AEM CAI....works?

well, i have AEM CAI installed in mah cay...
the big question is
how does it work....or...does it really work besides making a cool noise?
it goes all the way to the side of the fender...
and there is stone shield right under it....its almost like it is sealed in...
how does it get air then???
cuz when i first installed this sucka, i didnt feel faster at all!!! by all means, i even felt slower....but anyhow, it could just be me.
so enlighten me and let me know if something i did wrong...
if i am supposed to remove the stone shield???? or is this the way its supposed to be. :)

you probably lost some low end, which gives you the initial impression that you lost power overall. but the gains come above 5000rpms. that's pretty typical, nothing to worry about.