987 Spyde audio upgrade any suggestions - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Thinking about upgrading audio head unit to gain DAB, SATNAV, apple play, USB. Anyone else done this or offer advice how easy likely cost any recommendations for fitters in Dorset?

A new exhaust?

Don't know if this helps?: http://www.caymanoc.com/forums/topic/1069-aftermar...

The car is so noisy I don't see the point, even roof up the wind noise is far to great that if you did want to hear it, it would be so loud it would damage your hearing. but any thing fits it's just a double din unit and you can buy a 3rd party bracket to fit anything in the space about £140 "Complete 9X7.2 Custom 2 DIN Kit Includes: - Trim Bezel - Factory raduis bezel finished in black, matches other black dash components - Includes stainless steel mounting clips for simplified and secured bezel attachment - Complete with speed sensor & illumination wires, factory harness & radio antenna adapters, wire taps, solder shrink connectors and nylon cable straps - Housing brackets designed for proper installation into factory opening - Featuring spring loaded secure locking mechanism & built-in guide rails. For some radios, minor modifications are required. - Instruction Manual Included" Edited by Porsche911R on Friday 2nd February 13:39

Some pics of my upgrade in Cayman R replacing the antique CDR30 head unit. Now have Garmin Nav, DAB, Apple CarPlay, phone etc. Also great deal on the head unit at special offer price from here: https://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-kenwood... Edited by chrisABP on Friday 2nd February 15:53

where did you get the mount from ? Porsche or a 3rd party item ?

Porsche911R said: where did you get the mount from ? Porsche or a 3rd party item ? On Tom's advice (at 911V) his installer supplied the facia kit as Tom said they were a far better match to OE Porsche trim than other cheaper ones readily available.

I’ve heard this talk about the cheapest fascia for £30 not matching colour or fitting well on the gen 1 cars but it wasn’t the case in reality I’ve just upgraded the whole system on my 987.1 took me about 30 hours all in, huge difference from the oem Bose setup well worth the ag

jakesmith said: I’ve heard this talk about the cheapest fascia for £30 not matching colour or fitting well on the gen 1 cars but it wasn’t the case in reality I’ve just upgraded the whole system on my 987.1 took me about 30 hours all in, huge difference from the oem Bose setup well worth the ag Can you let me know what you used for upgrade and any advice. Happy fir you to PM me

