986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post - Building a high-end audio system for top sound quality in the Boxster

newBgeek · 12-23-2015, 10:28 PM

I chose the Alpine MRV-F300 4-channel amp for it's flexible configurations and small size, so that it will fit beside the existing factory amp. My plan was to bridge the Alpine to power the component set at 150W per channel, and use the factory amp at 40W per channel to power the dash speakers.

While there are slight differences in sound quality between different amplifiers, I personally wouldn't worry about it, just buy a quality brand and as much power as you can afford while still fitting in the space that you have available. And avoid buying amps that are designed for subwoofers to drive your component speakers.

For the head-unit, I chose the Pioneer DEH-X8700BS for it's ability to play FLAC files and HD radio. Call me old school, but I still wanted a CD player as well. I also like how quickly Pioneer seems to connect to Bluetooth devices.

Here is the wiring run for the RCA cables and speaker wires for the tweeters, into the very convenient grommet behind the battery, all nicely loomed.

Here is the finished install of the amp and crossovers. I pulled the door wires from the factory amp harness using suitable sized drill bits to push the pins out and wired the door speakers up front. The tweeter speaker wires were sent to the cabin in the loom. I used a dremel to open up some space to sneak the wiring through the plastic case behind the spare tire, and up through another grommet behind the amp where there is a convenient grounding bolt for the amp ground. I used some left-over 8-gauge power wire from my car audio days to wire the power for the amp and a 40-amp in-line fuse that is connected close to the battery.

With the spare tire in place, there is zero loss of storage space, and no lost space in the passenger compartment. So there is no compromise in driving pleasure or usability.

12-23-2015, 10:28 PM	#4
newBgeek Registered User Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Canada Posts: 91	Amp and Head-Unit Selection I chose the Alpine MRV-F300 4-channel amp for it's flexible configurations and small size, so that it will fit beside the existing factory amp. My plan was to bridge the Alpine to power the component set at 150W per channel, and use the factory amp at 40W per channel to power the dash speakers. While there are slight differences in sound quality between different amplifiers, I personally wouldn't worry about it, just buy a quality brand and as much power as you can afford while still fitting in the space that you have available. And avoid buying amps that are designed for subwoofers to drive your component speakers. For the head-unit, I chose the Pioneer DEH-X8700BS for it's ability to play FLAC files and HD radio. Call me old school, but I still wanted a CD player as well. I also like how quickly Pioneer seems to connect to Bluetooth devices. Here is the wiring run for the RCA cables and speaker wires for the tweeters, into the very convenient grommet behind the battery, all nicely loomed. Here is the finished install of the amp and crossovers. I pulled the door wires from the factory amp harness using suitable sized drill bits to push the pins out and wired the door speakers up front. The tweeter speaker wires were sent to the cabin in the loom. I used a dremel to open up some space to sneak the wiring through the plastic case behind the spare tire, and up through another grommet behind the amp where there is a convenient grounding bolt for the amp ground. I used some left-over 8-gauge power wire from my car audio days to wire the power for the amp and a 40-amp in-line fuse that is connected close to the battery. With the spare tire in place, there is zero loss of storage space, and no lost space in the passenger compartment. So there is no compromise in driving pleasure or usability. Last edited by newBgeek; 12-23-2015 at 10:45 PM.