944 Speakers - Advice Needed
Discussion
Spent a couple of hours fitting a new stereo to my 944 turbo the other night (the previous head unit used a different socket to the new Sony DAB unit so we had to test all the wires to work out what they did 
) and found that not only was the front passenger side speaker blown but both the rears were not working at all.
Are the front speakers easy to get hold and if so where from? Or would I be better upgrading, in which case what with (something that will fit in the rectangular space)?
Would I be correct in thinking that, in order to replace the rears, I will have to take the windows out to remove the trim?
Any help would be most appreciated.
Cheers
Chris
) and found that not only was the front passenger side speaker blown but both the rears were not working at all. Are the front speakers easy to get hold and if so where from? Or would I be better upgrading, in which case what with (something that will fit in the rectangular space)?
Would I be correct in thinking that, in order to replace the rears, I will have to take the windows out to remove the trim?
Any help would be most appreciated.
Cheers
Chris
I think kenwoods or Infinity do good ones for the fronts, you have to be careful of depth as otherwise it wont fit. (I have Kenwoods and previous S2 had infinitys, I think i prefererred the later as slightly crisper)They need to be 6x4 and I think 52 or 53mm deep max, but wait for someone to confirm that. If you have a cab i believe you can get away with a bit deeper.
I have saved 2 emails from the titanic list, credit goes to the authors whoese email I removed for privacy reasons, pretty sure both post here so pipe up for your credit ;-)
the rears
(Rear Speakers) Did this and documented the install:
* Original Post on Rennlist
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums
* Article by Rennlist member
http://home.nycap.rr.com/projecthulig
Incidentally I made an adapter which fitted in the same place as the
original speakers but allowed fitment of a standard 6.5" 3-way speaker
(great sound).
It is much easier than you think, I recommend removing the rear windows
which is very easy when you have an assistant and patience. I used some
plastic coated clothes line to replace the window in the frame and now you
wouldn't even know by looking that the speakers have been replaced.....
until that is you turn the stereo on
and the wiring:
Moving on, and maybe of assistance to some of you in the future...
Red/White wires (which were joined, and looks like a factory crimp, are +12v when you put a decent fuse in fuse holder 39!
Grey is +12v with ignition
Blue, I still do not have a clue
Front Left - White and Brown/White
Front Right - Black and Brown/Black
Rear Left - Yellow and Brown/Yellow
Rear Right - Red and Brown/Red
Curiously, the wire colours in the drivers door are not the same as at the head unit, but are correct according to the Porsche Manual...so it looks almost like the loom changes colour one end to the other, just so they can call drivers side white irrespective of left hand or right hand drive?!? I'm sure there is a logical explanation, but as my system now appears to be functioning correctly without the sticky tape and string, I can't be bothered to go looking any further.
I have saved 2 emails from the titanic list, credit goes to the authors whoese email I removed for privacy reasons, pretty sure both post here so pipe up for your credit ;-)
the rears
(Rear Speakers) Did this and documented the install:
* Original Post on Rennlist
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums
* Article by Rennlist member
http://home.nycap.rr.com/projecthulig
Incidentally I made an adapter which fitted in the same place as the
original speakers but allowed fitment of a standard 6.5" 3-way speaker
(great sound).
It is much easier than you think, I recommend removing the rear windows
which is very easy when you have an assistant and patience. I used some
plastic coated clothes line to replace the window in the frame and now you
wouldn't even know by looking that the speakers have been replaced.....
until that is you turn the stereo on
and the wiring:
Moving on, and maybe of assistance to some of you in the future...
Red/White wires (which were joined, and looks like a factory crimp, are +12v when you put a decent fuse in fuse holder 39!
Grey is +12v with ignition
Blue, I still do not have a clue
Front Left - White and Brown/White
Front Right - Black and Brown/Black
Rear Left - Yellow and Brown/Yellow
Rear Right - Red and Brown/Red
Curiously, the wire colours in the drivers door are not the same as at the head unit, but are correct according to the Porsche Manual...so it looks almost like the loom changes colour one end to the other, just so they can call drivers side white irrespective of left hand or right hand drive?!? I'm sure there is a logical explanation, but as my system now appears to be functioning correctly without the sticky tape and string, I can't be bothered to go looking any further.
I had a 944 S2 with the 10 speaker factory option.
The front speakers were component and could be unscrewed and replaced. They were standard sizes. You just need to take off the door card.
That may be the case with yours?
As for the back speakers, I'm not too sure, I never replaced them. I do recall hearing something about removing the rear quarter windscreens
Tom
The front speakers were component and could be unscrewed and replaced. They were standard sizes. You just need to take off the door card.
That may be the case with yours?
As for the back speakers, I'm not too sure, I never replaced them. I do recall hearing something about removing the rear quarter windscreens
Tom
I had a 924, and found it was easy to fit sony think they were 6.5" in the front doors, they were the standard size anyway, not the diddy ones, but only sony's would fit as they are very slim and did not foul the window regulators from memory.
