Audio Ground Wires

[b19upj]

Hi,
I am looking to install a new stereo in my 01 Boxster, but the Yellow AMP connector has a common ground (5 wires for 4 speakers) and my new stereo has (what i have learnt is called) a floating ground (8 wires for 4 speakers).
How do i connect them together/install the new stereo?
Thanks

[JayG]

tie all the grounds together

[Qmulus]

Which yellow AMP connector are you referring to? What you describe sounds like the preamp signal to the amplifier. You should be connecting low level, preamp outputs from the radio to this. If the radio does not have preamp outputs, you will need to either bypass the Porsche factory amp, and run the radio outputs directly to the speakers (not a big deal, and pretty common on these cars) or use a level converter. IME, those do not work well. You CANNOT connect speaker outputs directly to preamp connections on the amplifier. Well, you can, but you will likely damage the radio and/or amplifier. It definitely will not work properly.

What model radio are you attempting to install?

[secrethandshake]

Originally Posted by Qmulus

Which yellow AMP connector are you referring to? What you describe sounds like the preamp signal to the amplifier. You should be connecting low level, preamp outputs from the radio to this. If the radio does not have preamp outputs, you will need to either bypass the Porsche factory amp, and run the radio outputs directly to the speakers (not a big deal, and pretty common on these cars) or use a level converter. IME, those do not work well. You CANNOT connect speaker outputs directly to preamp connections on the amplifier. Well, you can, but you will likely damage the radio and/or amplifier. It definitely will not work properly.

What model radio are you attempting to install?

Hi, I have a similar situation as well. To clarify here, To bypass the factory amp, will i have to run totally separate (new) wires direct to the speakers? thanks

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by secrethandshake

Hi, I have a similar situation as well. To clarify here, To bypass the factory amp, will i have to run totally separate (new) wires direct to the speakers? thanks

Originally Posted by particlewave

The 986 uses a common ground for the speakers on the OEM HU, whilst most aftermarket HUs will use a push-pull circuit. The "adapter" is a floating ground adapter and also degrades sound a bit.
The absolute best route would be to run new dedicated negative wires (not really negative, but for the sake of clarity) for each speaker from the new HU to the output neg wires at the amp (after its gone). The car has dedicated negative speaker wires from the amp to speakers, just not from HU to amp.
This is what I did.

Originally Posted by particlewave

Up to 2000 models only

Front Right
+ {Violet with Red stripe} to {Red}
- (Common) {Brown with Black stripe} to {Red with Brown stripe}

Front Left
+ {Green with Red stripe} to {Yellow}
- (Common) {Brown with Black stripe} to {Yellow with Brown stripe}

Door Right
+ {Red with Black stripe} to {Violet}
- (Common) {Brown with Black stripe} to {Brown with Violet stripe}

Door Left
+ {Yellow with Red stripe} to {Green}
- (Common) {Brown with Black stripe} to {Brown with Green stripe}

If everything works, then you can then toss the stock amp.

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