i had an iceman (plastic tube) on my gsr and it was a lot more subtle than the ebay intake on my accord. i thinl tellurium is on the right track. most dohc vtec motors have a 2-stage intake manifold. the "vtec" you hear at 5800 rpm is actually the intake manifold opening the 2nd stage. so maybe it's quieter because the 2nd stage is closed until then? pesonally, i like it better that way. quiet, and then you hear the sound of the secondaries opening up, sounds way cool.