In the rear you can fit anything from components to 6 x 9 I just made an adaptor plate up and fitted round speakers again as they are little oblong ones that are quite poor.
You can get the cover off without taking the window out.
Option 1 if fitting the same speaker as fitted, and you have small hands and are quite flexible you can take all the screws out and hinge the panel up enough to change the speaker, but this wont work if any fitting work has to be done then you need to :
With a scredriver and a scalpel / stanley Knife, ease the rubber up and cut the trim panel as far up the flange as you can, all the way along the panel length, this is covered by the rubber, and if you cut it far enough up it will trap it again when you push it back under the rubber, when you refit use a bit of impact adhesive on the back of the panel.
Not an ideal solotion but worked perfectly in mine, and a lot easier than removing windows.
In the rear you can fit anything from components to 6 x 9 I just made an adaptor plate up and fitted round speakers again as they are little oblong ones that are quite poor.
You can get the cover off without taking the window out.
Option 1 if fitting the same speaker as fitted, and you have small hands and are quite flexible you can take all the screws out and hinge the panel up enough to change the speaker, but this wont work if any fitting work has to be done then you need to :
With a scredriver and a scalpel / stanley Knife, ease the rubber up and cut the trim panel as far up the flange as you can, all the way along the panel length, this is covered by the rubber, and if you cut it far enough up it will trap it again when you push it back under the rubber, when you refit use a bit of impact adhesive on the back of the panel.
Not an ideal solotion but worked perfectly in mine, and a lot easier than removing windows.
AS mentioned, do you have the 10 speaker option?
If not, the fronts are 6"x4". There has been some discussion about maximum depth, but having just changed mine it looked like there was lots of room there.
I fitted a pair of Alpine 6x4's which I have had knocking around for a while, and they sound (a little) better than the paper affairs that were in there before. However, the bigger improvement will be with more power ... I plan to fit a small amp somewhere in the car, which will make a much bigger difference than better speakers.
(Note - as a rule in car hifi, the biggest improvement you can make to a standard set-up is to add a small amp, as the biggest weakness is lack of power. I have heard cars which sounded truly amazing, using the stock speakers with a bit more amplification and a small subwoofer, and some careful setting-up.)
Oli.
If not, the fronts are 6"x4". There has been some discussion about maximum depth, but having just changed mine it looked like there was lots of room there.
I fitted a pair of Alpine 6x4's which I have had knocking around for a while, and they sound (a little) better than the paper affairs that were in there before. However, the bigger improvement will be with more power ... I plan to fit a small amp somewhere in the car, which will make a much bigger difference than better speakers.
(Note - as a rule in car hifi, the biggest improvement you can make to a standard set-up is to add a small amp, as the biggest weakness is lack of power. I have heard cars which sounded truly amazing, using the stock speakers with a bit more amplification and a small subwoofer, and some careful setting-up.)
Oli.
ripton said:The 10-speaker option meant that you had a long black mesh grille along the bottom of the front doors, and no door pockets. Standard arrangement was a single small speaker very close to the hinge end of the doors. The 10-speaker option means that the rears had a larger mesh grille as well, whereas the normal arrangement just had a circular pattern of holes in the trim with a single speaker behind.
As far as I am aware I've got 4 speakers - 2 in the doors and two in the panels below the rear quarters. If I had more, where would I find them?
ripton said:No. Common misconception. You can use a much more powerful amplifier with lower powered speakers. BTW, you can ignore the power output of any head unit - they are universally low. (This sounds very broad-brush, but is always true. Power outputs from head units are always quoted as maximum power, not RMS power, which is about half the maximum output. Head unit figures as quotes usually double it again, for good measure.)
I assume the power rating of any speaker I use will be dictated by the output of the head unit(a Sony CDX-DAB6650 with 4 x 52w) ?
This sounds like I am pushing you down a slippery slope to a boot full of bass boxes. I'm not. But, I garuntee you, if you buy a small amplifier from someone like Alpine, Rockford Fosgate or Phoenix Gold, and wire it in properly, you will not believe the difference it makes. You don't need to be a chav to like in-car HiFi, and you don't need to listen to loud music to enjoy it either. (I'm a long way the wrong side of 30, and a management consultant, but believe you me, Bach sounds a billion times better on a decent system than it does on a standard one!)
Oli.
zcacogp said:
As far as I am aware I've got 4 speakers - 2 in the doors and two in the panels below the rear quarters. If I had more, where would I find them? ripton said:No. Common misconception. You can use a much more powerful amplifier with lower powered speakers. BTW, you can ignore the power output of any head unit - they are universally low. (This sounds very broad-brush, but is always true. Power outputs from head units are always quoted as maximum power, not RMS power, which is about half the maximum output. Head unit figures as quotes usually double it again, for good measure.)
