lawjdc

I contacted Bose by email and inquired whether it had any plans to market MP3 / iPod adaptors for its factory-installed automotive audio systems (specifically the Porsche 997 system). This is its response:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the Bose Automotive Music System in your 2005 Porsche Carrera. In answer to your question, it is true that the factory installed head unit does not offer inputs for adding iPod / MP3 direct you will need to use an FM transmitter to use this type of format. I will make sure that your comments are added to our Consumer Database for feedback to our Marketing and Engineering Divisions.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.Thank you for contacting Bose Corporation.
Patty Bolack
Consumer Relations Division

Oh well . . . it was worth a try.

jcnesq

Lame.

Leader

Boilerplate.

tocho

Please also tell him we're calling Porsche and asking them to change Bose for Harman Kardon see how he likes it for his consumer database

MJones

Bose was the wrong company to contact..they do not make the head unit, only speakers and digital amp.
The correct company to contact would be:

Harman/Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
Becker-Goering-Strasse 16
76307 Karlsbad, Germany

They are the OEM for the PCM unit.

HARMAN/BECKER Automotive Systems is the automotive division of Harman International.
Parent company: Harman International Industries, Incorporated, Washington D.C.

JFScheck

Hey, at least they gave an answer...

Larry Harris

I have the high $$ Bose in my 06 997. It isn't as good a system as the stock radio in my 2001 Ford Ranger. Listen to the Mark Levinson audio system in a Lexus SC430 (my old 2004). It can be done. I don't understand why Porsche doesn't listen to owner's comments/complaints regarding the edgy Bose system.

texas911

I think the Bose sounds great. One of the better OEM systems. I don't know why you guys are complaining about lack of connectivity for mp3's to Bose, you guys should complain directly to Porsche as they are the ones who spec out what Bose designs for them.

JohnnyBahamas

Wendelin Wiedeking knows less about Porsche, Mr. MJones.

Sobe

awjdc good job ... they could make an aux in to the amp ... its lame but if nothing else Porsche could give us an aux in at least that . Porsche must be working on it .. Ipod is now the standard ...

ltc

Yes, they could.
Yes, they probably already did offer it to Porsche.
No, it probably wasn't accepted, since it would still require interface/command/control protocol to the headunit (which is the MOST bus master in the current infotainment topology).

Funny thing designing OEM infotainment systems....it's not a question as to what you CAN do, it's simply a matter of what the customer/OEM (in this case Porshce) ASKS you to do.

Oh, and BTW, if you don't like the way the audio system sounds in your Porsche, I suggest you forward your complaints to the PAG Board of Directors. They (and yes, their wives) take all new Porsche vehicles out on the road for one week and approve/suggest changes to audio tunings, but i'm sure you already knew that.

Seamus H

As Porsche, and other premium manufactures, tightly integrate PCM / nav / Bluetooth systems and their audio head units it is becoming increasingly difficult to install a high quality sound system. Many people might be happy with the optional Bose system and a CD changer, but I’m not one of them. I don’t want a thumping adolescent system, I just want a real premium audio system (like the Nakamichi, McIntosh, Dynaudio, A/D/S system that I installed in my 996). And I’d like it hardwired to a hidden iPod, or hard drive. However, like most I’m not prepared to rip out PCM.

There are a number of products on the market that enable an iPod to emulate a CD-Changer (typically assigning six playlist names to the six disc buttons), you lose some navigation functionality but have the superior sound of a hard wired connection. The problem on the 997 is that Porsche, along with MB and Jaguar, have moved to a fiber optic databus (in this case MOST, but there is also a different D2B standard that Jaguar and others use). The fiber bus makes it easy for the factory to configure cars with the large number of radio, nav, phone, pcm , etc permutations possible from the options list, world markets, and during the life of the model. Just like the Internet each device on the network is assigned a unique ID, and the master control unit (in this case the display) needs to be manually programmed to recognize each device.

Porsche, and other manufactures (with the notable exception of BMW) currently feel no need to incorporate an oem iPod interface. Being vocal will help, but it will take time for it to become blindingly obvious to Porsche that a library of several thousand albums would be strongly preferred by most owners to just 6. In the meantime several aftermarket companies are working on fiber optic interfaces for the 997 (http://densionusa.com/merchant/merch...ode=IA_Porsche and http://www.mp3yourcar.com/productdet...?productID=573) although no availability date is given.

The second problem with working around the factory head unit is upgrading the amplification and speakers. The amplifier is connected to the head unit on the same MOST fiber bus, so it is not easy to get at pre-amp outputs like the old days. Further the Bose amp unit applies aggressive dsp/eq settings to the audio signal which have been optimized for the specific Bose drivers: for example bass is rolled off aggressively to minimize distortion on the cheaply fabricated Bose door speakers. Upgrading the speakers without addressing the dsp/eq settings many provide little improvement in sound quality, and could end up reducing sound quality.

The only company that I am aware of that have attempted to address this issue is JL Audio with their CleanSweep product (http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_c...hp?page_id=79). In additional to addressing the dsp/eq issues it provides an aux audio input (but no remote control of an iPod) so it might be a stop gap solution until the above product are released.

As I see it the options are:

1. Learn to love Bose .

2. Order a 997 without a CD-Changer and without the Bose upgrade. Run the outputs from the factory head unit into CleanSweep, then a quality amp and speakers. (Issue will be fabricating a custom sub enclosure, but it can be done and made to look stock. I had a fiberglass enclosure made with 2x10” subs which fitted behind the rear seats in the Bose location and it looked completely stock, there are also some front magnet subs that will fit into the rear locations – but then you lose rear fill and while better than the Bose setup they will be inferior to the twin 10” conventional subs) .

3. Wait for Dension, Ice, or some other firm to release a Porsche iPod interface and live with whatever amp/speaker setup you have .

ltc

Excellent post, one of the better ones I've seen on the subject here on Rennlist.

A few minor points:
1. Audi is also using MOST infotainment devices on their A8 (the first model to have MOST) and the A6's.
2. D2B is no longer being developed, as the people responsible for its creation came up with MOST to replace it. It is now merely a legacy system.
3. Dension first showed their MOST adapter this past January (11 months ago), since then nothing. At the last MOSTCooperation meeting in Germany, there was active discussion regarding the design and sale of 'aftermarket' MOST adapters; however I am unaware of any that have passed certification/compliance testing. There is also the issue of signing agreements with the target car OEM, as each has their own MOST protocol extentions which make it difficult to integrate a device into the ring without assistance/specifications.
4. Even once a MOST adapter is integrated into the ring, there is still the issue of the human interface at the headunit; Becker (the only company outside of Japan who manufactures OEM MOST headunits) would likely have to agree to a S/W update for the headunit.....again, agreements/fees would have to be discussed.

texas911

ltc

There are currently 2 approaches being implemented to integrating an iPod into the car:
1. The iPod (interface) is integrated into and controlled via the headunit. To the rest of the system (amplifier), the source stream is no different than any other being produced by the headunit.
2. The iPod (interface) is placed direclty onto the MOST ring, as a nodal device (same as an amplifier, CDChanger, etc).

You will see an (OEM) iPod in a Porsche, you'll just have to be a bit patient.