***Install aftermarket head unit in MOST car WITHOUT removing factory amp***

Gentlemen years have gone by with NO solution to installing an aftermarket head unit into an 03+ Porsche without the need to remove the factory amp and add all kinds of aftermarket wiring, etc to make it work. Well NO MORE!!! I took a stab at trying this RCA to MOST fiber optic converter and it WORKS. Now you can install an aftermarket head unit into an 03+ 996 and retain the stock amp. This is HUGE IMO and no one has done it that I know of so far. I will edit this post as I am going to now remove the ipad and install a double din head unit for testing, as well as provide the link to purchase the box. It was $127.00 Canadian shipped to me and I had it in 3 days from Hong Kong. I did pay an additional $20 customs. Porsche 996 rca to most fiber optic converter - YouTube

Great news

Ahhhhhhh, just installed a pioneer double din along with a new amp ... never thought there would be a working solution to MOST.

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Neither did I, personally I could not be more excited.

Ditto, Please share this magical unicorn of a device

I'll post the link tomorrow from my laptop to the device it's so simple now to swap a deck! Here is the other thread with the link to the box I have. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/949822-03-carrera-4-s-radio-upgrade-2.html

this is hugeeee.... I have been waiting for this for...5 years ! my stock head unit days are counted

Great work Jamie! Your willingness to go through the trouble of testing this devise has saved a lot work for all of us in the 996 community. Personally, I think the systems go bad because of the Becker HUs, but the speakers and amps are still good. Therefore, this little unit will make it possible to replace the radio and still keep the existing components. Awesome! There is ONLY one problem... will someone want to purchase the box at $127 - $150 when there is a slight chance the Becker MOST based amp could be bad? I know you said something about a return, but sometimes, it's too costly to return something internationally. Anyway, keep up the good work and let us know what head unit you use in the car.

Jamie, am I wrong here, but since the unit is essentially an analog to digital conversion box, you'll lose some control such as fading (front to rear). I assume you can still balance left and right since we're talking about stereo RCA output into this box, but fade control will not be possible, right?

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im going to say your right we likely have left and right balance but not likely fade. I won't know until I put a head unit in. At this point all I know is all 6 speakers work and sound better than they did stock with the big eq app I have on the iPad.

I ordered a unit, I am going to try the unit with a Alpine 149 BT, going to go over to CAI and pick up his plug and play wiring kit and ask if he will just add my unit to piggy back onto his harness, no doubt there will not be any fading since there is only one set of RCA cables, it will be interesting to see how it works with the Alpine HU.

This is wonderful. Thank you for experimenting and sharing the knowledge!

A really nice five channel power amp can be had for $350. Just sayin'

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plus power and ground wires, plus trigger wire, plus 3x rca cables. Plus having to modify the car...

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Alpine makes a unit that fits with no mods required.

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So no power wires, RCA, Trigger, Ground, and speaker connections? How is this done got a link? Got to drive about an hour last night with the box just hooked to my ipad while I wait for my double din stuff to show up. The sound quality is a heck of a lot better than the ipad over tranzit blu hf FM module. There is an improvement here for sure. I see no potential issues with the double din and rca to fiber box integration. Found this while searching. Guess mine was a heck of a deal. https://avinusa.com/most-fiber-optic...e-cayenne.html

Got my double din installed through this most converter box so far so good. So simple only 3 wires to hook up!

The worst part is shipping time on the convertor.

I had mine in 3 days.

Did you get it thru Aliexpress ?

Did you get it thru Aliexpress ?

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Yes.

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link please? do you need any additional adapter? does the factory fiber optics cable directly plug into the unit?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/RCA-...608.0.0.f4bVdU

I'll be needing to get one of these!!

Ordered for my 2003 4S, thanks for the tip!

This is awesome. I put a double DIN with GPS/ Apple Car Play, rear view camera in mine a few months ago and could not be happier. I wanted GPS, rear view camera etc though.

I see the prices have gone up 11.00 yesterday and shipping has gone up too. they must have got a spikes in orders.

Ordered mine last week. It looks like it might be a couple more weeks until it arrives. It is still in China awaiting international shipment. I am very anxious to get it installed though.

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Wonder what the jerk around is for some guys. I had mine in 3 days.

Ok, took 3 weeks to get my RCA to MOST converter from AliExpress, I picked up a harness from CAI and will be doing a install soon with a single DIN install with a Alpine BT149 unit. I have this same unit in my 4X4 diesel and also the Harley Davidson, it is a great unit and hopefully the converter does the same. I will try to detail the install with pictures and post.

Well, finally got my Alpine BT149 head unit, and kept the fiber optic amp, I use the RCA converter and pick up a harness from CAI so that I wouldn't cut into the Porsche harness at all, worse part of the job is hooking the acc. wire to the ignition to retain the radio stays on till key is remove, everything else was plug and play, even the fiber optic connection plugged right into the converter. it sounds even better now, and now have my Pandora back, along with blue tooth for phone calls. This is on a 2004 996 C2, they told me at CAI that it wouldn't work, so I ask if they had tried one ? he said no, but the website says its for 2005-08 P-car with MOST system, now we know it works on the 03 and the 04 996.

My unit just arrived yesterday. What do you connect the B+ (yellow) wire to?

If your talking about the ACC wire, it goes to the orange wire on the ignition switch, be sure to add a fuse holder with a 5 amp fuse to it close to the ignition switch, this will allow the head unit to stay on till key is removed. If your talking about the Alpine head unit power wire (yellow) there is a live 12 volt wire at the radio connection, I didn't pay attention to that because I used CAI harness plug and play harness they make, bought the kit for 45 dollars which included the antenna adapter also. plus no cutting into the P-car harness. https://cai-store.com/collections/al...ant=3737574725

I am talking about the B+ wire on the MOST converter. The CAI kit I ordered came with an accessory wire with fuse for the head unit to connect to the ignition switch but my question concerns the MOST unit. I currently have a tranzit blue hooked up to the phone/aux power on the lower stack and I was going to remove and tap in there but the yellow wire was an unexpected extra.

