I'm confused about this method of replacing the factory amplifier. The factory Bose amp is 7 channel, so how are all 7 channels being powered by 5 channels.

 

I used a JL 6 channel amp:

Put my dash right and door right in parallel on 1 channel

Put my dash left and door left in parallel on 1 channel

Right rear alone on 1 channel

Left rear alone on 1 channel

Bridged channel 5&6 for my sub

 

I thought all the speakers are 2 ohms. Wouldn't that mean your dash/door combo would be only 1ohm when wired in parallel?

 

I replaced all of my speakers with 4 ohm units.

For stock speakers with an aftermarket amp, see this link

https://cai-store.com/pages/996-cabr...-new-amplifier

It's a pretty good website with a lot more good info than just that article. Definitely browse around it. They have done a bunch of Porsche stuff and actually share the info which is nice!

I ordered some stuff from them, but ended up going my own way on the hardware. E.g. the 6 channel amp. Got it all from crutchfeild. I felt like the 5 channel amp was janky with stock speakers, and in the end I elected to do the whole shebang.


To answer your question: it looks like the guys running 5 channel amps have aftermarket subs.

 

If you're not looking for audiophile quality and don't want to spend a buttload on a project like this, the 5-channel amp option is actually great and you can use the stock sub.

I upgraded the dash speakers to some 5.25in JBL 2-ways and ran them directly off the aftermarket head unit front channel. I then ran each of the remaining factory interior speakers off of 4 of the 5 channels on the amp. I rewired the factory sub speakers in series to bring them up to 4 ohm and ran that off of the 5th sub channel on the amp.

 

I probably should have mentioned that I have a Cabriolet, which only comes with a single 1 ohm sub. It definitely affected my decision making process.

 

Ah, details, haha. I now see the cab in your avatar.

 

I also have a Cab that came with MOST. Del Rey Customs fixed me up with a 5-channel Alpine amp, hardwired to a touchscreen/CarPlay head unit. Sound is okay, as I haven't replaced the speakers, but as a first step, it's not too $$$$ painful.

 

They likely put the sub in series with one of the doors...

I can figure it out if you take a close-up picture of the speaker wires coming out of the amp.

 

Here you go.

 

Isn't that the input side? 3 pairs of rca... there should be another bunch of wires coming out... that or your amp came with special wiring harnesses for each channel and the terminations are done downstream somewhere.

I landed my speaker wires directly on their respective channels that way I could tell what was going where, like this:

 

Duh, sorry, yes, input side. But the other side is not accessible.

 

I'd like to see it, if you dont mind

I mean just zoomed out, such that I can see the wires. Want to see the install as it sits. I'm not asking you to tear it apart.

Something like this

 

Stebo,

Checking to see if you're still on. How did you mount that amp to the carpet area in the Frunk?

 

I'm still on... but when i switched back to apple from android, I can't find the damn forum in the app store, so I'm around A LOT less. Anyway, I made a custom mount using a piece of plywood that I covered in carpet. then, I bent some metal ( i think it was a galvanized simpson strap from home depot), drilled out the mounting holes, painted it black, and used the factory bolt and one of the attachment points for the CD changer on the fire wall. Unfortunately, my car is in storage at a buddy's house otherwise I'd run out there and take some more pics.

If you look close in the pic above you can see what i'm talking about. But yeah, totally custom. I got the carpet from a local car audio shop - thinking back on it - I had them use their spray glue and carpet to wrap it for me. It came out great. The carpet matches so well, that it is impossible to tell. I screwed the amp to the plywood and then bolted the plywood to the firewall.

It just sits there and is held in by the one bolt that you can see. It's totally secure and I drive like a maniac.