[ivymike1031]

I wouldn't say that it's normal to lose power at the low end, but it's not impossible. Most manufacturers claim improvements throughout the running range with bigger improvements at the high end. As far as I'm concerned, if you didn't measure the performance, then you don't know it changed. The placebo effect is powerful.

Practically speaking, the noise is something you'll just have to deal with. You can get a cold-air extension for your air intake that will move the source of the noise farther from you, making it slightly quieter, but that's about it (considering only "normal" sorts of modifications). I got rid of my aftermarket intake tube (cold air) precisely for that reason - it was just too damn annoying.