The air filter is a supporting mod, as in it helps another mod to do it'* job. The air filter in it'* self will not add HP, but can return some lost do to a clogged filter.

Ok, so the real answer is that by just changing the stock air filter with the K&N will have no benefit, correct?

Other then not having to buy a new one again, no, not really.

The reason I bring this all up is there was a huge following to a former administration here that were lead to believe that gutting a stock airbox was in itself a performance upgrade. With alot of younger members doing it to SE Models and swearing they could feel the difference in the "ole Butt Dyno"

Putting a cold air pipe on and using a cone filter will obviously improve any engine, but to tear a wall out of an airbox and using an expensive drop in filter on a stock engine, in my opinion is throwing your money away. If it is done in anticipation of further modding, why not. But on its own merits, not worthy.

The best way to take advantage of a cold air intake is to tune for it. But even without tuning, it'* always a nicer feeling to get a straight metal pipe going to the throttle body instead of that corrugated rubber tubing. The advantage behind a conical filter is that it allows a smoother passing of air from around the filter to the inside of the pipe. The 3.5" stock hole in the tubing is about 47% of the surface area of the stock air filter, but I'm not sure about how well the air moves past the filter. If it'* too concentrated because of focused flow for noise reduction, the air can slow down. With a gutted air box, you disregard volumetric efficiency just slightly so that you can get more filtered air through the filter and into the 3.5" hole leading to the throttle body. Whether this air does get to the tubing or if the gutting of the air box is truly effective has never been tested. If you keep a gutted airbox and you do a max-build engine, I'm sure you'd benefit over stock.

i think hes talking about the filter itself not the aftermarket tubbing

You can put a heat shield around the filter itself and leave on stock tubing. It'* just kind of weird that way.