Personally (at least on the V6) the intake removed doesn't sound very loud at all, barely noticable. It does add a little more growl, but it doesn't have that obnoxious intake sound. I took the resonator out, put in a K&N filter, extended the tubing from the airbox into the bumper, basically a DIY icebox. The sound is much better now, still not loud at all, but throaty, and power is improved (as much as an intake can improve power anyways). Personally I'm not a big fan of most aftermarket intakes, if you can't tell.