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KevinH1990 · 05-21-2022, 08:02 PM

I had several higher priorities and I wasn't able to find time to work on my speaker upgrade. I note that it has been over a year since I last commented on this topic.

I had an issue with the passenger door handle microswitch which required that I remove the door panel. Because I had the door panel off, I took advantage of the synergy and plunged into the door speaker project.

Several months ago, I purchased two of these woofers from Parts Express: https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-DC160-4-6-1-2-Classic-Woofer-Speaker-295-309

I understood that the impedance of this speaker is nominally 4 ohms, but it was the closest I could find to the 2-ohm impedance of the OEM door speaker. I'm using the two door speaker channels on a 6 X 40 watt Haes amp from a 996 Cabriolet to provide power. I may eventually add an amp to provide more power. The Haes amp provides only low frequencies to the door speakers, but I'm not sure of the range. I expect that the range is different from that provided by the subwoofer output on my double din head unit.

The biggest challenges I faced were fitting the speaker in the enclosure that holds the OEM speaker and then fitting that assembly under the door panel. There are videos on YouTube that provide suggestions. However, each speaker is slightly different and the "YouTube" method didn't work for me. The "YouTube" video involved cutting the top off of part of the speaker enclosure to make room for a larger speaker.

After removing the top of the enclosure, the method called for mounting the speaker on a piece of MDF (medium density fiberboard.) Unfortunately, this process created a part that was too big to fit under the door panel:

After some futile attempts at adjusting the fit, I contacted a mobile stereo installation technician and requested assistance. The technician used what appeared to be a grinding stone that attached to his electric drill to whittle away part of the enclosure. This allowed the enclosure to accept the speaker without totally removing the top. He sandwiched a piece of adhesive-backed foam between the speaker and the enclosure for a tight fit. The resulting assembly was just small enough to fit under the door panel:

I expect that you are wondering whether I am pleased with the results. Based on the difference in size and a comparison of the build quality, the new speakers look like they should sound better.

Appearance is not the most important factor in audio. Sound quality is what matters. Obviously, I cannot do an A-B test and alternate between listening to the new speakers and the OEM speakers. My impression is that I have significantly better bass response, but it is not as good as my other car which has an 8-inch subwoofer installed in the shelf behind the rear seat.

I'm glad I finally completed my speaker upgrade, but I'm disappointed that I needed to call on a pro for assistance. (It also cost me $80 and the technician and I had difficulty meshing our schedules which was inconvenient.) I will use my new speakers with the 6 X 40 amp before deciding whether to add a separate amp. I expect that a little more power might be helpful.

05-21-2022, 08:02 PM	#34
KevinH1990 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,721	After some delay, I finished my door speaker upgrade. I had several higher priorities and I wasn't able to find time to work on my speaker upgrade. I note that it has been over a year since I last commented on this topic. I had an issue with the passenger door handle microswitch which required that I remove the door panel. Because I had the door panel off, I took advantage of the synergy and plunged into the door speaker project. Several months ago, I purchased two of these woofers from Parts Express: https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-DC160-4-6-1-2-Classic-Woofer-Speaker-295-309 I understood that the impedance of this speaker is nominally 4 ohms, but it was the closest I could find to the 2-ohm impedance of the OEM door speaker. I'm using the two door speaker channels on a 6 X 40 watt Haes amp from a 996 Cabriolet to provide power. I may eventually add an amp to provide more power. The Haes amp provides only low frequencies to the door speakers, but I'm not sure of the range. I expect that the range is different from that provided by the subwoofer output on my double din head unit. The biggest challenges I faced were fitting the speaker in the enclosure that holds the OEM speaker and then fitting that assembly under the door panel. There are videos on YouTube that provide suggestions. However, each speaker is slightly different and the "YouTube" method didn't work for me. The "YouTube" video involved cutting the top off of part of the speaker enclosure to make room for a larger speaker. After removing the top of the enclosure, the method called for mounting the speaker on a piece of MDF (medium density fiberboard.) Unfortunately, this process created a part that was too big to fit under the door panel: After some futile attempts at adjusting the fit, I contacted a mobile stereo installation technician and requested assistance. The technician used what appeared to be a grinding stone that attached to his electric drill to whittle away part of the enclosure. This allowed the enclosure to accept the speaker without totally removing the top. He sandwiched a piece of adhesive-backed foam between the speaker and the enclosure for a tight fit. The resulting assembly was just small enough to fit under the door panel: I expect that you are wondering whether I am pleased with the results. Based on the difference in size and a comparison of the build quality, the new speakers look like they should sound better. Appearance is not the most important factor in audio. Sound quality is what matters. Obviously, I cannot do an A-B test and alternate between listening to the new speakers and the OEM speakers. My impression is that I have significantly better bass response, but it is not as good as my other car which has an 8-inch subwoofer installed in the shelf behind the rear seat. I'm glad I finally completed my speaker upgrade, but I'm disappointed that I needed to call on a pro for assistance. (It also cost me $80 and the technician and I had difficulty meshing our schedules which was inconvenient.) I will use my new speakers with the 6 X 40 amp before deciding whether to add a separate amp. I expect that a little more power might be helpful. __________________ 2000 Arctic Silver/Black, Hard Top, On Board Computer PNP Rear Speakers, HAES 6-Channel Amp, Avic Z140BH, Painted Bumperettes, 2004 (OEM) Top, Homelink integrated in dash with Targa switch, 997 Shifter, Carrera Gauge Cluster with silver gauge faces, heated 997 adaptive sports seats, Litronics, silver console Last edited by KevinH1990; 01-09-2023 at 08:03 PM.