Amplifier Upgrade Information for non Bose 997 & 987 Vehicles
Non Bose equipped cars come in two verities:
- Sound Package Plus
- Base Sound System
This article focuses on adding an amplifier to a vehicle with the Sound Package Plus system. The Base Sound systems really need a speaker upgrade as well as an amplifier to make a noticeable difference.
The Sound Package Plus system comes with an amplifier and large 8" woofers in each door. The factory speakers are capable of performing quite spectacularly but the factory amplifier falls short, and does not have the power to squeeze full potential from the speaker system. Further more, the factory radio has very limited audio adjustments.
A Great Option
A great option for dramatically improving these systems without changing the radio or speakers is to simply add a new amplifier. It's easy to do and will fit nicely under the plastic trim in the trunk. We even make a pre-wired kit to make it even simpler.
A Great Addition
Additionally adding a sound processor to the vehicle when adding an amplifier makes a lot of sense. The sound processor can be mounted right next to the new amplifier. All of the required signal and power for the sound processor can be found right at the amplifier location, so no new circuits need to be run to add it.
Adding a processor allows for much greater control and adjustment of the sound system. It's a great piece to add if you want guaranteed spectacular results.
What Not to Do
The most common mistake that people make when adding an amplifier to a vehicle with the Sound Package Plus system is to bypass the existing factory amplifier. Technicaly this can be done, but the results are not good. The factory radio's signal output level is lower than an aftermarket amplifier needs in order to perform at it's peak. The best plan is to intercept the audio signal after the factory amplifier, at the amplifiers speaker outputs. At this point the signal is very strong.
Amplifier Selection
When integrating with a factory radio you will need to chose an amplifier with "balanced differential" signal inputs. Or if using a processor you can choose an amplifier with traditional "single ended" inputs. All of the amplifiers that we use in our kits have "balanced differential" inputs and can directly integrate with the factory Porsche audio system.