Replacing the entire stereo system 2001 boxster - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Greetings All! Just picked a 2001 Porsche Boxster S and the entire stereo system is toast. I'm replacing the head unit, the amplifier, the speakers, and speaker wire. I have just started the process of removing panels in the front truck and started to wonder where the wires for the stereo enter the interior and whether I should re-use the existing wiring or remove it all and start from zero. I would prefer to start from scratch and replace all wiring but thought I should better check with others to see if there is advice, warnings, or other helpful thoughts on this subject before tearing into the project. Thanks in advance!

Yes, start from scratch. current wiring isn't recommended. need to also build some brackets for speakers in doors. Check this for details of my R&R: http://986forum.com/forums/show-tell-gallery/49259-new-986-stereo.html

I have no idea why you would want to replace speaker wire to the doors, dash or back. Just reuse. There is a large rubber gromet just to the drivers side of the battery that can be cut to route wires from the head unit to the amp. The rest of the wiring is available right at the amp so cut and splice as needed. You didn't state a budget but know that there are Pioneer speakers that will fit the door locations without modification. I'm not commenting on how the speakers sound, just know that they do exist. Search the formum and you'll find the thread.

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Don't listen to him, he is evil. YES, replace wiring. Very important to the overall sound. Stock wires are like 18 gauge! put at least 14g in there for much better bass response and overall clarity.

Just ditch all the heavy hi-fi equipment and get a Fabspeed exhaust. It is all the stereo you really need.

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NOW someone is finally making some sense! :-)

I just upgraded my system with Pioneer speakers and HU along with an iPad mini in the dash. Take a look at these two threads for specifics: iPad Mini in-dash install [996 MkII] - 6speedonline.com Forums http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/48830-ipad-mini-dash-installation.html I kept my wiring and the OEM Amp. Personally, I am very happy with the results(both budget and sound) and the new speakers blend well with my TopSpeed exhaust

I reused stock wiring with no issues at all. I also used the big rubber grommet behind the drivers side of the battery. I ran 3 pairs of RCA's no problem. I too have a thread of some pics of my install. http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/50741-changed-factory-stereo-speakers-added-subwoofer.html I changed the dash and door speakers, put in 2 amps in the frunk and a sub in the passenger's foot well. It was one of the first mod's I wanted to do to the car. My stock stereo was crap. The dash speakers were falling apart. Acutally the sound of the factory door midbass/bass wasn't that bad but since I added a sub I swapped them out for 6.5" coaxials. Planning to do the ipad mini/tablet install too. PM me if you have any questions.

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Beautiful install! I can't believe you went through all that work and retained the stock wiring tho. I will get off this soap box now, but I have done a LOT of experimenting with wires (brand, composition, and gauge), and they are VERY important to the bass response of the drivers and overall clarity of the tweets. Yes, they will probably sound fine with stock, but you have no idea what you are missing in the lower octaves! Replace the wire with some decent OFC 14g and you WILL hear the difference...

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Evil Really? You must be the guy who buys $79 HDMI cables as well. If this was a high end audio system in an neutrally acoustic room, you MAY be able to tell a difference in speaker wire or audio interconnects. No way in the Boxster. No way with a digital source. Pure BS.

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He is right. Basicially wire is wire. Companies like Monster have made millions with their marketing. I did pro audio, big concerts for years and we used plain old wire. Sure if you do lab testing, using the equivalent of an audio dyno, you will see on the scope some minor differences between plain wire and the stupidly expensive stuff. Can you hear it in a car, especially a ragtop? I doubt it. In a controlled environment with specially tuned enclosures and perfect sources and amplifiers, maybe if you have a really really good ear. For most of us, especiallly us older guys (and gals), it's just a figment of your imagination and wishfully thinking. In a blind test, highly doubtfull. Special wire is 99.8% hype Just my humble opinion and we all know what opinions are like.

No reason to get into an argument with folks that honestly don't think you can hear a difference in the gauge of wire. Fine, not my car. Leave the stock wiring. But for you to say "wire is wire" and there is "no way to hear a difference" is spewing uninformed garbage. Have you really sat down and hooked up different types of wire to compare and actually hear if there is a difference? turns out I have... You are a really big help on this forum, where people come for advice, to basically state your "opinions" without facts. thanks for posting...

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C'mon, spewing? Really? the OP did not state a bugdet in his post, therefore I, and others gave alternatives that were lower cost, such as speakers that fit without mods and leaving existing wiring in place. I made sure not to post an opinion on the 'goodness' of pioneer or any othe brand speakers. As for asking have I really sat down and hooked up different types of wire to hear a difference? The answer is yes, most likely long before your first mp3 player. I can hear, especially on the lower end with quality, larger gauge speaker wire. You can hear a slight difference in transients with high quality interconnets. In fact, I have some very nice cabling in my home system. No way you'd hear either improvement in a moving convertible. I'm sorry you think those with differnent views only state opinion while you state fact. Your install looks top notch and I have no doubt it sounds great and is a huge improvement over the factory setup. One quick question...in your thread, you listed all your components but didn't list the type and brand of cabling used for in the build. Was that simply an oversight? The fact, and not an opinion, is, not everyone wants to spend 20 or 30% of the value of their 14 year old car in a really cool stereo. More power to those that do. Spewing Evil, out.

Call me a total idiot when it comes to audio all that time I was convinced that the main feature of larger/expansive gauge cabling was focused on "professional shielding" to prevent noise, static and emi... other interferences loll Not much to do with larger/faster data xfer = better sound quality Was I wrong?

Hi Think I found the spigot looking grommet for the stereo wires but would like to make sure. Does anyone have a picture of it?? Also, does the grommet come out (easily)?? That would make tracing wires a lot easier. David

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The main "feature" of the expensive wire is higher revenues to the company selling it LOL.

Replacing the wire could definitely change the sound of the speakers depending on what you use. I just think the factory wires coming from the stock amp were decent enough to reuse. I've been doing audio for a long time and it's my profession. When I did car audio I was sponsored by both Scoche and Monster for wiring over the years. I've heard the differences. I personally think quality rca's and proper routing of the wires is more important. But that's just my opinion. Besides I was too lazy to fish 14GA through the door molex and boot.

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Quality wire will definitely help the sound quality. The rca's are ceptable to interference which can lead to engine whine through the stereo. Using proper Guage power wire is also important to the amps. For 99% of the installs on a box the amps will be in the frunk so the run isn't too long but still better to use thick power wire depending on how much power you're running. Again just my opinion. To the OP good luck with the install! The new stereo will sound better than the stock one for sure. Oh one last tip. Make sure you correctly connect the speakers polarity to your amp/head unit. You will definitely have poor bass response if you don't.

Learning everyday, my bad.. just never really bothered to search on the subject. Thanks to you guys for explaining I'm with the majority listening to the rev of the flat6, in my case my my 2-stroke sounding 2.5L and dronny NHP performance headers right behind me, but I admit there are moments when I would PAY-A-LOT to be able to get a 'punchy' audio system rockin in the boxster. Those are all great write-up. I think audio will be included in my 2014 Mods to Do

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I don't have a picture but if you are at the front of your car looking toward the windshield, it is a black rubber disc about 4"in diameter, just to the drivers side of the battery. In the interior, is is almost directly above the gas pedal. You don't have to take it out, just cut an "X" slit in the disc to slip your wiring through. The disc cuts easily.