's race vehicles and is the ideal muffler for the street and circuit enthusiast. The N1 muffler is one of the lightest available, weighing only 7.9lbs. The tip is 65mm, same size as stock, providing a subtle appearance."

Read ahead for an in-depth review..

Through reading various online forum discussions, I have always heard of how highly regarded the Spoon N1 muffler was for NA Hondas. Like most people, I hadn't really given much thought to this product because of the outrageous MSRP. The hype is well deserved though, as I immediately realized after installing my very own Spoon N1 muffler.

Although my wallet was happy to find a very lightly used muffler for sale.. in retrospect, this muffler is worth every dollar of Spoon's asking price (currently $452 through retailers like Opak Racing).

This particular exhaust component is unlike a typical "cat-back" exhaust package. Rather, the Spoon N1 muffler is solely a muffler from the "axle-back" section of the exhaust. Not included is the "B-pipe", which connects the cat to the "axle-back" section, and often contains a resonator. The original owner of this exhaust system used a RS*R GT2 B-pipe, which included a resonator. One way or another, the resonator started to develop a rasp to it, so a standard size Magnaflow resonator was welded in to replace it.

Many people choose to mate the Spoon N1 muffler to a stock B-pipe, which can yield mixed results depending on the application. Therefore, all of my comments are based solely upon my specific setup, which may or may not be fairly similar to other Spoon N1 setups.

First of all, the best word to describe this exhaust tone is perfect. The moment I started the car with its new exhaust system installed, I knew it was exactly what I had hoped for. At startup, you hear a crisp, low tone with no hints of any rattle, rubbing, or buzzing. Another interesting note on startup - my stock exhaust shook around about 1/4" to the left and right when being started; the Spoon muffler remains perfectly still, even using the stock exhaust hangar bushings.

The fitment is great, but not quite what I would expect for something that retails for so high. The tip, as pictured, is about 3/4" short of the end of the rear (coupe) bumper. This axleback is specifically made for the coupe, and not the hatchback, so I'm not sure what the problem is with that. Compared to the stock exhaust fitment, it still sticks out significantly more, but not quite "flush" like a RS*R Ex-Mag, for example.

Looking straight on, you can see exactly how much clearance there is around the exhaust cutout in the bumper. Fitting a rear lip would be very tight, and would more than likely require some modification of the exhaust hangars. Many people have complained about the exhaust burning their rear bumper or leaving nasty black soot. I haven't encountered the slightest evidence of either problem, so that may be a cause of certain engine tunes (running too rich, etc). Looking so close at the tip shows that it isn't dead center, but mine is used, so that may just be a result of worn hangar arms. Regardless, once you take a few steps back (see the full shot of my car's rear end) it looks perfectly fine.

Enough about fitment, let me talk a little about the sound and performance. While the car has not been officially tested on a dyno, I can definitely report more low-end power and a quicker throttle response on acceleration. The car doesn't bog down quite as much in the lower rpm's, and freeway acceleration (60-80 mph) feels much improved. The fact that the rear section weighs almost one third of the stock rear section - weight savings of roughly 15 pounds - sure doesn't hurt either.

And as I mentioned earlier, I can't think of a better adjective for the exhaust note than perfect. Combined with the stock airbox and a Greddy 4-2-1 header, the tone ranges from extremely deep, bass-like, to the high-pitched purr once VTEC engages. Daily driving with this muffler is more than manageable. At its' loudest volume range, a cell phone conversation can still be carried on, without the person on the other line questioning, "What's all that noise??". At most "cruising" rpms, the sound can barely be heard at all. Under heavy acceleration (wide open throttle), the stock intake airbox can easily be heard over the exhaust tone. I would imagine that with a louder intake, such as a short ram, the intake and exhaust volumes would be almost equal.

Outside of the cabin, the tone is much quieter than one would imagine. Spoon refers to it as the "tail silencer" for a good reason - it does a very good job of silencing an otherwise highly free-flowing exhaust. It provides a very unique tone, something that will turn the heads of car enthusiasts (much like the sounds of a G35, tC, 06+ Civic Si will) but won't distract a normal person walking on a sidewalk. That, to me, was a very important factor. Overall, I would rate this exhaust system about 20% louder than the stock Si exhaust (on the outside). On the open road, you really only hear the exhaust when you are directly behind it or one lane over. Driving through neighborhoods, apartment complexes, parking structures, and other similar places, the tone becomes significantly louder, as it seems to have a tendency to echo more than usual.

I only wish I had better sound recording equipment to do justice on the tone of this exhaust setup. I would rather try to explain it with words than to post a misleading sound clip that gives the wrong impression. As a whole, I highly recommend this exhaust for any B/K-series owner. The fitment, quality, sound, power, and reputation can all justify for the price - either new or used.