I piggyback all 3 wires, ground, power, and acc wires right to the 3 wires between the harness from CAI connector to the Alpine harness connector. Also remember when you first hook everything up and ready to turn on, set to ignition and then turn it off again for minute and half and then the converter is set to work.

Most converter works like a champ. Been listening to music direct from my iPhone all week. Tomorrow I am going to complete the head until install and time permitting iPad mini install.

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Which double din unit did you go with? Thank you for starting this post.

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Very cool! Do you still get the RDS display (name of song) in the gauge cluster? How's the functionality running off an iPad Mini? Can you still hook-up the TranzitBlu for phone calls?

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Did you loose your fade or right/left speaker functions? Read on other threads that you do?

Yes, you do lose the fade, it is only thing you lose, the quality of my sounds are so much better, even bass sounds great. that deck has made a difference on all my vehicle's. I never played with the fade before on either of the other head units, you do have the side to side adjustments.

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I just used a repetitively inexpensive Kenwood deck without navigation in it. You loose RDS I don't think there is a way to add that back that I am aware of. Of course I am also not an electronics engineer so anything is possible. As far as using an Ipad mini you can get the headphone jack to RCA and plug directly into the Optical converter. Without a head unit going ipad mini only I don't know if there is a way to hookup the tranzit blu hf. Does it support audio pass through ? One of the things I disliked about running my system off the ipad mini only was the loss of radio. Looking at the tranzit blu hf manual I suppose you could use the 3.5mm out and then convert to RCA to drive the optical converter. Then connect to the unit with either a phone or use the ipad as bluetooth connection. I don't think it supports 2 bluetooth connections at the same time though so you would be stuck with either the phone or the ipad. To run them both at the same time maybe an RCA switch to swap sources on the fly but it seems overly complicated. Why not use the ipad with a really inexpensive single din bluetooth head unit. One which would allow the ipad to be connected via aux input, this would also get your radio back AND allow for BT phone connectivity which would override the aux ipad input in the event of a call.

Is there a make and model of this converter? the Aliexpress link is dead.

Autoaux.com has the newest link.

Took the plunge and ordered tonight. My CDR23 is DOA. Thinking about not using a head unit and just run off my iPad mini if I can figure out how to hook up my Tranzit BT unit for hands free. How is the volume when running your iPad without a HU?

Mine came in yesterday and I installed Sat night. I have no sound. It appears the AMP is not powering up. When I disconnect the fiber optic cable I can see a blinking read light from the converter and also at the other end of the cable in the frunk. I don't recall if the light is supposed to blink or should be constant. Can somebody confirm this for me? Also I replaced fuse D9 for the amp in the footwell and didn't change anything. Ideas on how to confirm if it's my amp that is he problem? I did hook both the yellow and red wires to switched power, could that be the issue?

It turns out I had a bad head unit and amp. I removed the Bose HU and AMP and replaced with an Alpine HU and Polk 5 channel amp. Very pleased with the new set-up. That leaves me with a MOST adaptor that I don't need. The return shipping back to China is pretty stout. I thought I would offer it up to forum members for the differential vs. returning it. That way a forum member could benefit from a significant cost savings and reduced shipping time. Please PM me if your interested.

Sent you a PM.

Did mot receive the pm

Sold!

Wondering if I can use this box in place of CD changer in trunk and connect Bluetooth module with RCA jacks (link below) to allow streaming from phone through head unit (CDR23) when selecting trunk CD changer through head unit. Thoughts? http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Boat-Stereo-Receiver-Adaptor-Converter-Receiver-Dongle/dp/B00JAPZRH2 Steve

If you're using an iPhone 5 or 6 with a standard audio mini output, this adapter should work. http://www.ebay.com/itm/221802994871?ul_noapp=true At least at $11 it won't break the bank if it doesn't. Many have reported that some of the Becker adapters don't work because if the CDR-23 doesn't *see* an actual CD being inserted, then it will not enable the input... in other words, no audio. Good luck! Adding information: this has to be for non-most systems using Becker's BE6611 CDR23 series unit.

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Thanks for the reply. I wish this solution would work, but I can't see that it could, as the remote CD changer is connected to the CDR23 HU via an optical bus. As this arrangement doesn't include an optical connector, I don't think it would work. The CDR23 probably doesn't even have female slots for those connectors. But again, thanks for the kind and prompt reply. Steve

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The solution you've described is exactly how people got around the factory optical amp before, with the Dension products. This new box is really nothing ground breaking except it's considerably cheaper than Dension. If you do not have a CD changer in your car, however, you will need to pay your local porsche dealer to activate it on your car.

also, the amazon link you provided is grossly overpriced. you can find much cheaper ones on ebay.

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Thanks bigbumpers. I was hoping it would work the same as the Dension box, but didn't know if the Dension box had anything extra in it to handshake with the HU and convince it it is a CD changer. I thought perhaps it might for no other reason that the Dension box costs so dang much. $500+ is too much to pay for an AUX input IMHO. Yeah I know they have a "lite" version, but you still have to buy their proprietary harness to hook up an iPhone and who knows what else .... I guess I will try this box with an eBay BT box (as you suggest) and see if it works. If not, I'll likely be selling one of these boxes soon after I receive it. Steve

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you wouldnt need to buy their proprietary harness for iphone. Dension has aux input, you can use the same BT to aux converter you are planning to get. Alternatively, dension has a usb port. You can get a BT streaming usb dongle. those dongles will live-encode streaming audio to mp3, and dension will just play that. there's a couple seconds of delay, but some people still prefer this solution as the usb dongle is technically digital to digital that thus preserves sound quality (not that it matters through the factory speakers), and that you dont need to hook up any extra power to the bt adaptor as it directly feeds off the usb port. personally, i'm not a fan of any of these solutions. there are better ways out there for car radio in general. On a couple of the nonDIN cars I've owned, people figured out ways to open up the radio, and directly connect an aux-in via the CD player. maybe this is not workable for these CDR23 as Becker's own retrofit only gives a mono aux-in. but maybe there's a way to rewire that mono aux-in to be stereo.