I assume the power rating of any speaker I use will be dictated by the output of the head unit(a Sony CDX-DAB6650 with 4 x 52w) ?
This sounds like I am pushing you down a slippery slope to a boot full of bass boxes. I'm not. But, I garuntee you, if you buy a small amplifier from someone like Alpine, Rockford Fosgate or Phoenix Gold, and wire it in properly, you will not believe the difference it makes. You don't need to be a chav to like in-car HiFi, and you don't need to listen to loud music to enjoy it either. (I'm a long way the wrong side of 30, and a management consultant, but believe you me, Bach sounds a billion times better on a decent system than it does on a standard one!)
Oli.
Sounds like I don't have the 10 speaker version - I've got a door pocket (my son stood on the other one - part of the lightening programme
). The question about output was without amps in mind but I think I will go down that route (a mate - who supplied the technical expertise for wiring in the head unit - has a garage full of amps and things from his doof doof joof).
What's wrong with a boot full of bass boxes - I suspect it'll be cheaper than replacing the boot cover
Cheers for the advice.
Chris
Too grippy, it probably needs a new clutch at least and maybe a new turbo to overcome that. Which is a slippery slope in itself - new clutch means I can have more power, new turbo will give me that but benefit from chips MAF's etc, more power needs bigger brakes and new suspension, shame to have great performance with such a shabby shell so I'd better paint it and while I'm at I'll get the carpets replaced. Wow those alloys look a bit knackered what about some black BBS 3 piece jobs with shiny rims......................
Mrs Ripton "I thought this was suposed to be cheap car to get you to the station"
Me "It still cheaper than the rate at which you are depreciating yours by bumping things"
Mrs Ripton "I thought this was suposed to be cheap car to get you to the station"
Me "It still cheaper than the rate at which you are depreciating yours by bumping things"
zcacogp said:
As far as I am aware I've got 4 speakers - 2 in the doors and two in the panels below the rear quarters. If I had more, where would I find them?
Oli.
Cool so I have got the ten speaker upgrade then! It is shame that 16 years of use mean that they are so tired that they stall at anything above a quiet setting.
Studog said:10 speakers - sure. Not sure whether they were actually any good or not. The standard 4-speaker ones were cheap paper affairs (made by blaupunkt).
Cool so I have got the ten speaker upgrade then! It is shame that 16 years of use mean that they are so tired that they stall at anything above a quiet setting.
Also bear in mind that speaker technology 20 years ago was not what it is now.
I'd bet that some good 6x4's in the standard positions in a 4-speaker car will sound much better than the 10 old speakers.
Oli.
Quick update to this thread, more for the PH archive should anyone be looking years from now ...
I fitted a very small amplifier (£18 on eBay) in the rear floor-well, hooked up to the old Alpine speakers I had knocking around (now installed in the doors), and it sounds very, very much better than it did before. Really quite good, in fact!
A recommended modification for just about any car, IMHO, for anyone who listens to anything other than talk radio.
Oli.
I fitted a very small amplifier (£18 on eBay) in the rear floor-well, hooked up to the old Alpine speakers I had knocking around (now installed in the doors), and it sounds very, very much better than it did before. Really quite good, in fact!
A recommended modification for just about any car, IMHO, for anyone who listens to anything other than talk radio.
Oli.
Useful info Oli - two questions spring to mind.
Won't the amp get ruined when the passengers in the rear seats stand on it? How easy was it to hide the wiring, I assume you lifted the carpets?
Unrelated to the amp question - Mattsleight mentioned using washing line in the re-installations of the rear windows. How is this done?
Chris
>> Edited by ripton on Tuesday 16th May 14:12
Won't the amp get ruined when the passengers in the rear seats stand on it? How easy was it to hide the wiring, I assume you lifted the carpets?
Unrelated to the amp question - Mattsleight mentioned using washing line in the re-installations of the rear windows. How is this done?
Chris
>> Edited by ripton on Tuesday 16th May 14:12
ripton said:Not in the back seat wells, sorry. It's in the right hand well in the side of the boot floor - other side to the battery. A fiddle to fit, but OK once in.
Won't the amp get ruined when the passengers in the rear seats stand on it?
ripton said:Yes, lifted carpets and dragged the wire through. Not a great game to play - the back of the carpets has a nasty rough backing, so putting your hands behind rubs a fair amount of skin off.
How easy was it to hide the wiring, I assume you lifted the carpets?
But well worth the effort. Mrs zcacogp spontaneously commented "That sounds much better - a much 'bigger' sound", as soon as I turned it on. She's about right - not more bassy, not more treble-y. Just ... more.
Oli.
zcacogp said:Wasn't being serious on that one, there isn't enough room for adults in the back
Won't the amp get ruined when the passengers in the rear seats stand on it?
What did you mount the amp on?
Chris
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