andyP123456 said: Can you let me know what you used for upgrade and any advice. Happy fir you to PM me Hi, happy to give as much advice as you need really - the procedure on a gen 2 should be exactly the same as gen 1 My car had PCM 2.1 and Bose. As is the case with all cars, there is no sound deadening in the doors so the entire door cavity, which acts as the chamber for the 8" Bose sub (that fire directly into it away from the cabin), will let sound in and has a 'ring' to it. By applying deadening to the door in 3 places (info to follow), you prevent this effect which tightens up the bass considerably - in a tune with any bass, especially but not limited to dance music, the individual bass notes stand out rather than 'ringing' the door and merging into one. I actually did one door first in an evening, and played the stereo and faded it side to side as a very direct AB comparison and there was a big difference between the sound quality from the door I had done and the standard door - not much point just upgrading speakers without doing this as you leave a lot of quality 'on the table' so to speak. The other speakers in the door are 3" mid-range speakers that face into the cabin - which is good a they are acoustically isolated from the door sub woofers, probably about the only thing that Porsche did well in designing the system for the car. So I took off the inner door skin, and changed the speakers for 4" Focal K2 components that are about £260. To make them form a tight seal with the door skin I used weather stripping. I then applied loads of Silent Coat (essentially a load of heavy bitumen adhesive A4 sheets that you buy for £1.50 each, takes about 12 to do each door) to the back of the inner door skin, to block road noise coming into the cabin via the doors, and absorb any vibration in the panel caused by the speakers Then I stuck a couple of sheets to the metal membrane facing towards the cabin Then I temporarily removed this membrane and put about 6 sheets inside the door cavity on the outer skin facing in ie behind the external door handle, tended to the seal where it had perrished using a screen sealant to re-seal, and refitted it That's the doors done, for about £300 all in, first door took 4 hours, second door took 1 hour. Not difficult at all and loads of guides online / Youtube for how to do it all Focal K2 4": http://caraudiosecurity.com/es100k-elite-k2-power-... Silent Coat: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silent-Coat-2mm-30-Shee... Then I removed the Bose amp, DVD drive, CD Changer, PCM2. That was very fiddly to get out but what didn't help was that it was absolutely s tting it down with rain and pitch black and I was trying to work with torch in my mouth which made it nearly impossible. I gave up as I thought I had broken some of the clips and working conditions were impossible so I drove 10 mins to GT One where I know the owner and he got one of his techs to get it out for me which took about 45 seconds and he didn't charge. Cheers! It is a piece of cake to do but I should have done it in the light. After removing these I fitted a new Pioneer Pioneer app radio head unit. I chose this as it is incredible value! £300 all in. Only useful really if you have an iPhone but it lets you use Apple Maps which is pretty good nav with live traffic, and it has a 6" capacitative touch screen which is way better than resistive (resistive requires a more positive 'press' where as capacitative is a light touch - as a comparison - a decent smartphone is capacitative. PCM3 and most car OEM systems are resistive, just makes using it on the move that much harder / less accurate. I have a far more expensive F88DAB in my Masser that cost more like £1000 and the only difference is redundant built in nav that I never use, 7" screen not 8", and DAB radio. All the rest functionality and quality is identical Pioneer App radio (£290 from eBay new at the mo) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Pioneer-SPH-DA120-Ap... Also requires the bezel & cage to fit it for £28 - this is the cheap one and it fitted perfectly 2nd time around: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CT23PO03-Double-Din-Fasc... Then you remove the car battery which takes 3 mins, and open up the spare huge blanking grommet behind it that goes directly into the cabin. Route through all the wires whih for me was a single RCA pair for the front, 2 pairs of speaker cables to go from the rear speaker output of the new head to the car's wiring loom for the rear speakers (meeting the car's loom in the front trunk), and the amp turn-on cable. Then I installed the Focal 4.350 amp in the front trunk on a little shelf that I made out of 18mm MDF and covered with black carpet, all hidden where the DVD used to be. The beauty of this amp is that it is 2 ohm stable so capable of running the Bose subs in the doors, and it uses so little power that you can use the Bose amp's power and ground feed which means very little wiring needed. Also very limited likelihood of introducing unwanted alternator whine from extra power and ground cables. Paid £227 for the amp off eBay (new): https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOCAL-FD-4-350-ULTRA-CO... You then need to put in the 2 Focal crossovers, right next to the amp which connect to the amp, and then the car's loom for the midrange in the door, and the new tweets I bought this Bose plug off eBay that interfaces with the car's loom to save me having to cut it all and figure out which wires are which. It is necessary if you are planning on putting the car back to standard to sell but I really wouldn't bother as you can sell all the OEM stuff off to cover the costs so unless you have something rare or special it really isn't worth the hassle financially or time. The plug does however have all the wires identified with little lables on so it probably saves 1-2 hours of f king about and swearing. Well worth it for me. The seller does a cheaper postage option making it £40 delivered to the uk https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-Radio-Stereo-In... Finally you have to remove the dash tweets & replace with Focal. This requires passing a new speaker cable to the crossover as the factory wiring is in parallel with the door speakers and so won't work correctly for the new speakers. I simply passed about 5m of cable through the hole in the dash and kept reaching up till I could feel some slack and grabbed it & pulled it down. A tiny bit of the inside of the dash needs cutting out with a dremel to make the new tweeters fit but it is all hidden under the grille so you really can't mess this up. I also added a further active sub in the footwell, and wired up the bose sub and rear speakers so they still work. Having the 2 extra subs really isn't necessary as once the door is properly set up the subs are capable of performing really well The whole thing took about 30 hours and I am really pleased with it, as well as it only costing £900 in parts, I am now selling the old PCM, Phone module, Bose amp, CD changer and DVD drive and speakers on eBay and should recoup most of that. The difference in functionality and sound quality is staggering. The volume and quality of the sound simply blows the Bose system into the weeds and you get that benefit whether you are listening to it loud or quiet. I actually had a very similar system installed at Audiofile In Car in my 997 about 3-4 years ago. They will do a similar job as the above but charge about £2500 all in for similar work. They did put in a more expansive £420 JL amp but that really wasn't necessary. Also they put in a more expensive head uit with nav but the Pioneer app radio one makes that redundant Here is their page, they charge £1350 for just the audio bit and then the head unit is on top of that - you can see exactly what I was talking about before with the sound proofing http://www.audiofile-incar.co.uk/audio-upgrades/po... I'd just add that a lot of people think it is mad to do this as the cars are about driving, the cabin is noisey and that the basic system / Bose is good / good enough. If you used / listened to them both back to back it would be apparent to anyone how much better one is and you would not want to go back Any questions just ask. Edited by jakesmith on Saturday 3rd February 18:25

I am not interested in the subject matter but just had to read that comprehensive fitting guide. Well done ! This what these forums should be about - helpful not the back-biting which seems all too prevalent on some threads!

