Finally completed the system upgrade in the GT3. It's amazing what a difference some speakers and a little more power will do.

For the fronts, I replaced the anemic 6 1/2-inch mids and 3 inch highs with Focal K2 165 KR2s. The rear had some tiny 4 inch speakers in the quarters that I replaced with K2 130 KRC 5 1/4-Inch Coaxial Speakers.

I replaced the amp under the passenger seat with an Alpine PDX-4.150 4 Channel 150 Watt Per Channel Digital Amp and connected it to the factory head unit through a JL Audio CL441DSP CleanSweep OEM Audio Interface.

All I can say is WOW. What a difference! Amazing clarity and volume (enough that you can actually overcome the volume of full throttle accelleration in Sport mode if you wanted to).

If you haven't had the factory speakers out to look at, here are some images so you can see why they suck so bad lol.

 

There's a radio in my GT3?

 

As far as you know....lol

 

The only audio setting I use is Radio OFF and Sport ON

 

Thanks for the post! This is something I might like to do to my 2011 when it gets here, but am a bit timid about messin' with the factory! Any hints as to time and cost? Any new holes drilled, cutting, panels fit back into place, mods????????

 

The only hole that needed to be drilled was in the firewall to get the power from the battery. Everything else fit in the factory locations with no mods needed.

Total cost for all the equipment and labor was under $3K and took one day.

 

Cost of parts? estimate on labor "time"...

 

Cost of parts alone, including high quality RCAs, Power cable, line level adapters, etc. was about $1900. The rest was labor (about 9 hours).

 

Do you have pictures of the speakers you used to replace the stock speakers?

 

Very impressive. Do you start with SPP?

What are your thoughts on those of us who just want to replace the original speakers with ones of better quality but the exact same size as to eliminate labor and/or cutting? Maybe a plug and play amp too?

 

Just swapping out the speakers will be the most audible improvement. Amps will be important if you want more than "good" sound reproduction. These days $2K buys tops shelf results that, back in the day of the McIntosh in my 993 Turbo, required significantly more dollars, optical connections, balancing the cabin, sound insulation and deadening, etc. Expensive and heavy.

Personally, I'd like to know what the factory speakers weigh ... I'm sure some of the "strippers" would like to know how much weight they can save if they bother to rip open the doors.

I find the RS cabin so noisy, I'm happy just to listen to NPR with earplugs in. : )

 

i also use ear plug off iphone
but for those who does use the stereo, co axial's are big and cheapest improvement. dont need much power unless you listen at crazy volumes.

 

Thanks - Yeah, I listened to my stereo once so far during the first 2000 miles. Love the exhaust, intake and other ancillary noises. I have SPP and don't think it's that bad. Maybe an easy speaker swap as you suggest will be all I need. I don't want to add much weight either.

 

Focal Speakers are excellent albeit a bit heavy. The slippery slope of audio upgrades can become as steep as that of other modifications. Notwithstanding, an automobile is a hostile environment to audio and there is a limit as to what is noticeable. Generally, the best test is how a system sounds on low volume. As he was a great Porsche enthusiast, try Herbert von Karajan conducting Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

 

Oh, I thought this thread was going to be about a bypass exhaust.