987 Cayman/Boxster 6 Speaker ASK Retrofit

I just completed the 8" speaker retrofit on my 2007 Cayman, and it turned out so great that I feel I have to share. I went into this project blind as I couldn't find any solid information about it specific to our cars (especially regarding the 8” woofers), so I figured I'd make everyone's life a whole lot easier by putting together a full write-up of the entire process. This is NOT a super difficult install, but it is time-consuming and some steps are quite tedious. Anyone with some decent mechanical experience can do this. I completed it all on a Saturday with time to spare. I spent about $310 on speakers, and another $50 on other parts and tools. I would consider this an extremely cost-effective solution. I’m gonna go pretty in-depth, so hang in there, this will be a long read, but well worth it for the end result. At the moment I am still running the factory head unit and factory ASK amp. The center dash speaker and rear speakers will also be left intact, but I have found that they are merely supplemental and at the moment, not worth messing with. Keep in mind, if you are using an FM transmitter like me, your quality will be significantly diminished. The quality with CD's however, is truly a night and day difference (yes, they still have those). Until I get a CarPlay head unit down the road, I'm gonna be stuck with that which is fine by me. Something to note - we will be removing the factory connectors and permanently modifying the speaker housings, so this will not be easily reversible. Not a problem as I could never go back to the factory sound after hearing the new setup, and I’m certain you will think the same.​ Parts selection ** ​ I did a lot of research, and it seems that almost all have gone with a 6.5” lower woofer and an adapter for ease of installation. Since we do not have a subwoofer from the factory, nor do I plan on installing one, I wanted to retain the full 8” for maximum low-end performance. There is a lot of conflicting information out there regarding if it will fit or not, but I assure you it does. The speakers I used are mid-range. Nothing crazy but they certainly get the job done. You can spend more for something better, but since we are maintaining use of the factory head unit and amp, I don’t think there is much to gain by spending more on speakers. Other speakers of the same size may be the same as far as installation, but some of the clearances are pretty tight, so I cannot guarantee fitment of anything else. Parts ** ​ Tweeters and Lower Speakers: Alpine S2-S80C - $200​ https://www.crutchfield.com/S-NLULeVfUxA0/p_500S2S80C/Alpine-S2-S80C.html ​ Mid Speakers: Infinity Reference REF407F - $110​ https://www.crutchfield.com/p_108R407F/Infinity-Reference-REF407F.html ​ For the mids, if you want to stick to a matching all Alpine setup, the S2-S40 is also a good option, I just really like the Infinity reference series and think they are of higher quality. Realistically I doubt anyone could tell the difference. ​ Siless 80 mil Car Sound Deadening Mat https://a.co/d/7TCApx0 ​ Rollers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082J3RSDY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title ​ Door Panel Clips: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D98W3XH?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title ​ These are cheap and worth having around just in case you break any clips. If you don’t end up needing them they can be returned.​ Tools/Supplies ** ​ General Tool set + Torx Driver set (with extensions) Dremel (with cut off disk and sanding wheel) Drill and drill bits Interior Trim removal tools Electrical supplies (Soldering iron, Strippers, etc…) Now onto the fun part - Installation First - Dash Tweeters ** ​ Let's start with the dash tweeters. This is easily the most difficult section of the install, as it is in a very tight location. I found that a lot of this step is easier done from outside the car, looking in through the windshield. First, we’re gonna remove the speaker grill. Use your interior trim tool to get under the front edge of the grill. It may take a little finagling, but you’ll get it. Once that’s out of the way, use a flathead screwdriver to pry out the two tabs and remove the factory speaker. The connectors are very stubborn and will have to be yanked out with quite a bit of force. Don’t worry about damaging them as we are removing the connectors altogether. You may find it easier to just clip the wires right there rather than fighting with it. The Alpine component set includes the two tweeters, as well as two in-line capacitors, and