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Steve, My Porsche 996 came with the upgrade HIFI most-based system with the CDR-23. The fiber optic output links the HU to the Becker amp in the frunk. The HU feeds the main output in digital form to the Becker amp for speaker-level signal distribution to the 6 chan/10 speaker system in these cars. The CD changer feeds an analog signal to the analog based units like CDR-220 & CDR23 (BE6611) NOT via the optic cable. Basically, these adapters bypass the signal from the CD-changer and instead the audio signal comes from the analog mini headphone connector on the iPhone.

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Good idea re: the BT dongle. D2D isn't that important IMO but not running separate power is. I guess my decision is down to 2X cost for the Dension lite vs. waiting for this somewhat unproven box to show up on the slow boat from China. Re: modding the CDR-23, that HU isn't worth my time. I would like to get songs and navigation directions to play off my iPhone in the car on occasion, but that's really it. I don't want to rip out the Bose amp, wiring, HU, move the A/C unit, .... To much work for me at this juncture in life. Steve

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Hmmm. Ok. Well, I guess I need to pull the HU and see if there is indeed a spot for these connectors to plug into, or are you saying that you are sure it will plug into the back of the CDR-23? Do you have to unplug the optical from the CD changer in the frunk (I like that) so the HU doesn't get "confused"? Steve

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Very small point, but I don't think that power amp is a Bose product. I couldn't find any sort of label on mine (since removed), but I strongly suspect that it is a Becker product.

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Not sure how factual the above statement is. I seem to recall that the CD changer (CDC4 if memory serves) is part of the optical loop. If the CD changer was feeding an analog signal to either the amp or the HU, ther would been a myriad of ways to substitute that analog signal.

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This is not a bad video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNCgWnQ3r8o

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Please carefully read the video description.

Steve, Do you have the Bose system with CDC-4?

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This was to show the connections of the CDC. But if Steve has the complete Bose most-based setup, that's a total different beast.

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What part do you find questionable?

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Sorry I wasn't clear from the beginning. I have a 2004 C4S with a CDR-23 and CDC-4 (functioning now). I assume it has a Bose amplifier, as the speakers in the car say "Bose" on them, but that is an assumption on my part. There appears to be an amplifier mounted in the frunk but it doesn't say Bose on it. The only markings I see are "412" or "A412". It is certainly a MOST system, which is why I had expressed interest in this "new" optical to RCA converter. Steve

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Connection to and from the CDC is different depending on the year. This entire thread is regarding the MY03- cdr23 and cdc4 with MOST. The video description clearly says up to MY02, which makes it, along with your earlier comment regarding the analog input, completely not applicable.

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You need to re-read the entire thread too. I was with "TurboJamie" from the beginning of this thread and if I remember correctly, it had nothing to do with a CDC4 or trying to interconnect with a fiber optic loop, but rather, using a analog pre-amp output on a HU to feed a Chinese based analog-to-fiber (i.e. MOST) conversion box. Jamie also interconnected a iPod mini to link to the HU which fed the conversion box that connected the MOST based frunk amp. It worked! I've helped many with Most based setups and yes, they are different depending on which option you went with. The last guy NEVER stated he was working with a Bose based setup; therefore, I was thinking he was dealing with the "HIFI" Porsche CDR-23 non-Bose MOST system. The only reason I linked that youtube was not to suggest using the hack, but to show the analog based CD changer's analog connections.

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pop out your cdr23. bose or not it makes no difference. you'll find that there is no analog input on there. a bose system means the hu passes optial signal to frunk amp, and the frunk amp drives the speakers. it doesn't mean the cdc connects to the HU in any other way. the only analog lines in a cdr23 car are fm antenna and beween amp and speakers. if you are too lazy to pull out your cdr23, you can verify this through a cdr23 wiring diagram or a dension gateway500 installation guide. there's too much alternative truth out there today. let's keep this thread free from it.

Hows this for lazy... Here are my Beckers and the amp is on top because it likes it that way. Call it a threesome. Ha!

http://beckerautosound.com/porsche-p...24-aux/2865219

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Thanks for the pic and the link. Anyone with any passing knowledge od eletronics in general can see that there are no inputs on the back of the cdr23. I, along with a few others, had talked about the becker retrofit in earliest posts and the disappointing fact that it is mono. Just for the record, in case you are still confused, this retrofit is not meant to be connected to the cd changer. The cd changer connects to the HU via optical. All the best with your future MOST related efforts.

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I haven't dealt with the beckers in quite a while and I'll admit I got my wires crossed (no pun intended). I was thinkin' about the CDR220 (which I also own) when I reached out to Steve. I don't understand why you're pullin' a "KK rudeness" when you make comments like the one above. There's no need for that either. Frankly, the CDR220 and CDR23 look to have the same connectivity aside from the MOST fiber input which explains why there is a lot of people confused about these radios when digging through the many DIY threads and online schematics. Not that I'm a expert on the current technology, but when my family lived in Atlanta, we have a company that sold and installed the Beckers in the euro cars. They were some of the best technology around, but unfortunately, the early most-based models in the Porsche 996 had many gremlins which is why I think that Becker's favorite song is "The Sound of Silence". Ha!

Just passing this on... I knew I wasn't completely losing my mind on the CDR23. This is sold on Becker's eBay store. A CDR-23 non-MOST model (i.e. BE6611) with Aux input. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-CDR2...-/252703467548 So to Mr. Bumper wise ***, you can have a Becker CDR23 with analog connectivity similar to the CDR-220 series. They'll even buy your MOST based CDR and credit it to the purchase of one of their non-Most models. (and yes, I know this doesn't solve the problem with MOST based systems like the Bose, but this does give users more options to maintain a Stock look without the headaches of dealing with the MOST systems)

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a4gen2 - Steve, I like your idea. It seems like a very simple and cost effective option. It may just solve your problem of dumping the changer and keeping the HU original. Worth a try, at least. I just ordered my Most to RCA box yesterday. But I'll need to swap for a new HU since I do not have a changer. I figure I'd give it a chance before replacing the Most amp too. Hey, let's have a CS4 wiring party!

