so: either my ear has gotten more attuned to the subtle sound effects of the intake, or as i start to hit 50 miles of driving with it, it's somehow becoming more ... whooshy.

but check this out, here are the two obvious -- yet subtle -- sounds it produces:
(1) at about 1/4 to 1/3 throttle position around 2500-3500 RPM, you can hear a definite whooshing sound ... not loud, but definitely there, and you can hear it until wind noise overpowers it around 50 mph
and now for the *REALLY* cool one:
(2) so you know how, if you've got it in regular D (non-sport) automatic mode, and you floor it, it shifts JUST as the red zone starts (in my 01 4.4, at 5500 RPM)? But if you put it in SA (sports auto), it holds the shifts longer and shifts *IN* the red zone, in my case, at 6000RPM? (i think on the newer 4.4 those RPMs are 5800 and 6300 or so, respectively). Ok so I realized I hadn't tried flooring it in SA so I did it tonight getting on the freeway all the way to 4th gear (95 mph?). As I floored it, I felt disappointed, nothing really sounded different ... but all of a sudden, *JUST* as the red zone started (5500), this CRAZY sound that can really only be described as GROWLING started emanating from the intake and carried on all the way to the 6000 RPM shift point. It lastd for only a second, but WOW it was cool
Incidentally, WRT to this latter sound i'm describing, my Dad recently picked up a 2002 Carrera 4S and I noticed a similar thing when driving it too: during the last few hundred RPM leading up to the redline, the engine suddenly starts rasping/screaming almost as though screaming "more, more!! don't stop, don't stop!!" lol ...... anyway yeah, it's kinda like that.
p.s. i'm going to try to figure out how to capture those sounds for you guys if anyone is curious ... i'm hoping my vidcam mic can pick it up in the car, but i really don't know. hm. perhaps i could suction my digicam right near the intake lol?? It's mic is remarkably good actually...... heh just a thought!!