Niel

I have a 2002 Boxster. It came with the Premium Sound Upgrade(not the Bose system), It was option M490.

I just bought the Bose Rear Deck Sunwoofer. (I know I could have got a better set of rear speakers and sub for the same price, but this one fits in discretely and I am not planning on bouncing the whole neighborhood)

Does anyone know exactly what components came with the M490 option in 2002? Dash and Door speaker sizes and wattages. What is the brand and madel number of the amp that was installed(also if you have details on the amp channels, watts, etc..)? Did the car come prewired for rear speakers? Will the Bose rear subwoofer work with the amp or do I need to buy a new amp?

Any info would be appreciated? I can't seem to find this info anywhere on the net and I dont want to take apart my car figuring it out.

Thanks,
Niel.

Niel

The sound system upgrade was part of the Sport Package option (P09 I believe)

ljd-924SE

M490 speaker dimensions: 1" tweeter, 4" mid-driver, 5.25" midbass-driver
M490 wattages: too low to measure
rear speaker pre-wiring: none
extra amp channels for a subwoofer: none

to use that bose sub you'd need an additional amp designed to drive a bose subwoofer at the correct impedence. that amp would also need line level inputs since the factory head unit does not provide pre-amp jacks.

bose subwoofers have a very limited frequency range that some would not even consider "sub-bass." adding such a component is probably not worth the trouble.

maybe you should drop this guy a line: jamisonl@msn.com

he makes a nice stealth enclosure with a 9.5" dynaudio subwoofer. that subwoofer is not designed for high sound pressure levels, just high sound quality.

Niel

Thanks for the reply LJD.

I think my car has Haes 4x40amp based upon the discussion in this link http://www.renntech.org/forums/index...t=&#entry16206

But, I cant be sure, since they are alking about a 2002 Boxster and it seems that sometime between 2000 and 2003, the amp changed.

The Bose Rear Sub enclosure seems to have include a sub-woofer and left and right approx 2" speakers.

My CDR220 Manual indicates the following outputs:

Socket B:
1 Loudspeaker rear right+
2 Loudspeaker rear right-
3 Loudspeaker front right+
4 Loudspeaker front right-
5 Loudspeaker front left+
6 Loudspeaker front left-
7 Loudspeaker rear left+
8 Loudspeaker rear left+

Socket C1:
1 Line out rear left
2 Line out rear right
3 AF Earth
4 Line out front links(this seems like a misprint, should have read "left")
5 Line out front right
6 Control output for automatic aerial/amplifier

Aren't the socket C1 outputs pre-amp outputs?

In the factory installation was how were the speakers wired? Did they use any of the Socket B connections or did they connect the amp to the Socket C1 front connections? How many channels of the amp were used? Any unused channels?

I know that when I use the fader to go to the rears, I get no sound - so it doesn't seem like any of the rear connections are being used.

In the end, I guess I will end up with the 6 speakers in the front that I already have and the three rear speakers I am adding with the Bose enclosure. How many amp channels does that require?

Thanks,
Niel.

ljd-924SE

there are lots of different ways to configure your system, but since you are in LA, i would recommend you visit 'LA dismantlers'. they specialize in parting out porsches, and you could probably get your hands on an entire bose system through them (head unit, amps, speakers). i'll explain why i suggest converting your entire system to bose if your dead set on using that factory bose subwoofer.

basically, there are two ways to achieve low frequencies: 1 use large diameter drivers, 2 use large airspace. bose uses very small drivers and large airspace enclosures (often referred to as resonating chambers for bose components) to achieve their desired frequency range. however, this unconventional approach does not produce as wide of a range as with conventional, large-diameter drivers, as the old saying goes . . . . "no highs, no lows, must be a bose." ultimately bose system do not sound good for music that emphasizes high or low frequencies.

as you might imagine, very few people will combine bose components with conventional drivers for their audio system as there might be a clashing of sound. to be honest, any 'audiophile' will tell you that bose is at the very low end of the ladder in terms of sound quality. they have simply used an aggressive advertising campaign to convince the public of the quality of their products. that association is also why porsche selected bose to design their 'high-end' audio system.

if you're really interested in a sound quality upgrade to your 6-speaker system that will add some bass, drop me a line. i can detail a superb 3-way passive setup to replace those paper nokias. it would not require changing head units, and all the components could be purchased for around $600-700 online. and if you feel like driving all the way to florida, i'd even help with installion

LJamesDickinson@yahoo.com

Niel

Hi LJD,

I've looked at LA dismantlers prices on a variety of things I have purchased for ym car over the past. I just spent about $6000 on stuff - wheels, lights, etc... and their prices are way too expensive - almost as much as new prices. I have found Sunset Imports has the best prices - 15% over cost.

Anyways, I am actually happy with the sound I am getting from the front right now. I just want to get some sound from the rear. I am not an audiophile and am not looking for a ton of bass. Just a little bit of sound from the back. I've heard all of the negatives about Bose and I dont really care what brand I get. The enclosure just seemed to fit in nicely and had the bass and left/right speakers. I couldn't tell the difference between a super system and an average system anyways. I follow the KISS mantra - Keep It Simple Stupid and I'll be happy.

Thanks,
Niel.