[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

The thread from last week about the PnP rear spkrs got me thinking about replacing my OEM 3.5s. But before I go out and buy 4 spkrs that are wrong for my setup, I thought I better do some research. This has raised some questions and who better to ask than the experts?...
As always, thanks for you input.

Terry

Hi,

You fail to mention model year and whether or not you have the Bose system. Assuming you have the standard system, here goes:

• 1. For model year '97-'02, in both the Basic setup - M441 (two dash mounted speakers only), and the M490 option (6 speakers, incl. door speakers), the radio's amplifier itself powers the rear speakers while the external Amplifier powers the Dash and Door speakers (M490 only).
  
  But, for '03 and up m.y., the radio powers the rear speakers for the M441 option, but, the rear speakers plug into the external amplifier if you have the M490 option. All the Door speakers are wired to the Ext. Amplifier.
  
  2. For speaker wiring, you add the specified speaker impedence if you wire them in Series (so two 4 Ohm speakers wired in series = 8 Ohms total impedence).
  
  If wired in Parallel, you divide the impedence of a single speaker by the total number of speakers paralleled together (so wiring four 8 Ohm speakers in parallel = 2 Ohms total impedence ). See Diagram below for a visual example.
  
  3. If you use speakers with a minimum power rating which is higher than the radio output, the speakers will not have a very good volume, or gain, and the voice coils in the speakers themselves will wear out much sooner.
  
  4. This is always a leap of faith, whether buying off a list or from a Stereo Store. Each speaker will sound differently in a different environment. The store is not your car, and someone else's Accura is not your Boxster. That said, you'll get the best idea by hearing them in person at a stereo shop.
  
  But, the Speakers are literally the business end of any system - they're what actually makes the sound, so you don't necessarily want to scrimp here, buy the best you can afford. Boston Accoustics, MB Quart, Focal, JL Audio are the high-end products and are usually low-impedence speakers. Find the ones you like at a retailer and sample them in person, then shop them online to get the best price over retail.

Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99