Sound system setup???

[the_dr38]

Has anybody got a sub/amp running in their 944? I have a tube which will just about fit in the boot, the amp I presume could fix onto the floor of the boot area? It seems that the black pull-out cover would protect all this from wandering eyes!!! My Main question is this, are the rear passenger speakers 6 x 9's or those annoyingly smaller size like the fronts which mean you have to leave your old ones in the cupboard and buy new? What setup do you guys have for your systems?

Lloyd

 

[zcacogp]

I have a small PG amp in the boot of my S2, and some half-decent JBL speakers at the front. It sounds OK, but nothing to write home about. Snag is that big sound systems are not really compatible with light weight sports cars, and I am not that fussed about car audio.

There was a thread on here in the last day or so about rear speakers. Have a look - you'll find it.


Oli.

 

[944 man]

Theyre the same size as the fronts (6"x4"). Later cars have a removable mounting though, designed to accommodate ten speaker rears. If you remove this youll have more room. S2 doesnt stand for series two btw.

Simon

 

[poprock]

Later cars with that extra mounting panel have room for you to fit 6.5" round speakers in the back, I believe. I haven't looked for myself.

I've got a sub mounted in a MDF bass box shaped to fit the rear storage cubby, under the driver's side boot carpet flap. It's powered by an Alpine amp mounted vertically in the spare wheel well. I have JBL component 6x4s in the front, same as Oli (though probably a different model, JBL have made so many). I find that the sub gives enough kick to make up for outside noise on motorway and/or bad weather journeys. Without it I couldn't listen to music in the rain.

 

[zcacogp]

Poprock, how did you mount those JBL 6x4's in the front?

Mine were too deep for the door, and I had to make some spacers to move them out. Which is a pain; they are a bit too thick and the speaker grille is now pushed into the end of the dashboard when the door is open. Assuming you have the same models, you'll have had the same problem ...


Oli.

 

[poprock]

I took the plastic frames from the standard speaker mounting and used them as thin spacers to allow the deep mechanism of my JBLs to fit into the door properly. I also lined the door around them with sound deadening self-adhesive rubber.

I left the speakers open, didn't put a grille over the top at all. That lets them clear the dashboard, but only just. It's so close that I found round head screws would press into the dashboard, and flat head screws allow clearance.

I've grown to quite like the open speaker look, since the JBL's are quite handsome.

 

[craig2105]

ORIGINAL: poprock

I've got a sub mounted in a MDF bass box shaped to fit the rear storage cubby, under the driver's side boot carpet flap.

Was this something you made yourself and if so do you have any dimensions/specs please?

I put in a Sony head unit with buetooth and ipod connection but it's not really driving the speakers very hard and alot of bass has been lost (not that it was that good to start with...). I'm loathe to spend on another head unit but happy to supplement the bass with some solution, but then again, I'm fairly clueless about all this stuff - especially all the associated lingo. I tried to educate myself a bit last night by reading an ICE forum's how-to guidance but came away more confused than before! And frankly, life's too short...

 

[poprock]

I bought my box from KLA Industries in the States. Link here

I know that's the lazy way, but it's a nicely finished piece of work.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: poprock

I took the plastic frames from the standard speaker mounting and used them as thin spacers to allow the deep mechanism of my JBLs to fit into the door properly. I also lined the door around them with sound deadening self-adhesive rubber.

I left the speakers open, didn't put a grille over the top at all. That lets them clear the dashboard, but only just. It's so close that I found round head screws would press into the dashboard, and flat head screws allow clearance.

I've grown to quite like the open speaker look, since the JBL's are quite handsome.

Thanks. It sounds like you do have different speakers to mine; that arrangement, such as you described, wouldn't work with the ones I have.

Craig, the solution is a small amplifier. Don't think about a sub until you have enough power going to your existing speakers. £50 (probably less), and an afternoon wiring it in, and a small amp will utterly, utterly transform the sound you get.


Oli.

 

[the_dr38]

Just spoke to the guy at the local car stereo shop, couple of hundred quid and leave it with him for half a day and he's going to fit my head unit sub and amp in along with some new mids and tweeters, job done, best way I think, get a professional in

 

[idwoodvale]

Have one of these in the back of mine. Sits on velcro. Very small and removeable with one plug. Does the job fine.

 

[the_dr38]

Che cosa questo?

 

[craig2105]

ORIGINAL: poprock

I know that's the lazy way

Fine with me!

Thanks for the link. Very tempting.

Oli - Yes the amp issue is the problem but that's where I get lost. I don't know what all the crossover/bypass/ohms/etc malarkey means and I don't want to waste money on stuff I can't fit or doesn't give a decent result.

dr_38 has the idea but given recent expenditure I would like to get any further spend under the wife's radar (you know what I mean chaps []).

The Pioneer box thingy is a fair idea - I put one in the 993 but it was a bit disappointing frankly. Might work a bit better in the S2 in the back somewhere. I've bid on a couple on ebay but they keep going beyond what I'm prepared to pay given previous experience.

Oh, what to do?! []

 

[idwoodvale]

ORIGINAL: the_dr38

Che cosa questo?

ALPINE A1500 - Small powered sub-woofer. £150, easy fit myself. Gives enough bass and some mid-range which mine was lacking too.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: craig2105
Oli - Yes the amp issue is the problem but that's where I get lost. I don't know what all the crossover/bypass/ohms/etc malarkey means and I don't want to waste money on stuff I can't fit or doesn't give a decent result.

Craig,

It's simple. The words you quote are all relevant, but also are all taken care of in a simple system.

If you buy a simple amp then setting it up, with one set of speakers, is as easy as wiring in a new car radio. In fact, it is possibly easier. The hard bit is routing all the cables to the amp from the radio and from the battery, and then routing the speaker wiring out to the speakers. If you can do that, you can fit the amp.


Oli.

 

[craig2105]

Cheers Oli

I think I'm going to investigate getting someone to fit a small amp and do the wiring for me - I'm not confident enough to do it myself, but then again if the cost is prohibitive I might just have to go it alone.