stantaur

Absent a 987.2 PCCM option as of the time of this writing (and likely $1500 cost), I was at a loss for how to upgrade from the Bose CDR30. Did my research and took the following notes I'm sharing below in case it helps others along this journey, either deciding whether to do it, or having some questions during the installation. Net, I gained a ton of functionality and huge improvement in audio quality from all the Kenwood's EQ and soundstage imaging options in their Excelon DMX-908S w/2-year warranty. The job is invasive, but the results are worthwhile. If you have the time to do the labor yourself (6-10 hrs depending on experience level, tools, etc.), you can get it done for $900-ish with quality parts.

I chose a Kenwood DMX-908S with its rich set of EQ & sound controls, Wireless AA/CarPlay, Miracast (you can screen share apps from your phone like the Torque app, Netflix, YouTube, etc.), HD Radio, Bluetooth, Back-up cam ($30 on Amazon), USB input/folders, HDMI-in, Sirius XM, Dimmable UI. $110 Bose optical converter and Scosche's 987.2 surround (better fit than Metra that's really hard to remove after install). Nice upgrade over Bose CDR30 in audio quality/clarity and feature set. Only tradeoff was losing F/R fader, which is minor to me as I used the CDR-30 front/rear in "centered" position for years. The EQ and soundstage controls make a giant difference vs. OEM's bass & treble controls.

Kenwood DMX-908S with Scosche PE8002B black surround for 987.2

Scosche PE8002B surround: (got this instead of the AI POR911B since that one's so hard to remove/re-install that people resort to altering the retention clips).

MOST adapter (translates RCA into Bose Optical for the amp): https://avinusa.com/most-fiber-optic-amp-interface-for...

Rear/back-up camera, license plate mounted: - Tip: get some 40" zip-ties to help you fish the cable from left tail-light down to the tow-hook hole in the bumper. I ran the video/sensor wires from head-unit down right side of trans-tunnel to firewall then up the firewall, over the engine area and down the right side then back across to left tail light - lots of interior carpet pieces you can push the cables down into. I wired it such that the camera only runs when car's in reverse - no need to run the camera full-time and wear it out sooner in my case; YMMV.

Kenwood DMX908S receiver, from Crutchfield: https://www.crutchfield.com/.../Kenwood-Excelon-DMX908S.html
Configure your Crutchfield order to NO on Bose, so you can get the Metra 70-9003 adapter to OEM harness ($5) and 40-EI10 antenna amp adapter ($7). If you say you have Bose, Crutchfield's ordering "script" prevents you from getting those parts for the discount.

Photos below shows how the Metra harness wires into Kenwood & MOST adapter - worth noting that:
1 - The large black connector at the back of the OEM radio has a little bucket handle lever. You pull up on that and the connector will pop off the back of the radio.
2 - I ran an add-a-circuit fuse tap with reasonably heavy gauge wire from the fuse box's (empty, in my case) fuse position B9. This means the radio will have power whenever the key is inserted. This becomes your ACC wire.
3 - I wired the MOST Red-switched ACC power to the Kenwood's Blue/White Amp Turn-on output (along with Antenna Amp & Amp Turn-on from car's harness) - doing so reduced the amp pop and barely audible temporary humming of the car's various systems sniffing around for signals before it goes to "sleep."
4 - Instead of the rumored gray/red-stripe wire behind the climate controls, I used the gray/red-stripe wire that's underneath the e-brake (picture shared further down this write-up).
5 - Connect the purple wire to the camera harness (in my case this was a red wire bundled with the video wire) - this wire senses when there's voltage (I tapped the reverse light in the rear LH turn signal harness - blue/black wire back there)
6 - Light green wire usually goes to a sensor that detects when parking brake is on (which then allows some video functions on head unit). People who trust their passengers to operate the head unit while moving sometimes choose instead to ground this green wire. Be safe / don't break laws in your region / you do you, YMMV.

Wiring diagram showing Kenwood head unit, MOST RCA-Bose optical adapter, Metra wiring harness that plugs into OEM side harness


You can de-pin the speaker wires (green/purple/gray/white and striped variants) from that side of the Metra harness for simplicity.
I repurposed one of those de-pinned white wires to add a white pin/wire in the Metra adapter's Pin A14 (see diagram above) that can then turn the car's antenna amp on. Radio reception is still meh, but no worse than OEM and the Kenwood picks up tons of HD FM radio stations with clearer sound than regular stations. AM reception is not great, but neither was OEM.
*Note on de-pin / how-to: Stick a tiny screwdriver or safety pin into the Metra connector from the prong side to release the prong from the Metra adapter. Then use your fingernail to re-bend the little metal catch back into position, and then re-insert that wire into A14. If you succeeded in transferring the wire to the new position, you should use the same technique to remove all those other unused speaker wires.

Kenwood's Orange (Illumination) wire goes to car's grey w/red-stripe wire accessed by panel under the e-brake - that'll get you two configurable settings for headlights on vs. off - on gets you white AA background & brighter screens in general, headlights off gets you dark AA background & dimmed screens for easier-on-eyes night driving.