What a fantastic response thank you for taking the time to write this printing it off now. It’s also so refreshing to read such a well written response and agree with the previous poster it’s what these forums should be about. Thanks again

A pleasure! I used forums quite a bit to do my research, the American ones are good too Happy to answer any questions via pm, on here etc if you need any more help or info.

Jake.... Am wanting to do the same. but wish to keep my bose speakers.... Have watched the vids online to see the removal of the PCM unit etc. with the new pioneer unit, is this simply plug and play?. thanks

andyP123456 said: What a fantastic response thank you for taking the time to write this printing it off now. It’s also so refreshing to read such a well written response and agree with the previous poster it’s what these forums should be about. Thanks again Just what I was thinking, a brilliant and descriptive post. I enjoyed reading that, but it makes me wish I had gone the whole hog when doing mine.

happie33 said: Jake.... Am wanting to do the same. but wish to keep my bose speakers.... Have watched the vids online to see the removal of the PCM unit etc. with the new pioneer unit, is this simply plug and play?. thanks I fitted the same head unit that Jake has, but elected to keep the Bose set up. This makes it much more straightforward, but you need a buy a rather expensive breakout box to convert the output of the Pioneer to the signal required by the MOST Bose set up. This is the Connects2 item, but there might be more options now: https://www.dynamicsounds.co.uk/connects2-ctspo005... The only other thing that you will need to do is run a switchable 12V power feed to the new unit as PCM 2.1 doesn't use that. I just tapped into the power on the climate control unit directly below, but you could run a new one from the fusebox if you wanted to. All in all, it is a brilliant upgrade from the PCM 2.1 - functionality is night and day different and it even manages to sound slightly better which I wasn't really expecting. I have been tempted to change the amp and speakers like Jake has, but I just don't drive the car enough to justify it. For me, the Bose is 'good enough' for the occasional drive, but I'd certainly love to hear the alternative. One advantage of changing just the HU is that it is very easy to reverse if you ever want to sell the car as standard. It wasn't a consideration for me as mine is a very long term keeper, but a lot of Porsche buyers value the original unit even if it is completely out of date.

kingston12 said: happie33 said: Jake.... Am wanting to do the same. but wish to keep my bose speakers.... Have watched the vids online to see the removal of the PCM unit etc. with the new pioneer unit, is this simply plug and play?. thanks I fitted the same head unit that Jake has, but elected to keep the Bose set up. This makes it much more straightforward, but you need a buy a rather expensive breakout box to convert the output of the Pioneer to the signal required by the MOST Bose set up. This is the Connects2 item, but there might be more options now: https://www.dynamicsounds.co.uk/connects2-ctspo005... The only other thing that you will need to do is run a switchable 12V power feed to the new unit as PCM 2.1 doesn't use that. I just tapped into the power on the climate control unit directly below, but you could run a new one from the fusebox if you wanted to. All in all, it is a brilliant upgrade from the PCM 2.1 - functionality is night and day different and it even manages to sound slightly better which I wasn't really expecting. I have been tempted to change the amp and speakers like Jake has, but I just don't drive the car enough to justify it. For me, the Bose is 'good enough' for the occasional drive, but I'd certainly love to hear the alternative. One advantage of changing just the HU is that it is very easy to reverse if you ever want to sell the car as standard. It wasn't a consideration for me as mine is a very long term keeper, but a lot of Porsche buyers value the original unit even if it is completely out of date. hi jake and Kingston, thank you....... could either of you confirm for me please.... my 2008 987 boxster has the PCM 1 version.. therefore no steering wheel controls, rear view parking camera......... I have the BOSE speakers etc. I have bought the same pioneer Apple Carplay unit as jake has mentioned. currently sitting in box awaiting warmer weather to install.... When connecting... will I need a MOST adapter or an adaptor as mentioned by Kingston, in order to "connect" the pioneer unit to the original BOSE system....?? cheers guys.....