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MRZOOP, Yes, I'm hoping it will work, although bigbumpers last post has me wondering now. BTW, you may be able to use your existing HU (assuming it also CDR-23) and the same setup by getting someone to reprogram the HU into thinking you have a CD changer in the frunk. I have to assume all the wiring is there. Looking forward to a wiring party. Let me when slow boat from China arrives! Steve

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I have to say this is the first non-MOST CDR-23 I've seen, at least in a Porsche, and I've researched pretty extensively. Regardless, it looks like both versions (6611 and 6612) use the same mono aux input solution offered by Becker, which I'm not interested in. Makes you question why they would have to do that on the 6611 if the output was analog and not optical. The ad says the unit is remanufactured, so who knows, maybe they by-passed the entire optical output stage. It does have a different P/N though. Anyway ... When I first posted to this thread I assumed it would be clear I had a MOST system, as that's what the thread appears to be targeted to with respect to the subject MOST-2-RCA converter. I thought my initial question was fairly straightforward. This post indicated that you could use this box to drive a MOST-based amplifier with with a non-MOST HU. I was asking if it could be used in the opposite direction keeping the existing HU in place--similar to what the Dension units accomplish. That is, could it be used together with a BT A2DP adapter in place of the frunk CD changer to play music through the MOST amp by selecting the frunk CD changer on the CDR-23 HU. It seems the answer to my question is ... maybe. Thanks to MRZOOP, I'll hopefully be able to give it a try and will report back either way. Thanks to everyone who have responded to my question and please make peace with one another. I hate being responsible for starting anything. All have had good intentions to help and it is appreciated. It's obviously a confusing subject as evidenced by the hundreds of posts on the subject since this stoopid MOST system was introduced. Steve

Sorry Steve. I sent you a PM and I thought that cleared up this discussion. Again, I was with Jamie from the beginning when he was exploring the use of the Chinese autoaux conversion box. He has contributed a lot to the subject. The AutoAux MOST analog conversion box has been brought in other threads... in fact, the CDR23 comes up a lot on RL in other non-related threads and sometimes it's easy to reply to the wrong thread. In this particular situation, I was thinking the MOST based CDR23 also had secondary analog inputs, but after much review, I realized that I was in error and happy to admit it unlike some people. I was thinking about my CDR-220. However, I do remember seeing a non-MOST version of the CDR-23. That was confirmed today and thought I'd share the eBay link to the thread since many people have issues (not always the same as yours) with the MOST based systems in the 996 cars but would still love to keep their CDR23 radios. That being said, I assume you're going to try to use the Millennia Bluetooth Streaming unit to feed the AutoAux box that outputs MOST and then interconnect the fiber optics in place of the CDC4, correct? Remember, MOST is a data bus; therefore, it's of my opinion, the CDR-23 will not recognize the signal as the "CD changer signal" for processing. The AutoAux box is designed to digitize the analog and send programming language that is recognized by the MOST based amps. In other words, the signal is programmed to tell the amp that the output of that box is the main output of the HU. The AutoAux box does not have the programming to tell the MOST based CDR23 that it's the CD changer signal. In my humble opinion it will not work as you intend. If I'm wrong... then I'll give you my biggest salute! Good luck!!!

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You may be correct, which is why I questioned several posts back whether the Dension box had special programming to emulate a CD player that this box lacks. I was hoping that this box at half the price would work, but it's probably pretty "dumb" compared to the Dension, as all it has to do is convert left and right analog to left and right digital. No hand shaking or command (next track, ...) interpretation needed unlike the Dension application. Still, it could work if the HU simply passes optical audio signals it receives from the autoaux box when the frunk CD player it replaces is selected to the amp. Commands from HU to autoaux box likely won't work though. At best, you'd have to control playback from the phone. At worst, it won't work. Time will tell. Steve

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I'm very interested in this as well. From what I've learned scouring the Dension threads is that if you have a Durametric Pro, you can code the CD changer yourself (I don't have a CD changer either). I'm planning to purchase a Durametric anyway, but saving a trip to the dealership might be incentive enough to warrant the extra cost of the pro. The more I keep researching aftermarket head units, the more I realize that the Becker just looks "right", but I really really need an aux in. And mono isn't an option for me. If this doesn't work out, I might consider one of the older McIntosh / Clarion models with the chinese box, but then I have to figure out a suitable DC-DC +-15V power supply (saw some stuff on digikey that might work). Or maybe I'll skip the Chinese box and do the Dension unit instead.

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Agreed. If I could find a Y switch for the optical bus, I would just buy this box and connect it directly to my phone wth a RCA-2-lighting connector and use the switch to send either the HU or the iPhone to the amp. Maybe I'll just hook up the iPhone with this box and let the radio sit there doing nothing. It's not like the radio is useful (horrible reception in my car anyway). Atlas is a great color BTW! Steve

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Thanks! It's definitely one of my favorite colors on a p-car Although my neighbor had a 996 in Lapis Blue, and that may be my favorite color.

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Here's hoping you're wrong then On another note, I'm a big keyboard geek too. I have a Hammond B2 w/ Trek Perc, Hammond M3, Leslie 145, Leslie 31h tallboy, Wurlitzer 200, 200a, Rhodes mk1 stage 73, a Moog Rogue, and a bunch of boring digital stuff.

Yea, I could be wrong, but when you're talking about a data stream instead of analog signal, it's not that easy to just substitute a different unit on the fiber loop. Fiber optic does has a tremendous amount of bandwidth capable of running many streams on the same line, but that doesn't mean the CDR-23 will recognize the AutoAux as the CD Changer data. It's all about the programming. This is like importing a MP4 video into QuickTime player and hoping it will recognize it as an MP3 audio file. Two codecs with totally different programming. Make sense? p.s. I also have two Hammond B organs and have played them for years in the church. Nothing like the marriage between the Hammond Organ and the Leslie Speaker. I love Don Leslie just as much as Dr. Porsche. ha!

