Bose - Upgrading

I'm being told by Euro Motorspeed and my local installer that to upgrade the CDR-24head unit to a new Nav unit I have to install a Nav-Tv MOST-HUR modulator ($650) or the Euro Motorspeed kit that includes it ($800) because the Bose speaker system is digital and uses fiber optics. The modulator converts analog to digital. I have read on this forum of some owners simply upgrading the head unit. Which is it? Thanks, Ron

As far as I know the best solution is to remove the CDR-24 AND the BOSE Amplifier then you should be free to use any Head Unit and amp you like. May people on Planet-9 have documented such installs. If you want to keep the CDR-24 and add options like iPod , Blue Tooth etc. there are adaptors and kits to do so. I've not heard of swapping the head-unit and connecting it to the BOSE amp via an adaptor kit but I suppose this is possible. I would venture a guess it might be cheaper and more efficient to replace the BOSE AMP .

What Loi is saying is that the speaker wire itself is fiber optics. You can go with new amplifiers but you have to change out wire as well. My installer said by the time you change out the wire (with labor) you are close to the cost of modulator.

I think you may have misheard him. You can do a search for install under the electronics section of the forum. The head unit is connected to the bose amp with fiber optics. If you want nav, the cheapest solution is to buy the head unit, BUY AN AMP, and BUY THE EURO MOTORSPEED BEZEL for BOSE . If you do not have Bose , then you won't have to buy an amp and ONLY need a connection adapter that is in the standard bezel kit. You may want to find an installer who has worked on Porsche or at least knows something about the current line-up. This seems to be the same set-up on all the models since at least 2005...

Just to clarify, this for the Bose upgrade option with 9 speakers. What they are saying is that you can get amplifiers but they won't work with all the existing speakers. To use the existing system you need the modulator. You are saying that new amp with a new head unit will work. I guess another question s how much for an amp that can handle all the speakers. If the amp is considerably less than the modulator and it works with all the speakers that would be the way to go. Thanks by the way, Ron

You have two main issues that it sounds like you are addressing. Issue 1 - HU to Amp connection. Factory Bose connects with fiber optic line. cheapest solution would be a new amp with the new HU. This makes the connection RCA and provides cleaner, more controled sound. Issue 2(a) - Amp to Speakers (signal). If you are keeping the Bose speakers, you will need to match the ohms output. THere are several threads about the Bose speakers here and I'd suggest reading thru a few of them and printing out some for your installer. Here is one for example: http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-boxs...ayman-boxster-electronics/45494-cdr-24-w-bose-kenwood-dnx6960-self-install.html Issue 2(b) - Amp to Speakers (Wire) - This is a non event. There is no need to run new wires. This becomes a little different as you change your speakers out and reconfigure your system. Either way you are able to tap into the existing factory lines to do it. The adapter in the kit is great. Another tapping place is at the splitters next to the fusebox. I'm not an expert so please feel free to correct my mistakes as you see them.. Thanks.

Thanks, I just sent a message to C-Rizzle to get his 2 cents!

I'm having my head unit replaced on Friday. I have PCM 2.1 with Nav and DVD, and will replace with Kenwood Excelon HD6980. Has Garmin Nav, BlueTooth with Parrot, iPod / iPhone connectivity, will have Nav-TV installed as well and connect into my car's MOST fiber optics. For now I'll keep the Bose Amp and Speakers. I'm also adding a back up camera. In the future I may replace with new amp and speakers, but for now, I'll at least do the first half. It's tough spending $650 on an adapter, but the cost of labor along with new amp and speakers is double what I'm doing. And my install company will buy back the NAV-TV for half what I pay when I decide to get speakers and amp. You can always pop in a Porsche PCM 2.1 into your existing fiber optics. No NAV-TV needed. I'll be selling mine soon. There are some available around. It would at least give you Nav and a better head unit than you have now.

My Kenwood 6980 (no HD option though) just showed up yesterday. I hope to do my install this weekend. No BOSE though.

You know what, mine is not HD either. It's the DNX6980. Which amp and speakers are you currently using? What will you do for the dashboard bezel?

Bose system is actually a 10 speaker system by my count: 3 dash, 4 door, 2 rear pillars, 1 sub. (most people skip the center channel though) There's actually 7 leads in the trunk, left & right front (dash & door high), center front, left & right door woofer, left & right rear pillar. Then there's the 8th "wire" going to the BOSE sub amp, this is a line (RCA) level input. Anyway, this has been spelled out clearly in many threads including my install thread. Your options if you have a BOSE system , when changing to an aftermarket headunit: 1. use the MOST-HUR adapter. This allows the new radio to "talk" to the stock BOSE amp . The stock amp needs a fiberoptic input and presumably turns on & off by whether or not there's a signal. 2. change BOSE amp in trunk to an aftermarket amp 3. change BOSE amp in trunk to an aftermarket amp and bypass the subwoofer amp also. notes: center channel not pictured and door highs are part of the "dash" speakers 2 & 3. will require you running RCA (purple wires in diagram) to the aftermarket amp. Also not pictured, but easy to run is a single 12v+ "turn on" (remote) wire. Most installers will probably run a new 12+ power wire to the amp also with a nice heavy gauge wire. I actually used the existing 12v+ rail to supply power to the amp, and use a nut close by for the ground. I've been contemplating running a new power wire since the battery is so close, but truthfully it sounds so good, I've put it off. Everyone who has heard my system cannot believe its stock speakers. Including 2 other Cayman owners who have stock BOSE systems. Part of making the system sound good is tweaking the crossover levels and input levels on the amp, sound levels, etc. 3. shows how i have my 2 door woofers run on the same channel to increase the resistance on the amp (left subwoofer channel), then I have the subwoofer in the footwell run to the right subwoofer channel. I'd love to compare radios with someone who had a "professional" installer install their system, compared to mine. Anyone live close to New Orleans? If you heard my system, I think you'd tell your installer to do it my way. The $650 you save on the adapter can go towards a better quality amp than the stock BOSE amp. You will end up paying more on the install (unless you do it yourself) as there will be more wires to run, instead of basically doing everything from right there behind the headunit. There is the advantage of easy in going back to stock with the way your installer is doing it. But seriously once you saw & heard the way I have things noone, even a purist would want the old stock system back in.

I'll try not to highjack this thread too much... I have the sound package plus and I plan to keep the factory amp/speakers. From what I understand, the new headunit has a very positive affect on the rest of the factory setup. I picked up a wiring kit from euromotorspeed (check ebay). That kit comes with a bezel, antenna adapter, wiring harness, etc.

c-rizzle, If you are every in Northern Virginia I would love to meet up. Here is my setup: 1. Focal Utopia Be #6 (speakers and crossblock) 2. Focal Duel monitor Amp 3. Focal 1.800Le class D monoblock 4. BatCap 5. AudioControls DQL8 (OEM integration) 6. JL Audio 8w3 dave-t

This post is fantastic. You really encapsillated all the options. Thanks, Ron

I am thinking of getting the 6980 also. I hope you guys will post your opinions after your install. Did every one doing the upgrade buy the bezel kit form euromotors that is $250 on ebay?

FYI, I was looking at the audio set up options where you can specify the low pass & high pass cut offs on the head unit of the Kenwood . I have my door woofers & sub at 120 low pass - though I'm thinking about changing this to full frequencies on the head unit, then use the amp's low pass filter to a little higher setting. The amp's low pass can cut off up to 200Hz so I'm going to try 120, 150, 180, 200, or whatever the various increments are. And both the front (dash & door highs) for 220 high pass and the rear (pillar) spears set at 220 high pass

I'm bumping the following question: This is the " PORSCHE 987 BOXSTER DOUBLE DIN INSTALLATION KIT -BOSE " unit that I assume mcstin is talking about. It claims: "New! Bose speaker wire harness adapter eliminates need to cut, splice, or wire tap speaker wires - simple plug-in style solution Housing brackets designed for proper installation into factory opening - Featuring spring loaded secure locking mechanism & built-in guide rails" If it's as advertised, this sure seems like the best way to go!

That kit does work great. The BOSE portion of it wasn't as simple as the head unit wire adapter, unless they've changed it. Regardless the kit is well worth the money, b/c it makes a double din radio work perfectly in our oversized Porsche dash hole. The rails make the unit snap in, the bezel fits flush & makes it looks stock. I highly recommend that kit.

will all 10 speakers be hitting if i choose to keep the Bose system instead of aftermarket amp?

9 speakers are connected to the Bose amp in the frunk. And the subwoofer is run from a seperate line. But yes, if you get the MOST adapter connected that gets the Bose amp online with 9 speakers, then you just need to run a line in to the subwoofer amp, which is easy compared to the optical in for the frunk amp. However, after directly experiencing this. I recommend changing to a new amp. Much better control (cross over level control for all the channels) and sound quality. I forgot where exactly I have them crossed over, but its something like this: Front: (dash & small door speaker) high pass approx. 200Hz Rear: (rear A pillar speakers) high pass approx. 180Hz Sub: (large door woofers in series on one channel & footwell sub other) low pass 120Hz removing the bass from the small speakers allows you to crank it and get nice clear highs & mids removing the trebble from the "woofers" allows you get nice solid clean bass. ie: Specializing the speakers how they're meant to be used.