Borla ATAK vs. CORSA Sport: Which Zero-Drone Exhaust is Best for Your RAM 1500?
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You want your 2019–2026 RAM 1500 to sound like a proper muscle truck.
But you also use it for family road trips, towing a boat on the weekends, and commuting to work. The absolute last thing you want is a headache-inducing drone ringing in your ears for three hours straight.
The 5.7L Hemi is famous for two things: making fantastic power, and making terrible noises when the MDS (Multi-Displacement System) kicks in. When your truck drops down to 4 cylinders on the highway to save gas, a cheap exhaust will amplify the uneven pulses and make your truck sound like a hovering helicopter or a broken tractor.
That’s exactly why you buy a premium Cat-Back System.
The two undisputed giants in the zero-drone space are Borla and CORSA Performance.
Both promise a "Zero Drone" cabin experience. Both are built from premium T-304 Stainless Steel to outlast your truck.
So, what’s the difference?
- Borla (ATAK & S-Type): Uses "Polyphonic Harmonizer" technology. It’s generally louder, raspier, and sounds more like a raw race truck when you step on the gas.
- CORSA (Sport): Uses "Reflective Sound Cancellation" (RSC) technology. It physically filters out only the bad frequencies, leaving a pure, engineered exhaust note that becomes almost dead silent at cruising speeds.
In this guide, we break down the sound profiles of both premium systems to help you decide if you want the "Scream" of the ATAK or the "Refinement" of the CORSA Sport.
Compare Premium Cat-Back Systems
Sound Quality or Raw Volume?
|
Series |
Volume (1-10) |
Drone Control |
Best For |
|
Borla ATAK |
10/10 |
Excellent. |
Aggressive Street. Screams at WOT, yet surprisingly quiet at cruising speeds. |
|
CORSA Sport |
7/10 |
Perfect. |
Towing / Daily. Patented RSC technology guarantees absolutely zero drone under heavy loads. |
|
Borla S-Type |
8/10 |
Excellent. |
The "Goldilocks". A deep, aggressive V8 rumble without being obnoxious to the neighbors. |
|
MBRP Armor Pro |
9/10 |
Moderate. |
Budget / Sound. High volume and great material quality at a highly competitive price point. |
|
Magnaflow Street |
6/10 |
Good. |
Daily Driver. A smooth, deep, classic tone that is never raspy. |
Frequently Asked Questions (Cat-Backs)
Is a Cat-Back really worth the money over a simple muffler swap?
If you drive on the highway, absolutely.
A budget muffler swap is great for cheap noise, but it relies on the factory resonators to kill drone. Often, it's not enough. A full Cat-Back System replaces the entire exhaust stream. Engineers at Borla and CORSA spend hundreds of hours tuning their pipes to actively cancel out the specific audio frequencies that cause headaches (drone), especially when the Hemi drops into 4-cylinder mode. You are paying for premium refinement, not just raw noise.
Will a 5-inch exhaust tip fit my bumper?
On the New Body (DT), Yes.
The 2019+ DT RAM features very large circular cutouts in the rear bumper. The factory 4-inch tips leave a ton of empty space. Most aftermarket Cat-Backs for the DT come equipped with 5-Inch Tips, which slide in and fill that cutout perfectly for a custom, aggressive look.
(Note: Classic (DS) trucks have smaller cutouts; 5-inch tips are often too tight and may touch the bumper plastic).
Can I install this in my driveway?
Yes, but removing the old exhaust is the hardest part.
Premium Cat-Back systems are 100% bolt-on. You do not need to weld anything.
The Hard Part: Removing the factory exhaust. From the factory, it is essentially one massive, welded piece over the axle. If you don't have a vehicle lift, you usually have to cut the factory tailpipe in half with a Sawzall just to snake it out from under the truck. Once the old system is out, the new modular Cat-Back clamps right into place.
No drone. All tone.
Upgrade to a premium exhaust that screams when you want it to, but stays quiet at 70 MPH. Shop our verified collection of 2019–2026 RAM 1500 Cat-Back Exhausts.