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One thing to keep in mind is that this isn't just s/pdif. There is also control information that goes across, like the HU telling the amp control information like how to fade / balance. Also, when the factory cd changer is installed, there is control information that not only goes from HU -> CD changer, there is information that goes from CD Changer -> HU, and it's possible that the digital audio stream goes from the CD Changer -> HU, then from HU back to the amp. It's also possible (and in my opinion more likely) that the HU tells the amp "now start taking your stream from this other device with ID 2". But it absolutely has to be a two-way bus. My point is, I think in order for anything to participate, even the cheap(er) chinese box, it would have to do some sort of handshaking, have some sort of knowledge of how to present itself to the MOST amp at the very least in order to even start sending that stream. I guess whether the autoaux works or not as a fake CD changer with the cdr23 depends on how picky the HU is, and how smart the stock system requires the CD changer is relative to the HU. It could be that whenever the autoaux is plugged into the bus, it does some sort of process to figure out a unique device ID on the bus (which could very well be what's happening when it's powered up the first time), and the HU when coded for an aux in might simply only care that there is third device on the bus and treats that as the cd changer regardless. Maybe we'll get lucky and that's exactly how it works. Anyway, enough armchair engineering from me

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I'll probably regret asking this, but who has problems with the MOST connection that are not based on dissatisfaction with the CDR23 head unit? Isn't the problem with the MOST the roadblock it creates in connecting a different head unit to the power amp?

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That's my understanding, but I'll let others that have lived with their MOST systems much longer than me weigh in on that. This box fixes that though, if you don't mind having only left/right controls over the audio channel (no fader). The complexity of it certainly likely makes it more difficult to design devices that are fully-compatible with the bus. For example, I've read these devices--http://www.mobridge.us/products--produce audible periodic clicking or beeping when connected to the bus. The problem I see with MOST is the same with any other bus/network protocol that doesn't become a defacto standard. It's a pain to find devices compatible with it, and if you do, you have to pay through the nose for them. Token ring, anyone? Steve

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I jettisoned the CDR23, power amp and MOST in one fell swoop, and I haven't looked back.

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Ditto my friend... I felt like I cleansed my 996 of a cancer.

Gents, does anyone have some feedback as to how these Most-RCA converters are performing. I have been researching the best way to install an aftermarket NAV unit in my 03 996TT and want to avoid changing the Bose amp if at all possible.

Holy ****! I've been taking a break from the forums and come back to this sweet gem of a post!

Yea, TurboJamie was so excited about this discovery, he decided to sell the car shortly thereafter. Still, the unit worked and is a possible solution for those who want to change out their PCM or CDR23 Most based HUs.

Lol, I'll try and keep mine

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this set up has been working great for me, I can always go right back to the OEM set up if I ever sell the car. I have notice the price keep creeping on up on the converter, they must be selling.....

So essentially you just plug this converted into one of the pre-outs from the head unit? and wire in the stereo for power/switched/gnd/ect? Anyone running an android unit or are most people running something else. I like the stuff the android can do (pandora, google maps) but I am not sure the finish on these units is that of a similar kenwood or namebrand unit?

Tried ordering this morning from Aliexpress but my credit card companies didn't seem to like the transaction. Has anyone else run into trouble ordering? Looks like there are some similar items on Ebay but I have not seen any feedback on them.

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I had the same issue. The c c called me immediately after I made the purchase and approved it one I verified I was the purchaser.

What about https://www.walmart.com/ip/Monoprice-Coaxial-RCA-to-Optical-Toslink-Digital-Audio-Converter/43458576 ? thoughts?

Have had mine installed for a few months now. I put a Pioneer Head Unit in place of a map pocket and installed Ipad Mini where Nav unit was. Everything works as it should. You do lose the fader as the converted only gives you Left and Right RCA into Fiber optic but all speakers play and it is a big improvement over original unit. Having said all of that, even with speaker upgrades I the tonal quality of the system leaves a lot to be desired. I would give the product itself high marks though as there wasn't anything like it existing before. On my previous 996 I had to install a Denison Gateway for $$$. This is a much better solution than that IMO.

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Would you rather own a 996 or an Audi R8?

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A 996

I convinced myself that this box could not work like a Dension unit to replace the frunk CD changer and keep the original HU/amp in place as I had once hoped. So ... I bought a Transit Blu HF and couldn't be happier. $83 dollar solution (with the antenna adapters on Amazon) and a day under and behind the dash. FM Modulators have certainly changed since I bought my first one a decade ago. The sound appears as good as the CD player IMO (reduced volume level, but ...) and the integration/operation is well thought out. You even get song title information through the HU/cluster via RDS. HF calling is simple and crystal clear. I had the added bonus of fixing the reception on my HU (the reason I started this endeavor in the first place), as I discovered during the install that the PO had left the antenna connection to the HU dangling behind the dash (probably removed their own Tranzit Blu before selling the car and forgot to plug it in!) If you want to keep the original HU, this solution is a no-brainer IMO. Thanks to all who replied to my earlier questions. Steve

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I did a similar approach using the following: Scosche FM-MOD02 Universal Audio Input FM Modulator $36.94 Kinivo BTC450 Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit $34.99 Metra 40EU30 Antenna Adapters $$14.90 Mpow Ground Loop Noise Isolator $9.99 (eliminates any buzz or humming sounds) Works great and good alternative for those with the MOST system.

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Don't know how the Scosche unit works, but what I like about the iSimple unit is that it installs in-line with the factory antenna amp and disconnects it when Bluetooth is enabled. Dension makes a similar unit. Steve

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The Scosche is also an inline with factory antenna but has a toggle switch that switches off the FM antenna signal so as to pass through the new source signal to radio (this eliminates any FM interference). It is set up to use a mini plug from source (phone. I pad, ect) only so this is why I use in conjunction with the Bluetooth kit so that I have both Bluetooth and the mini plug.

