OFFICIAL Phearable stage 1.5 vs TSP stage 1 comparison

[Ronny2019]

Good morning folks. This will be an in-depth comparison between Phearable's stage 1.5 tune (GOD mode) vs, Two Step Performance's stage 1 tune.

DISCLAIMER: I have no affiliations with either company, this is an honest and unbiased comparison.

Current Mods: PRL intake, Catless DP, & Magnaflow catback.

I bought the Phearable tune the other night and wanted to give it a few days to really notice all of the differences. The topics that I am going to cover are drivability, deceleration, reliability, and performance.

DRIVABILITY
The very first thing I noticed while driving with this tune was the smooth transition between gears. With TSP (rev hang disabled) it was almost tricky at times to drive the car smooth - especially if you have been using the rev hang feature for smoother shifting prior. WIth Phearable's tune, even with rev hang disabled it is a breeze to shift through the gears smoothly. You'll also notice right off the bat that 'Sport' mode no longer changes anything regarding to engine performance. So that means 'sport' mode no longer makes the throttle super sensitive, it doesn't change boost settings or how fast the boost will ramp up. What you see is what you get. In saying that, Phearable has struck a pretty solid middle ground between performance and drivability in regards to throttle sensitivity. With TSP I found if I was crusing around in 'Sport' mode the car always had this sense of urgency; if you dipped into the throttle even a little then the boost would ramp up and start pulling. Phearable's tune you need to give it more throttle to get more response in comparison to TSP. This is not a bad thing in my opinion, it makes for day-to-day driving quite comfortable and knowing that I have full power/boost on hand all the time without having to switch to 'sport' mode is a welcomed change.

The last thing I noticed with the Phearable tune is when you have 'cruise main' enabled the rev hang is much more prominent than TSP when it had 'cruise main' enabled. There is a reason for this (see drivability). To sum this category up, Both Phearable and TSP have made their tunes very comfortable to use in daily driving, it really comes down to preference in regards to features of the tunes.

DECELERATION
Now you might think that this is an odd topic to cover but I think it is important to note a few things that I have noticed.

Let's first talk about GOD mode. I purchased this setting because I already have a catless DP and thought that I would give it a shot. It sounds great. Between 3500-5000 RPMs while decelerating, the car starts off with loud burbles then all of a sudden it starts cracking and popping, It is quite pleasing to hear actually. It isn't over the top like a lot of the Hyundais or BMW cars you'll hear but it certainly is loud, noticable, and fun. There is a caution notice on Phearable's website regarding this feature so be considerate of that if you do purchase this.

While downshifting with 'cruise main' enabled, this is where you'll get most of your gurgles and pops. I have to say that it does sound great. I should also make note that the tune gurgles all throughout the rev range but you only need to be cautious of the specified rev range when 'cruise main' is enabled. When 'cruise main' is enabled I noticed that the car doesn't nearly decelerate as fast as it would if the rev hang is disabled. I have to note that the car almost has a slight jerking sensation when decelerating in order to make these sounds. When I say a jerking feelling it does not make the ride uncomfortable but I did notice it. It is just something to be aware of. TSP and their tune whether you have rev hang enabled or disabled decelerates very smoothly.

When you turn rev hang off, the car decelerates very smoothly and doesn't have any hesitation. Even with rev hang disabled, you'll notice the car will start to burble from 2000 RPM and below. This is a nice touch, it gives it a pleasing sound in parking lots when you're just casually driving. My TSP tune would gurgle a bit but I would have to be at 1500 RPMS and under.

RELIABILITY
This will be a short topic. Maybe it'll be useful for people who are new to the platform. Two Step Performance and their stage 1 tune has been proven to be extremely reliable assuming the car isn't abused. Their tune has a great track record and has been run in many 10th gens with nothing but good things to say about them. That goes for myself as well, I have had TSP for about 20,000kms and this tune is excellent. I would certainly recommend them to anyone.

To be honest, I had never heard of Phearable until recently. From my research they have been around for a long time with a proven track record with Honda tuning. My guess would be that this tune will also be very reliable but of course that has yet to be seen.

PERFORMANCE
Here is the big question. Let's get this out of the way... Phearable stage 1.5 > TSP stage 1.

