Need suggestions for a simple sound system to replace my factory Bose garbage.

I would love to hear suggestions from those of you who have similarly upgraded. I don�t need a sub, but I do want �some� low end punch out of all six speakers. Here�s what I�m aiming for� - A head unit with a volume ****, and Apple Play. If I can do it with a single DIN, I might go that route - Six speakers that will fit in the six existing enclosures without modifying - A 4 channel amp that can mount where my pointless CD changer is located in the frunk, and capably power the six speakers - I don�t need a CD player. What I need to do is sell my 400 CDs that never get played. Thanks Guys!!

Sound quality is very subjective and I know the Bose sound is not the best out there but I've heard quite a few people report that their sound quality went up a good deal once a new head unit was added. Do you know if you have the MOST system? For single DIN radios that have CarPlay or AA you're kind of limited to the new PCCM unit from Porsche. I know they don't officially sell it for the 996 but there are a few folks that run it. For double DIN units the popular choices seem to be PCCM+ (if you want that OEM look), Kenwood and Pioneer options. I would start with a new head unit and an amp if you have to and evaluate the sound from there. Getting the right speakers for our cars can be a bit of a pain with limited options for stock sizes but if you're committed you can fit other ones. From my experience, for clarity, sound quality and tight natural sound I've always been a huge fan of Focal. You don't need their highest end stuff to get great results.

If you are looking for a nice sounding system that doesn't break the bank, I have been very pleased with the Polk DB line of speakers. I replaced the 4" speakers in the dash and rear quarters with the DB402 model. I eliminated my door speakers and went with an 8" subwoofer (DB842SCV) in a custom box I built, but they do make other sizes that should fit in the doors. I'm powering everything with an Alpine MRV-V500 5 channel amplifier. The 5th channel powers the sub in my car, but you could also split the signal to the doors and treat them like subs (the amp has built-in crossovers). My head unit is a Kenwood DDX396. I bought it for two specific reasons: it has an actual **** for the volume, and I you can adjust the backlighting for the controls to be orange to match the dash lights. The Sony XAV series is another popular choice, but the only color available for the backlighting is white and I knew it would drive me nuts at night. I like the Kenwood, but if I were to do it again I think I would probably opt for the Sony and learn to live with the white backlighting because the UI on the Kenwood isn't all that great. All told, I have well under $1000 into my setup.

More examples please

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Why did you eliminate the door speakers if you didn�t have to? The PO of my car eliminated the dash speakers but upgraded the doors. I didn�t like the soundstage at all. I do think that it�s less of a foul to eliminate the door speakers like you did, but it�s still unnecessary if you bought an amp. I�m not saying your car doesn�t sound good, but I wouldn�t take out two speakers for no reason. I ended up rewiring the stereo to play the dash and door speakers off the amplifier outputs, and the rear speakers off of the head unit. Sub runs off the amp, obviously. Sounds much better after I fixed it, though even with the stock 20 year old dash speakers being pushed by the amp. I was going to upgrade them, but don�t really see the need to. They�re pretty good.

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We need more info to help you - yr/model of your 996, and what is the model number of the unit installed? Also, if you could take a pic of the frunk so we can see what's installed. There are a LOT of variations that can make your upgrade a real pain in the ***. Finding speakers to fit in the original enclosures is a pain, usually requires modifications to the enclosures mounting. Provide the info and we'll help you further... Good luck!

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I suggest you read these threads: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...in-here-6.html + https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...s-in-here.html Still don't like the results or want more examples? Well, you might need to be the first one to try something new Someone has to be the first one to try a new solution if the current ones are not satisfactory.

In my 2002 i went simple and cheap. Pioneer double din with bluetooth and replaced the dash speakers. I have a set to do the rear decklid but after the dash was replaced it sounded pretty good and i never swapped the decklid. Everything else is stock.

The Pioneer AVH-3500NEX does Apple CarPlay, has a volume ****, and is only single DIN. The catch? In order to actually have a screen for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the screen has to flip out of the head unit. Evidently, part of the reason why volume ***** are so rare on Apple CarPlay / Android Auto head units is because, to fit in a double DIN slot with a large enough screen to meet the specifications for those systems, there isn't enough room for a volume **** unless you go with a floating screen. I've actually been tempted to get one of these myself. I just don't know how much I'm going to like having a single DIN with a flip out screen. On the one hand, when I'm not navigating anywhere, the simplistic controls are more than adequate for simple Bluetooth audio. You've got your volume ****, your next track button... What else do you really need most of the time? When the screen does flip out, though, what do you want to be covering up with it? You could move the HVAC controls down to the bottom like people do with a double DIN, then put an extra pocket/cubby at the top of the stack. That would look pretty weird, though.

Don't know if they still make these, but I remember back in the 90's they had single DIN units where the screen was motorized and came out when you turned it on. I think they went the way of the dodo...

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The Pioneer AVH-3500NEX I linked before is actually just like that.

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My car had aftermarket door speakers when I purchased it, and the installer of those speakers hacked up the door panel and removed the original speaker "boxes" that come in the doors. I also was able to get the sound stage I wanted for mids and highs with just the speakers in the dash and rear seats. The sub produces far more bass than any door speaker could, so I just kept them out. I also have new door cards for the car (that I haven't installed yet) that have no speaker provisions, like the GT3 has.

https://fdmotorsports.net/fister-sport-exhaust This did it for me since it wasn't a daily. I'm following this thread as well.

https://cai-store.com/

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Like everyone else right now, they are sold out of basically everything. (Certainly all head units.) Relative to Crutchfield, they're also quite a bit more expensive. On top of that, they only do Kenwood. I tried out a demo unit of a Kenwood and I was not impressed with the responsiveness of the interface. It was very laggy. The Pioneer that I tried out was much more responsive.

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Im not sure if you pulled the trigger on this yet, but I just did mine this past week with a cheap optical adapter, and an Atoto S8 wireless carplay single din head unit. It works perfectly and the sound quality is leaps and bounds better than it was. It required no major modifications. All I had to to was bring up accessory power, and a wire to operate the dimmer on the head unit, both of which are accessible in the center console. I was prepared to do the entire amp upgrade, but Im glad I tried this first. It saved me a ton of time and money. I should note as well that I used an optical adapter that was listed for use on an '05 Cayenne. You will not find one listed for a 996, but because they use the same programming, it works just fine. Edit - I should also point out that this information is for cars with the MOST optical system. I also needed to keep a single din stereo due to the GT3 console delete I put in the car, which leaves very few options for head units which is why I went with the S8. It fits.... ok. Bit too bulky for my liking, but the features it added far outweighs any gripes I have about it.

I can help with the last part. Get a Sony Walkman NW ***, put a micro SD card in it (I am rocking one TB) and rip those CDs onto the card. You will then be able to listen to the music using Bluetooth or an aux cable. I upgraded my Bose MOST system before Apple Play was a thing. I went Alpine single DIN head unit and Alpine power amp. According to my ears, there is no reason to replace the speakers. None whatsoever.