Porsche Audio And Technology Upgrade For Vancouver 911 Turbo Client

A client from Vancouver contacted Ralph’s Radio about upgrading and modernizing the audio system in his 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo. Our team set up a consultation so we could look over the vehicle, get to know the client better and audition equipment for him. At the end of the consult, we worked up a proposal that he liked, so we set a time to begin work on the car.

Modern Technology Upgrades in the Dash

The client can now backup safer thanks to the backup camera.

The Kenwood radio not only sounds great but also offers tons of features.

While a 2007 911 Turbo is an incredible car, at this point, the technology in the dash is dated. We began this journey by installing a Kenwood DNX-893S navigation system in the dash of the Porsche 911. As you can see in the pictures, it looks factory-installed, which is the driving goal for this vehicle. Modern Garmin navigation, Bluetooth for hands-free and music streaming, USB ports for external media, and smartphone integration are all on tap for the driver. Apple’s CarPlay software is also part of the package, making it easy for the owner to use his iPhone while driving. We added SiriusXM radio along with a backup camera. The Kenwood unit has a great preamp, giving us a high-quality musical signal from which to build.

Focal Speakers Upfront Make the Music Come Alive

Composite adapters were fabricated to hold the midrange and tweeter for the front sound stage.

The Focal woofer was mounted on a composite adapter plate.

The rear fill was provided bay the additional set of Focal midrange speakers.

Any good sound system needs a set of great speakers, so in this vehicle, we turned to Focal, using the ES-165-KX3 6.5” component set along with the ES-100-K 4” midrange. We installed all six of the front speakers in the factory locations behind the stock grilles, using in-house machined composite speaker adapters. We applied sound-dampening material to the front door skins to reduce road noise, improving the overall clarity of the music.

Subwoofers Fill Out the Bottom Octaves of Music

If you are going to build a great-sounding car audio system, you need accurate, hard-hitting low end sounds. The first time you can feel a kick drum or a bass guitar hit you in the chest, you will always want that experience in your music. Where things get interesting is the tight quarters of a 911 Turbo interior. Since Ralph’s Radio loves a good challenge, we tasked our fabrication department with building a subwoofer enclosure that looked factory-installed and mounting to to stock mounting points.

After reviewing the vehicle, we made a custom ported enclosure to hold a pair of JL Audio 6W3-v3 subwoofers that fit perfectly in the spot where the Bose enclosure sits. We built a custom trim panel to match the interior of the vehicle, making the finished product look like a Porsche factory option.

Amplifiers and Processor Round Out the Installation

The contoured cover our fabrication team created helps to conceal and protect the amplifiers.

To the unknowing eye, the front boot of this Porsche looks stock.

All of the wiring for the amplifiers was neatly bundled and secured.

At this point, it was time to focus on the amplifiers and processor. We built a custom amp rack to hold a pair of Mosconi amplifiers: the Gladen One 60.8DSP and the Gladen One 250.2. In similar fashion to the subwoofer enclosure, we fabricated a custom trim panel to cover the amplifiers, making the front trunk look completely stock. We designed it to be easily removable for quick serviceability in the future. We configured the 60.8 model as a six-channel, sending 120 watts per channel to the 6.5” woofers and 60 watts per channel to each midrange and tweeter. The 250.2 amp sends almost 700 watts of clean power to the pair of subwoofers.

As you may have noticed, one of the amps has DSP in its name. It includes an integrated Mosconi 6to8 digital signal processor. This allows us to control output levels individually, crossover settings, equalization and digital delay for every speaker in the Porsche. In the hands of a skilled tuner, the results are extraordinary.

One Listen and We Knew the Team Hit the Mark

After the team was done with the final tuning of the system, we sat in the Porsche and listened. To be honest, we didn’t want to get out. The music was crisp, clear and detailed, and the sound staged across the dash as if we were sitting in an intimate jazz club. We knew the client was going to love it.

Contact Us for Your Own Consultation

When you are ready to upgrade the sound system in your vehicle, we invite you to contact us HERE. Ralph’s Radio has state-of-the-art locations in Vancouver and Victoria. Let us show you why more and more people every year trust us with their vehicles.