99 996 stereo upgrade

Hi guys, I have the stock stereo in my car and it sounds terrible. As much as I enjoy the sound of the engine, it is time for me to upgrade the system. My system has the CR210 head unit. The amplifier and changer are in the front compartment. I have two speakers on the dash, two in the doors, and two next to the rear seats. The door speakers sound the worst. The driver's speaker (subwoofer?) sounds like it is defective. Any amount of bass makes it sound like something is loose inside the door. I have had both doors apart when I had the car painted. There is nothing loose inside them! Can anybody offer me advice on upgrading the system? I would like to do it a little at a time in order to maintain domestic tranquility. Would I see any benefit by just upgrading the speakers for now? If so, what size and brand should I go with? I am not an audiophile...the stock stereos in our other cars are just fine (Rover-Harmon Kardon, Mercedes-Bose). I appreciate any advice or recommendations.

Here we go...have a seat...lol....I have a 99 I added a double Din Kenwood DDX7015 head unit, Focal 165 V3E 3 way seperates...6.5" low frequency driver in the doors, 4" mid and 1" tweet in the dash...all in stock locations. Audison LRX 6.9 amp in the trunk, and a AI Design custom 8" sub box with a JL Audio 8w3 V2 D2 driver. It has touchscreen Nav, iPod integration, Sirius radio and DVD video....it sounds amazing....I did things a little at a time, started with the head unit, then the Sirius, then the NAV, then the speakers and amp then the sub.

Actually, here we go AGAIN. Newport has a nice set-up, and there are others on the board. In fact, this is a frequently discussed topic. Try a search for Focal - you'll get some nice upgrades including false floors, woofer options, installation help, etc. A quick and easy solution takes a quick visit to www.caraudioinnovations.com . Rod Birch will set you up with the best system. Also, there are some relevant links in my sig... -td

yeah...talk to Rod, he is in Sacramento and he can hook you up! great guy....

Newport & TD, thanks guys for the advice. I checked Rod's web site out last night. He is only about 25 minutes away. I will definately have to pay him a visit. Newport, your car is incredible...both inside and out. TD, the system in your car is amazing. That was a pretty neat present you got your wife for Christmas. Will it outrun the Porsche in a straight line? My wife's V12 SL keeps up with my 996 pretty good as long as the road is straight. Any idea how much the speakers will run and can I do the install myself? Thanks again for the help.

it's a fun and tiring topic... you can litereally read for days on this topic... Go to Rod for the low down.... but if you want to keep it cheap...... well I know Rod is awesome at what he does, but not cheap... but you do get what you pay for........ personally have have the focal in my car and worth every penny.......but if you're not willing to pay in the range of the thousands.... try mb quart those are pretty good and won't break the bank..... switch out the speakers on your dash, doors and put in a sub... you don't need the ones in the back... the housing for those is only i believe 4'' and a 1'' tweeter........ look around lots of guys here have awesome setup.... newport is one of them,.....

Porsche Smile, thanks for the info. I found the Focal 3-way component speakers on e-bay (new) for around $300, which seemed pretty reasonable. Could you tell me which size speakers to use and where to put them. I would guess the tweeters go in the dash, subs in the door, and midrange in back. Can I use my stock amp & head unit with these speakers?

Here is a rough estimate - you'll have to get an updated cost sheet when you order from your chosen source. Before you read on note that you do get what you pay for The Focal 3-way components cost around $650 (don't forget this is actually 6 speakers - 3 for each side). This includes the tweeter and midrange for the dash and the 5.25" for the doors. Add on another $200 for the 4" midrange fill speakers in the back for around $850 for the speakers alone. You can get the speakers premounted for around $200 or so. So you're looking at a rough estimate of $1100 for the speakers and pre-mounting. The 3 subwooofers mounted in the custom Porsche box are around $700. The amp is around $700 as well. So the round about is $2500 for all the gear / mounting components - but not installation. You might be eligible for a Rennlist / PCA discount - so don't be afraid to ask. I have the stock head unit, but you won't get much mileage out of your amp - so you should plan on getting one with your speaker order... If you do the install yourself you can save a pretty penny, but it's not a one day job by any means. -td