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Got it. I had a mini-plug I routed to the glove box of my A4 with a Parrot BT kit, but found I always connected via BT and never used the plug, so not having one with the Tranzit box wasn't a problem for me. Steve

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Looks like this is all you need now,right??

I ordered the most adaptor, it showed up about ten days after I ordered. Today got around to doing the instal, anyone else get a "pop" through the speakers when you turn car off and remove key from the ignition?

Another question. I hooked the metra harness up without connecting the powered speaker lines from the head unit to the metra harness going to the car. From what others have said the MOST lines are carrying the singnal to the amp. However I realize some of you are using the CAI harness, and assume from the pictures I have seen online that they have connected the powered lines from the head unit to the metra harness to the car. Any reason I should connect the powered head unit lines in addition to the MOST converter? I'll be free later tonight to try both ways, just wondering if anyone else has already ventured down this?

Don't use the harness ground, ground everything to one of the 10mm module bolts down at the bottom of the stack.

'03 C4S - I took the plunge and ordered one of the digital to analog MOST translator boxes from China. I do not have the Bose system and absolutely could not stand the output of the CDR23. I figured the worst that could happen is that it would not work and I'd have to build everything from scratch, anyway. Surprise! After a few weeks the box arrived. I got in touch with Rod at CAI to discuss my options. I was looking for multiple rear USB ports and chose the single Din Kenwood X701, though the Alpine was a close second. After speaking with Rod, he suggested that I send him the mystery box and he'd configure a custom wiring harness. Holy smokes, I jumped at the chance. After a week or two, everything arrived and was ready for installation. I also purchased one of the $20 MEGA interior removal tool sets from amazon. The initial installation had a few stumbles along the way. All of the issues that I had were my own dumb fault, as I mis-wired one of the lines out of the box. The system worked fine for about an hour, then nothing. Of course I had to de-install the new stuff and reinstall the original HU to test what blew. The original stuff worked fine. Then spent the night doing more research and found the solution. There's an unused phone connector in the bottom of the center column just under the cubby box (4 wires with female plug). The female plug has a green/blk (switched) wire that is the perfect solution for the spare wire (of the three) coming out of the Chinese Most box. The third installation took about an hour and WOW it's impressive and worth the small expense. Keep in mind, that I'm using the original speakers so nothing state of the art here. But it does CRANK and sounds about 50% better than the original system. Sound quality is below average by any modern standard, but it's passable and for less than $400 I get modern connectivity and pretty good sound. Really, just what I was looking for. Thanks to Rod from CAI, this was as close to a simple plug and go as I could hope to find. Green/Blk wire in Phone plug MOST interface box wrapped in anti-rattle. 9191

MrZoop, thanks for the pictures and great explanation. That helps me when I finally get started...just thinking up of what type of receiver for the double DIN route. Chris

Did anyone do this in a 987 Cayman? I ran a ACC 12v cable from my fuse box to the console then connected the B+ and Ground to the headunit harness. (did try to ground on a 10mm bolt too) Problem is now if I touch the RCA connector with my finger I can hear noise from the speaker and just trying to plug my phone in make a loud bang in the speaker. Feel like the signal sent from the device is way to strong. So really concern its going to blow up something... thanks

if you are getting a loud pop you need to purchase a ground loop isolator for the RCAs. They are inexpensive.

The Longate MOST HUR Aux convertor box was on sale today so I said what the heck. I ordered it knowing its going to take a month to get here. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/RCA-...708723316.html If it works out I'll let everyone know. No rush as the Alpine wireless CarPlay receiver is still delayed due to Apple not allowing Alpine to release it, so I'm in the pre-order queue.

Bought this box directly from Aliexpress. But my installer was unable to get it to work, despite all the proper wiring/grounding of the box, the music kept cutting in and out. We eventually went with the Alpine Amp solution, which was wiring all existing speakers to a new AMP. I am not sure if it was just installed incorrectly, but i have a box for sale, and am willing to do the following in good faith. Terms: 1. Whoever wants the box will pay for shipping. 2. If the box doesn't work for them, then maybe send it to CAI? and see if they can fix it? (I saw a post above here about someone who sent it to Rob at CAI for some custom wiring) If not, throw it away. 3. Should the box work, paypal me $50. (Honor System). I paid $144.48 for this box with express shipping. Send me an IM for whomever is interested. Pics of box to follow.

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You / he was most likely "clipping" the factory amp by having the gain set to high on whatever output you were using. Was it hooked to a head unit or was it hooked to an iphone etc??? IF the output was not set to balanced on the iphone it could cause issues a some songs are encoded at different volume levels. I did experience this with the original box which I started the thread with when the car was hooked directly to an ipad / iphone and the balanced output was not selected. If however it was setup correctly you could exceeded cleanly the factory sound level.

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Hey! So it was hooked up to the a new Alpine double Din head unit. We also tried it with an iPod, and other sources. All had the same issues.

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I would "guess" an issue with the box, basically if the gain is too high (input to the factory amp) the cutting out / distorting sound is heard. If the head unit you had chosen had fairly high pre amp outputs then it would also cause some trouble. My guess is you were using a high quality head unit with a high preamp output (4 volts perhaps) which was likely the cause of the trouble.

Oh! Interesting. So its the box just not being compatible with the Pioneer AVH 4201 head unit? And not the box being faulty?

The "designed in Germany and assembled in China" LonGate MOST worked fine for me. Used in a 987 Cayman. Detailed instructions and pics of my Alpine Double Din Wireless Apple CarPlay install here: http://www.planet-9.com/987-cayman-a...ml#post1791186 For the person asking about accessory power in a Cayman use the Orange wire just below the stock stereo cubby. You don't have to run to the fuse box. Its in my write up. Love these LonGate MOST boxes!