happie33 said: hi jake and Kingston, thank you....... could either of you confirm for me please.... my 2008 987 boxster has the PCM 1 version.. therefore no steering wheel controls, rear view parking camera......... I have the BOSE speakers etc. I have bought the same pioneer Apple Carplay unit as jake has mentioned. currently sitting in box awaiting warmer weather to install.... When connecting... will I need a MOST adapter or an adaptor as mentioned by Kingston, in order to "connect" the pioneer unit to the original BOSE system....?? cheers guys..... Can you have PCM 1 in a 2008 car? My car is a 2005 987 and it had PCM 2.1! Post a picture of it if you have one and we can confirm. Either way, you will definitely need that adaptor that I linked to if you want to keep Bose. It is a bit confusing that it is called 'Steering Wheel Control Interface' in my opinion, because the main function it serves is convert your aftermarket HU output so it can exist on the MOST ring. The product page explains it a little better: http://www.connects2.co.uk/Product/ProductItem/CTS... It is the CTPIONEERLEAD that enables the box to use the existing steering wheel controls, but the CTSPO005.2 is required anyway. It might just be worth giving Connects2 a call to check this still definitely the best option, they were helpful when I fitted mine a few years ago. Jake didn't need this adaptor because he replaced the Bose amp meaning that the system bypasses the MOST ring altogether.

You have missed the most important thing about the fitment... . Before and After weights - all important for a Spyder owner

kingston been into system data on pcm and can’t find version number, looked through manual and still no pcm version god knows if the pic helps but photo from front of manual ...

happie33 said: kingston been into system data on pcm and can’t find version number, looked through manual and still no pcm version god knows if the pic helps but photo from front of manual ... Hi there sorry I missed your posts before Kingston is correct You have PCM 2.1 The output of the Pioneer head unit is standard analogue audio, the Bose amp only works with fiber Most. You can buy the Connects 2 cable for about £200 and it is a relatively straightforward affair http://www.connects2.co.uk/Product/ProductItem/CT5... I could not get the Connects2 steering control to work but the Pacer one from Italy is a dream and the phone buttons work unlike the Connects2 one! Anyway you will need to run a switched live feed from the fusebox - just use a £2 piggy back jobby off eBay, 2 minute job You will get the Pioneer functionality and the sound quality will be a bit better However I really would suggest that you swap the amp and the mid-range speakers in the door too (keep the subs they are good) as it totally transforms it - but up to you. If you are in Surrey you're welcome to have a quick listen some time I guess owning a Spyder you will be keeping all the Porsche stuff to swap back at some point if you sell as the cars are special and people like OEM. I sold all mine and got £400 for it all - bit less than I wanted but still went nicely towards the £900 I spent on the new gear. I'll 'watch' this thread in case you have more questions or feel free to PM me as you progress

thank you both !!! of to buy the connect2 lead ...

righto chaps.....an update.... As mentioned above... Fascia matches, looks lovely, all flush and neat. touchscreen unit looks good, nice EQ built into the unit. Point to note before removing PCM, make sure you 0 any base / fader settings.... tip from another source. Also- the porsche Ariel leads do not connect directly into the head unit, so off to halfords to buy a connecting lead and bingo, i have radio again... So the unit : the pioneer double din touchscreen is in and working. I got bluetooth, plays music from phone, radio from head unit.... etc Iphone also connects via the apple charging lead.. phone charges etc but... and BIG but... cant get apple carplay to appear on the head unit. Its as if the head unit doesnt recognize the iphone is connected. Connected to port 1 as instructed, tried port 2 as well. but nothing.. Iphone has upto date IOS, rebooted iphone, gone into iphone settings switched on Car Play (it finds the head unit etc)... just cant get the head unit to display car play and pick up the iphone.... still trying to resolve... any tips???

I got your PM on this, but easier for me to reply here as I can only access email on my phone at the moment. Could you provide a bit more detail on the CarPlay issue? What exactly happens when you plug your phone in - nothing at all, or does it allow you to use it in the Pioneer OS? If it just doesn't connect at all, have you been able to try other Lightning cables and/or other iPhones? The only time I found mine wouldn't work was when I had some dust that had accumulated in the iPhone's charging port. It charged ok on my other devices. but would not connect to CarPlay. It is worth carefully putting the SIM eject tool in there to check it is totally clear. You also mentioned the handbrake connection. This shouldn't be causing your main problem, but it might limit some functionality. The unit is designed so that the handbrake must be applied before you can do things like watch video or type into the interface. Whilst I wouldn't want to do those things whilst driving, I found it also limited the Siri voice control, so I bypassed it. From memory, it was as simple as connecting that handbrake cable to the earth wire to make it seem to the Pioneer that the handbrake is always applied. Hopefully, someone with more recent experience of the install will be able to confirm/deny this before you do anything. I was not able to get the radio working on mine and I gave up in the end because I never use it anyway! Hopefully, someone else will be able to advise on that part.

