One upgrade leads to another...

[sawood12]

Well i've recently installed my Alpine stereo with iPod interface and uprated my door speakers to the JBL 2-way ones. Now my rear speakers sound absolutely awful as they are struggling to cope with the built in amplifiers. On a related thread recently someone mentioned that when Porsche offered the 10-speaker upgrade package they fitted 6" round speakers in the rear and had a bolt in adapter plate for the 6"x4" speakers for the non-upgraded cars. Can anyone tell me what year this kicked in as I fancy fitting the 6" rounds. I might even wire them in mono and run them as a subwoofer from the subwoofer ouput.

 

[John Sims]

But how does this make the car go faster? []

 

[wizard]

Does this help ......

In some post-'87 cars, the rear 4x6" speakers are mounted to an adapter plate. Removal of this adapter plate allows a 6 1/2" speaker to be mounted.
85/2 944 onwards (M490 10 speaker system, M493 8-speaker system)
This system consists of a better quality head unit with an equalizer/booster in dash. Each door contains 3 speakers - a 5-1/2" woofer and a 4" midrange mounted under the armrest with a small tweeter mounted above the power window controls. Each rear quarter contains 2 speakers - a 6 1/2" woofer and a nn" midrange.


http://www.connactivity.com/~kgross/FAQ/944faqst.html

 

[sawood12]

It depends upon the music you play! I always find that late '90's Garage music makes my right foot a bit heavier, as does a bit of Whitesnake!

 

[wizard]

I used to run a 1200W (rms!) top of the range Alpine gear in my previous car in the days before it became chavy.
Since having the 944 I have had no inclanation to do anything of the same again as I just enjoy driving it.

 

[sawood12]

I do, but I cannot live with the 'woofing' noise the rear speakers are now making. I'm not into upgrading the system beyond the rear speakers. The new JBL's upfront are much better than the standard speakers but they are not bassy at all so I don't want to fit them in the rear hence the 6" rounds. However from your earlier note it seems like my car wont have this adaptor to allow me to fit them an i'm not into cutting any metal.

 

[wizard]

Scott,
I'm not too sure how well a speaker with lower frequencies will sound in the rear as the moulding may not be stiff enough and will resonate. It may be better to build a small bass box that fits neatly in the boot and will give far superior sound. This could be removed when doing a trackday.

 

[Big Dave]

Scott
Im just in the throws of doing the same job..
I think youl be able to fit the 6.5" speakers intoi the rear of your car.. My S2 has the standard speaker set up...
See the pics of the rear placement....

 

[Big Dave]

And another of the speaker removed ..

 

[sawood12]

I'm not after registration plate rattling bass, just bass without the woofing noise i'm getting so I don't really want to go down the route of bass boxes if at all possible. I think 6" round speakers will be plenty for what i'm after. What year is your S2 as Wizard suggests that the hole for the larger speaker might only be available on post '87 cars.

By the way Wizard, if possible if I fit the 6" round speakers then I wouldn't I remove the plastic moulding and screw the speaker directly to the metal?

 

[Fen]

I don't think you'll get any useful bass out of a 6" speaker. In the hearse I have one of these right in the back corner and it makes a surprising difference:

 

[Hilux]

I'm not after registration plate rattling bass, just bass without the woofing noise i'm getting so I don't really want to go down the route of bass boxes

Scott, I`m interested in your issue. I have the 10 speaker option and it is superb (apart from the lack of bass)

Rather than cut and shut the system I`m going to put in a small sub woofer in the offside well behind the rear wheel. I hope there`ll be no clipping of the main speakers which are fine but not bassy enough and there`ll be just a bit more ooomph. [] I`ll remove it for more spirited driving or it`ll handle like a 911 []

 

[zcacogp]

Oooooh now this IS an interesting thread! Thanks particularly to Big Dave for the pictures. Those are odd-shaped holes that Porsche left in the rear panels, part 6" and part 6x4 cut-outs.

I currently run an aftermarket head unit and have a small RF amp in the boot, but only use this to run some replacement Boston Acoustics 6x4's in the front doors. (The amp produces rather more welly than the speakers can handle, so the gains are turned right down.) A bit of low-end fill would be a great idea, but I don't want to be putting a sub in the boot - there would be no way of hiding it, I live in London, and the car is heavy enough as it is.