Sorry for reviving this thread but I'm wondering if anyone got this little MOST box working with 4v preouts? Seems like any headunit with carplay has that. And that's what I'm really after.

my Alpine 149 BT has 4V pre-out and working just great with the MOST converter.

Somewhat off point, but I am amazed by the trouble folks seem to go to to avoid replacing what is a very mediocre power amp. If the Becker power amp is replaced, the MOST can go with it, and voila!

I'll tell you why for me, it allowed me to do the swap without cutting into the harness on either units, the head unit or the amp unit, I have the Hi Fi system in the car and sounds great the way it is now. CAI had the plug and play harness and I integrated the converter to that harness, nothing on the car was cut. I can always return it to stock.

This is the most detailed thread I could find so thanks in advanced, BUT.. Looking to simply do one thing, add bluetooth to a 987 with Bose. Which would best accomplish this? Longate - https://tinyurl.com/ybjotnrz CAI - https://cai-store.com/collections/al...ant=3737574725 AVIN - https://avinusa.com/most-fiber-optic...e-cayenne.html iSimple - Amazon Amazon Dension - https://tinyurl.com/y944mx88

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Didn't see this question earlier. Hopefully it's not too late. The CAI kit only works for a whole new HU that doesn't use optical. iSimple is gonna be the cheapest by far. However the quality will also be the worst as you are basically splicing your radio antennae. Dension is the most expensive but easiest to install and one of the best quality. It splices into the optical loop and has bluetooth. Also, Dension only needs unswitched power. So you can power it straight from the battery, making it a 10 minute DIY project. AVIN, or the generic brand version for slightly cheaper off aliexpress, can get you the same quality as Dension but cheaper and more complicated. Basically, you have to combo the AVIN box with a BT-to-RCA receiver (<$20 on Amazon). Now, not only will you have to power that BT-to-RCA receiver somehow (most such items use USB) you also gotta get switched power for the AVIN box.These aren't complicated issues to resolve, just more time-consuming.

Just sharing my thoughts - if all you want is adding bluetooth I installed the Dension many years ago. While the quality is very good the limitation was still the HUD. Just recently I picked up the MOST box and was finally able to replace the stock Beck with a Kenwood 9905s that has all the latest bells and whistles and obviously BT. The sound quality is much better and I'm enjoying learning all the new features that I use in my other car - navigation like waze, spotify/pandora and handsfree calling. Next I will be adding a backup camera. My 2004 996 cab came back to life again :-) In hindsight I should have replaced the BOSE AMP long time ago. Was too cheap to do it at the time. Now there is a more cost efficient way to do it. So if all you want is bluetooth with the MOST box there are lots of HUDs to choose from that have BT well integrated (that will be easy to use) and you get the extras without breaking the bank. The Dension is still installed in my car. If anyone wants to buy it - let me know. I just need to find the instructions how to uninstall it.

I did not want to change out the OEM Bose system but wanted BT capability so performed the following "ref to Post 7 in the link below" https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...h-console.html

Sorry for causing confusion. I also did not change the BOSE AMP+ speakers - that's what I thought you meant.

Can anyone verify the Ali Express unit does in fact work with a 2003 Boxster with Bose MOST? I�d really rather use that than change out the amp and such. https://m.ru.aliexpress.com/item/327...et-Car-DVD-GPS

Yes, the system does work.

So I apologize for a dumb question, clearly audio isn�t my strong point With the RCA adapter, can you run audio from your phone through the adapter and remove the head unit completely? Local radio here is mind numbing, I like the idea of a consol delete and take the head unit out as well. Any feedback appreciated

Yes, you can. That's what I did making sure it worked. I plugged my iPod directly into the MOST analog to digital box using RCA adapter.

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How did you find the sound quality?, was it acceptable? I'm not looking for perfect sound (I like the sound of the engine more!), I don't use the car for really long trips but listening to Sirius is about all mi after, so piping it through my phone would be perfect.

I just used the iPod directly to make sure the MOST box was working, not while running the car so I don't want to mislead you. However, the sound quality I felt was much better than stock and I'm very happy with my aftermarket head unit that has all the bells and whistles :-)

Sound quality was better than stock on my car, I am using Alpine HU, and mostly Pandora. luv the blue tooth to use the hand free phone

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Thanks for the info, I was asked in reference to the sound quality of connecting direct to the adapter without a head unit. I'd like to run a system without a head unit if I can

I am getting a loud pop everytime I turn off the ignition and remove the key. Can anyone advice.

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Could be your ground, or the converter box when it powers off there is a voltage spike. You could also try changing your power source.

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Sound quality with no head unit is just as good. If you have a good mixer program on your ipad / android device you can tune the system very well, even better than a head unit can produce in some cases. The RCA signal will be no better / worse coming form a HU vs a tablet / phone.

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I am getting the power from ignition orange wire as mentioned in this tutorial https://cai-store.com/pages/911-boxs...din-conversion . Also I am using ground from harness, I have also tried grounding it to the chassis directly and it still pops. What would be another good source for switched power? I have tried two MOST boxes and two head units and pop is still happening.

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I've read on some other threads that a good source for switched and constant 12V power is the OEM phone plug located underneath center shelf compartment.

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here is a good way to isolate the source of the pop. remember, you dont need a headunit NOR switched power to drive the amp. so get a rca to 3.5mm adapter from ebay, and a phone/tablet/mp3 player. connect the phone/tablet/mp3 player to the most box, and see if you still have the pop. you can also change up the power source (connect both power wires on th box to constant or both to switched) and ground source (from telephone harness or bolt from bottom of stack).

I've been away from this topic since I bought my Cayman, two years ago. I was under the impression that the $695 MOST/HUR interface was the only way to not have to replace all of the speakers in a Bose setup. Just came across this thread, today. I like the idea of being able to restore the car to factory, without any cut OEM harness issues. I wouldn't mind dumping the Bose fibre amp, but having to replace all of the low-impedence speakers is just one step too far. I bought the Longate MOST adapter from Aliexpress, chaining their coupons, for a delivered cost of $88. For that, I can experiment and not be too bent out of shape if it fails to work.

