speakers for dash

Hi, I have been reading the archives about the upgraded stereo etc. I am going to replace the speakers in the doors with components and maybe the rears with coaxials as anything more unless if cheap seems to be a waste. I am also going to build my own box for the rear, I have done many custom installs, to mimic the bose height etc, sealed of course. I was thinking about using a Jl for the sub, maybe a w0? The main question is that I want to use a ppi 5 channel amp for the whole deal. It puts out about 4 x 30 @ 4ohms. given this lower power, I wanted to know what speakers would be best for the dash. I have really been racking my brain about which. It is down to the boston pro 4" set, focal 136k's, and the mb quart 4" component set. I originally was very gung ho about the boston's and then later focals, but after reading how power hungry they are I think I will go with the mb quarts to better match the power even though the highs aren't as natural. Mainly I have the cheapest stock system. By this I mean I don't have the speakers in the doors! So I want to have a good mid fill as well as highs and the jl in the back should take care of the rest, as well as some coaxials in the rear. Any suggestions? Also say I did go with those focals, which I have heard nothing but good things about, how do they fit? They are a 5 1/4 and the size is 4"? I know someone else made them fit, but is it that much work and is it worth it? Help! I want to get the stuff done soon and indecision is my main problem. Thanks all, Sean

Sorry I meant initially to replace the speakers in the DASH as I have no speakers in the doors! Also I could run the bostons and or focals if I run them bridged in the front. Thanks again.

Hi Sean, You can't go wrong with any of the speakers you mentioned. If you want to know how much power they need to run, just take a look at the size of their magnet. I recommend you place a pair of 6" woofers in the doors instead of the rear coaxials for the same price, since the rears aren't really needed for a balanced system and being behind you may actually throw off the image and especially the stage of your system since being coaxial will produce the whole range of freqs and the mid and high freqs can be localised by the ear, unlike the low freqs of the sub. And the 6" speakers in the doors are needed to fill the mid freq range that the sub or dash 4" barely reach, unless you manage to fit the 5 1/4 Focals in the dash, they should be able to do the work to get a flat freq spectrum. But you will need a pair of 6" or at least 5 1/4 in the system to bring the base to the front. Also if you still wanted to have something in the rear, you could use the stock ones you already have and power them directly from the headunit so as not to take from the ppi amp and maybe place a resistance to decrease their output since they are just for fill-in and can't be too loud or will throw off the stage. If your amp/speaker can run at 2 ohms then you would get twice the watts from the system, I'm running mine at 2 ohms. Here is an example of my sealed box of two 10" subs. Made in MDF and fiberglass to give it the shape to blend in with the cars curves and covered in the same savana beige as the interior. Hope this helps <img src="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/subtop1.jpg" alt=" - " /> <img src="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/subside1.jpg" alt=" - " />

Carlos, You are crazy amd i love the Psign on the rear.. Waz

Well, you need a lot of watts to eclipse the aerodinamic noise when going at 294KM/h

Damn that is clean. I need a box like that. I am going to make my own, and will wrap it in factory carpet if I can find it or simular. I am going to make it as small as possible to duplicate the bose size and not be intrusive, that's why I think I will go with 1 10 for the cubic space. I might end up going with two and dropping the load down. I was also thinking about running the front stage bridged also off the PPI. I am going to go with the mb quarts as they don't need nearly as much power to perform well. I think that with the 10 or 10's that that will be enough bass to work well, so I will have the mids and highs tuned for the cut off properly. I really dig that box though, is that leather wrapped or vinyl? In any even it's very clean. How do those grills work? Are they removable? I really like that design. Thanks again. Sean

I just bought a 996 Cab and have a mega system ready to go. I am an audio maniac. I spent much time deciding on the best system I could get in there within reason. I am going to post a new topic about it during the install. All components are sitting at my house ready to go. Dash: Sony Mobile ES CDX-C90 cd/tuner Front: Focal Utopia W3 3 way components. Tweeter and midrange in the dash and 6.5s in the doors. Rear: Focal Utopia 136K 5 3/8 components stuffed in the factory location (it will work). Bass: Cool technique... 4 5 inch Focal long excursion special purpose subs under the seats. They are supposed to be tight as hell and equal to at least 1 10 inch. Dynamat Extreme throughout the doors and rear area around the Focal 2 ways. Amplification: Mcintosh MC444 4 channel to mids and highs. Zapco 350 2 channel to 6.5 doors. Zapco 350 2 channel to subs. The best part is how stock this will all look. I have full leather, so I don't like the idea of major mods. I have MB Quart Qs in my BMW 5er daily driver. The specs show the Focals as way more efficient. I think the ear test yields the same result.

Nice. that will be a sick system. I can't wait to see the pictures. You must take some pics of the install when it occurs, before, during, after, always fun I would opt for something different in the bass department but to each their own. Have you seen the cusom enclosures that go between the rear and forward seats? That might be a happy medium, but maybe not. How do those 136k's fit in the rears? also I thought 136k's were componenets with 5 1/4ers. no?

