The resonators bottle the sound up until it exits the back; mufflers filter or disperse the sound until it is no longer heard. They can sometimes sound identical, but it depends on the shape and length of the units you're installing.
I had a Borla muffler on the car that is oval and short- my car sounded deeper, but it was too quiet. Too quiet as in I was hoping to be able to hear my new investment even just a little from inside the car.
I swapped off the muffler for a resonator, and it's just a bit louder but it it isn't annoying at highway speeds.
You don't want to spend any amount of money to sound stock, but that is merely my opinion.