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lemme know if you end up needing a 3 way fiber optic splice. i got an extra one from my install that i've been trying to get rid of.

[double click, oops]

I have no sound. . When I disconnect the fiber optic cable I can see a blinking read light from the converter and also at the other end of the cable in the frunk. I don't recall if the light is supposed to blink or should be constant. Ideas on how to confirm if it's my amp that is he problem? I did hook both the yellow and red wires to switched power, could that be the issue?

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this can happen if you are still using factory radio. to test your amp, wait 5 mins after pulling the key out of ignition, then connect both wires on the most box to constant power.

I looked at the Aliexpress link and found that it's now for 2005-2012 Porsche's. I've got an 04 C4S so did they change something? Looks like it's not for any 996. On the other hand, is it really that much more work to just put in a new amp and be done with that ridiculous MOST nonsense. I know I'll be spending more but the install doesn't look like much more work to me. I know I'll have to run some wires from the HU to the amp but can't I reuse all of the speaker wiring? I'm not an audio nut. I just want decent quality sound at modest sound levels. I think I'll go with a double din and move the HVAC controls down low. I'm not sure about that. Driving this C4S with the radio off is always a great option too. Thanks Dave

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My understanding is that the Bose speakers have some ridiculously low impedance so unless you use an amp that can drive that low impedance (at or under 2 Ohms) then you need to replace the speakers as well. You could probably keep the speaker wiring intact (low impedance means high current so the wires are probably OK). But I've seen something that says you'd need new speaker wiring too, which I don't understand unless they are doing something crazy there too.

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Hi, trying to install a ipad to my Porsche Cayenne 2006 Did you manage to get the steering wheel buttons working with the ipad ? If yes please share how you did that. Many thanks

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Why bother with it? You're still stuck with that silly amp. It really isn't that much wiring to just replace the amp too.

Thanks for you quick reply... The fiber optics is not really my problem I have worked that out as with the suggested connector above and the sound works perfect with the Bose I want to have the steering controls using the iPad I want to add.First I replaced it with an aftermarket Android unit didn't seem fast enough and the screen wasn't brilliant so I want to connect an iPad please advise how to get the controls over the steering wheel.

Bose speakers get their punch from low resistance,, and high current. they also have a fairly high threshold before they start to hit any power. The original speaker wire is probably fine ,, If the amp your using can handle the range of the speakers.. I have a 03 so I'm chasing the specs too.. I think its almost a certainty I'll need a separate amp(s) because I cant find a head unit anywhere so far that seems to have the specs to drive the factory speakers and I am just not going to do a 3K package..

The wiring from the power amp to the Bose speakers is perfectly serviceable, but you will need to wire the rear bandpass drivers (aka subwoofers) in series, to get the resistance to match up to just about any power amp I found on the market 3 years ago. This assumes you replace the power amp. I would not dream of upgrading the head unit but leaving the stock power amp in place. Edit - I typed "amperage", when the issue obviously is resistance, not amperage. The subwoofer output on most power amp is 4 ohms, IIRC, whereas the rear bandpass driver are each 2 ohm, hence the need to wire the in series. And it is NOT a Bose amp, I am reasonably certain.

For 2003+ 996 w/ Bose speakers and amp no NAV you can get by via SEICANE unit PN 11607101-2 Model SC69. Web says it is for Cayenne but I confirmed it will work on 996. I am in-process of install.

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"I don't subscribe to threads often,, but when I do its for the important things.. " - The most interesting man in the world

Glad this thread resurfaced, as I need to read through it... I have 03 C4S, Bose, MOST, Nav. So, basically screwed lol.

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So I have same car, 2003 C4S and my HU is double din pcm 2.0 with Bose and it has NAV, would seicane part work? Not sure why having a NAV would make this part not applicable if it worked for you? My fiber optics cable has a black end connector that itself (the connector) can be de-assembled into a smaller two orange cables with small black connector that should fit in the seicane MOST, did you have to do the same?

Take a look at the thread - Double din stereo suggestions? I have an 03 C4S that had a single din cdr 220. I put in a Pioneer double din with Apple CarPlay and love it. I ordered the most converter from Amazon for Mercedes Benz and it works great. There are 2 versions. I have the Xtrons optical fiber head unit for ML/ GL / R series. I installed it in June and have been enjoying it all summer. I read somewhere the other MB version may not work. I’m still using the factory Bose amp and speakers. So you definitely have some options.

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It might work w OEM NAV setup, I was just stating what my car had. You'd be best to just call them and ask or do some forum searches.

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Thanx Tyeske. I am going to order that. I am also curious, did you order any wiring harness, antenna adapter, if so, which ones? and how about the plastic mounting kit (I think it is Metra brand)...I would appreciate pointers...

Thanx Bmiller33. Did you order any wiring harness, antenna adapter, if so, which ones? and how about the plastic mounting kit (I think it is Metra brand)...I would appreciate pointers...

I ordered a kit from Suncoast Porsche. The kit has just about everything you need except the most fiber optic adapter. I wanted a cubby instead of putting the cd holder back in so I ordered that from Suncoast too. When I first power up the radio sometimes I hear a some noise from the amp powering on, but once the radio comes on it goes away. The only other issue I have is the trim around the radio is a friction fit and is a little loose on the right side. I need to find something to stick behind it to keep it in. Here are a couple photos. One before I got the cubby, one after. If you have any other questions let me know.

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Did you order the MOST adapter for your install in order to keep the factory Bose amp? If so, do you have a link to that adapter? All the links I've tried in this post (I may have missed one) seem to be dead. Thanks

Yes, I used the adapter to allow me to keep the Bose amp. This is not the exact one I used, but seems to have the same specs/applications. Car Stereo Radio Optical Fiber Decoder Most Box for Mercedes Benz ML/R Series and for Porsche Cayenne Series Amazon Amazon