The very first thing that I noticed when I did my first 3rd gear pull was that the torque doesn't come on as hard. It seems that Phearable ramps up their boost at a slower rate. Although it comes on slightly slower, Phearable certainly feels like it has slightly more torque and a noticeably beefier mid-range. You'll really notice once you hit 4000RPM that the car has a significant difference all the way to redline. It is actually a weird sensation and hard to describe. It feels like Phearable's tune takes less effort to rev in comparison to TSP. Although boost comes slightly later in the rev range, it may prove to be slightly safer on both the internals and our clutches. I'm still running the stock clutch and haven't had any slippage on either tunes, I am one of the lucky ones.

The best analogy I can think of is when I went from the Ktuner basemap to TSP the difference was significant. Going from TSP to Phearable’s tune is a similar feeling - although not as prominent it does have more power.. You notice more power throughout the entire rev range with a significant difference up top. Even yesterday it was very hot outside and the car would pull extremely well. I’m excited to see what it does on a cooler night. I’m certainly happy with the purchase.

All in all, if you’re running TSP stage 1, it is worth the upgrade to Phearable’s tune. Both tunes are excellent.

I will try to answer any questions you may have. Cheers.

EDITED:

GOD Mode drive-by

Awesome thanks for that detailed comparison i also have the phearable tune but with no god mode and the deceleration is super smooth with cruise off or on so I believe it must be because of the timing and extra fuel needed to produce the sounds you are hearing. How is the tune now its been a while

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[FK7-Massimo]

What about us europeans? I live in Belgium and only use 98ron fuel. Can I run the Phearable tune and will it just advance the timing? Or do I get a different tune? Or do I forget about Ktuner and just get it tuned on a dyno?
2017 sport hatch…

 

[phearable]

What about us europeans? I live in Belgium and only use 98ron fuel. Can I run the Phearable tune and will it just advance the timing? Or do I get a different tune? Or do I forget about Ktuner and just get it tuned on a dyno?
2017 sport hatch…

You can use quality 98 ron fuel with the stage 1.5 tune.
There is no need to add ignition timing for 98 ron.

If you want a custom tune specifically for your application, we offer custom etuning services on our website https://www.phearable.net/tuning-software/etune.html

 

[Zetaon]

Me too. Unfortunately, it's not easy getting tuned CivicX'ers to post there. I literally have sent over 700 PM's to tuned car owners here over the past 8 months and the majority refuse to do a survey. Not sure why to be honest. The survey obviously benefits the whole community.

Just imagine how much better the survey would be if most tuned owners posted there. The whole idea is to have one area folks can view to decide if tuning is a good/safe choice for them.

Sorry I'm over 2 years late but if you're still offering the survey I would like to contribute if possible, I have the phearable stage 1.5 on a 2018 Si with mods: mishimoto intercooler/intake, 12in glasspack for a muffler and soon a new BOV.

 

[Memogiyi]

Sorry I'm over 2 years late but if you're still offering the survey I would like to contribute if possible, I have the phearable stage 1.5 on a 2018 Si with mods: mishimoto intercooler/intake, 12in glasspack for a muffler and soon a new BOV.

Here is GTmans survey link: https://www.civicx.com/forum/thread...ence-reliability-thread-for-all-models.42361/

You’ll see the preferred documentation format on the first couple of pages. I’m sure he and the community will appreciate you posting .

 

[loganM]

Hey all new round here! Just bought myself the Ktuner V2, have had the spec-d catback from day one. I have a 2017 1.5t 6mt. Just in the last 2 months installed CAI and a catted DP. I went with catted bc i didnt want yk, bs. But after reading your forum and another it almost sounds necessary to get burbles youll need catless. But ive been messing woth the starter PSI Tunes, looked up a vid of how to make it pop. Still not getting it tho, i made a tune yesterday that actually did work finally, GOD. But when i was driving my turbo spool was weird, it would spool and pull, but it felt like it didnt go to the engine. After deiving with that mod for an hour i went in a 4th pull and the turbo was just fuckin spittin man, lol, i assume my car over heated and killed it lol. Havent noticed anything wrong with my car, but i did try to remake it, i think its bc i tried out aggressive ramp. Pretty sure it was that, but havent been able to make a tune with gurgle on deceleration. Any help would be great. Thanks!