jakesmith said: Hi, happy to give as much advice as you need really - the procedure on a gen 2 should be exactly the same as gen 1 My car had PCM 2.1 and Bose.... etc etc. Edited by jakesmith on Saturday 3rd February 18:25 Light thread ressurection but was wondering if you might shed further light on all that clever business... 987.2 Cayman with PCM3 Bose and it's still a bit sh*t. Options are: 1) New headunit + Connects2 fibre optic adapter (either ISO or Quadlock depending) but keep all speakers (better sealed & door skins deadened) & Bose amp. Simplest, if it works that is? 2) As above but swap out sh*tty mids/tweeters only. Would replacing with 2 ohm speakers of better quality effectively work as plug and play with the Bose amp? 3) The full bifta as you've previously laid out. Question here is how does one know if an amp is 2 ohm stable and would it be better to have the mids/tweeters 2 ohm? Also if swapping out the mids for 2 ohm would a new amp still provide a notable improvement? Cheers dude

BillyRay said: jakesmith said: Hi, happy to give as much advice as you need really - the procedure on a gen 2 should be exactly the same as gen 1 My car had PCM 2.1 and Bose.... etc etc. Edited by jakesmith on Saturday 3rd February 18:25 Light thread ressurection but was wondering if you might shed further light on all that clever business... 987.2 Cayman with PCM3 Bose and it's still a bit sh*t. Options are: 1) New headunit + Connects2 fibre optic adapter (either ISO or Quadlock depending) but keep all speakers (better sealed & door skins deadened) & Bose amp. Simplest, if it works that is? 2) As above but swap out sh*tty mids/tweeters only. Would replacing with 2 ohm speakers of better quality effectively work as plug and play with the Bose amp? 3) The full bifta as you've previously laid out. Question here is how does one know if an amp is 2 ohm stable and would it be better to have the mids/tweeters 2 ohm? Also if swapping out the mids for 2 ohm would a new amp still provide a notable improvement? Cheers dude Hi mate If you’re only changing the head unit then as you identified, you’ll need a fibre optic most interface to keep the amp and speakers The amp and speakers are not good The fibre optic interface costs more than a 2 ohm stable amp that’s the issue for me. Why spend all that money and still be stuck with poor sound quality The subs in the doors perform very well when driven by a good source and a good amp The amp I bought was Focal 4.350 If you’re opening the doors up to soundproof them, and it does need doing, it’s zero effort to swap the mid range speakers for much better ones. And changing the dash speakers is also a quick and easy job So really, considering the cost of the most interface, and the time spent soundproofing the doors, it was a no brainer to me to swap the amp and the speakers too - it didn’t add much in cost or time. The whole shebang was u see £1k from memory The power wiring for the existing amp is adequate for that Focal amp too which saves time cost and effort in installing a new amp Top tip is to buy the Bose amp interface plug from USA as it then means you can make it all reversible Any questions just ask

jakesmith said: Top tip is to buy the Bose amp interface plug from USA as it then means you can make it all reversible Would you mind posting a link to that part. I've still got my HU going into Bose/MOST, but I still keep toying with the idea of doing it properly.

kingston12 said: jakesmith said: Top tip is to buy the Bose amp interface plug from USA as it then means you can make it all reversible Would you mind posting a link to that part. I've still got my HU going into Bose/MOST, but I still keep toying with the idea of doing it properly. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Radio-Stereo-Install-Wiring-Harness-Kit-for-Bose-Amplified-System-fits-Porsche/392328706596?hash=item5b589cfa24:g:cDcAAOxycmBSxuMD#shpCntId I would contact them and see if they do a cheaper shipping option - they did when I bought mine both times (it's the same plug as the B&O amp on my R8). I would 100% recomend using this plug though as it means you don't have to a) cut your car's loom / then have to put it back when you sell it b) spend hours squatting over the car doing the above as you can make your own loom up in the comfort and warmth of your home & just plug & play c) spend hours figuring out what is what as the wires coming off the plug are all labeled already for the Porsche Bose system