I am 6 foot 4 inches. I keep the driver's seat all of the way back, so that type of box does not work too well. I looked into it. Also, I want the option to put an adult behind the passenger seat every now and then if needed in a serious pinch. The only other real option is to pull out the driver's side leather child seat and build a custom enclosure with Porsche carpeting in its place. I thought it might obscure my factory rear speaker openings on the one side in addition to changing the factory look. Without footwell or radical mods, I settled on the 4 5 inch idea. I know it is unconventional, but I heard the same thing from several hi-end Focal dealers/stereo shops. 5 1/4, 5 3/8.. I can't remember. I do know they fit though. I thought I might lose balance and sound fullness without an equally hi-end rear fill speaker setup, so I added the 136ks to the order list last minute.

Interesting. I have heard that they fit as well, but was surprised as the stock speakers are 4" components etc. Have you seen the rear shelf boxes that are noted in previous posts as well? They are nice and should not interfere with the seat adjustment. I am 6 ft. also and there is no room behing my seat either, so I am going to build an enclosure to mimic the same size as the bose sub.

Rear shelf for a cabriolet?

ah yes. Well have you checked into the sub enclosure that is built into the center console? I was reading something about that. Sorry, I forgot you said it was a cab.

Here's what I did in (to?) my cab (and appologies in advance for not knowing how to post multiple pictures in the same post). The parts list: Focal 5.25" 3-way Platinums (polykevlar) in the doors (this requires a custom enclosure) Focal 4" and tweeter speakers in the dash (this required custom adapter plates) Focal 4" 2-ways in the rear (sides) ARC Audio 5 channel amp. 4X45 watts plus 1X110 A pair of Image Dynamics 10" 2 ohm voice coil subs (also required custom enclosure where the rear seat-ettes were intended to go) Pioneer DVD-based NAV system Pioneer 7" motorized LCD & master A/V controller Here is the dash with the screen tucked away <img src="http://a9.cpimg.com/image/97/0D/17237399-ddf9-028001E0-.jpg" alt=" - " />

And with the screen out <img src="http://a0.cpimg.com/image/98/0D/17237400-6b28-028001E0-.jpg" alt=" - " />

One of the door speakers <img src="http://a2.cpimg.com/image/40/6D/16113472-c7eb-028001E0-.jpg" alt=" - " />

The rear subs <img src="http://a3.cpimg.com/image/9B/0D/17237403-83ea-028001E0-L.jpg" alt=" - " />

Close-up of one of the subs. I think the custom enclosure looks pretty stock. BTW, all of this work was done by the famous Rod Birch in Roseville CA. <img src="http://a2.cpimg.com/image/9A/0D/17237402-ce42-028001E0-.jpg" alt=" - " />

ah man! Now I have to take a shower! hehe. How doe those focals sound with such little power? Are you running them at 4 ohm with that power to them or did you bridge them on the amp? I was told that the focals are much like the boston pros and are very power hungry and that's why I opted to consider the mb quarts more as they would better match the power of the amp. Let me konw I am very interested!

I would have to guess on the answer to your bridging question since I wasn't there during the install, so instead I am going to suggest that you direct the question to Rod at Car Audio Innovations, who did all the work [phone removed]). I guess I should provide the usual disclaimer here that I have no involvement with Rod in any capacity other than satisfied customer. I can say that the sound is fantastic, both the highs and the lows, but especially the highs, which in my opinion contribute a lot more to the overall listening experience than the bass. I have cranked the system up to levels likely to cause hearing damage with no evidence of clipping or distortion, so even though the Focals are notoriously power-hungry, the ARC seems more than up to the chalenge. Particlularly important when you are doing 165 mph with the top down. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> Here is a picture of where everyting goes, which is actually from Rod's site. Rod made a removable carpeted shelf with a cutout which fits flush with the top of the amp so in use things are a little tidier than shown, but the Pioneer head unit is still HUGE (the only thing I liked better about the Alpine was the head unit size). <img src="http://www.caraudioinnovations.com/installations/images/2002Ru3.jpg" alt=" - " />

Pretty encouraging! I have already gotten my amp, and have removed my spare, I have a c2, and am going to mount it there to keep space! I need room for groceries after all! heheh. I think I might just go with the focals after all, I can always bridge the amp down if they need more power. I can't wait. I have to call Bekker and get the harnesses, but after that it will all be done in about 2 hours, other than the sub, which I will do later, (have to go to dad's house to build that). Anyone know where to get Porsche carpet? Thanks. Does that place that you use audio innovations sell those cool speaker grills for the subs by themselves? I really like those, but I think I can do everything else myself. Thanks Sean

Alrigth alright! I have now officially been brainwashed and am going all Focal! I think I am going to go with the 103v's in the dash and the 100hc's in the rear and maybe even a focal sub? Anyone know about focal subs or can recommend a good sub? I was thinking about going with a Jl, but which one? I will have about 150 @ 4 ohms to give it which is plenty. Thanks all. Sean

So, I can fit the 5 1/4ers in the front dash then? along with the tweeters? I have seen them done on a boxter with the same grills etc. Thanks.

Ok, I just opend up the dash. First off I don't even have separates in there! Second off they are some junk nokia speakers? How cheap can Porsche go! After further scrutiny it appears that thinking about putting 5 1/4's in there is a joke! Has anyone done this and do they have pics of the back of the speakers on the panel? I have only seen the 4 inchers on the back epoxied to the panels with components. It appears I will have to revamp my ideas now and go with 4" components in the dash. aaarggghhh