Does anyone have any information regarding replacing the stereo head unit with an aftermarket one? It looks impossible, as far as I can tell from pictures: no place to put it and no obvious way to even fabricate a custom dash piece to make it fit. Thanks, Tony

 

I was wondering the same thing. I have a nice Mcintosh Car Audio system I took out of my M5 when I sold it, I was hoping to be able to put it in a 997....

 

The PCM screen et all is not just the audio head unit its the nav, trip computer, additional memory settings (S) not to mention the audio system and utilizes the MOST Bus. Mfg by Harmon/Becker

 

Is the nav. an option or standard? I assume its an option, but I haven't yet seen a car without it. The "old" becker units from the 996 without nav were relatively easy to switch...

 

All MY03+ Porsches use a fiber optic connection between headunit, amp, cdchanger and finally back to headunit. The system is called MOST.
http://www.mostnet.de/index.php

If you replace the headunit (as there are currently NO aftermarket MOST devices, let alone headunits), then you will need to replace the amplifier and CDChanger as well.

Do a search for MOST in the 996, 996TT and Cayenne forums for more details and information.

 

The "Screen" is standard on all MY05 Carreras

 

Yes, I know if you replace the head unit you must replace the whole system. I have cd player, amps, and even focal utopia speakers. But if the screen is standard, as it appears to be, then it becomes virtually impossible to replace the system without ruining the console. Too bad; I am fairly picky about my music, and although the Bose system in the 996 was one of the best stock systems I had heard, it still wasnt nearly as nice as the Mcintosh equipment with Focal speakers. The only stock system I have heard that approaches the quality aftermarket equipment can acheive is Bentley's system in the Continental GT (Alpine, I believe). Thanks very much for the information !

 

The BOSE® Surround Sound System in the '05 997 is much improved over the 996, check it out.
Lets face it, the only way we can fully appreciate a car audio system is when it is parked with the engine off.
When driving theres too much competition from external sources; engine sound, road noise and the beauty is lost.
Porsche cars are NOT vault quiet like luxo cruisers: ie:Bentley

 

The music is in the trunk! Forget about the radio and CD racket....

 

Does it look like there might be room in the center tunnel to put a headunit? I have seen that done on some european cars in the past.