Building a high-end audio system for top sound quality in the Boxster

[Prelude Guy]

Awesome write-up!

I am an audiophile as well. I have always enjoyed creating SQ setups in my car. Before the Internet, I used to build the best system I could with popular name-brand products. Now that the Internet has allowed us to research lesser-known brands that are higher-end, the experience is even better.

I just recently built a system in my 1997 Accord wagon. It was some-what of a budget-build but I was looking to try new products. Given the low front speaker location in the front doors, it was hard to get a good-sounding speaker. I was introduced to Focal so I tried them. They are coaxial speakers. I was still blown away by them!

Ill definitely check out Hertz!

Do you think a custom box for a small sub like a Kicker 40CWRT672 or JL Audio 6W3v3-4 could work in the passenger side footwell under the "glove box"?

I wish I could hear your setup.

Keep the updates coming!!

[newBgeek]

Originally Posted by Prelude Guy

Awesome write-up!

I am an audiophile as well. I have always enjoyed creating SQ setups in my car. Before the Internet, I used to build the best system I could with popular name-brand products. Now that the Internet has allowed us to research lesser-known brands that are higher-end, the experience is even better.

I just recently built a system in my 1997 Accord wagon. It was some-what of a budget-build but I was looking to try new products. Given the low front speaker location in the front doors, it was hard to get a good-sounding speaker. I was introduced to Focal so I tried them. They are coaxial speakers. I was still blown away by them!

Ill definitely check out Hertz!

Do you think a custom box for a small sub like a Kicker 40CWRT672 or JL Audio 6W3v3-4 could work in the passenger side footwell under the "glove box"?

I wish I could hear your setup.

Keep the updates coming!!

I wouldn't really consider myself an Audiophile. Maybe an audio enthusiast of perhaps audio realist? I'd take solid state over tube any day and I believe a skilled producer will do far more for sound quality than whether it was recorded in 16 or 24 bit. In other words, let your ears be the judge.

While it is amazing how a clean bottom octave can transform a car audio system, I don't think you can get there with a compact sub without serious intrusion. In the words of Scotty, "I can't change the laws of physics!" In order to get clean, deep bass, you really need to be able to move a lot of air, which means a lot of area, a stiff cone, a very long throw, and a big strong magnet and voice coil for precise cone control. I would say that even 1" of lost leg room would be too much of a compromise, since we buy these cars for driving pleasure above all else, and the leg room is tight as it is.

That said, the bass from the stock sub enclosures is pretty darn good, clean and well controlled, and that's either from the stock subs (note that I had the enhanced audio with the larger sub enclosures) or the upgraded components woofer that I replaced it with. It's not a boom car by any means, and I personally am not interested in boom cars, and this from a guy who used to have a 15" sub with a 20 lb magnet in the hatch!

[newBgeek]

As a teenager, my first car was a beat up station wagon that I picked up for a few hundred bucks. I was an audio enthusiast even back then, so I did my best with what little funds I had. I put a couple of Radio Shack Minimus-7 speakers (very well rated compact speakers back then) and screwed them to the roof by the tailgate. I had an old home-made house speaker with a blown midrange and tweeter, but a working 12" woofer and threw that in the back to use as a sub. Bought a cheap amp and threw that into the spare tire well. What I got was simply outstanding! Amazing sound quality that would blow away most car systems even today. So what did I learn from that experience? Just carry house speakers in your car!

But seriously, when you think about it, if you took the compact speakers that you listen to at home and shrunk your listening room, all of a sudden those small speakers that sounded OK in a large room will sound a lot better in a much smaller room, because of the smaller space you need to fill. Bass response improves, and the energy level of the speakers is much higher. If you took high-end bookshelf speakers, and put them in a small, carpeted listening room, they would sound fantastic. When you look at what I did with the Boxster, they are basically sealed bookshelf speakers turned on their side.

As far as tweeter placement, what I always do is to put the tweeters on extra long wires before I install them, then use double-sided tape to stick them in various locations and do very careful listening tests. I believe the spot that I picked is the best location because you get the greatest distance and minimize the delta between the left and right tweeters, improving imaging. It also helps to surround tweeters with carpeting for a slightly cleaner sound. But listen for yourself and stick them wherever you want.

[TrumpyAl]

Originally Posted by newBgeek

stick them wherever you want.

Personally, I'd have made a very specific suggestion where

Thanks for the write up, a very welcome one with some useful information.