There are quite a few little things that can be done to tune your exhaust to be quieter, while using the same components.
Steel, stainless steel, titanium header pipe material, thickness, and diameter have an effect. Most headers use tubes that ting, or ring, with each exhaust pulse adding to the engine noise.
Exhaust pipe diameter, either too big or too small, will effect the overall sound.
Too small often causes a rapping, popping effect.
Too large often causes a drone, or echo effect.
Muffler location in the system makes a difference.
Close to the header collector means the gasses are still expanding after they exit the muffler.
Close to the tail pipe exit can often cause a quieter exhaust note.
Muffler and resonator, placed properly, will often decrease the exhaust tone.
Number and style of bends in the pipe, as well as pipe length can effect tone.
Tail pipe exit position, direction, and finish end make a difference too.
Exit under the car, before the rear axle and you get a lot of added sounds due to harmonics of the body of the car.
Exit directed at the ground causes the sound to bounce up and back, giving reflected sounds that are not part of the sound profile when the pipe is aimed out into open space.
A pipe exit with a straight cut will cause the exhaust gasses to pop out, like a smoke ring, giving a sharper tone as compared to a slash cut that allows the gas pulse to "slip" out more quietly.
Having a balance tube of some type (H-pipe, X-pipe, Merge-pipe) will lessen the overall pulse strength coming out of the pipes.