How can i improve my audio?

I have a 2003 996 cabriolet. How can I improve the audio without buying a new head unit and amp? I have the Porsche sound package, but not the BOSE package. I was thinking of getting some MB Quartz speakers. Any ideas? thanks Chucksta

Speakers will help, but you truly do need amplification. There's just no getting around it. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

I gave up. There is no way of doing it unless you want to strip out the whole things. I mean it's possible but so complicated and expensive. Hopefully oneday somebody will make MOST Bus Compatible components.

You should pose your question to an expert - Paris, Reus, or Rod @ caraudioinnovations.com. My guess is that they'll tell you not to bother with just speakers.

Well, first, if you have an enclosed garage, pull the car in and close the garage door, turn the engine off, but leave the accessories on. Now, sit and listen to three of your favorite CDs. Now, listen to the very same CDs while traveling, top up and top down. And only then decide what it is that most prevents you from fully enjoying your three favorite CDs while traveling. 1. Wind noise at speed... 2. Tire noise at speed... 3. Engine exhaust and intake "notes"... 4. Accessory operating (blower) noises... 5. The LOUD BASS in that "ricer" nearby... 6. General traffic noise... 7. The siren on that car just behind... Clearly VOLUME is the only answer. Now, how many, and how much, of your favorite three CDs can be truly enjoyed at extremely high volume? John Phillip Sousa or John Williams comes to mind for me. Back to the garage. Listen to a CD with a passage that should be played LOUDLY, with the volume turned up to roadway traveling level. Listen carefully for any noticeable distortion. If you hear discernable distortion then change/upgrade the speakers first. Then test again and if the distortion is still there you likely need higher supply voltage for the speaker drivers. That's it, you're DONE!

I agree with ccasey and Trojan Man. I have a 2002 cab and I threw away all of the Porsche stuff except for the wiring. And as for Willard's question "how many, and how much, of your favorite three CDs can be truly enjoyed at extremely high volume?" umm, all of them <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> We were screaming across the Nevada desert last weekend, top down, 75 degrees, and The James Gang blaring loud enough to make a Honda wince. Doesn't get much better....

Well since you have mbus. Unless there is an rca out adapter you would have to get a deck, 2 sets of focals and a 4/5 channel amp, and a sub if you like. That's the beginning of a smile.

Chuck, Surely changing speakers that allow to cover more frequency range perceived by the human ear should give you a better sound. Usually Boses, Quarts, Infinities and the like provide such an improvement to regular stock car speakers. The problem is that the gap allowed in the car where speakers are fit will not allow you to buy such a speaker enough to give you the low bass range.. (maybe the high trebble but that's not enough). Why go around and not face the problem. Putting larger speakers is the answer. 1) A decent amp (+300WRMS) with two high quality 8inch speakers in the back gap behind the rear seats OR 2) A crossed-over amp that can take a sub-woofer (10 inches) and two speakers (8 inch three way), same location Even if you dont buy amplifiers, putting larger speakers alone and fitting a custom made box covered with grey carpet to fit will make a noticeable difference. The wiring is very easy, taken from the stock rear speakers, I've done it. ..is the best way to improve your sound drastically without having to change your main setup. The new amp and speakers will run parallel to the stock audio system. I did the 2nd option myself with the help of Loren's instructions and diagram. The whole system was Blaupunkt and being I'm into trance music, I can never forget the sound of Sash's beat rocking the seats at 150mph! Waz

Waz, I'm interested in looking into this too - would you mind passing along the instructions and diagrams you worked from (if you still have them in electronic form)? Thanks - I'd love to do it myself and have the satisfaction of a weekend project, but don't want to go seriously damaging anything in the process.

Fasz, can you keep the same Porsche deck? I have a GT3 coming and I dont want to have the car stripped apart to install a new system. I wanted to install an amp, new speakers, but keep the deck the same? Is that possible, or am I wasting my time and money?

i cant drive my Porsche without listening to the engine sound no matter what !!!! IMO the original car speaker does it job, and how loud do you want to raise the volume ? how can you concentrate on driving with high volume ?

