Hi,
I don't post often but use the site a lot as a resource. Hopefully the below can help someone. I have upgraded / simplified the OEM sound system in my 996 with a Sony headunit, without messing with the cars existing wiring loom.
My car came with factory 6 speaker upgrade (option 490?), 2 dash speakers, 2 rear speakers, 2 door subwoofers, 6x40W amplifier. When I purchased the car the factory headunit had been swapped out for Alpine unit and didn't sound great. I'm not even sure it was wired properly.
What I decided to do in an attempt to upgrade ancient kit and simplify things, was remove CD changer and boot mounted amplifier, and install new Sony MEX-GS820BT headunit with built in 4x100w amplifier, running OEM speakers.
From all I read on the internet this would likely sound rubbish, however what was clear to me even as someone who had absolutely no experience on car ICE installs was that certainly a few people seem to be running the door subwoofers as standard speakers, in line with dash or rears. Not good to run different impedance / frequency speakers on same channel from what I can gather.
Front Nokia speakers and rear are impedance 4ohms each. Door subwoofers are 2ohms each.
The car has the usual Nokia connectors for amplifier and I did a bit of digging and found out that not only Porsche used these on 993 / 996, but BMW as well. I bought a cheap Boxster 4 channel amplifier first to try and rob the connector I needed but it did not work (the connector is hard mounted to amplifier PCB). What it did teach me is the connectors were the same, and only differ by location of plastic tabs on them (they are keyed basically).
I did not want to cut the factory wiring loom so bought a Connects2 CT10BM04 wiring loom which looking at photos was only thing that had the Nokia connector I needed with wires in the back. I cut this loom in half, stuck the Nokia connector in the front boot. Halfords premium speaker wire was run the same route as the amplifier / CD cabling, through the bulkhead of the car behind the battery. Headunit is now wired direct to car speakers.
How did I turn 6 channels into a 4 channel system? Sony make these headunits with this in mind, so now I run 3 channels - 1 front channel for FL / RL speakers in series (8ohms total), 1 front channel for FR / RR in series (8 ohms total), 1 rear channel for both subwoofers in series (4 ohms total). Car wiring is unaltered and all bridging of speakers done at the Nokia connector wiring, hidden out of sight behind carpet when I get a chance to tidy up.
Once powered up I made sure to set the door subwoofers as subwoofers and tweaked the frequency cut offs by just playing around. Sounds really good to my ears, surprisingly so actually and decent clean punch from the door speakers. I've got Harman Kardon OEM system in one of my other cars and this does not sound bad at all. Headunit matches interior too (can customise colours) and dims when car lights switched on etc.
Would be a good upgrade for people with the basic dash / rear speaker sound system also - easy to add subwoofer etc. Only downside is no DAB. Sony actually do another model, the DSX-GS80 with no CD.
[/quote]
I don't post often but use the site a lot as a resource. Hopefully the below can help someone. I have upgraded / simplified the OEM sound system in my 996 with a Sony headunit, without messing with the cars existing wiring loom.
My car came with factory 6 speaker upgrade (option 490?), 2 dash speakers, 2 rear speakers, 2 door subwoofers, 6x40W amplifier. When I purchased the car the factory headunit had been swapped out for Alpine unit and didn't sound great. I'm not even sure it was wired properly.
What I decided to do in an attempt to upgrade ancient kit and simplify things, was remove CD changer and boot mounted amplifier, and install new Sony MEX-GS820BT headunit with built in 4x100w amplifier, running OEM speakers.
From all I read on the internet this would likely sound rubbish, however what was clear to me even as someone who had absolutely no experience on car ICE installs was that certainly a few people seem to be running the door subwoofers as standard speakers, in line with dash or rears. Not good to run different impedance / frequency speakers on same channel from what I can gather.
Front Nokia speakers and rear are impedance 4ohms each. Door subwoofers are 2ohms each.
The car has the usual Nokia connectors for amplifier and I did a bit of digging and found out that not only Porsche used these on 993 / 996, but BMW as well. I bought a cheap Boxster 4 channel amplifier first to try and rob the connector I needed but it did not work (the connector is hard mounted to amplifier PCB). What it did teach me is the connectors were the same, and only differ by location of plastic tabs on them (they are keyed basically).
I did not want to cut the factory wiring loom so bought a Connects2 CT10BM04 wiring loom which looking at photos was only thing that had the Nokia connector I needed with wires in the back. I cut this loom in half, stuck the Nokia connector in the front boot. Halfords premium speaker wire was run the same route as the amplifier / CD cabling, through the bulkhead of the car behind the battery. Headunit is now wired direct to car speakers.
How did I turn 6 channels into a 4 channel system? Sony make these headunits with this in mind, so now I run 3 channels - 1 front channel for FL / RL speakers in series (8ohms total), 1 front channel for FR / RR in series (8 ohms total), 1 rear channel for both subwoofers in series (4 ohms total). Car wiring is unaltered and all bridging of speakers done at the Nokia connector wiring, hidden out of sight behind carpet when I get a chance to tidy up.
Once powered up I made sure to set the door subwoofers as subwoofers and tweaked the frequency cut offs by just playing around. Sounds really good to my ears, surprisingly so actually and decent clean punch from the door speakers. I've got Harman Kardon OEM system in one of my other cars and this does not sound bad at all. Headunit matches interior too (can customise colours) and dims when car lights switched on etc.
Would be a good upgrade for people with the basic dash / rear speaker sound system also - easy to add subwoofer etc. Only downside is no DAB. Sony actually do another model, the DSX-GS80 with no CD.