 

[loganM]

Hey all new round here! Just bought myself the Ktuner V2, have had the spec-d catback from day one. I have a 2017 1.5t 6mt. Just in the last 2 months installed CAI and a catted DP. I went with catted bc i didnt want yk, bs. But after reading your forum and another it almost sounds necessary to get burbles youll need catless. But ive been messing woth the starter PSI Tunes, looked up a vid of how to make it pop. Still not getting it tho, i made a tune yesterday that actually did work finally, GOD. But when i was driving my turbo spool was weird, it would spool and pull, but it felt like it didnt go to the engine. After deiving with that mod for an hour i went in a 4th pull and the turbo was just fuckin spittin man, lol, i assume my car over heated and killed it lol. Havent noticed anything wrong with my car, but i did try to remake it, i think its bc i tried out aggressive ramp. Pretty sure it was that, but havent been able to make a tune with gurgle on deceleration. Any help would be great. Thanks!

From what i can gather the setting required for gurgles are messing with Fuel cut setting, and messing with the first 2 columns setting them to -10 or -25.

 

[sbace_hamb]

From what i can gather the setting required for gurgles are messing with Fuel cut setting, and messing with the first 2 columns setting them to -10 or -25.

If you paid for an aftermarket catted DP, the last thing you wanna do is tune for gurgles. The reason you specifically need a catless DP is so that you don't destroy the catalytic converter (because there isn't one). Gurgles are unburnt fuel making it to your exhaust and exploding, and if they do that in your catalytic converter, they will eventually degrade it, and you'll start throwing a CEL.

 

[loganM]

If you paid for an aftermarket catted DP, the last thing you wanna do is tune for gurgles. The reason you specifically need a catless DP is so that you don't destroy the catalytic converter (because there isn't one). Gurgles are unburnt fuel making it to your exhaust and exploding, and if they do that in your catalytic converter, they will eventually degrade it, and you'll start throwing a CEL.

Can i just let it eat the cat? Or should i eat it and buy non-catted. Will it hurt the engine or only the cat is what im asking. Thanks!

 

[gtman]

Can i just let it eat the cat? Or should i eat it and buy non-catted. Will it hurt the engine or only the cat is what im asking. Thanks!

As an aside, let's look at what one of the world's most respected 10th gen tuners thinks of pops and gurgle tunes:

https://www.imwtuned.com/store/p17/Ricer.html

 

[loganM]

As an aside, let's look at what one of the world's most respected 10th gen tuners thinks of pops and gurgle tunes:

https://www.imwtuned.com/store/p17/Ricer.html

Been seeing this, wonder what it can do

 

[sbace_hamb]

Can i just let it eat the cat? Or should i eat it and buy non-catted. Will it hurt the engine or only the cat is what im asking. Thanks!

You "can" do whatever you want. It's your money and your car. Every pop/gurgle OTS tune on the market comes with massive disclaimers about engine damage. As for this...

Been seeing this, wonder what it can do

...did you read it?

 

[gtman]

You "can" do whatever you want. It's your money and your car. Every pop/gurgle OTS tune on the market comes with massive disclaimers about engine damage. As for this...



...did you read it?

I think the guy's maybe just trolling us?

 

[loganM]

You "can" do whatever you want. It's your money and your car. Every pop/gurgle OTS tune on the market comes with massive disclaimers about engine damage. As for this...



...did you read it?

By no means do i want a cannon, i was just wanting to understand how to get it to work and what was stopping me from tuning it the way i like. Thanks again! I still have my stock front pipe so ill get a new set ina month.

 

[sbace_hamb]

By no means do i want a cannon, i was just wanting to understand how to get it to work and what was stopping me from tuning it the way i like. Thanks again! I still have my stock front pipe so ill get a new set ina month.

I get it, don't get me wrong. Just being how it is from factory, the 1.5T is not very conducive to safe pops and gurgles. Phearable sells a GOD (gurgle on demand) version of their 1.5 and 1.5R tunes, and here's what they have to say about long term reliability:

It can be hard on the turbo and exhaust valves along if abused substantially.

Found in this thread: New Modder Here, How do I get bangs and pops? | 2016+ Honda Civic Forum (10th Gen) - Type R Forum, Si Forum - CivicX.com

So if you do intend to use any kind of pop/gurgle tune long-term, be prepared for these items to eventually fail.

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