If this were an LS430 we're talking about some of this would make a lot more sense. LS430 doesn't come as a convertible. 1. ANY modern day CD player will have as high fidelity audio output as your ear can detect differences, Kenwood, pioneer, ML, ALL. 2. ANY good MOSFET amplifier/driver with + and -100 volt (or more) DC to DC converter will easily meet any high fidelity requirements you need, can hear/detect, in an automotive environment. Your 996 OEM Porsche equipment will undoubtedly meet the above requirements. So we're left with the speakers. Good sound reproduction does not mean BASS levels high enough to shake your boodies! Just replace the existing speakers with high quality "long-throw" "high efficiency magnet" speakers. Then ask any LS430 owner with ML if s/he can tell the difference blind-folded.

Oh, there is something ethereal about traveling across WY at 100MPH+ with the 78 Targa top stowed and the Kenwood blasting the Boston Pops CD of the Superman or Star wars theme.

Chucksta, I am afraid to say that your options are very limited, as Kevyan stated. This is due to the fact that all MY03 Porsches having MOST (plastic optical fiber) connecting the headunit to the amplifier to the CD changer. There is no longer any copper/analog wiring, except between the amp and the speakers (as was the case in MY02 and previous models) For you to upgrade the system, you will have to remove everything and install new components and wiring thruought the car (headunit to amp to cd changer). Very expensive and time consuming. Speakers you can do with just the usual issues regarding fittment. Sorry to say, I am somewhat of an expert on MOST and Porsches at this point.

WOW !! and again! W-O-W !! optical fiber, no more common mode, ground loops, to (try and) combat? Wonderful.

wwest, Yes, so the theory goes. Being fiber optic, the theory was high bandwidth with low radiated emissions and susceptibility.. <img border="0" alt="[blabla]" title="" src="graemlins/a_smil17.gif" /> However, although the fiber interconnects do not radiate like copper/twisted pair, each node on the ring radiates like crazy (big surprise, 25Mb/sec laser diode transmitter and receiver per node!). Also, the cost per node is still around $12-$15...not the $5 promised by the MOST cooperation group. My favorite screw up was placing the carrier right dead on top of European TV channel <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> Try and tune in that channel in a car. A classic. MOST is unfortunately here to stay, MOST2 (50Mb/sec) is ready to be deployed. Given the network protocol (i.e. software, software and more software), it is just about impossible for an aftermarket component manufacturer to design a component for a specific car type without approval by/assistance from the headunit manufacturer (Becker). FWIW, they are now talking about replacing the fiber with copper and running a physical layer like 1394/Firewire....backed by Microsoft! If you thought MOST was a disaster, wait until Microsoft gets into the cars. <img border="0" alt="[bigbye]" title="" src="graemlins/xyxwave.gif" /> I may have to change professions

Hmmm..Firewire... Isn't that what we use for the real I/O in our legacy computer product line?

This is when hi-tec becomes bad news! We were happy once with the heat emitting 15minutes-startup transistors! Now we can barely understand what Lewis is reffering to.. I'd rather be emmitted with the good old sun's emitting rays at Marbella then! I was also thinking and remembered that the speakers in the back only play midrange and highrange, the bass goes in the door speakers.. Replacing speakers alone with bigger one might not be that much of an improvement! Moreover, you got a Cab meaning there is no availbale space for new speakers in the back other than what is provided for.. Chuck: my advice, get a new powerful system.. It's not only because of high power, but the whole new system will cover the whole frequency reange the right way, the way we all want to listen at Pulsdriver's stomping your seats at 200km/hr.. Waz

thank you all for your replies... i've never seen 17 replies come so quickly!

Being an audiophile there is one aspect for sure with distortion...First, the primary reason for distortion and "blown" speakers is not just quality of speakers. More importantly it is lack of RMS watts...When amplifiers are pushed they send distorted signals thus compromising and ultimately damaging speakers. You need to have plenty of reserve watts (not peak watts) from a giving amplifier to be effective. True these stock speakers dont carry full range of sound, for that you need different speakers. But without the power behind them, results will be marginal at best. I have the Bose system and it stil lacks clarity at higher volume and does not have all highs. The car will need to go under "surgery" to have best sound...sorry to say