Possible to install rear speakers? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

This may sound very foolish, as the answer may be very obvious but I've read conflicting information on various websites, so I'm looking for a straight answer. I'm looking to install rear speakers in my 2001 Boxster S. It has a CDR-220 radio unit, and the storage unit with slots where the rear speakers could be installed. I've seen instruction guides on how to upgrade or modify an existing speaker unit, but none on converting a non-speaker unit to a speaker unit. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance!

The Euro Motorspeed kit is really good and well documented. Having completed this myself, it certainly looks good and is fairly easy to install. https://www.facebook.com/EuroMotorspeed/posts/623788630993560

Thanks for the very quick reply! I'm going to send them an email, thank you!

Porsche used to sell a kit for dealers to install the factory rear speakers. Pelican Parts has a how-to article on it here . My 2003 S came with only dash speakers, I bought the Porsche kit and used the Pelican article to do it myself on a Saturday.

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I already had the factory rear speakers but used EuroMotorspeed's brackets to upgrade to the larger Pioneer speakers. The brackets are excellent quality.

If you have option M490 (subwoofers in doors) the best way to do this is to replace your 4x40 amp with a 6x40 amp from a 996/911 cabrio and connect the rear speakers to the amp ... rather than directly to your CDR radio.

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I bought the rear speaker box and the Euro kit with pre-installed Pioneer speakers. I highly recommend them. The sound is night and day better with the rear speakers.

I know this is an older post, but I need some assistance. About to install rear speakers on 2002 Boxster w/cdr 220 and 4 channel amp. Don't want to mess w/any wiring. Is it OK to install directly to HU? that way there is no running thru firewalls, tapping into existing wiring? (I'm recreating the OEM wire harness with ISO female adapter to fit in HU, and running wiring under center console (single 4 conductor wire. Thx in advance for responses.

Can you? Yes. Ok to? Yes. Recommended? Not so much. Why? The OEM h/u is only 18W (maybe 20W) per channel versus amp @ 40W. So you will have an automatic imbalance there... The imbalance is fine electrical-wise but effectiveness of your rear speakers (which candidly is already low w/ 2.5-3" drivers) will be greatly reduced assuming equal sensitivity, etc. Running wires from rear to up to the dash is the harder part. Thru the firewall to amp is a piece of cake - the grommet is there just a quick "x" cut w/ a utility knife. Suggest you either find a 6x40W amp from a 996 or one from another 986. From there it's a quick drop in. Otherwise, replace w/ an aftermkt amp (my recommendation - though OEM will be sufficient)... (If you haven't already, replace the garbage component speakers Porsche stuffed in the dash.) You're doing all the hard stuff to make audio system a much better sound stage... don't cut an easy corner as it's effectiveness is equally if not more important (and you'll most likely double back later and correct...). Good luck

Thanks for the quick response, Burg Boxster. Going to look at OEM 6 ch and aftermarket. Guess have to find a wiring loom for it (I hate having to tap or splice into wiring.

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If you have a 4 channel M490 Nokia/Haes amp no need to cut wiring. get a 996 Cabriolet 6 channel amp blue connector, trim off the key tab on the amp and use your 4 channel wiring harness plugs right in. If you order the rear speaker kit let them know you have the amp and he will add in the wiring to reach the amp with pins. You have to insert the pins into the factory wiring harness. I don't have my wiring diagram available at the moment, but its available on google. There is a good tutorial on reenlist I believe with picture of the tab to cut off and the pin positions. I have a kit but have gone a different route so have not installed it, not sure I will.

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Why? Wiring is same - even connector. Look at your existing amp plug and you'll see there are [at least] 4 open pin locations for to accommodate leads for rear speakers. You just run the leads from your rear speaker [kit] to the amp. Slide the pins to correct location in harness (5/15 and 6/16 are for rears but order depends on if 996 or 986 amp as I recall). Then drop in 6x40W amp to exact same location (it's identically sized as 4x40) and Boom - Bob's your uncle! Good luck

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The connector on the 996 amp i bought wouldnt slide on but found another diy post shows to trim the tab. I bought one with the blue conn3ctor i think. But as mentioned the pin outs all same. I followed this install string https://www.renntech.org/forums/topic/45945-6x40w-amplifier-install-question-what-is-the-pinout-for-996645301/

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Correct, I had forgotten about that minor nuance. A 996 amp needs to have a tab easily trimmed but once done it accepts the 986 harness no problem.

only minor problem i had i didnt know how the plug connectors worked, otherwise easy job. I am now changing to a Alpine pdx v9 and pioneer head unit hertz speakers. Big contrast in install ease