Exhaust gurus: resonator placement?

So my homemade exhaust seen here is too loud for me. It sounds pretty good at full song, but drones like no other. So I purchased a Vibrant Ultra Quiet resonator and will have it put in sometime soon. The question is about where to place it. It already has a small bullet resonator on it, should I remove that one completely and put the vibrant there? Or put it in front of it? The stock exhaust and practically every aftermarket exhaust for the S2000 has the resonator in that location. There is plenty of room to move it upstream, so I assume (I know, I know) that possibly putting the resonator as far downstream as possible has the most effect?

You could do it either way...adding the new resonator in front will be quieter but heavier and more backpressure. Replacing the current resonator with this one won't reduce sound as much but will be lighter and have less backpressure.

I wouldn't worry about differences in silencing upstream vs. downstream. There will be some, but it's minor and very hard to work out ahead of time. I bet the stock resonator is in that location for packaging reasons (maybe to keep heat away from the gearbox?)

Here's a pic on the car for space reference. I've got tons of room.

I am playing around with a loud exhaust too. You might try a looped muffler or larger(than the car can use) diameter exhaust tube necking down before the exhuast exits. I am interested to hear others' ideas too.

The only big reason to put a muffler further back is that it can be a bit more restrictive without actually hurting power (exhaust is a bit cooler further back in the system, so the volume of gas being pushed through the pipes is a bit lower).

I don't know about traditional resonator placement, but if it's a rpm specific drone and you can figure out the packaging, you could go with what's called a "branch resonator", a tuned length (to 1/4 wavelength, easy math) capped pipe tied into the exhaust at some point. These supposedly work very well properly implemented, since you cancel the drone out rather than dampen it.

good write up here http://www.performancetrucks.net/forums/gm-engine-exhaust-performance-21/how-build-exhaust-resonator-tube-eliminate-drone-489463/

example, I've seen them put anywhere from the collector to the muffler inlet, doesn't matter much AFAIK.

In reply to BrokenYugo:

That's will be the last effort if this resonator doesn't help. I'm also adding a new catalytic converter as the old one is mostly blown out. Hopefully both of those will give the desired effect.

The stock exhaust has a pipe similar to what you posted. Some folks online have posted positive results of adding that stock pipe to an aftermarket exhaust exactly half way between the cat and the resonator.

In reply to rslifkin:

That makes sense. I hadn't quite thought of that. Thanks!

Just a thought from doing a lot of home brew exhaust and what I tend to do, how much bigger are the "2 pipes" going to the mufflers than stock?

I always like a larger diameter tube sticking out the back (but not coffee can style, just a little bit beefier look...), and it always seems to act as a megaphone with exhaust noise.

It appears that the two exit pipes are nearly the same diameter as the single tube feeding them, and I wonder that it contributes to the loudness; as such, the resonator you have coming might not do as much as you think?

I'll let the experts refute the surfeit of misinformation I've typed above...

http://www.bosozokustyle.com/2009/10/13/how-to-create-your-own-zokusha-muffler/ ^^^ my man, do this. Disregard the ricer sound. It won't happen. Besides, watch those videos, those cars sound amazing.