Stereo Upgrade for Hampstead Porsche Cayman

A client from Hampstead recently contacted our team here at Westminster Speed and Sound to inquire about upgrading the stereo system in his 2014 Porsche Cayman. As is typical with Porsches of this vintage, the owner wanted to upgrade the smartphone integration options in the vehicle and for his music to sound better. After inspecting the car, we showed the client a few radio, speaker and amplifier upgrade options that would deliver the performance and features he wanted. He loved the plan and gave us the go-ahead to schedule an installation appointment.

Porsche Cayman Stereo System Upgrade

The small amplifier handles power and DSP functions for this audio upgrade.

Sound deadening was used to tame the door resonances.

The speaker upgrade was the perfect match for this Porsche

The tweeters were upgraded with drivers from BLAM.

When the Cayman rolled into our bay, our technicians started the sound system upgrade by removing the factory radio and the speakers from the doors and dash. We applied a layer of sound-deadening to the door skins to help reduce noise transfer from outside the vehicle and improve the performance of the new speakers we were about to install.

For bass, we mounted a set of Match UP W8BMW-S 8-inch woofers in place of the 6.5-inch speakers that came with the car. Next, we added a pair of 3-inch Helix P3M midrange drivers to the OEM locations slightly behind the woofers in the doors. We made mounting adapters out of a weather-resistant composite material for each speaker so they would bolt to the door using the factory fasteners. The last step was to mount a pair of BLAM T20HR tweeters in the stock locations in the corners of the dash.

The new speakers are powered by a Match UP 7DSP amplifier that has a built-in digital signal processor. Each of the mids and tweeters in the car can get up to 65 watts of power. Since the Match woofers are 2 ohm drivers, they get up to 160 watts from the subwoofer channels on the amp. Our technicians configured the DSP in the amp to smooth the output of each speaker for accurate natural frequency response while using the signal delay feature to compensate for the different pathlengths to each driver. The result is that the music comes from a virtual soundstage that spans the width of the dashboard. It’s like sitting at a concert with all the performers laid out in front of you.

Sony Radio Upgrade Adds Technology

The USB connector was conveniently mounted in the center console.

The client now has smartphone features on his radio.

The factory trim bezel helped this Cayman retain its original look.

We installed a Sony XAV-AX5500 multimedia receiver in the Porsche to deliver the smartphone features the client wanted. This new radio features a 6.95-inch touchscreen and includes both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. These technologies allow the drive to make phone calls, send text messages and choose entertainment options using voice commands.

We used a genuine Porsche trim panel around the new radio to make the installation look as tidy as possible. We also routed the USB ports to the center console so the client can charge his phone or play music easily from a USB memory stick. We repurposed the charging port for the USB connections so no modifications were required.

Baltimore’s Porsche Upgrade Experts

With the new stereo installed and calibrated for the acoustics of this Cayman, it was time for the client to pick up his vehicle. He loved the way the system sounded and was thrilled with the tidy installation.

If you want more features or better sound in your Porsche, drop by Westminster Speed and Sound, give us a call, or send our team an e-mail using our contact form.