WAY too much excess wire. The first side I did, I took the time to shorten the wires a bit. The second side I couldn’t be bothered and just shoved the excess under the dash never to be seen again. When looking at the wires on the car harness, the wire with the stripe is always negati ve. Keep this in mind as this is the case for all 8 speakers. On the capacitor, the wire running along the side is negative, and the capacitor is in-line with the positive. Attach the tweeter to the capacitor using the included connectors, and clip the opposite end to attach directly to the car harness. Save those spade connectors, as we will use them to wire the mids later. Strip back the car harness, and attach the wires from the capacitor with whatever method you prefer (twist and tape, solder, crimp). Be sure to connect - to - and + to +. Shove the capacitor and extra wires under the dash. You’ll have to try a few different positions as the capacitor is fairly large and there isn’t much space under there, but it will fit. Once you have the wires squared away, the tabs on the front of the mounting area need to be ground away with your Dremel to make the new speaker fit. Before moving forward we need to remove the plastic off of the tweeter so it is down to bare metal. There is an outer case, and a trim ring, both which are easily removed. Once that’s done, you will use the large foam ring included with the component set, as well as some of the foam sheet to create a cushion for the new tweeter to sit in/on. This may take some trial and error to get right. You can then feed the remainder of the wire into the hole, and set the tweeter into it’s new home. Be sure that it sits snug and high enough so that it gets sandwiched between the foam, and the speaker grille once it is reinstalled. The bottom of the grill has a layer of foam, so it will not vibrate even though it will be directly contacting the tweeter. Reinstall the speaker grill, repeat this work on the opposite side, and congrats! Your new tweeters are installed and ready to go. Give it a quick sound test and you will already notice a huge improvement over the factory sound. Now onto the doors. ** ​ First you will need to remove the door panels. There are plenty of videos out there covering that so I’m not going to take the time to explain it. I will however mention that if your panels have never been removed, the clips will be tight. Just be sure that all of the bolts are removed, and pull it off starting at the bottom. It will take quite a bit of force, Mine did at least. Once released from the door, reach behind the door-card (the official name of the interior panel on a car door) and unplug the speaker wiring going to the woofer. Once your door panel is off, grab something soft to protect it, and set it on the ground face down so you can work on the backside. We’ll start with the mid speakers. ** ​ Certainly the easiest of the bunch. Remove the mid speaker from the door. There is just one connector, and two screws. Again, the connector is stubborn and you may be better off just clipping the wires there. Test fit the new speaker. You will notice that two of the four tabs will need to be removed in order to fit the new speaker into the door. Clock the speaker so that the contacts are closest to the wiring harness, and note which two tabs need to be removed. Use your Dremel with a cut off wheel to remove them, but be sure to save them as we will use them as spacers between the door panel and the speaker. Keep in mind each door panel will be mirrored, so don’t get excited and cut the same tabs off the opposite side speaker until you get there. You will need to cut pretty close to the outer edge of the speaker, but obviously, be careful not to nick the cone itself. Place the two cut off tabs down, and install the speaker on top of it. You can also just use some washers if you have any lying around, but I didn’t want to drive to the parts store and the tabs worked out just fine. If you install it without a spacer, the cone contacts the grill which will cause vibration problems. Whichever way you do it, make sure there is adequate clearance between the speaker cone and the grill on the door panel. As you can see in the pictures, I used the two connectors that I removed from the ends of the tweeter capacitors to wire up the mids. The larger spade connector goes to positive, and the smaller to negative. Same as the others, the wire with the stripe is negative. Strip back the panel harness and the connector wire and again, connect them with your favorite wiring method. Slide the spade connectors onto the speaker