Quiet Cat-Back Exhaust

[nedkerry]

Hi all,
I'm in the market for an after-market cat back exhaust for my FD1, but I can't seem to get a consistent response about what to buy. However, I am after something that offers a performance improvement (by way of throttle response or horsepower), and is also very quiet.

I had a chat to a Midas and Mr Muffler store (I'm not calling out the specific store), and got different pieces of general advice:
Midas
-Go press-bend since it's only a 4-cylinder 1.8L (I thought mandrel bend was always recommended?)
-Go custom built as it's hard to find a cat back exhaust in Australia, without having to import
-Go one size up (i.e., if the stock FD1 pipes are 1.78", then go to 2")
-Expect performance increases of 5-7% (is he hustling me?)
-Fit a larger exhaust to make it more quiet (wouldn't that negate the benefits of the larger pipes?)

Mr Muffler
-Go mandrel-bend
-Go custom built as it's hard to find a cat back exhaust in Australia, without having to import

Another store in the Eastern suburbs (keeping their anonymity)
-Go custom built
-Don't go beyond 2.25" or I might risk something something (I can't remember the term he used, but it would pose a threat to my car in the long run). (what does he mean?)

I started by looking at the Magnaflows, but it's hard to gauge from videos how noisy/un-noisy those exhausts are.

I guess I'd like to know what the next size up is from the stock cat-back exhaust, recommended systems that are quiet, recommended garages I can speak to.

I'm just horribly confused right now :S
Any advice would be really helpful!

Thanks.