i just became the proud owner of a 987.1 base cayman with the base sound system (my 1st Porsche ownership experience)
And i would like some input regarding a few questions that i have regarding this specific model.
Coming from a 2015 bmw as a daily driver, i got used to all the tech goodies that a newer sound system has to offer (bluetooth , iphone integration, etc) so i felt the stock sound system on my cayman is very lacking.
I did some research and opted for a pioneer appradio unit which intend to install in my car in the following weeks.
as most of you know, the base system is very spartan, and I honestly dont feel i am anything close to an audiophile, but even for me, the lack of bass is notable. I noted that the stock bose subwoofer can be found for cheap on ebay,
is this something that might be worth considering installing to gain some bass in the system if plugged directly to the new pioneer HU?
Secondly, i want to keep the appearance of my dash as stock as possible. i found a relatively cheap color-matching bezel on ebay, would this be worth considering over the full installation kit that is sold in a couple of sites for around $250?
Radio Stereo Mounting Installation Dash Kit Double DIN Silver KT PR003 | eBay
Finally, is there anything else that i need to get prior to my installation? i noticed that bose-systems needs some kind of adapter to use the factory amp, hopefully i wont need to use anything similar.
I appreciate your time, and thanks for having me in this forum, most likely i will be making a couple of questions every know and then and trying to make whatever contribution is possible from me.
My 987.2 base came with the standard sound system and I immediately upgraded to a Pioneer AVIC Z110 NAV headunit. Other than mine came with a CDR30 instead of CDR24, I suspect they are very similar. I kept the stock speakers, although I eventually added 2 more speakers in the rear. Although I did the headunit upgrade to add more functionalit (ipod, BT, NAV), I found that the stock speakers sounded much better and the bass from the ~8" door speakers was much improved. Probably due to slightly more power in the headunit.
I highly recommend buying the Euromotorspeed kit, instead of that bargain-basement one. This kit comes with:
instructions on where to tap into wiring
instructions on dis-assembly of console
tech support via phone or email (from a Boxster owner)
adapter harness to plug into stock harness
antenna adapter
known quality - just look around P9 to see all the satisfied customers
Oh, forget about adding the Bose sub. It requires a separate Bose amp. You'd have to upgrade all the speakers and probably change your wiring. Not cost effective and kinda meh quality.
thanks for your quick reply.
I find it interesting that the stock speakers sound better with the aftermarket head unit considering that after the HU, the signal still goes trough the stock amp. i would assume that they will sound the same. however i am no tech expert.
I will opt for the install kit now that you mention how useful it is....will try to post a full review as soon as the unit is installed.
On the standard sound system there is no external amp, so it all gets replaced by the new headunit's internal amp. You can optionally add an external power amp using the headunit's line-outputs, but to handle all that power you'd need to upgrade all the speakers.
i just found another thread which states otherwise, let me quote:
"The tweeters and mid-range loudspeakers are powered by the 2 X25W amplifier integrated in the CDR-24 CD-radio. An additional, external analogue amplifier which is accomodated in the luggage compartment powers the low-range loudspeakers ( 2 X 70W) and the center speaker (40W)".
anyone heard of this external amp?
I think that is the standard equipment on the 'S'. I thought we were talking about a 'base' 2.7L with the standard sound system. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the specs for Gen1 897s. BTW, I don't think the base 987 has any speaker under the center grill except when it has the Bose option.