contacts, repeat everything on the opposite side, and congrats! Your new mids are ready to go. Now for the 8” woofers. ** ​ These require the most fabrication of them all but are very straightforward. This is also where the sound-deadening material will come into play. The first step is removing the connector from the speaker (this one is easy and we will retain it) and then use an Allen key to remove the factory woofer housing from the door. Once you’ve got it out, bring it over to your work area and flip it over to access the electrical connection. You will see that the speaker is soldered to the connector in the housing with small lengths of wire. Clip the wires as close to the speaker as possible, as we will use the same wire to re-solder onto the new 8” woofer. Once the wires are disconnected, remove and save the 4 screws mounting the old woofer to the housing. Now you will use your cut-off wheel to remove the “snowflake” from the housing. After that, use your sanding wheel to clean up the edges, especially making sure that the front face of the housing has a smooth surface for the new woofer to mount to. Take your new woofer, and test fit it into the housing from the FRONT side. Yes, the factory speakers are mounted from the rear. We will be mounting the 8” from the front, as the speaker is quite a bit larger than the factory speaker. Clock the speaker so that the contacts in the back line up with the wires off the connector. Make sure that it is centered, and mark the 4 mounting holes. It is a tight fit and the holes are right on the edge, so be careful to get it just right. Find the right size drill bit for the factory mounting screws (the housing is plastic so it doesn’t have to be the perfect size, just make sure it’s not too big), and drill out the 4 holes. The Infinity’s came with a roll of foam tape that I did not use. I cut some small pieces to use around the newly drilled holes to create some isolation between the new woofer and the housing. You could also cut some small pieces of the remainder of the foam pads from the tweeters, doesn’t matter, just need something there. This next step is important. Install the 4 long gold mounting bolts into the housing BEFORE installing the speaker. The speaker is so large that once it is installed, you will not be able to get the mounting bolts into the housing to mount it back to the door. Once those are in, you can set your new woofer into the front of the housing, and use the four screws to secure it. Be sure to get it tight enough so that the foam is slightly compressed, but not so tight that you strip the plastic housing. Now you can flip the housing over to the backside, and solder the wires directly to the contacts on the new woofer. The positive and negative from the connector and the speaker contacts line up so the wires went straight across. Great! Now the woofer assembly is complete. Sound deadening ** ​ There is one more step before reinstalling everything, and that is sound deadening. I am unsure if this actually helps very much, but I was told that these new woofers move so much more air, that some deadening is necessary in order to prevent vibrations and resonance. Whether it really helps or not, it can’t hurt. I wiped down the inside of my door with some alcohol to be sure it would adhere properly, then I cut a few pieces of material and laid them inside the door through the speaker hole. It’s a bit difficult to get the rollers in there, and you’ll probably get a few busted knuckles like I did, but it’s doable. Just make sure there are no air bubbles and that the material is adhering well all around. You can get to the far areas and edges with your fingertips if you can’t reach them with the rollers. I also took some extra material and added it to the outside of the door. Once that’s all set, you can reinstall the entire woofer assembly. You’re now ready to reinstall your entire door panel assembly. Just reverse the steps that you took to remove it. Once you have the top of the panel hung on the door, take a look from the bottom and double-check that nothing is interfering. I didn’t have any fitment trouble at all, everything went back together as it should. After you get your door panel on, repeat everything on the opposite side and you’ll have a completed speaker overhaul. Give your new system a test, and admire the huge difference. If you hear any vibrations from either door, take the panel off and do some investigating. I had no issues and didn’t have to pull anything apart a second time. ** ​ Please take a moment to let me know if this write-up helped you! Enjoy your new speakers!

