Another 993 audio upgrade – this time with a small subwoofer!
We do a lot of Porsche 993 audio upgrades at our shop in Brookfield, CT, but in this audio build we managed to squeeze in a completely hidden, compact, powered subwoofer. The addition of this modest subwoofer in this Porsche 993 really took this audio system up to the next level.
Porsche 993 Subwoofer – what are the options?
I typically do a lot of research prior to designing an audio system – especially if a client asks us for something we haven’t done before. When I did a google image search for Porsche 993 subwoofer I saw nothing appealing. Of course we could have created a fiberglass formed enclosure for a small sub in the the passenger footwell area or make something that could fit behind the seats taking up the non existent rear passenger footwell area. We had done that before and knew what it entailed, but this client, understandably, didn’t want the interior to look altered.
I thought about the space under the passenger seat. I knew from experience there was enough room for a compact amp there. But the space under both front seats is TIGHT. I thought maybe we could fit a powered sub under the seat?? It was a big maybe because I couldn’t get confirmation that any one single compact powered subwoofer on the market was ever successfully installed under the front seat in a Porsche 993. So I did some more research and found the most compact powered subwoofer on the market that had a snowball’s chance in hell of fitting under one of these seats.
I set aside 2 different powered subwoofers for this Porsche 993. The Kicker HS8 and the Kenwood KSC-PSW7EQ. The Kicker HS8 is a subwoofer we have used before. We regularly use the Kicker HS10 and HS8 in various installs at our shop. In the compact powered subwoofer world, both Kicker subs are pretty rock solid options for clients looking just for a little extra something to fill in those deeper bass frequencies that you just can’t get out of a 5.25″ or 6.5″ speaker. I had not used this Kenwood powered subwoofer before and my expectations for it were quite low.
It features a 8.5″ x 5.5″ woofer. So it’s not even quite a 6×9, but close. The entire enclosure measures at only 11.03″ wide, 7.875″ deep and an impressive 2.75″ tall. I compared those measurements to the MATCH UP 6 DSP amp we normally use. The MATCH UP 6 DSP is 5.12″ wide, 5.12″ deep and 1.81″ tall.
Retaining the original Nokia 993 amp harness
Fitting the subwoofer under the passenger seat was a challenge. John was able to relocate the existing modules directly behind the new 993 subwoofer. My other concern was I didn’t want to cut the original amp wire harness for this installation.
We used the PPI ISO-2 harness from MATCH to get our output from the Porsche PCCM stereo and go directly into the UP 6 DSP, but we still needed to grab most of our speaker wires at the factory amp harness.
During my research I managed to find an OEM amp harness connector so John was able to retain the original Nokia amp harness. That was a big win for me. Whenever possible, I look to source parts that allow us to retain the original wiring for integrity and value purposes. It may not look pretty, but it’s functional.
With most of the devilish details ironed out, I could breathe a sigh of relief. I knew John would do an amazing job executing the rest of this installation because he knows these cars so well and like me, gets hyper focused on details.
Next challenge – bass knob
The Kenwood powered subwoofer’s major drawback is that it comes with an obnoxious remote bass EQ controller that looks like an old school car stereo remote control with a long wire attached to it. It is ugly asf. So ugly, I won’t even post it here. There is no neat or aesthetically pleasing way to mount the included control knob. Hiding it or simply not using it altogether is your best bet.
Thankfully we used the UP6 DSP amplifier to power the speakers. This powerful compact DSP amp has the ability to control an external subwoofer amp using the much more attractive URC.1 bass knob. John was able to expertly mount the knob in a blank to the left of the steering wheel. He knows I am OCD and happy wife = happy life so he used calipers to take measurements before drilling the hole to mount it. In my opinion, it blends in with the rest of the car interior and looks like it was always there.
Overcoming the wired CarPlay function of the Porsche 993 PCCM
I love the look of the CarPlay PCCM stereo that Porsche offers, but there a few things clients and I despise about it. Mainly that CarPlay is wired only. This presents an issue with cabling getting in the way of shifting. Secondly, the only way to connect for CarPlay is through the large and obtrusive USB/AUX hub. Bizarrely, there is no rear USB input on this stereo so unlike most aftermarket CarPlay stereos on the market, you can’t simply connect a USB extension to the rear of the unit, forget the hub and flush mount a USB in a move convenient location. You have to use the included hub.
The challenge we had is this client wanted the option to use wireless CarPlay, but also retain the option to use wired CarPlay. We used a very compact wireless CarPlay adapter and a 90 degree angle USB cable to overcome this. Routing the USB extension cable from the wireless adapter to the hub was incredibly tight, but John managed to get it through while keeping the door opening and closing fully functional.
Porsche 993 Speakers
Like previous Porsche 993 audio upgrades, we recommended Helix speakers due to their exceptional quality and ease of fitment. The client selected the higher fidelity Helix Compose i7 series in front and the Compose i3 series in the rear.
The Helix i7 tweeters fit perfectly in the original Porsche tweeter housings. Although this car arrived without door speakers or grilles, the Metra SMG5 (sold individually) looked quite sharp with an OEM appearance.
Rear speakers – always a bit taxing
John typically makes his own mounting adapter plates for the rear speakers. Yes, this takes added time, but it’s worth it to make sure the aftermarket speakers fit perfectly under the original grilles.
Although the rear tweeters are still in tact, they are not functional. With the original grilles in place you would never know there are aftermarket speakers installed. Of course that is until you turned it on and took a listen.
With nearly all the ingredients assembled, John got busy tuning the UP 6 DSP amp.
MATCH UP 6 DSP ties it altogether
The MATCH UP 6 DSP is a powerful compact DSP amplifier that we use in a wide variety of installations at our shop. It features incredibly powerful DSP software and pushes out 65 watts x 4 plus 90 watts x 2 RMS at 4 ohms. With this amp we ran each speaker actively on their own channels.
The vast level of control available in the software is what enables us to achieve the highest level of performance possible with the components used.
How did it sound?
Impressive. Everyone at our shop, including the client, was thoroughly impressed. This audio upgrade had detail, clarity, warmth, separation, volume, punch, but in an understated and perfectly balanced manner. We were all thoroughly impressed with the surprising performance of the Kenwood powered subwoofer. This little subwoofer is respectable. And it’s the perfect fit under the passenger seat for a Porsche 993 subwoofer that is truly hidden.
What do you think about this Porsche 993 audio upgrade? What have you done in your own 993? To learn more about our shop in Brookfield, CT, call or text us at 203-778-3330.
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