Low down on Stereo upgrade

There are so many posts and opinions regarding stereo receiver upgrades on 996's, it is hard to figure out which setup is best and sorted out. Can someone share the least painful, least involved/complicated set up? I've called Crutchfield and their "advisors" gave me their "best advise" only to find out that there are 2 ohm front door speakers that would not work with standard receivers. etc. I went to Freeman's stereo and the technician said "forget about it", it's too complicated. Thank you.

Best, most sorted, least painful, least involved/complicated set up? Just leave it stock. Don't touch it. Anything you have installed will be clownish looking like it belongs in a spaceship from the future. It absolutely won't look "good" with it's beeps and whistles and tiny disco ***** lighting up the screen with the wrong colored display. It won't look like it belongs in the car. Period. You'll have battery problems as it slowly drains the system. You'll have other electrical problems. You still won't like the sound and you'll constantly be tweaking it, trying to improve it. And the next guy that buys your car will curse you and call you names for destroying the factory set-up as he struggles to replace all the crap you had installed while he restores it back to factory original. Signed, The next guy that buys your car There. I've finally said it. All y'all flame away. I've finally said my peace about aftermarket stereo systems. And all you guys who are going to post pictures of your aftermarket system to try prove me wrong - sorry. It's a clownish looking add on.

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Naaah. My 20 year old sound system was ****ty. ****ty CDs. ****ty little speakers. No Bluetooth. No Navigation. Waste of space six slot CD holder. AM / FM only. Good buttons though, I’ll say that. I don’t really care what it looks like, I do care what it sounds and performs like. Not replacing a 996 radio / player is just letting the best in life pass you by.

Good enough for Porsche, good enough for ya'll. Plug & play Porsche Classic Communication Management System: Porsche Classic Communication Management systems - Porsche AG

The pccm is lacking many modern touches from aftermarket for that price the aftermarket offer a better value similar look

I can agree with the guy above. Previous owner of my car put a hideous Eclipse head unit it probably from mid 2000s. Looks awful. No Bluetooth or Aux. awful reception. I don�t use it. I want to do a head unit delete, maybe put a little compartment there for wallet, do a center console delete, and then I can get rid of the absolute unit of an amp and wiring under the front hood.

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Agreed on the pricing and lacking features but not on the similar looks. The PCCM looks completely oem unlike any other unit. As far as features, it depends on your individual needs and for me, abilities. I'm an old fart and I don't want all that modern crap that just overly complicates things. I'm just a simpleton that's easily confused. LOL A few years ago I installed a Kenwood DHH992 double din HU with Focal speakers and Focal amps. The sound is awesome and doesn't look out of place at all. But the HU features are extensive and again, for me, complicated. I'd be surprised if I use 20% of it's capabilities. But I don't care because I got the sound and GPS that I wanted. So it really is up to the choice of the HU and the quality of the installer that determines whether it looks integrated and sounds good or just out of place, fugly and of poor sound quality.

Forget about the stereo, just do the Fister modification on your exhaust and enjoy the sound. Its also much cheaper than a stereo upgrade

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From one old fart to another, I completely agree with you minus one point: To not have a backup camera option for the PCCM cost is ridiculous! My head doesn�t swivel like it used to�.

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Agreed.... didn't think of that (brain fart)!

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This looks like a good option. Love how Suncoast implies that this is a product not endorsed by Porsche in that there are modifications that need to be done at your own risk. And don't call for help.

Huh? That doesn't seem right. It's a product developed and sold through Porsche Classic department. I think it's basically a factory piece. Anyway it should be a simple install.

I have the Fister modded mufflers I got from a fellow member here and love them. I agree the original factory radio looks appropriate but the sound is lousy. I can get by with corded connections to the stereo from my phone that does both charge and play Pandora. That�s what I use now in my work truck and I�m good with that. PCCM looks good, but it seems some of the aftermarket choices look decent too. Simpler is better (because I�m simple). Have a few other mechanical things ahead on the list before this, but I�d like to do it. Original radio will be saved and set aside. Minimal mods will be done with the idea future owners could return it to stock if they so desire.

The stereo upgrade on the 2001 carrera 4 was straight forward. The amp in the frunk has all of the speaker wires going to it. The hardest part was getting the rca cables and amp turn on from the dash to the frunk past the battery. I also ran a speaker wire from the amp mounted in the frunk to the rear of the car. Hooking up the amp in the front is pretty straightforward as each speaker has a separate + and - going to it. The antenna needs an adapter for aftermarket head units abs the dash and rear speakers are 3 1/2� I used coaxials. The door speakers I left stock and realistically they sound good and seem to be a quality speaker. I used a double din and mini class D amp which packs incredible sound and quality for its size. I have cars with the original 1984 Rockford fosgate punch 150 and 75 amps as well as nakamichi pa amps and this new equipment blows that stuff away. The 996 stereo leaves a lot to be desired, and the 2003 up fiber optic stereos are problematic at best. My wife�s 2003 carrera has the issue that when you turn the volume up the volume goes down and vice versa

