averynickt

appreciate the insight and help. been lurking and reading for awhile now and getting really close, maybe as soon as today on pulling the trigger. looking at one with bose, one without. truth be told getting close to my all in budget so adding another couple thousand wouldn't be possible this year on upgrading from base to something better if i go that direction.

Archimedes

You added an amp, no head, no sub and no speaker changeout and it sounded like a Burmeister? Cmon lets get real. In order to make that base system sound good you need an amp, speaker upgrade and a sub. And then you're in it for $3-5k installed. And you still don't have Sat radio unless you drop another chunk of change on a new head unit and jury rig an antenna. And then you lose a few functions as well. The $1500 Bose option is a steal by comparison.

The base radio is for people who don't care about music in the car. Anyone buying one with the intent on modding it later is foolish. OP, if music matters to you, do not buy a base radio car.

12v Nick

Sorry Archimedes, I believe I was a bit too vague on what we actually did to improve the base system. You see, the factory system adds signal processing in a failed attempt to make the stock speakers sound "less" like garbage.

What we did was replace the amplifier with a multi-channel version that allows us to run the stock speakers in an "active" configuration versus the "passive" system it's factory-fitted with. This gives us the ability to separate each speaker from the rest of the system to extract the potential performance from each one individually.

The on-board digital signal processing let's us tune each one of those speakers with a 31-band parametric equalizer. Through that we can correct the non-linearities in the response. This is done by measuring the acoustic response of the systems output at the listening position with a special microphone designed for analyzing performance audio systems. This is how we get each note the system plays to come through at the same output level — no notes are emphasized or attenuated over others.

In addition to these capabilities, we can also correct the arrival timing of each speaker relative to the driver's listening position. This is particularly important due to the fact that we do not sit equidistant to each speaker in the car. The time correction gives the listener an experience of believability. Every artifact in the recording is physically placed where it should be relative the center vocalist. This is called stereo imaging.

All of these elements, when tuned professionally, can yield a sound that far surpasses anything the factory can do...


That said, this is a bit off topic and doesn't really benefit the OP. I'll make sure I post a thread with a comprehensive breakdown on this soon. Could help some folks who really want to enjoy music in their 991.

BingoWest

^The DSP amplifier from Audiotec Fischer of Germany seems like a sensible way to improve the Porsche Bose system.

If you use the Match PP82DSP, then I'm a bit confused as Crutchfield states this unit does not fit in the Porsche 911 (MY2014).

Porsche Jeff

My 991 has the base stereo with the XM radio. While it is not great it is adequate. I have a cabrio so when the top is down, it's just background music anyhow along with the roar of my PSE. I wouldn't spend the money unless you're really into music and an audiophile.

Leader

I had the Bose option in my two previous 911s. When I configured my Club Coupe last year, I did not order the Bose.
Having now lived without it for a few months, I would say the Bose is definitely better-sounding than the stock radio I now have.
But honestly, I rarely listen to the radio in this car anyway. Porsche Sport Exhaust is my favorite tune.

DrCGuerra

I always purchase the stock stereo because I'm going to swap it out for an aftermarket stereo. It's hard to believe but the stock speakers sound so much better with a clean amp. My stereo installer talked me out of swapping the speakers because he felt I would be happy with them & I am. I might still change out the 3-way speakers in the front doors with Hertz, Morel, or MB Quartz but will wait a year to see what they sound like in a year after the initial break-in. Check out my original thread. If your budget will allow it, go with basic stereo & upgrade it when you have the funds. Best part, if you sell the car, you can uninstall it & install in your new car. That's what I did when I sold my Cayman & installed it in my 991 GTS.

beaverlake

I am a broken record on this topic. Properly adjusted, with decent source material, the BOSE system will produce above average car sound reproduction.

I seldom disagree with Archimedes' insights but in this case I will. Satellite radio signals are very highly compressed with limited dynamic range and low bit rates. Even Pandora with a published cap of 128kbps for mobile devices sounds pretty good. Spotify premium will deliver 320kbps or thereabouts which for most human hearing is near CD quality. HDFM is another good source. In the Seattle area I can get KPLU Jazz almost everywhere in the greater metro area and semi-toolies. Satellite radio is (fill in the blank with the appropriate negative crudity) and in my opinion is a poor alternative to streaming music from a phone. Whether connected through the USB port or thru the Bluetooth link the BOSE does a good job with a) decent source material; and b) time invested in tuning each source including turn off all the auto adjust features. One other thing - check your phone EQ settings - they could be screwing up the sound!

I am kinda one of those audiophile types. Music Matters to me. I can go for days without the car audio system just listening to the sound of the car working. But sometimes the moment calls for the right tune, played loud. I really don't like most BOSE consumer audio products, but the 981 and 991 implementations are pretty darn good if you take the time to RTFM, adjust the system, and have decent source material.

I'll go silent now,
Gordon

Hugh Jardon

I find the base system to be completely acceptable at reasonable listening volumes. Cranked up it's never going to compete with a BOSE Or Burmeister, or aftermarket for that matter. It's never dampened my enjoyment of the music I listen to or the car in general. Also in 10 years it's not likely going to matter what system you have in the car. It'll be old and outdated anyway.

Imagine if the internet proliferated 20 years earlier than in did in the mid-90's. Car forums would have been debating what type of 8-track heads gave the most accurate playback in a 1977 trans am, or what kind of graphic EQ settings made the latest Disco track just positively leap off the quadro-phonic speakers in your Cosworth Vega.

Trvial stuff really over the long run. Exterior/interior colors, Transmission choices and NA vs Turbo are much more important trade offs when you are talking about a 911.

Porsche_nuts

Just wondering what your Bose settings are --

Archimedes

I think you misread my posts. I wasn't talking about the BOSE system. I was talking about the base radio. Big difference. And I wasn't claiming that satellite radio sounded good. I know it's compressed. I wasn't referring to the sound quality, I was merely stating that you don't get that content with the base radio. I don't like going without the content. That said, satellite sounds way better than the AM/FM signal you get on the base radio, which is horrible and won't even stay in HD mode consistently.

The only thing that begins to make the base radio sound good is playing CDs. But the lack of a sub and the crappy speakers still hold it back. The base radio is for people who really don't want a radio but would still like to be able to get news reports when the zombie apocalypse finally comes.

MJBird993

I wish the OP would update this thread and tell us what he did.

FWIW, I had the base system in my 991 and it sucked. It's fine (adequate) when sitting at a traffic light or parked, but at speed with all of the road noise that this car generates, I don't know how any system is going to sound good.

That said, the Bose system IMHO isn't a huge step up and it's stupid expensive and I refused to pay for it. I've got it in my BS, but I bought that car used, so I didn't really pay for it. I still can't hear anything with the top down unless I'm stopped at a light.