eilig

Hi all! I'm looking at purchasing a low-mile, used Seal Gray 997 that has all the options I want EXCEPT the Bose sound system.

I'm just wondering, how "bad" could the standard sound system be?? I'm not a person who listens to loud music anymore anyway, so I don't think that I'd miss this option too much.

Does anyone out there NOT have the Bose? If so, please tell me: Are you satisfied with the sound quality of the standard system?

Any feedback would be much appreciated...

Thanks!

rss997

I do not have bose and am glad. It is easier to upgrade your stereo later if you do not have the bose. I came out of my 996 with 800 watt amps and subwoofer etc....The bose system did not sound all that much better then base system in my opinion...

When i crank it up with sunroof open I can hear it just fine!

If you want to pay extra money , just do it right and upgrade the base system, it will blow bose away!..

eilig

Looking at the options poll, I see that Bose is the most popular options.

I find myself wondering further whether buying a car without Bose may have a negative impact on resale value...

carbon_00

Buy it to drive it , and get what you want.

Your going to get hit on price regardless, the addition of or lack of BOSE is going to be very inconsequential.

MMD

There was a thread a while ago on this. I believe the consensus was that, though an improvement over stock, Bose wasn't a big enough difference in sound to get really excited about.

Persuader

Hi I am have had two 997's first a coupe and now a cab. The first had standard sound system and the cab has Bose

I would say the standard system is pretty poor and the Bose is a tremendous improvement on the standard system.

I wouldn't have thought having the standard system would affect re-sale though as I imagine a lot of 997 buyers(some not all) are more into listening to music music when they are not behind the wheel.

texas911

I have the Bose and its an upgrade from the standard system. I listened to both before ordering. I didn't buy it for resale, I bought it because I like the fact that the Bose doesn't sound bad for an OEM system, actually pretty good, and I don't want to hack into the 997's electrical system to improve it. What with the radio integrated into the PCM. The only way to keep the PCM and upgrade the sound system is to use high gain adapters (speaker level) and use those signals for the new system. So you're basically starting out with "dirty" sound to begin with.

Ronnie

get the Bose if you like having the Bose sticker on your door speakers.

I have the Bose but tbh I rarely have the sound system on, and you have to be sitting in both at the same time (physically impossible) to compare and tell any real difference.

Have to agree with the other comments... get what you want, don't worry about resale.

If financials are your main concerns, spend your hard earned on bricks and mortar.

djantlive

I like the Bose option. To me, it doesn't make sense to save money on an option like Bose on a car that's $80-90k. Of all the expensive options, Bose is actualy reasonably priced and delivers the sound well. It is one of the few things that came as a surprise after delivery that I continue to enjoy every day.

Get the 997 w/o Bose if:

You are completely satisfied w the sound w/o Bose. Listen on road and not just in showroom. The MOST bus in 997 makes aftermarket upgrade very expensive ($3-5k dep if you get aftermarket Nav). Plus, OEM looks better and you will most likely yank out all the aftermarket when selling the car. Aftermarket stereo in Porsche is often a hard sell even if done by a very good installer. With a high end car, people just don't want anything that looks added on even if it sounds better.

IMO, if you can't find a 997 that meets your requirement, keep looking or just get it new. You're not saving much on a 1 yr old car to compromise you dream ride.

CO997

I do not have the bose system in my 997. Now I've not had several porsches before so I can't compare my system to what was in the other models, nor can I compare it to what the Bose system sounds like in current 997's. What I can say is that, for me, the standard system is a HUGH dissapointment for me. I do enjoy listening to the radio while in the car, I listen to all kinds of music and really never "crank it up" all that loud. My compaint is that the base system has no "presence". What I mean is that the sound is not crisp, it sounds dull thru the speakers. If I get in my wifes Nissan SUV, her system is vastly better and she has the base system in her car. For the amount of money it costs to buy these cars I am confused why it is so hard to get a good stereo in them. Most people I have talked to that have the bose system say it is better but not really anything special. The other problem is that since the MOST system is in the car it is much harder to upgrade the system.
So for me I spend a lot more time listening to the music that comes from the engine then I do from the speakers.
If I was to do it all over again I'd probably get the bose system as it is somewhat better, but realize that as of right now Porsche does not have a system yet that is worthy of the car.