Sir you are a gentleman & a scholar, those Connects2 adapters are crazy expensive so that link is bang on. Well you've convinced me to sling the Bose amp and mids, in which case would these be a good fit: Thinking that keeping the speakers 2 ohm would be a better fit with the remaining system & new amp? https://www.caraudioexpress.co.uk/manufacturers/bl... And would this sucker be suitable to drive things? https://www.alpine.co.uk/p/Products/s-series-ampli... Thanks again dude, invaluable wisdom

BillyRay said: Sir you are a gentleman & a scholar, those Connects2 adapters are crazy expensive so that link is bang on. Well you've convinced me to sling the Bose amp and mids, in which case would these be a good fit: Thinking that keeping the speakers 2 ohm would be a better fit with the remaining system & new amp? https://www.caraudioexpress.co.uk/manufacturers/bl... And would this sucker be suitable to drive things? https://www.alpine.co.uk/p/Products/s-series-ampli... Thanks again dude, invaluable wisdom Probably fine but I would spend 20 mins taking the seat out and being sure you have space for the amp and crossovers (I believe in the gen 2 cars the amp was moved to under the drivers seat?). That amp will need 4cm or so for the cables to come out too don't forget. I know it's a small amp but space is tight especially as you need space for the cables, the big plug, and the crossover Glancing at the specs, aren't the speakers underpowered for the amp if it's in 2ohm mode? There is no need to run the 2 sets of channels at the same impedance, the amp can run the subs at 2ohm and the mids at 4 ohm and that would open up your range of speakers available. I'm not a fan of those little crosovers TBH I installed some more 'value' Hertz components in my Smart recently and regretted it afterwards, the amount of effort involved it seemed a shame to not have something better in. Although changing speakers in the Smart is something else - you have to take off the bonnet, bumper, front quarters and outter door skins! it's a full day job. ANyway... I installed these, they are pricey but they are phenomenal - they are the top of the middle of the range if you see what I mean http://caraudiosecurity.com/es100k-elite-k2-power-... Don't forget you will need to buy some foam weather-stripping to put around the edge of the bit that holds the mid into the door to get a nice tight seal https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10mtr-Foam-Draught-Excl... ALso buy a few spare door card clips, unlike the ones Audi use, the Porsche ones are cheap and several will break, especially if it is the first time you take the door panel off https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORSCHE-DOOR-PANEL-CARD... And I would buy the correct tool for removing these, makes it a hell of a lot easier: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2PCS-Car-Door-Upholster... If it is the first time you have done this I found the easiest way is to lie down on your back under the door looking up, shine a bright torch up the crack as you peel the panel away gently, and you will see exactly where to place the tool to pop the panel off Also - perfect time to inspect the waterproofing membrane - this part breaks down over time resulting in damp lower carpet on the door cards after rain - very common on 987 and 997s. If you unscrew the metal piece that is attached to the door (once the inner skin is off), you can inspect the lower edge. If the foam bit has degenerated, use some of this type of adhesive to repair, it is better than silicon as it allows more movement and non shrinking. Should save you several £100 in the future. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/U-POL-Tiger-Seal-BLACK-...

Strong form with all those links, very useful indeed, nice one. Chucked in a short shift box today and in doing so discovered the sub in the footwell you mentioned earlier and the amp under the passenger seat. From what I can gather the sub's active and no doubt 1 ohm like the door woofers. So the full line up of the factory system is: Door mids/tweets - 2x2ohm Door woofers - 2x1ohm Footwell sub - 1x1ohm active Rear pillar mids - 2x2ohm Never bother with rear fill speakers so would only concentrate on powering the rest. Also for various reasons will now be doing this in stages so sticking with the factory speakers for the time being and just replacing the amp / head unit. Concerning the amp would it be possible to do this: 2 channels (L&R) to front mids/tweets 1 channel to the door woofers wired in series to pull the channel up to 2ohms Leaves 1 channel left over for the footwell sub but how to work that part is where I'm getting stuck.....? Bypass the built in amp and run the voice coil direct from the remaining channel of the amp?

