mzn50

Hey everyone

I have a 2010 C4S with a Bose system.. I'm not looking at changing the head-unit of the system.. I think that would just cause me issues.. I like the USB aux option as well.. Albeit cludge ..

I am thinking of changing the amp and speakers.. And wanted to get "easy" pop in option for both the Amp and speakers/Sub.. Is this something easily done ? .. And worthwhile doing..?

Thanks very much..

Matt

Spokane5150

6Speed probably has the best information regarding audio upgrades. You could go with a high quality line converter like AudioControl to install some amps and speakers but you may not be happy with the sound. You'd have to find out if this head unit has a pre-amp signal going to the factory bose amp. It might have but the voltage will be low less than 2 volts. Plus, the PCM communicates via optics so I'm not sure. Obviously, the best way it to upgrade the head unit. Bose does some strange things with their audio systems make upgrades difficult.

Check this thread out.

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/9...se-system.html

AP997S

If the 2010 is the same as my 2005 997 you'll find the Bose Amp is part of the MOST (fiber optic) loop so putting in a aftermarket amp is not a simple plug and play. There might be an aftermarket amp that has fiber optic input but it still would require some integration work.

The speakers I imagine can be replaced w/ aftermarket types as long as the impedance and form factor is the same. You'll need (I think) to modify the connectors going to each speaker as well.

IMHO it's not worthwhile unless you are a fanatic audiophile.

Listen to the purr or roar of the exhaust instead (lol).

Spokane5150

My Audi had some low voltage pre-outs that I used but i had issues with the floating vs. sourcing ground Bose used so my radio didn't work well. Ultimately, I had to replace the head unit. The Digital Output thing is cool. I wonder if there is a aftermarket D/A Converter for the PCM so you can plug in some amps.

utkinpol

Pcm non-bose units had regular analog 4channel rca jacks. Bose pcm head units transmit digital signal. You need to call good audio tuner shop to check if there are any aftermarket options out there. To improve sound you also would need to take doors apart, replace speakers and put in dedicated wires to each speaker as in stock there are no crossovers and all speakers sit on same wire.

Alan C.

Thankfully at my age the Bose sounds ok.

Jay H

I agree with the above text.

To make it count and hear serious improvements, you're gonna have to drop in some decent drivers and power amps to improve the sound. Hertz, Focal, Dynaudio, Audison stuff, not stuff off the shelf at Best Buy. I would suspect maybe $3,000-$5,000 for new gear (geez, you could drop $10k in a heartbeat for a serious system), wiring, Dynamat and labor to get this stuff in the car and then the hassle of making the fiber optic connections work in an audiophile way, not just a hacked in way that compromises audio quality (like FM modulators and other half solutions).

You may be better off yanking the head unit too and skipping all of the OEM gear and fiber optics. It would pay off in terms of simplicity and in better audio quality. I'd take a new top line Alpine over OEM stuff anyday...

cwalvoord

Spokane5150,

[quote/]Check this thread out.

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/9...se-system.html[/quote]

I read the thread - it is quite interesting. It seemed like Jon8 had a plan but he never posted his results, at least not in that thread. Do you know if he ever found suitable replacement speakers and how much difference he thought they made? I have been VERY disappointed with the Bose system in my '07 C2S but have not wanted to spend the $ or do so much customization to replace the whole system. If there were some replacement speaker options that made a reasonable difference for reasonable $ I would be highly interested.
Thanks
Chris

mzn50

Chris.. Thanks for the link.. Great read..I'm in Jon's camp of replacing speakers.. I think on my 2010 system.. Will be best bang for buck.. If possible..
It's true.. You can dump thousands of $$$.. And get marginally better sound.. I think I can live with the dysfunctional head unit ..

Worst worst .. I'll do what one of the posters stated.. Roll down windows and drive in a tunnel.. That's the best I've ever heard my TUBI roar.. !!