This is fantastic. Thank you so much for the detailed contribution! Question for anyone…is this operation the same for a 987.2 Cayman with the ASK System ?

I'd suggest looking at https://www.planet-9.com/threads/98...7-spp-sound-package-plus-speakers-not-bose.253725/?post_id=2210444#post-2210444 for detailed info on the SPP on the .2 cars - it is different from the system used on the .1 cars, and the selection of speakers might be different based on the impedance (Ohms) of the speakers. Ideally you want to get close to the same value impedence.

Physically, the install should be the same. From what I understand the .2 does use a different amplifier and head unit, but I don’t see why this method wouldn’t work regardless of that. I can’t imagine the impedance ratings of the .2 speakers are too far off from the .1, so these same speakers should work no problem. The speakers don't perfectly match the factory impedance for me either. May wanna do a bit more research on that one before diving in.

I just bought a 987.1 a few days ago and I'd like to do this as well. Thanks for the tutorial and the parts list. I'll probably just do what you did. One question. Behind the seats I see to grills. Are those not real speakers?

They are real, but similar to the center dash speaker they are pretty much just supplemental and you can’t really tell the quality after the rest are done. I was going to replace mine as well, but discovered that to get to them you need to tear apart all of your rear interior trim, which is a whole can of worms I didn’t wanna get into. I personally don’t think it’s worth it, but if you’re interested there are videos online of how to remove the trim to gain access to the strut tower which is right next to the speakers, and the Infinity’s used for the mids would bolt in exactly the same.

thank you. are all speakers driven off of the amp in the frunk? I was going to do your upgrade and then do the PCCM+ upgrade (I have a CD player that doesn't work) and I am hoping I will have a premium system. I don't know if it will drive everything correctly. Do you have a block-diagram to show how this all works? Have you tried the PCCM+ upgrade?

I dont remember exactly which ones, but only half the speakers are run off the amp. The information is out there if you look for it. The 8” woofers are the only ones that I am certain run off the amp. The rest are driven directly off the head unit. PCCM+ is a solid choice, but is honestly rather outdated and imo not worth the $1300 Porsche wants for it. I currently use the factory CDR24 , but I recently purchased the AliExpress unit that so many people use. I will be installing that next week which should also have a massive upgrade in sound quality. Between that and the speakers I should be very happy with my setup! No matter which head unit you go with, it should all run properly as long as it’s wired in the right way. Of course you will have to do your own research on that when you decide which model you’re going with.

That information is right here on Planet-9, no need to go to other forums looking for it. 987.2 - SPP/ASK amp wiring: As you can see in the 2009+ year SPP, the amp drives each speaker with it's own amplifier channel, with the exception of the top door speaker (aka Mid-Range) and the dash speaker (tweeter) - these have a capacitor in series with the tweeter to elminate any lower frequencies from getting to that speaker. This sort of granularity was following a not uncommon German way of designing sound systems - avoid speaker level crossovers (good ones are big and expensive) and do the crossover work (frequency division and direction) inside the amplifier. This lets the engineeor do some vey individual sound shaping. It actually works quite well - given a good input signal, and intact factory speakers (foam rubber surrounds on the woofers intact). For your amp - pre 2009 987.1 - the SPP/ASK amp system used: The midrange door, and the dash tweeters are again wired together - but powered from the speaker level amplifier in the headunit. The two door low-frequency speakers and the center channel dash speaker are all powered from the ASK amp. There are also some filter capacitors used to channel high frequencies to the speakers that use them. It isn't clear to me about the power ratings of the two amplifiers, but just based on physical size - I'm guessing the ASK.2 amplifier - which lives under the passenger's seat - is capable of more power than the earlier system.

Thanks for this writeup! I just did a 7 speaker upgrade with a kit from SCR Distribution in the UK that comes with plug -and-play wiring/brackets for the 987 Cayman .

I did all 8 speakers and I can't believe the difference! I only spent about $400 based on OP's recommendation. Spent most of one day and part of another. Really worth it. almost all of my speakers were blown (06 Cay with ~86k miles, done in 2024)

I looked into that and actually spoke with the owner about pricing and recommendations. In the end I decided that it just would’ve been way too expensive to go that route. Turns out with a little ingenuity and some time I was able to get a seemingly identical result for under half the price! I may even have some better bass response due to retaining the full 8”. I believe the kits from SCR downsize to 6.5”. Either way, glad you’re happy with your new sound system!

So glad you’re enjoying the results. Did you follow my write up for most of the process? Curious how easy it was to follow if you did. Which speakers did you go with? Did you replace your rear speakers as well? I never did but still may in the future if I ever have to remove that trim for some reason! I just upgraded to the AliExpress head unit , and the combo really brought the best out of the speakers. I am VERY happy with it and would definitely recommend it if you’re still using the factory unit right now.