The amp you’re looking at would run the door subs at 2 ohms each in stereo anyway so no need to use one channel instead of 2. I’ve made the mistake of keeping the factory bose sub working in my 997 and 987S and both times I came to the same conclusion- it’s a waste of time. If you run the subs in the door with enough power and cross them over at 100hz, and do the soundproofing in the doors well, you’ll be astonished at how much bass you pull out of the bose door subs. They are isolated from the mids in the doors and work well. There is no point having a puny sub on top of it for the sake of it, It is only a 6.5” unit anyway. If you must keep it then run it as active with its existing amp from the sub output of your new HU it takes an RCA level feed from the Bose amp loom so very easy to patch in. It also has a +12v ignition on so just take that from your new amp’s switch on cable You also would be under powering the door subs if you used just one channel of your Amp to power them. I’d start off that way and if you really need more bass you’d need to build something for the boot or parcel shelf rather than reuse the bose sub Also you can’t remove the bose sub even if it’s not being used as Porsche made a cost saving by not carpeting the bit it sits on!!! Finally, You do know the tweets are in the dash not the doors right? the grilled pop oFf with a paper clip and I couldn’t get my focal ones in without trimming a fraction of the inner moulding off with a dremmel. Sounds scary but if you take a look you’ll see that it’s all hidden and not really possible to mess it up. Certainly no harder than fitting the short shift kit You will need a tiny right angle ratchet screwdriver from memory as there is little clearance under the screen

The sub sounds like a pain in the ass to run so I'm going with your recommendation to ditch it. The carpet comment did make me laugh, first thing I thought on seeing the cut out was 'well that's f**king annoying'! Guess a way round it would be a set of non-Bose mats and reigning in the OCD enough to ignore the gap underneath. So I'm a little confused about the door speakers now as been doing a lot of digging around concerning their impendance & all the info I've discovered agrees on the component mids/dash tweets being 2ohm and the woofers 1ohm. So in order to run the woofers safely they'd have to be wired in series off a single channel of a 2ohm stable amp, no? The component mids being 2ohms can have a channel each no drama. No problem chopping into the mountings, did the same with my 996 when sorting the tin pot audio in that. Once again, appreciate the time taken to help me out on this. Have done a few installs in my time and always find them incredibly satisfying so am soaking up all this new knowledge like a sponge, lovely stuff.

BillyRay said: The sub sounds like a pain in the ass to run so I'm going with your recommendation to ditch it. The carpet comment did make me laugh, first thing I thought on seeing the cut out was 'well that's f**king annoying'! Guess a way round it would be a set of non-Bose mats and reigning in the OCD enough to ignore the gap underneath. So I'm a little confused about the door speakers now as been doing a lot of digging around concerning their impendance & all the info I've discovered agrees on the component mids/dash tweets being 2ohm and the woofers 1ohm. So in order to run the woofers safely they'd have to be wired in series off a single channel of a 2ohm stable amp, no? The component mids being 2ohms can have a channel each no drama. No problem chopping into the mountings, did the same with my 996 when sorting the tin pot audio in that. Once again, appreciate the time taken to help me out on this. Have done a few installs in my time and always find them incredibly satisfying so am soaking up all this new knowledge like a sponge, lovely stuff. What you're saying rings a bell, maybe the subs are 1.5 ohm or something but I ran the door subs off this amp without putting in series for a year with no problems, played it on long journeys at volume, no issues. It is a good quality amp but can be bought for £200 and is a known quantity https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOCAL-FDS-4-350-NEW-201...

This seems the best thread to discuss options for incorporating Bluetooth streaming to the existing Head unit. I have a CDR30 in my 987 spyder with no aux - so far the best option seems to be the below. https://www.discountcarstereo.com/a2d-cdr30.html Has anyone found an alternative?

Str6mik said: This seems the best thread to discuss options for incorporating Bluetooth streaming to the existing Head unit. I have a CDR30 in my 987 spyder with no aux - so far the best option seems to be the below. https://www.discountcarstereo.com/a2d-cdr30.html Has anyone found an alternative? That’s the best option I have seen and a million times better than those crappy £10 Bluetooth radio transmitters

Thanks - have you had one fitted? Any views?

No I’m basing my judgement on the available options on the market I haven’t actually tried it out. What I value is a hidden, hard wired for power and audio, so it doesn’t require plugging in and turning on on every use, doesn’t need tuning or using the radio in any way, doesn’t involve having naff looking devices plugged in or wires all over the place like a minivan.

Just for some thread resurrection, cheers Jake and Kingston for your contributions on this, found it via google as I start to spec up my Non Bose car for upgrades! Super helpful