However, that rear panel looks like it may accept a small sub quite nicely ... does anyone make a 6" sub that's worth listening to, and has anyone tried to fit one? You'd probably need to do some work to baffle it once it is in there, but that's not beyond the wit of man ...

ETA: Big Dave, did you take the rear windows out to get the rear inside trim panel out?


Oli.

 

[dlknight]

ORIGINAL: sawood12

Well i've recently installed my Alpine stereo with iPod interface and uprated my door speakers to the JBL 2-way ones. Now my rear speakers sound absolutely awful as they are struggling to cope with the built in amplifiers. On a related thread recently someone mentioned that when Porsche offered the 10-speaker upgrade package they fitted 6" round speakers in the rear and had a bolt in adapter plate for the 6"x4" speakers for the non-upgraded cars. Can anyone tell me what year this kicked in as I fancy fitting the 6" rounds. I might even wire them in mono and run them as a subwoofer from the subwoofer ouput.

Hi Scott,

This has been discussed several times, search is your friend http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/fb.asp?m=123551

Cheers

Dave K.

 

[wizard]

ORIGINAL: sawood12



By the way Wizard, if possible if I fit the 6" round speakers then I wouldn't I remove the plastic moulding and screw the speaker directly to the metal?

Scot, yes you are right. The info I posted was an extract from the link, I didn't want to sound all knowlegable.
6x4 speakers will produce very limited bass. If you want anything passable you will need at least a 6x9 speaker, these could be built into a more discrete box behind the rear seat and covered. If building a bass box you will start to get into enclosure dynamics and end up with a large box. I too am not sure I would like something of that size in the back of mine either.

I kind of like Fens solution, but it does stand out a bit.

 

[Fen]

I'd put the sub in the well behind the wheel to see how that goes if I were trying it in the 944. It's in a similar place in the hearse (above the battery, which is as per 944 but puts the sub above boot floor level with a cover over it), which is where the optional BMW one goes.

I think I only paid £75 or so for mine on the 'Bay and it unplugs if you need to remove it for any reason. It also has a controller that lets you tailor its volume and frequency response that is on a lead long enough to reach the front - mine lives down the side of the driver's seat between the runner and the sill.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: Fen

I'd put the sub in the well behind the wheel to see how that goes if I were trying it in the 944. It's in a similar place in the hearse (above the battery, which is as per 944 but puts the sub above boot floor level with a cover over it), which is where the optional BMW one goes.

I think I only paid £75 or so for mine on the 'Bay and it unplugs if you need to remove it for any reason. It also has a controller that lets you tailor its volume and frequency response that is on a lead long enough to reach the front - mine lives down the side of the driver's seat between the runner and the sill.

Interesting, thanks.

Trouble is that I already have an amp in the wheel well on the RHS (and a toolkit), and the battery is on the LHS. And I want to keep the boot clear of anything visibly nick-able ... (hiding things in the back of a 944 is nigh on impossible, and I live in Londres ... )


Oli.

 

[Fen]

Move the toolkit to the spare wheel centre? Amp under the seat? How about the sub under the seat even? I just don't think you'lll be happy with the bass a 6" driver can produce.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: Fen

Move the toolkit to the spare wheel centre? Amp under the seat? How about the sub under the seat even? I just don't think you'lll be happy with the bass a 6" driver can produce.

Under the seat? Last time I looked, there was diddly-all space under the seat in a 944. In fact, I can't even slide our road atlas under the seat there is so little space there!

Toolit probably could go in the spare wheel space in the middle. (Along with the sunroof bag, compressor, long wheel bolt wrench, bottle of oil and small bag of rags and plastic gloves in case I need to change a wheel by the side of the road!)

Essentially it comes down to the fact that while the 944 is a practical sports car, there is nowhere to hide additional components in the car. (Unless there are spaces which I have yet to uncover.)


Oli.

 

[Fen]

I always have my seats at maximum front height and minimum rear (to get some under thigh support from the not especially confortable to be Porsche seats). I'd have to check, but there's a sporting chance I could fit my sub under one of them.

Abandoning the whole idea though, the rear footwells have plenty of space for reasonable subs and aren't visible - assuming you don't use the back seats for kids.