Great write up! Planning on following this guide on my 987.1 in the near future. I saw that you mentioned the AliExpress head unit . Did you ever get that installed and did it further improve audio quality?? I'm looking at putting in this head unit and was wondering if it plays nicely with aftermarket speakers like what you've done.

Hey there! yes, I did install the head unit, and it made a huge difference in sound quality. I wouldn’t say it’s very different from the CD quality of the factory unit, but it’s about a million times better than the FM transmitter we’re forced to use if we want to listen from our phones. Wireless CarPlay and the rest of the features are also total game changers. Install is also super straightforward. For under $300 you can’t go wrong.

Great write up and links. So you didn't use the tweeters that came with the Alpine S2-S80C woofers ? I didn't see them on the schematic or the install. I'm looking to just replace the door speakers on my '05 Boxster with Bose . Yes, they are currently taxed with my new CarPlay headunit . I still operate and will keep the Bose amp .

Are you getting enough bass from the 8" Alpines ? I was thinking of using 4" Mid / 1" tweeter speaker component like the JL AUDIO C2-400X that few have used on 987's, and I was thinking of using 8" sub instead of 8" mid- range speaker. Any thoughts? I already have an Alpine digital amp and have enough channels to drive the subs separately. The reason I ask is that ideally I want 8" sub, but fitment is questionable. There is one write up about using Pioneer 8" low profile subwoofer (TS-A2000LD2), but that required some door metal trimming.

I’m happy with the bass levels out of the 8” Alpines . There are some very low notes that they can’t handle, but it’s not enough to bother me. I think if you listen to super bass heavy electronic music you’ll definitely want dedicated subs, but for 99% of people wanting a well rounded setup these 8” Alpines are a better choice.

Well today after I had previously installed the door mid range and 8 inch woofers and finally got to the dash tweeters, there’s no question that there is a huge improvement in the sound quality. Unlike OP‘s opinion about starting with the tweeters because they are the most difficult, I found them by far the easiest. If you’re using the Alpine tweeters , and you strip them of their plastic surrounds and backing, they fit easily into the cavity, and will stay put if you take some of the included foam to nest them in. Just match the negative (striped)wires on the Alpine tweeter, crossover and Porsche wire and Bob‘s your uncle. Very surprised at how much difference just the tweeters made as well. By far, the biggest challenge for me was the door panels; you have to take your time, work methodically and make sure you have extra door clips on hand (inexpensive on Amazon ). The first time I tried a couple of my clips did not seat correctly after I put the door panel on, and it caused all kinds of problems. Anyway, a big thank you to OP; I certainly never would’ve come up with the outside mount of the 8 inch woofer myself, and that alone is a game changer.

Thanks for this post, However, regarding my 2011 987.2 , the mid-range speakers: In my car, the back part where the magnet is seems really small, sitting exactly within the indentation in the car's sheet metal. This makes me think it’s impossible to fit a slightly larger, aftermarket speaker there. My question ultimately is: Is your mid-range speaker the same as mine? I have attached a picture.

I don't know what speaker is in your photo. Do you have sound package plus, which includes two separate speakers in each door? If so, the 8 inch alpine can definitely replace your door woofer, but needs needs to have exterior mount requiring modification of the factory speaker cage as has been discussed. If you only have one speaker in each one of your doors, indeed that would be the mid range speaker which is too small and is not what is being discussed. Best of luck.

I have 2 speakers in each door, one 8" and the other one in the middle I don't know how many" it is. and a tweeter on the front dashboard

Does anyone know what the part no of the connector for the Speaker input on a 987.2 ASK Amplifier is? Not the big connector, but the smaller one that has wiring from the head unit (marked as 'B' on the diagram below. I need the equivilant of the ASK side as I want to replace the Amplifier but not cut or splice any wires, so I will be connecting to the plug that goes into the amp.

Do you know if this is the same on 2008? I keep reading that an 8" will hit the windows.

I just installed the 8” alpines in my 2008 Cayman S . The windows do not hit the speakers. Everything fit as expected. I upgraded the head unit and amp too, it sounds great.