Beneath e-brake area's cover; the gray w/red-stripe wire can connect to Kenwood's orange illumination wire to enable the head-unit's Sync function that toggles between modes with headlight on/off

The only minor tradeoff is the loss of front/rear fader (Bose MOST converter only uses L/R RCAs as its input), which for my needs is inconsequential vs. the gains in audio quality and features/functionality. There may be more expensive adapters that do all 4 channels, but I couldn't find any at the time and figured the $110 option was worth a try (works fine).



Back-up camera enabled in Reverse

Wireless Android Auto in daylight mode (headlights off) with bright white screen

Hope this is of some help to those looking to upgrade from stock CDR30 with Bose to something aftermarket. Made a bigger-than-expected improvement to the driving experience of our 987.2 CS as a grand tourer / weekend road trip car.

Kuro Neko

Interesting as the Bose converter and non-Bose driver I used allows F/R fading, driven by the Atoto S8 I just installed... otherwise, I'd have no idea!
Nice work regardless...

Here's the relevant pages I've just been surfing to set it up:

tiiger

Nice job.

Almost makes me want to try to tackle this again.

(Was ready to do it, and had all the stuff from Crutchfield, including a Kenwood HU, and had things apart -- because of the Numeric shifter install -- but decided not to. This was YESTERDAY.)

Part of me didn't want to change the stock look, but I think to be honest, part of me was overwhelmed by the project. I rationalized that I didn't "need" a stereo in this car. (I have the non-bose Sound Performance Plus version.)

But it looks so nice in your car. (And interesting on the Scosche surround.)

If you had more pics of the wire connections to the car, I would LOVE to see them. (That's where my hesitation lies. Locating the correct connections.)

DaveGee

I recently swapped out my CDR30 no-Bose with an Alpine ilx-570. I wasn’t looking for an improvement in sound quality, but I’m blown away by how much better music sounds coming through my OEM speakers. I’m not an audiophile, but I assume it has something to do with the amplifier on the Alpine. I was looking for a technology upgrade, so the improved audio was a bonus.

DaveGee

Kuro Neko

Can confirm too, audio output and range much better with my new unit.
Possibly too, due to later BT codec efficiencies?

HalV

Please share what Bose Converter you're using. The converters that I've seen only have one right and one left input so fade is not possible.

Kuro Neko

Sure!
Mine was the non-Bose speaker adapter kit, driven by the 'amp-on' wire regardless.
The AV-Interface range includes a range of adapters for the OEM system.



The range though includes adapters for Bose and non-Bose systems...
From what I could see from the installation, everything downstream from the speaker adapter was OEM.
I can scan the installation manual for further info if needed?

Neyurt

Just signed up to thank you Stantaur - followed your instructions to a T and got the DMX908s installed on my 987.2 (with Bose).

Awesome guide and write up!

I found 2 illumination wires to tap into right behind the head unit (there are 2 - left and right - red/white+brown wires), this was easier as I didn't have to route a write from the e-break area.

Again, thank you!

Rocket3004

Thanks for this post - really informative and easy to read. Appreciate the tips to minimize whine, etc.

With the PCCM - there is a MOST converter (PCG-642-580-0). It is unclear if that is a 4-channel device or 2-channel (i.e. L/R only). I agree - my car is set to center for the most part, but I wonder if you loose some of the 'stereo' sound. I'm no audiophile, but I assume you shouldn't as L/R are preserved. It would be interesting to look at the PCCM MOST converter and see if that would be an option to use. It's about a ~$160 part per google search.

Not to derail to thread, but I've also wondered about using an aftermarket amp but still use the OEM wiring (i.e. if I were able to use a pigtail of sorts to run the aftermarket amp's output to the wiring/connector that normally plugs into the bose amp output to the speakers. As a non-audiophile myself, just looking for a fresher tech and at least equivalent sound, maybe just using the MOST adapter would be an easier plug and play option!

XuTVJet

I see that Stantaur and DaveGee, who both did this upgrade, and have Sport Chrono. Has the Sport Chrono function been lost in terms of using the Sport setting and also engaging the timer which shows up on the gauge cluster and Sport Chrono gauge? I don't care about the lap info that gets presented on the head unit screen. Thank you.

Neyurt

@stantaur and @DaveGee Have either of you replaced the original bose oem speakers?

I hear a bit of cracking in some frequency - doens't always happen. more often with EDM type music. I wonder if it's the mid-range speaker giving out (my car is 09' so the seal just might be wearing out etcs).

Not sure what speaker to get to replace the ones i have. (I have BOSE system on 987.2)

DaveGee

No, no loss of Sport Chrono functionality through the gauge cluster.

DaveGee

DaveGee

I did not replace the OEM speakers. Sound quality is good enough for me. YMMV.

DaveGee

Neyurt

@stantaur Can you give me a bit more details about how to write/mount the backup camera?
1) I know you mention to fish the wire from the tow-hook hole (this appears to be slilghly right the license plate)
2) Do you have to drive a hole for the wire/cable directly behind the camera? This would require drilling through the bumper. Perhaps right behind the top fo the license plate?

I assume fishing the wire to the left tailight <-> tow-hook hole is just for the sake of getting the wires to work with, you didn't actually use the hole for wiring?

Thanks in advance!