The continental was plug and play and at least IMO matched the factory color scheme bluetooth and has a little mic for calls works for me and I've got the muffler delete (*would not take a work call on it). Those 2000 era decks everyone mentioned aged as well as any 5yr old car with a screen. As I suspect will be the case with that new porche pcm product https://www.bergvillfx.com/products/...al-tr7412ub-or

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As stated before - the Porsche plug and play solution is going to be the easiest. Below is your next best bet: If you prefer something like a Sony XAV-AX1000 Sony XAV-AX1000 (or whatever other head unit you prefer), your best option is to get this adapter this adapter for $12. I used these two items for my installation. The Sony unit is all matte black with minimal buttons/lighting; its minimalist black design blends well with the rest of the 996 interior. You solder or crimp the Sony harness to that $12 adapter I shared. This allows the whole unit to plug into the factory radio harness without cutting or modifying anything in the factory loom. Should you or the next owner want to change the head unit, the process is painless. EDIT: I forgot to mention, my vehicle does not have the MOST fiber optic audio system. I don't believe what I shared above will work with a MOST equipped vehicle.

I may be the only one who thinks my factory HiFi (non-MOST) set up sounds good, but I'll stand by that. I added a bluetooth adapter which works great and is invisible except for one very small button. The OP never stated what year car he has so take any advice with a grain of salt.

20ish year old Cars....I would just inspect/change the speakers, and see how much better it makes your stock dash unit sound....think you'll be surprised.....

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1999.

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Looking to get a bluetooth receiver; I like my Spotify

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This can work if everything is working as intended and you don't want a clean BT integration. You can add the OEM aux input to the factory stereo and it will work well. I mostly agree as the majority of aftermarket options are just plain unattractive. There are exceptions to this rule: Nakamichi CD400 (NLA but occasionally available on eBay): The Continental/VDO headunit: Sony DSX-GS80 (very high powered internal amp, good A2DP BT streaming, high volt pre-outs, configurable lighting) - you won't agree that this integrates well into the interior but I feel it does and don't care: Only if you completely botch the install. I'm not sure how a properly installed stereo would have more parasitic draw than the factory set up. That's not how electronics work. Agreed if done poorly. I wish mine had been left alone but some previous owner put a nice system in, cut wires, removed the factory amp, and made it impossible to go back to stock. The next owner removed the custom stereo, put blown factory speakers back in, and tried to power it all with a factory CDR-220. That didn't work well at all due to the missing amplifier. The genius just ran the CDR-220 line-level outputs (that are supposed to feed the amplifier) directly to the speakers. OP: I run 4 Alpine 4" coaxial speakers (dash and rear quarters) off my Sony DSX-GS80 using CAI-store adapters. I then run a small 100Wx2 amplifier mounted to the OEM amplifier mounts in the frunk (RCA outputs coming from my Sony) which feeds my door speakers. This amp can run 2-ohm speakers. It sounds good and can be done for $500-600.

https://www.caraudioinnovations.com/ Rod is the expert on 996 stereo modifications. If you give him a call, he can help you figure out what you want. I rebuilt my car after the previous owner had a dashboard fire. I could not be happier with my Alpine receiver and Auddison amp.

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Thats what I�m running with the Hertz speakers and adapters from CAI. It sounds good and works well, and also looks pretty good with my early car with the gloss black buttons. The only problem I have having is that the rear USB doesn�t work with my phone (UBS2 overload). USB1 works fine but is less seamless with the cord coming off the front.

It doesn�t have to look awful or have subsequent owners curse you to update with CarPlay, phone, etc. The only factory part irreversibly damaged is the radio frame which is cheap (though I�d buy one now while available). All the wiring is plug and play so trivial to reverse. If you want to go this route here is my synopsis https://rennlist.com/forums/996-turb...l#post16782257

Op, since you're asking about the "least involved/complicated set up, it doesn't sound like you're trying to make a major upgrade. If that's the case, just a head unit swap will make a big difference. And because you're not replacing the amp, you can keep the 2 ohm speakers. In fact they're really not bad. A clean signal from a new HU will make a noticeable difference. You can find detailed installation info on this forum and Youtube. It's really not difficult. For those that are suggesting to keep the stock setup, I disagree. I really don't see a reason NOT to upgrade. The old radio looks...old. It doesn't provide any modern functions and it doesn't sound good. Putting a double din touchscreen at least modernizes the cockpit a little bit. And a cleaner preamped signal to the OEM amp makes a big difference in sound, especially if you have filtering control, multiband eq, etc. (which most new head units have). But more important than any of this is all of the features you get like handsfree phone operation, HD radio, bluetooth streaming, Carplay/Android Auto. Even if the technology and sound quality has no importance to you and it's all about the driving, there's still one more argument. Running Waze through your head unit gives you a large visible map showing speed limits and LEOs.

