I have done a sound upgrade in my Boxster with a Bose sound system. First I upgrade the stock head unit with a Carplay set. This also enabled the usage of a rear camera.
The component list:
So the original Bose main amplifier is maintained because with the head unit programmed to the Bose setup there only is an optical output available to the Bose amplifier. The speaker level outputs in the connector on the head unit don’t have any output. The center speaker and rear speakers where removed.
The speaker leads to the front mids, front bass and subwoofer where cut and fed into the high level inputs of the Alpine PXE. The outputs of the tweeter/midrange and bass speakers of the Alpine PXE were connected to the original wiring. This amp is mounted behind the passenger seat and takes its power from the powerline of the original Bose amp which won’t draw much current without speakers connected. The Alpine PXE is also rated at 40 ampere like the Bose but with not using all speaker outputs used and the tweeters not running much current it will be sufficiant for both amps together. New wires were run to the tweeters because they will the run actively instead of them running on the same output as the front midranges. The original 13 cm Bose subwoofer is maintained but is now run from a small Alpine KTA-200M mono amplifier in the location of the original Bose subwoofer amp using the same mounting points with the use of a custum aluminium bracket. The unit is connected to the RCA output of channel 5 and 6 of the Alpine PXE. Also the ground and powerline of the original subwoofer amp fused at 25 ampere was used for the Alpine mono amp which had a fuse rating of 20 ampere. It is now fused at 20 ampere instead of 25 in the fusebox.
The original tweeters and there mounts were removed from the standard grill and the supplied Morel MT-250 tweeter mounts where adapted so they could be glued under the original grill.
The Morel midrange speakers are a direct fit so just some extra damping wool was added because they are much shallower then the Bose midranges. I choose the Morel IR-BMW42 over the Morel IP-BMW42 because they have a sensitivity of 92 db instead of 86 db. This means I have to feed the IP midranges 70 watt to get the same output as 35 watt on the IR midranges. Because I only have 35 watt on the amp and the IP midranges can only handle 50 watt I went with the 2.5 times more expensive IR set. Bonus then is the better tweeters.
The Morel Woofers where mounted in waterresistent MDF rings with aluminium water plates. They get the 2 x 130 watt from the Alpine PXE. The original speaker wires were used for the mids, woofers and sub. The doors where dampened on the outer sheet, inner plate and doorpanel. Extra foam was added to make the inner plate and doorpanel connected as one.
The remote unit of the Alpine PXE was mounted in the center console in an aluminium bracket covered in leather. In the center console also a wireless charger was integrated in a wooden panel covered in the same leather. Pretty nice because the Apple carplay transfers all the functions of the iPhone to the headunit while being charged. Also the signal of a adapted Walky Talky headset is fed mixed to the Alpine PXE so i can hear my mates clearly over the stereo with the top open!
So the sub handles 32 hz to 71 hz (24 db/oct), the woofers do 71 hz to 375 hz (24 db/oct), the mids run from 375 hz to 3500 hz (24/12 db/oct) and the tweeter from 3500 hz and up (12 db/oct).
Here are the pictures:
The component list:
- Alpine PXE-C88-80 DSP amplifier with 6 x 35 watt and 2 x 130 watt
- Alpine KTA-200M mono amplifier 200 watt with 400 watt boost
- Morel ADMW-9 Kick bass speakers
- Morel IR-BMW42 two way Component set, midrange direct fit for 981/982/991/992
- Standard Bose subwoofer in the dashboard.
So the original Bose main amplifier is maintained because with the head unit programmed to the Bose setup there only is an optical output available to the Bose amplifier. The speaker level outputs in the connector on the head unit don’t have any output. The center speaker and rear speakers where removed.
The speaker leads to the front mids, front bass and subwoofer where cut and fed into the high level inputs of the Alpine PXE. The outputs of the tweeter/midrange and bass speakers of the Alpine PXE were connected to the original wiring. This amp is mounted behind the passenger seat and takes its power from the powerline of the original Bose amp which won’t draw much current without speakers connected. The Alpine PXE is also rated at 40 ampere like the Bose but with not using all speaker outputs used and the tweeters not running much current it will be sufficiant for both amps together. New wires were run to the tweeters because they will the run actively instead of them running on the same output as the front midranges. The original 13 cm Bose subwoofer is maintained but is now run from a small Alpine KTA-200M mono amplifier in the location of the original Bose subwoofer amp using the same mounting points with the use of a custum aluminium bracket. The unit is connected to the RCA output of channel 5 and 6 of the Alpine PXE. Also the ground and powerline of the original subwoofer amp fused at 25 ampere was used for the Alpine mono amp which had a fuse rating of 20 ampere. It is now fused at 20 ampere instead of 25 in the fusebox.
The original tweeters and there mounts were removed from the standard grill and the supplied Morel MT-250 tweeter mounts where adapted so they could be glued under the original grill.
The Morel midrange speakers are a direct fit so just some extra damping wool was added because they are much shallower then the Bose midranges. I choose the Morel IR-BMW42 over the Morel IP-BMW42 because they have a sensitivity of 92 db instead of 86 db. This means I have to feed the IP midranges 70 watt to get the same output as 35 watt on the IR midranges. Because I only have 35 watt on the amp and the IP midranges can only handle 50 watt I went with the 2.5 times more expensive IR set. Bonus then is the better tweeters.
The Morel Woofers where mounted in waterresistent MDF rings with aluminium water plates. They get the 2 x 130 watt from the Alpine PXE. The original speaker wires were used for the mids, woofers and sub. The doors where dampened on the outer sheet, inner plate and doorpanel. Extra foam was added to make the inner plate and doorpanel connected as one.
The remote unit of the Alpine PXE was mounted in the center console in an aluminium bracket covered in leather. In the center console also a wireless charger was integrated in a wooden panel covered in the same leather. Pretty nice because the Apple carplay transfers all the functions of the iPhone to the headunit while being charged. Also the signal of a adapted Walky Talky headset is fed mixed to the Alpine PXE so i can hear my mates clearly over the stereo with the top open!
So the sub handles 32 hz to 71 hz (24 db/oct), the woofers do 71 hz to 375 hz (24 db/oct), the mids run from 375 hz to 3500 hz (24/12 db/oct) and the tweeter from 3500 hz and up (12 db/oct).
Here are the pictures:
