Installed a crappy radio in my 996 - love it...

After throwing many dollars and hours at my MOST-equipped 986 and never being satisfied with the results, I decided to leave the 996 radio stock. I finally got sick of that stupid thing and replaced it with one of the cheapest things at Crutchfield: a factory-refurbished JVC KD-X330BTS that set me back a whopping 79 bucks, including the wiring harnesses and antenna adapter. The install required 15 minutes and 4 wire nuts, and I streamed IHeartRadio and stuff from my Prime Music account all the way to work. I wish I hadn't waited so long to remove that cursed Porsche radio. The controls are tiny and hard to hit while driving, but the wireless remote fits nicely into the smoker delete bin in the center console. Incidentally, I picked the JVC unit because it does not have an optical drive - so the head unit requires about a third less depth than the stock unit. When I have the time this weekend, I'll find a SiriusXM tuner I know is somewhere in my workbench, stuff that into the dash behind the JVC and add satellite radio as well. *edit* added a photo of my SiriusXM antenna to page 2 of this thread. The JVC also comes with a remote microphone I can install in the head liner next to the driver seat, so Bluetooth calls should sound halfway decent in my car. I normally don't do "cheapo" radio upgrades, but I really hated the idea of going double-din (I have the GT3 console delete) - and I definitely don't have any interest in upgrading the speakers or amp. My biggest complaint is that the button illumination is blue - so I may take the faceplate apart and see if I can swap in some orange LEDs. If I break it, I'm out 79 bucks...

I think I spent $89 on my Sony with Bluetooth streaming. Actually, I guess I spent $188 as there was one in my 911v1.0 too.

Now it's time to

I put an inexpensive Pioneer radio, similar to to the JVC shown above, in my Volkswagen. I love it but the look was just too busy for me to put in the 996. The Pioneer colors are configurable so that might be true with the JVC as well. One feature that I found really useful is that I can put all of my music on a 32gb USB thumb drive that is tiny and only sticks out about 3/16 inch from the radio. It looks like you could do the same. It is time-consuming copying mp3s and organizing the USB drive but well worth it. I generally only use Bluetooth for calls or when I want to use Pandora or Waze.

You cheap bastard

Does satellite radio still require an external antenna? If so where do you place it? I guess on a cabrio it would be difficult to find the right spot. I need to do something like this too. Not that I need a great stereo but something that would allow me to stream would be nice.

I installed the antenna in the same place I installed the one on my 986 - the plastic below the windshield on the passenger side. I drilled a hole large enough to pass the connector through and then used black silicone to secure the antenna over the hole. The net result is a very small black antenna - about 1.5x1.5 inches and perhaps half an inch thick - on an area made of black plastic. It's not invisible, but it looks factory. I'll post up a picture of that later. The SiriusXM antenna comes with a long - 10 feet? - wire, more than long enough to run through the firewall access gromit behind the battery; from there, it's a straight shot into the center stack and into the XM receiver.

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This. I'm to the point where I would like to have a media player (no CD required) but they all seem to have the same busy annoying lights. Does anyone know of one that looks simple and basic but has decent functionality?

This is the JVC I installed in my 986 during one audio experiment. I wish I'd kept the head unit. Crap, maybe I _DID_. Need to go through the workbench and see... Touch controls and very minimalist. The touchscreen slides down to allow access to the CD/DVD drive.

I installed one very similar. Sounds fine - but try making any changes on the face while driving. And good luck seeing it during daylight (colors are changeable). Sounds fine though and the bluetooth works amazingly well.

All I can say is techonology has come a long way to bridge the gap between the elite audiophile brands/models in recent times. No longer do you have to spend thousands to get a decent sound. Couple that to the fact that audio these days are really "downgraded" through the use of streaming BT, mp3 files, and such, where you can get away with using your avg or slightly above avg equipment. From a audiology perspective, there have been a lot more in recent changes in environment to ruin people's hearing so now you have most of the population on earth having some amount of hearing loss or non-linear hearing. The only people that exist now aday's without hearing loss are some of your secluded villagers like some Aboriginee's in the outback and new born babies.

You guys actually turn the radio on in your Porsche?!!

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My age (~46) plus some of my previous endeavors (playing bad music in loud clubs) have pretty much destroyed my high-frequency hearing - I'm at least 5 years ahead of where I should be re: high frequency loss. The plus side: My dog whines in a frequency I can no longer hear. It's going to be interesting to see what happens when the Millennials and subsequent generations who have grown up plugged into iPods and iPhones with Beats by Dre blasting music into their ears hit their 40's and 50's. I envision a lot of hearing aids...

I go into an audiologists to get my hearing tested every two years. I only do this to justify how much money I should be spending to upgrade my audio components from time to time. It really doesn't make sense for those peeps that have crappy hearing to be spending $600 on headphones if you know what I mean. This is the number one flawed logic in the audio game. Most don't realize their own hearing is the weakest link.

I can barely tolerate my cdr 220, even with my bluetooth integration. It is annoying having to control song selection with my phone screen. However, I am very reluctant to put anything flashy in there.

This almost fits the bill. Problem is no bluetooth. http://www.ebay.com/itm/VDO-TR7322U-...UAAOSw-ndTmbjq

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I'm hoping our nanobot overlords solve that problem for us. I still want to be able to hear an internal combustion engine while I'm driving

Here's a photo of the SiriusXM antenna location. There is plenty of room underneath that panel, and I prefer this permanent installation to any of the magnetic options. Mounting it inside the car results in poor reception (tried in my 986 before I went this route in that car as well)... Note that when the car is clean and the plastic has been treated properly, it's nearly the same color as the antenna - but I've been lazy so the plastic is currently "old 996 gray." At any rate, I think it looks a lot better than some of the other crap they're doing to cars - like those hideous park distance warts.

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My current solution is the iSimple Tranzit Blu that gives very good hands free phone, eyes-free Siri, and streams music and apps. The only functions that are missing are the ability to play USB MP3's and the displaying of the streamed music info (Artist, Title, etc) on the radio's display. Those would be nice to have, but this is a pretty good compromise . I've retained the original CDR220 but added Bluetooth without any visual modification except for the addition of one very small button (edit: and the microphone) I was hoping that the Continental radio would be able to fit the bill but it doesn't have line out to feed my (Hi Fi option) amp and the guy who sells them never got back to me about a fix for that.

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Bad recommendation. This radio only produces 10 Watts per channel. You're better off not trying to cosmetically match the car's OEM and either fix the Becker or just purchase a nice high quality Alpine, Kenwood, or Blaupunkt system.

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Bill, The Continental CDD7418UB-OR is the unit that you need. And it provides pre-amp output via two stereo pair RCA connectors. (See picture & wiring diagram.) Notice the Red and White RCA connectors with the label AUX-R and AUX-L on it. Those outputs provide the correct line-level output to most all standard amps. http://www.bergvillfx.com/index.php/...7418ub-or.html http://www.bergvillfx.com/files/Cont...18UB_OR_en.pdf

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Didn't realize that. Thanks for pointing it out. I soldered in a bluetooth unit into the becker about 10ish months ago, so I have no real qualms with it other than I have to pull out my phone for controls.

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Have you installed it using those connections? The description on the website says: Note 2: This radio unit has speaker outputs only, no line out connection.

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This is not a problem if you have a hifi option as you can use a speaker to line level converter.

^ Some units are programmable, as well - so you can choose whether the outputs are line or speaker level. Those speaker-to-line-level converters were the sh*t in the 80's when we were shoving 18" subs into every available space and adding second alternators. Another checkbox on the "why I'm losing my hearing" questionnaire...

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I mounted the Sirius antenna in the same locate but underneath that plastic panel. I just mounted it to the wiper bracketing using the magnet. It's outta sight and the reception is great.

I don't know if it's just my line-of-sight to the SiriusXM satellite constellation or what - but even that couple MM of plastic was enough to interfere with my reception. Like you said, the antenna is magnetic and a piece of cake to mount, but I never got a reliable signal until the antenna was exposed.

Damn, I love the Internet. You can find the trajectory of any of the SiriusXM satellites here ... SIRIUS FM-6 Track SIRIUS FM-6 now! SIRIUS FM-6 is classified as: XM and Sirius NORAD ID: 39360 Int'l Code: 2013-058A Perigee: 35,793.5 km Apogee: 35,794.6 km Inclination: 0.0 � Period: 1,436.1 minutes Semi major axis: 42165 km RCS: Unknown Launch date: October 25, 2013 Source: United States (US) Launch site: TYURATAM MISSILE AND SPACE COMPLEX (TTMTR) SIRIUS 3 NORAD ID: 26626 Int'l Code: 2000-077A Perigee: 24,660.4 km Apogee: 47,079.8 km Inclination: 64.4 � Period: 1,440.0 minutes Semi major axis: 42241 km RCS: 8.8725 m2 (large) Launch date: November 30, 2000 Source: United States (US) Launch site: TYURATAM MISSILE AND SPACE COMPLEX (TTMTR)

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Tor, the guy who sells them here, was looking into a plug & play solution with line converters but was having trouble getting a clean sound. He might have given up or got too busy to keep at it. I'll keep the bluetooth solution I have now for a while as it meets most of my needs. The other functions would be nice to have but aren't show stoppers.

Now that the car is back on the ground with new (used) wheels, I've actually had some time to enjoy the crappy stereo. Love it. I didn't think I'd wind up using Pandora predominantly, but it's slick and it just works. Fire up the car, the stereo and the phone do their thing and music I like appears. I still have to clean up some odds and ends (remove an old in-line FM modulator, install the remote microphone for handsfree calls, and plumb the satellite radio receiver), but other than my aftermarket TPMS pressure and temp monitoring system, this is the best upgrade I've done to the 996 in 4 years.

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I feel the same way! I listen to Pandora 99% of the time via my Kenwood DNX891HDB. (I picked this up used for $250!)

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Do we want to know what you do 1% of the time?

i am confused if your car had MOST fiber optic on it how can you connect to the speakers from the head unit ? did you tap into the speaker cables in the amp harness ? meaning making the connection to speakers not in the center console but in the front trunk ? and is crutfield actually selling the harness for this 'hack' ?

I ran the microphone up and out of the drivers visor and clipped it on there. It sounded great and looked good but when I flipped the visor down it would catch. So I took the mic housing off to expose just the mic and put it in the stock dash location.. A little air gap in the front and sealed from behind but people have a hard time hearing me. Im going to run it up door pillar and leave it hidden behind the plastic I think that will sound alot better. If you've put yours there let me know how it sounds in a call.

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Mine is mounted just to the right of the visor clipped to the front edge of the headliner. It works great. Well played sir.

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Not sure if this was directed at me (the OP) or not - but in my case, no, thank God, my '99 is not MOST-equipped. I had enough of that crap with my '03 Boxster. The Crutchfield harness was not 100% perfect, but had I read the included documentation more carefully (the docs actually included a note that the '99 wiring was slightly different for the +12v constant v. switched leads), I would have avoided pulling it back out and swapping those two wires.

Just installed a Kenwood KDC-599 ($109 at Crutchfield). Was skeptical it would help, but wanted the bluetooth for both the phone and music. Made a huge difference. Sounds so much better. Will be updating the stock speakers next.

^^great news. and all the best with upgrading the speakers!

what speakers fit best in the doors ?

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Phil, it depends... do you have the subbox in the door or it standard speakers... or the speaker delete?

my car has the sub-box i believe. I have the bose logo on the speaker grills bose sub on rear shelf as well

Phil, let me be straight up with you. Unless you really hate the sound of the speakers or if one of them is malfunctioning, I wouldn't mess with the Bose speaker system. Those things are acoustically matched for the interior of the 996 coupe and are some of the best speakers money can buy. Your system is a 12 speaker/6 channel system that includes a Bose sound processor (i.e. eq), and subwoofer (behind the rear seats). See attached picture:

