averynickt

How does the standard stock compare to Bose? looking at a car that doesn't have the Bose upgrade, what am I missing out on?

maxpowers

I custom ordered my car with the base stereo since it sounded great to me, although I'm not an audiophile by any means . You can see the specs different with the Bose having more watts and speakers and I know it's a very popular option. Why not listen to both and see what best fits your needs?

c_Gio

+1

Use the budget for premium plus package. Money better spent.

Dewinator

Don't forget to get one with the PSE button! It offers far better sound than any of the stereo options.

c_Gio

+100. Should have said that!

rkwfxd

The base stereo in my Carrera is loud enough to drown out my PSE.

Archimedes

I have base CDR radio in one car and Bose in the other. Big difference in quality of the sound and no sub on the base radio. I would not spec a car with the base radio again myself.

12v Nick

There's a good difference audibly. Although, in my honest opinion, if you really enjoy music neither is satisfactory...

My suggestion would be not to let the sound system sway your decision on the car you want. There are simple aftermarket ways to make the Base system sound far better than the Bose.

averynickt

what are some of the "simple" aftermarket ways? new speakers and stereo or something easier?

R_Rated

I have Bose and it really is unacceptable for this expensive of a car. If you're financing get the burmester if stereo is something you care about.

If paying cash and can't justify the burmester then go aftermarket for speakers and amps for way less.

the Bose just isn't worth it IMO. There are other options that make driving more enjoyable to me. Ymmv

Porsche_nuts

Impossible to answer the question - everyone's ears are different. What is good sounding to one person may sound bad to another. Best advice is to listen to both systems and decide for yourself. Everyone knows Bose is not the best, it is whether Bose is acceptable to you versus the base system.

beaverlake

With any of the Porsche audio options -

1. Make sure all the PCM automatic sound compensation options are off.
2. Have quality source material (higher resolution audio files, HD FM radio, etc.)
3. Set the tone controls for each source. My AM radio settings are certainly different from FM, etc.
4. If a phone, iTouch, etc is the source (even for Pandora, Spotify, etc.) and that source has its own equalizer, then make sure you start with that eq flat. Not all devices output a flat, un-equalized signal thru Bluetooth or AUX out. If you have output set bass-heavy for some PC speakers, guess what happens in the car.

I am one of those audiophile types. I had Burmester in our first 991 and it was very good, in fact sometimes the reproduction was almost too bright. The Bose in our 981 BS was very good once dialed in. The Bose in our current 991 is pretty good now that I've had a couple of months to fiddle with the settings.

Oh - satellite radio sounds more or less crappy no matter what you do with the settings.

If funds are tight, do PSE or performance options, etc. But if you are searching for a CPO you won't pay more for Bose (or in some cases even for Burmester).

Gordon

Archimedes

Be realistic, there is no simple or cheap alternatives to make the Base system better. There are only a couple options, all are expensive installed (new head, add the sub, new amp, new door speakers), all require professional installation unless you're in the business, and all give up the stock look and some of the functions.

The biggest issue I have with the base radio is not just the ****ty sound. It's the lack of satellite radio. So you're left with the HD FM radio, which by the way has horrible reception (can never keep the HD signal long, my kid's Camry does it better), or you plug in a different source. And using a phone is a joke, coupling a bad source with a bad radio. I find myself using CDs just to try to make it tolerable.

I see reasons why the radio isn't that important to some people, and if that's the case, the base radio is fine. But if it matters to a buyer, they'd be a fool to not at least get the Bose radio.

Archimedes

The Burmeister is awesome, but the Bose set up right is still good, particularly for this space. I also find that the louder I run the Bose, the better it sounds. I found the same thing with the B&O in my RS5. It noticed the quality of the system when I really ran it hard.

12v Nick

I believe I'm being realistic, and you're right — if you don't have a trusted professional in your area it can take the simplicity out of it. I'm working on a cure for that.

Cheap and expensive are relative terms though, after all we don't drive Honda Civics here. The Bose upgrade for the 991 is around $1500, and there are a few options that can surpass the Bose in that price range without sacrificing look or function. Case in point, we recently added an amplifier with built in signal processing to the factory speakers in a Targa. Price was under 2k all in and the sound was, dare I say, beyond the Burmester.

That being said, my comment was simply to give the OP an idea of the alternative if he's found the P car he loves and the stereo is the only downfall.