OP, You can get a single din radio that looks period correct or a little newer that has 5v RCA preouts that will make the sound better. Install is under a hour tops. If that's not good enough 5 1/4" speakers fit in the doors and 4" in the dash and rear. I found a 5 1/4" component system, with mounting the tweeter in the factory dash location worked really well for me. I removed the 4" factory in the dash. If you have a c2 you can find plenty of amps 4/5 channel that perfectly where the factory one is. A square truck box in the rear deck fits perfectly. Mine is 4" deep and allows me to keep the rear seats not folded down. It's also very easy to remove when I go for autocross. Pm me if you want pictures.

If you are using the car frequently replacing the stereo is a must. I hear what people are saying about stock but mine had a freaking cassette deck. The deck was right above the factory nav which worked with a CD. A CD that had not been updated in 20 years. My house doesn�t even exist on those maps. I�ll argue the opposite. I put a pioneer 4500NEX head unit in and it totally transforms the car. Waze is a game changer. Routes you around traffic. Can find anyplace you want and�oh yeah�tells you where the cops are hiding so you can get there a little faster. With Spotify you have literally millions of songs at your finger tips. Best part is it�s all voice controlled. I don�t fumble with screens or hit the skip button on my CD player (and we all know fast forward eats the tape). With wireless android auto/apple car play you just get in and it works. No cables or other BS. Ask Siri or Google and they take care of the rest. It goes without saying calls are both safer and higher quality than trying to use the handset. I have the upgraded non-Bose audio and it�s pretty good. The new head unit definitely made a difference. Installation is simple. Get the Metra trim kit and the correct wire harness and you can install the whole thing in a couple hours. I guided my 13yo through the process after dinner on a random Thursday. My only caution is be careful with the trim it scratches easy (at least it does if you�re a 13yo boy). I have a convertible and this setup works great even with the top down at speed (you have to roll up the windows for voice commands). It�s not going to throw up a huge soundstage and Audiophile detail, but I drive too fast to need that. That being said I�m going to upgrade the speakers, but more as a fun project with the boy than because I need to. As someone else mentioned Rod at car audio innovations is great and they make adapters for the stock grill covers. I bought the head unit at Crutchfield which came with nice instructions. There are lots of options. so go out there and bring your car into the 2020�s. M ps-I can�t stress this enough, get the wireless apple CarPlay/android auto. You won�t regret it.

I drive mine extensively and wanted some of the modern comforts without cutting things up. I left the cdr23 in place as well as the cd changer, replaced the front and rear speakers with JBL co ax (I have a hifi most system with the 6x40 factory amp in the frunk). I left the door subs alone as they sound decent and were on good shape when I took them apart. I added an isimple bluetooth box that connects direct to the antennae. So far so good. I can stream music, take calls, and listen to podcasts on long drives without issue. Decent enough for what it is and sounds considerably better after just the front and rear speaker replacement.

My new-to-me '99 C2 came with an Atoto A6 Pro head unit and a back up camera. Works great. The dash speakers work well, the door speakers, a tiny bit of sound and the rear speakers not at all. I don't seem to have the subwoofer in the passenger side footwell. There appears to be an amp in the frunk in the usual position. Possibly factory. Would a failed amp cause the rear speaker to not work? A bad fuse? I pulled all the fuses on the driver side footwell and all appear to be intact. If I were to replace the amp and all the speakers, what is the best route (I'll keep the head unit as the dimming and back up camera works well). What would you use? Would you add a subwoofer?

Update. I replaced all four speakers Sunday. The factory speakers were almost falling apart with rot. I’m shocked they sounded as good as they did. I used the cheap option from cai stereo ($200/pair). Took me and the boy 45min to do all 4. The mounting ring cai provides is real nice. I definitely recommend getting the wiring harness adapter so you don’t have to splice anything. My front passenger speaker did not have much slack Harness adapter Harness adapter Overall, sounds much tighter. No distortion even at max volume. Interestingly, the highs are much better even though it’s a coaxial speaker and the original had a separate tweeter

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My advice would be to: 1. replace the front dash speakers and the rear speakers with Alpine's (the factory dash/rear speakers are poorly made and don't wear well with age). 2. Add Bluetooth to the factory radio (not sure exactly how this is done, but several have done it I think) I would leave the 2-ohm door woofers alone -- they are actually very high quality woofers and are tuned to blend with the door/dash speakers. If you put in something else, like a Tang Subwoofer driver, it won't blend with the dash/rear speakers and the deeper bass will overwhelm (rattle) the enclosure at louder volumes. If you want deep bass, it's better add an active sub (there are very small ones if you search for "under seat" sub, though they won't necessarily fit under the 996 seats). I replaced my radio with a Nakamichi that looked quite appropriate -- but I didn't hear a huge sound quality difference, so if I had to do it over again, I would have left the original radio in place and added bluetooth to that instead.

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Exactly -- those dash/rear speakers are really built poorly