"First baffle", is that first from the front of the car or first from the rear?
The first baffle is from the front and as Kankel says makes the world of difference, then if you remove the rear baffle and add a free flow air filter you effectively have a stage 1 system.
Bruce 1964 4/4 Series V Comp (Megan) 1994 +8 (Maurice) tis no more 2013 M3W (Olga)