Matt

mdrobc1213

OP..Hi went this route on my 996 before and have some experience doing the same with a 09 987 Boxster. Put an aftermarker Pioneer AVIC 910 (I think it was) into the Boxster and had to have a reputable installer in high end audio do it. This was back in 2009 when I lived in VA but this guy had done the same on my 996 and came highly recommended (worked on Lambo's and Ferrari's and what not besides P-cars).

My take from what I remember is that it can be very involved, Bose and PCM and the fiber optic don't play too well when one tries to attach other aftermarket stuff to them. That was Porsche's intention tho so you'd order/buy the car with all the good $$$ factory audio/nav/BT options however as you can see those sometimes are not up to what you could do on your own if you had a chance/choice. Unfortuately to upgrade your car I am afraid quite a few/lts of things must be re-routed, re-wired, or equipment added or your system will sound WORSE than the Bose one! That said it cost me about $2500k I think just in install fees not to mention equipment and all I did was add an amp and head unit with GPS/BT/hands-free. So yes it can be done and work okay..mine did but it will cost you and may take a few tries to find someone who knows what they are doing and which parts will "play" well/best together with what Porsche AG has created. They didn't make it easy that is for sure and Best Buy mobile Audio definately won't work! Don't even try that route.

Spokane5150

That link Chris gave us is good. I'm sort of a Metal Head so the punchy base and the highs are what I like. However, the tweeters on some of my material can be a little abrasive to my ear drums.

So Jon8 in this link never came up with an answer. WTH He must have figured out that the Bose are indeed 2 ohm speakers and gave up. That's typically the case with OEM Equipment. The low speaker impedance cannot be easily replace with higher 4-8 ohm aftermarket speakers. It's next to impossible to work with OE AMP's.

gasongasoff

Matt, I can tell you that on a 997.2, it will be far from easy. If you're keeping the factory head, the only place you can tap an audio signal is the speaker-level out from the Bose AMP. The connection between the head unit and the Bose amp is MOST fiberoptic, it's proprietary, and AFAIK, there is no adapter available for the 997.2 (there is for the 997.1, but it's not compatible).

Secondly, the speaker-level out from the Bose amp is already crossed over to midbass + midrange/tweet (4 channels for 6 speakers up front) and equalized for the Bose speakers and the car interior. What's worse is that the equalization curve changes with volume (I confirmed this). If you install different speakers, the car will sound terrible because the EQ curve built-in has cut/boost that works specifically for the Bose transducers. Unless you really don't care about sound, or you're in denial because you spent a lot of money so the sound can't possibly be worse, you can't simply add an amp/speakers and keep the factory HU and Bose EQ.

The only solution is to use a factory integration device that "de-equalizes" the signal. Examples of these devices include the JBL MS-8, Audison BitOne, Rockford 360.2, and the JL Cleansweep. These devices would go between the Bose amp speaker-out and your aftermarket amp. You could tap into the factory speaker wires running into the door/dash at the Bose amp, or you can run new wires if you want. You'll probably have to run a new wire to tweeter, regardless, depending on where you mount your aftermarket crossover (because both the tweeter and midrange share the same wiring for a while).

Alternatively, you could just swap out the factory head unit with a double-din aftermarket GPS/NAV unit and be done with it. Then you could just go aftermarket head unit to amp (by analog line-level RCA's), then to the speakers.

Good luck, let us know what you end up doing.

mzn50

-gasongasoff
After reading you very informative post.. I suddenly love my system ..lol
I've spoken to my Shop.. And the nod was a nod of no.. Don't ..

So.. Thanks all.. I'll just leave as is..I've set up a hub for my USB..and it's quite functional ...that I can use both a 32GB USB key and my iPhone while charging.. I'll call that my upgrade..

JFA65

The easiest sound system mod is to attack the exhaust system. Great sound improvement with a tight bass and excellent tweeter range, fortunately the interior sound system becomes irrelevant as I can no longer hear it.

cwalvoord

gasongasoff,
You said there is an adapter for the 997.1 MOST bus - do you have a name or part number? I would be interested in checking this option out.
Thanks much.
Chris