A Sound Off Between Glasspack Mufflers, Chambered Mufflers and Turbo Mufflers

It doesn’t matter what type of muffler you’ve got on your ride, there’s no denying that it is an important part of your engine’s performance, overall HP and creating just the right sound when you drive through the neighborhood. Whether that’s the bold and loud sound of a Flowmaster glasspack exhaust or something that’s as quiet as a mouse and mimics your OE exhaust (though we know that’s not likely).

At first, a muffler’s job sounds easy enough. It’s there reduce exhaust volume to tolerable-levels while allowing the sweet sounds of your ride to waft through the air. But this becomes a monumental task as horsepower increases. Engines build up HP by pushing spent exhaust out of the tailpipe as fast as possible. And, as pistons furiously churn, exhaust velocity increases, making your ride louder. While you may want to give your truck a little more of a voice, you also know it needs to be the right kind of noise. The key is finding just the right aftermarket exhaust system that sounds great and gives you more power. But you know that. You’ve come this far. And now, you’re trying to whittle down your options between a glasspack muffler, chambered muffler and turbo muffler. Let’s get to it.

A Look at the 3 Most Popular Mufflers

The three major types of mufflers all build horsepower, torque and control excessive noise – but they use different methods to do so.

Magnaflow Glass Pack Mufflers

What is a Glasspack Muffler?

Also known as a “straight-through muffler,” glasspack exhaust options are the simplest style of muffler used on performance rides. At the heart of a glasspack muffler, is a single, perforated exhaust tube. This runs from inlet to outlet, with quieter mufflers using an angled tube and louder mufflers using a straight tube. Fiberglass or steel wool packing is wound around the tube and enclosed in a steel or aluminum shell.

A place where you’ll instantly notice the difference between glasspack mufflers vs. regular mufflers is the sound. Glasspack mufflers only use that layer of glass and the packing we mentioned to absorb some of the pressure pulses and reduce the sound of your vehicle.

Flowmaster Super 40 Mufflers

How Do Chambered Mufflers Work?

Want a classic muscle car tone burbling from the back of your ride? If your knee-jerk reaction was a resounding, “yes”, a chambered muffler is right up your alley. Depending on their design, chambered mufflers are either slightly louder than stock mufflers, ear-splitting like race mufflers, or anywhere in between. This is due to the finely-tuned baffles and chambers within the muffler.

Here’s how chambered mufflers work: exhaust is routed through multiple chambers and around any number of angled, sound-cancelling plates, known as “baffles.” With few restrictions along the way, exhaust flow is boosted, increasing horsepower, torque and fuel economy.

Magnaflow Turbo Mufflers

What are Turbo Mufflers?

Despite the name, turbo mufflers can be used on any ride – turbocharged or not. That’s because their “turbo” moniker has nothing to do with fitment or performance — it just sounds awesome. And the top two benefits of tossing your stock muffler and bolting on a turbo tube muffler are the added horsepower and attitude.

How do turbo mufflers do this? Simple – they give engine exhaust an easier path to follow. Stock mufflers direct exhaust flow in an S-shaped pattern through and to five, perforated tubes. Turbo mufflers on the other hand, use three or fewer tubes, so exhaust flow changes direction less. This means engine exhaust leaves the muffler faster, increasing horsepower and leaving you with that wonderful turbo muffler sound.

So, Which Muffler is The Best?

This is a commonly asked question. And it’s one with a simple answer: the best muffler is one that keeps noise where you want it, sounds great and adds horsepower. For some drivers, only a race-oriented muffler will do the trick, regardless of the intense volume, interior drone, and extra attention from the law. But, while race mufflers are great for living life ¼ mile at a time, they make it hard to order a cheeseburger at the drive-through. While there is no one muffler that works for everyone, starting with your sound and HP goals will be a solid place to start. The good news is, whether you opt for glasspack, chambered or turbo muffler, you can get a better sounding ride.