Mumbles

I'm sure Porsche has done their homework. Interior space has a lot to do with it.

PTParks

I think it is too much to expect living room high-end component sound quality from a factory system in a car who's primary focus is driving performance. While other manufacturers may provide improvements over the Bose system with their own stereo specifications, I find that the Bose system in the Porsche adequate for my needs and certainly not the deciding factor (not even in the top 5) for me buying the car in the first place.

gasongasoff

The Bose system isn't terrible...the speakers themselves are pretty cheap, but the amplifier actually EQ's the speakers + cabin response so everything sounds okay. If you want to go aftermarket, it's not very straightforward on these cars, and it won't be cheap. At the very minimum, you'll need new speakers with custom-made mounting rings, an amplifier, and either a new head unit or an expensive MOST fiberoptic to lineout converter. The labor for all that will be expensive because you can't just take your car to Best Buy, you'll want to find a premium installer for sure.

...but if your car doesn't have NAV/Bluetooth/Ipod, then replacing the head unit is a lot cheaper than those factory options.

Mumbles

But seriously, at well over a 100k car should you really be looking to modify the sound system ?

buddy911t

I have a buzz in one of my speakers that drives me nuts> Sound in 996 was better for me.

SARGEPUG

OP,
I'm not sure the way you have it set, but the bass in mine can be felt in my back and hair! Also the rest of the sound range is top notch. I too have the Benz premium and had the BMW one as well. Make sure you really fine tune all the setting and especially keep the rear seats down for the bass, makes a world of a difference.

Alan C.

Are people still removing the sub and stuffing it with filler?

alpine-al

Yes, I stuffed my Bose subwoofer with polyester pillow stuffing from AC Moore (~$5.00), which seems to have improved the sound. It's been a while since it did it, but as I recall it reduced the boominess.

In addition to that, I recommend that you try turning off (or turning on) the surround sound. I like it better without surround sound and some people (my wife) like the surround sound.

_Nathan

For a price of $1400 I think it should sound better than it does.

NYP

Does anybody have a link to a diagram showing where the various speakers are in the car? I am not looking forward to crawling around the back of the car looking for them? Thanks.

alpine-al

Here's picture of the speaker locations and a list of the Bose speakers.

The Bose Surround Sound system incorporates the following speaker components:
• Switch panel: 2x 25 mm 25 mm neodym high-frequency loudspeakers (“soft-dome spherical cap”) 1x 70 mm neodym mid-frequency loudspeakers
• Door: 2x 80 mm neodym mid-frequency loudspeakers 2x 200 mm neodym low-frequency loudspeakers
• Rear: 2x 25 mm 25 mm neodym high-frequency loudspeakers (“soft-dome spherical cap”) 2x 80 mm neodym mid-frequency loudspeakers
• Rear shelf: 1x Active subwoofer with 2x 130 mm low-frequency loudspeakers (bass reflex system)

NYP

Exactly what I was looking for and could not find. Thank you very much. This forum is great!

spourreza

I was cranking the sound last night, I think it sounds great. No issues. No distortion. Very clear. We have to remember that the space inside the car is tiny so this is a clear impediment. As mentioned, my wife has Harmons in her 5 series but thats a much bigger car where sound can travel easier in the interior.

John NY-Naples

While I agree Bose isn't as good as the HK Logic 7 in my BMW, I would hardly call it a lousy system. If the treble and bass are adjusted to suit your preferences, I don't think it sounds bad at all. If you want to talk about lousy systems on an expensive car, try Ferraris. The factory Becker system is an embarrassment.

Palmbeacher

I've got the Bose in mine, and have no complaints. It does exactly what I need it to: drown out the wind noise and tire noise, plus the clapping of the sunroof whenever there's the slightest bump in the road, the almost constant rattling of the passenger seatback, the whistling of the air-vents, and a buzzing in the driver's door, all of which have been subject to numerous "fixes" by the dealer which were temporary at best. Whatever we are paying all that money for in a Porsche, it definitely is not for an environment conducive to an audiophile-class stereo experience no matter how highly specified the system. Unfortunately no stereo at all is needed to muffle the sound of the exhaust if the windows are up. Somehow Porsche managed to insulate the cabin effectively against the one sound I'd enjoy hearing.