you know... i saw the exact ones you're looking at... for focal 3-way and it's under $300 is a steal... although i don't know for sure if i trust them.... that's just way too cheap... i know a good friend of mine and i got it for wholesale which was $380 for the focal 165 3v 3-way for that price..... but if you can trust him.. that's the deal of the century for that price...... in terms of it fitting in your car... the 4" and the 1" tweeter will fit on your dash no problem....... almost plug and play... the one on your door is going to take a little bit of cutting on the bottom of the bracket to get it to fit in snugly.... i did it, took a liitle bit of drummel and then i relined it with silicone.... remember when running your wires, you are going to need to run the audio NOT with the power line... or you will get the whine.... and it's annoying as hell..... in terms of your own amp.... nope you will need a stronger amp to run your set up..... it also depends whether you're going to get a sub as well.....if you are, you need a 4 channel amp.... the first two to run your focals and bridge the other two to run the sub..... where r u located? if socal area... i have a place that can help you out... you can use your head unit, but i wouldn't i went with alpine.... and the whole set up is like night and day...... good luck....

that would be a 5 or 6 channel with sub....2 channels for the front, 2 for the rear and 1 or 2 bridged for the sub....I got the 165 V3E's which are 6.5 inch woofers, 4 inch mid, and 1 inch tweeter....its not HARD to install, but does take some fabrication and modification as NOTHING mounts up to the stock locations....for the tweeters, you need to cut down the stock housingso the tweeter fits on the stoc plate flush...you will need to cut 2 notches in the sotck speaker grill because the focal tweeter has a raised notch on ot, then silicone it into place. The mid you cabn either but the bracket from online, or ue the stock mid. Cut the stoch mid cone from the frame of the speaker..the new mid is actially like 3.75 inches so it fots right into the frame of the old mid, silinoce it so it doesn not move and mount it to the grill with the stock mids mounting...the woofer, well you have to cut away alot of plastic from the speaker housing. keep cutting, the once it fits, silicone the speaker into place and screw it down....you have to run new wires for the mids and tweets as there are only 1 pair of wires and the mids and tweets need 2 pairs, i used the stock wiring in the door. Here is a pic of the new 6.5 inch woofer in the stock speaker housing. It sounds complex, but with a dremel tool and a fresh tubeof silicone, it'll be fine. Its NOT plug and play though as NOTHING just bolts in, but with car audio, nothing usually just bolts in.

TD, Porsche Smile, & Newport, Thanks for the great advice. You guys have given me the information that I need to get this project started. I'm looking forward to doing it myself...I really enjoy tinkering. I really appreciate the time that each of you took to help me. Newport, the pictures were great...I'm sure the one of the woofer will be helpful later. Porsche Smile, I'm in Northern CA, just outside (east) of Sacramento. I still think of LA as home sweet home. I lived in Hermosa, Redondo, and El Segundo. TD, I appreciate you listing the prices for me...I'll probably use e-bay to purchase the speakers and save a couple of dollars. You have given me a referece point for the prices. You guys are the reason this forum is such a great place for Porscheaholics to share their addiction.

No prob....enjoy, I DID.....If you get in a jam do a search, alll the info I needed was found here by previous people....

jacerfabriglass , pimping something? needs more cowbell

I had a custom speaker box built that is carpeted with OEM carpet. It's completely invisible. I like it much better than that big thing.

this is a

+1 on Rod Birch at custom car audio. After consulting w/ him, I replaced all speakers, amp and added sub-woofers and it made all the difference in the world. I kept my stock head unit, added the Becker iPod adapter and I'm very pleased w/ the results. Looks stock, sounds incredible. I'm not much of a DIY'er, but w/ Rod's guidance and phone support I did the entire job myself. Good luck w/ you project - have fun w/ it.

Not to say replacing the whole system isn't the best option, but I replaced just the head unit (leaving the stock speakers and amp) and improved the sound 100%. Better bass, louder, just better all around, AND I can plug my iPhone into the system. All for under $300!