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I'll admit that the Bose components are better than what you get in, say, a base Kia or Scion, but I take exception to the claim that they're some of the best speakers money can buy. They are under-driven (25 watts? SRSLY?) paper-cone, foam-surround speakers that are not significantly different or better than anything installed in ANY car in the last 30 years. Those 11.4CM "subwoofers" - that's a whopping 4.3" driver - make decent bass for a speaker that size thanks to the enclosure - but it's still a 4.3" driver. You need to move a decent volume of air for solid bass reproduction; that just doesn't happen with a 4-inch driver. The volume at which the whole system distorts is pathetically low, and the 2-ohm setup means that unless you especially WANT to spend money on low-impedance speakers, the amp needs to come out as well. The speaker wiring is a rat's nest of splits and parallel wiring that makes no sense for anything except the stock setup; unless you're ABSOLUTELY sure you understand the wiring and can make it work for a 4- or 8-ohm configuration, just cut it all out and pull decent wire. The Bose setup in my '96 Corvette - with discrete amps built into each speaker - is light years ahead of the MOST rig my Boxster had and even further ahead of the non-MOST setup in my '99 Carrera 4. Bose is the Mobil1 of audio equipment: Porsche includes it with every car, so it MUST be incredible. Right?

I must disagree. Phil, your speakers are 13 years old, very basic paper cone drivers with aging surround foam. They can fail anytime, especially if overdriven with distortion. Bose is known for its psychoacoustic trickery and I am guessing that the amp, but unlikely the speakers, are EQ'd to match the interior of your car. I heard Bose speakers in cars with updated aftermarket head units and amps and they sound better than stock but still crap. A midrange 5 channel amp such as Kenwood Excelon X801-5 and a set of modest two-way speakers, such as Hertz DSK-165-3, Focal R130-S2, JL or Infiniti, will set you back ca. $400 (without labor). Putting new speakers into the door panels is simple if they are 5.25" and not much more work to fit 6.5" (better mid-base). Tweeters are easy to mount on the dash panel, many DIY instruction on this forum. Ignore the rear panel speakers since they are mono and only fill in. If its your first time installing car audio, it will take you probably half a day and require simple tools and little dremeling. If you don't want to cut into the wiring harness but use the existing speaker wiring, the Autoleads harness for the Bose amp (from Amazon UK, ca $60 incl. delivery) is highly recommended. Its a fun and rewarding project.

I'm sure if someone wanted to they could have the stock H. / U. Electronically modified to incorporate Bluetooth, wi-fi, etc. ...May not make $$ sense but it could be done. That would give the fit and finish of OEM with modern functionality.

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Bill, I wanted to follow up on this thread and say that I was mistaken about Continental's RCA AUX connectors. After further research, those connections serve as inputs and are NOT pre-amp outputs. Sorry about that!

Thanks, Bobby. I appreciate the effort.

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No problem... I hate I gave you bad information. Anyway, what solution did you go with?

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I wrote a guide how to do this for under $25 and about half an hour of your time. Here .

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There is a thread here on RL where someobody hacked a BT receiver into the stock radio enclosure. It's not rocket science, but some skills with the soldering iron are in order. I finally got around to pulling the new deck back out and situating the wired mic for handsfree operation; I ran the mic under the dash, behind the a-pillar moulding, up along the inside of the A pillar cladding, under the headliner to the overhead light/control console. The mic is situated next to the sunroof controls and damned if it isn't one of the best handsfree rigs I've ever owned. Mrs. 5chn3ll claims no background noise @ highways speed; no other BT/handsfree rig I've had has ever worked. I decided to pay for a Pandora subscription and skip satellite radio - $3.99 a month for better stations that SiriusXM offers works for me. 2 months in, my 80 dollar refurb JVC is still looking like an awfully good deal.

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I went with this plug & play unit for the CDR220 http://www.discountcarstereo.com/BLU-BKR235.html It works great. Functions that are missing are USB drive audio input and the displaying of track information on the radio. Those aren't show-stoppers for me but would be nice to have. This model uses a direct connection and requires no external power. For other Becker radios you would need a different kit and it would tap into the radio's antenna line for FM broadcast. In that case it does display the track info on the radio. The bluetooth connectivity and iPhone integration work flawlessly. I've even been able to make calls with the top down.