Are you sure it is the head unit? The specs on the preamp section of the CDR-220 are good. I had my CDR-220 hooked to a Memphis Amp and Boston Acoustic and Pold speakers. The sound is very clear and clean. I currently have the Becker Traffic Pro (probably same specs as the CDR-220) and it sounds great.

I went to a local audio store and was looking at speakers for my BMW. I drove the Porsche and the owner told me he could put a great sounding system in the Porsche. I told him I liked the factory system that was in the car, which in fact was the system described above and not the factory. He wanted to hear it and give me his opinion. We went to the car and after listening he said that it was one of the best "factory" radios he had heard, he was impressed. I never told him any different.

 

I installed the 210 unit myself and it was really simple...WITH a custom adapter cable that the shop in NC made up for me ($35?). Without that I'd have spent a lot of time and could have burned something out.

Harvey

 

I'm not one who spends lots of money on car audio, but I think I do appreciate good sound. I'm very impressed with my Becker unit. I have Alpine speakers in the doors, and Blaupunkts in the rear. I can't remember model #'s. To me it all sounds great. A Hell of a lot better than the Blaupunkt head units I have had in the past. Now, I also have a '99 Boxster with the same Becker CDR 220, and I think the sound is noticeably better in my 944. Possibly the speakers, but I'll be it's simply a coupe vs. convertible thing. I'm not interested in sound that will vibrate other cars parked near mine, so I haven't gone there. However, the sound from this Becker is as good as any sound I have heard in a car at reasonable listening levels.

Mark

 

P.S. I guess the I-POD issue might be relevant for some people. I have no interest in an I-POD, so it doesn't matter to me. Maybe this dates me as an old fart???

The first LP I ever purchased (circa 1980): Queen; The Game
The first CD I ever purchased (circa 1984): U2; War
The first song I ever put on an I-POD: TBD
Never quite owned an 8-track player.

 

Ah heck, Mark, I am a good bit older than you, judging from the date of your first album purchase (mine was an 8 track version of Black Sabbath's Paranoid when it was first released), and I love my iPod. I don't do the headphone thing much at all, but I love having most of my music catalog on one storage device that I can carry around easily.

I hope no one labels you an old fart, as i'd hate to think what that would make me... lol

Regards,

 

I'm probably older than both you old farts and I have an I-pod hooked up to my Becker. I don't see the titles like I do on my BMW but I can change the playlist, songs using the Becker and Dension Ice.

I have for many years been an audio enthusiast. I appreciate good home and car audio. I don't care for subs and bass that rattles the neighbors windows. I do like noise free sound, with great highs, clarity, and adequate bass. The Becker units that I have had deliver great sound. Any unit is only as good as the weakest link, you must have a good amp and good speakers. My BMW has the Harmon Kardon Sound upgrade and it does not compare with the sound that I get from my Porsche with the Becker, Memphis amp, Boston Acoustics and Polk speakers.

 

Speakers are on the list of "someday" things for my 944. I'm just very glad to have clear music coming out of the iPod (sounded terrible with the tape adapter on my old unit). I hate the subs that rattle everything - I like feeling the bass a little (I want to hear it!), it comes from being a drummer and playing with a bassist who has a 800 watt amp. I can't stand pulling up next to a civic (invariably) and hearing his body panels rattle with the subs he has in the back.

Me, I don't want subs, I don't want giant amps...I just want good clean sound with good lows, good mids, and clear highs.

 

No, not necessarily an "old fart". Not at all. For me, I am a music hound that hates the state of current FM radio (in the SF Bay Area, anyway), and I do not have the discipline to always get around to changing the CD's in my cars' changers. Further, I had 700+ CD's in my collection just waiting just waiting to be downloaded into my computer. My iPod now holds them ALL, with tons of memory to spare for a whole lot more. My iPod is the PERFECT solution for me. Further, I can download new albums for less than 1/4 the cost of buying them new at Walmart (check out www.allofmp3.com). With my loaded iPod I never listen to FM radio or fumble with changing discs in my player; I listen to what I want whenever I want. And with my Alpine unit (there are others, too), I control the iPod from the stereo with the iPod tucked away in the center console. For me, it is a near perfect way to manage and utilize my (relatively) large music collection.

However, what works so well for me will likely be overkill for people who are not big music listeners. Further, some people listen only to AM radio talk, and never listen to music at all. And others may very well prefer the benefits of XM radio, which has many benefits in its own right.

 

I agree the I-pod is great. I have all my music on my 30GB I-pod and I control it with my Becker unit. I rarely listen to radio anymore, I listen to what I want.

 

I wanted a traffic pro as well, The reason I think it is not a great head unit is I have heard boxters with my same setup but another head unit and it sounds MUCH better, I have the front, door and rear speakers in my car as well as the factory amp and DSP.
Also it seems all the Boxster owners that change the head units saw it sounds much better.
But who cares, I rather listen to the engine

 

Marc,
When I bought my CDR220 it came the the amp pictured here. I imagine a lot of people that change the head unit use a different amp or the amp built into the head unit. I feel like this amp along with the factory speakers in the Boxster are probably the reason for bad sound. I believe if you will install a high quality amp and some good speakers you will be amazed at what you hear. Of course a convertible is not a very good listening environment to begin with and I agree the engine would probably give the best sound.
The Traffic Pro is really nice. If you could find a good deal on Ebay I would highly recommend it.

 

I installed the CDR-220 in my 944 without any additional amp. I'm just driving the speakers with the head unit. As I stated earlier, I'm VERY pleased with the sound.

Driving to and from work I'm generally listening to NPR. There is also one somewhat decent radio station in my area: WRNR out of Annapolis. I would agree that the state of FM music is pathetic. Living in the DC area you would think there would be some good radio. Twenty years ago WHFS was superb, but as of a few years ago I thought they went downhill.

Maybe when I have some time in the summer I'll have to check out the I-pod revolution.

Mark