Bose Media System

http://www.bose.com/controller?even...event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/automotive/innovations/media_system/index.jsp Wonder if this or some version will work with the MOST?

Good find Santa Fe. I didn't see where this operated on the MOST bus but you would have to assume it does. If it ever became available for our cars I would certainly jump on it. That's the beauty of the MOST bus is its upgradability. I still don't understand why iPod capability wasn't standard in our vehicles. It is the 21st century.

I'd have to disagree with that... the only way this unit will ever become compatible with our Porsche's or with the MOST bus is if Porsche has chosen Bose to develop the PCM3 and it is based on that design. Porsche MOST coding is proprietary and so far only Harman Becker has held the contract to develop headunits for Porsches. Harman Becker pretty much develops all of the MOST headunits made today, for Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, etc. They are actually the company that started MOST cooperation in 1998. Usually there headunits are teamed up with Harman Kardon amplification and speakers. While it's true that Porsche is looking for a company to develop a new audio system for them, there is no word as to who has been chosen or if Bose amplification and sound will continue to be an offering in Porsche vehicles. If you ask me, you will see the job phased out to Harman Kardon, the same path that Mercedes and BMW have taken. As far as upgradibility goes, PCM 2.1 was not compatible in cars with PCM1, CDR24 isn't compatible in cars that shipped with CDR23 (yet both use same MOST bus)... and the only way I see PCM 3 being compatible with PCM 2.1 is if it is produced Becker and still somehow compatible with the Bose or sound package plus amplifiers that ship in our cars. If Porsche decides to switch to another amplifier, that's it, no backwards compatibility. I don't see Bose selling MOST headunits to the public because the market isn't big enough, they are too car specific. That headunit if it ever becomes available for retail sale has to be an analog model so that a person can use it in whichever car they want. While there is a push by the MOST cooperation alliance to standardize MOST coding, even this would only provide Bose with a market of a few car makers. - Suneet

MOST is a bastard It pisses me off that MOST was intended to be a standard , which would allow dissimilar devices to communicate and negotiate compatible functions, etc. with a common protocol. Conceptually, it's something like USB, or IP, or even Blue Tooth. Then the auto industry takes it and makes everything proprietary. There is no reason why a BMW MOST IPod adapter shouldn't plug into our car's netowork and operate...if the original intent of the MOST coorperattion is upheld, that is. But unfortunately, MOST is not what it was meant to be. I've heard that in the comming years, a significant portion of the world's cars will be utilizing MOST though. Unless that after-market companies want to loose a huge portion of their market, I don't see how they can't step up and start manufacture (at least) audio gateways for cars to allow their products to operate within a MOST network. I really don't want to rip out the entire sound system in this car!!!

Well... MOST cooperation is striving to make it a standard... the Dension iPod adapter is compatible with Audi, Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Saab, Volvo as long as you configure the right dipswitches. The dipswitches allow the most signals to be transmitted exactly how the specific headunit wants them. I don't think MOST has much of a life left ahead of it personally, its 50mbits\second and I think as time goes on this will not be sufficient to power the multimedia systems in cars and will give way to faster fiber optic BUS technologies. MOST provides a cheap alternative to very complex wiring harnesses and it is beneficial for auto makers. But there's no reason you can't simply bypass it for audio. Even if you have Bose, all you really have to do put in a new headunit and run wiring to the existing copper speaker wires in the front trunk and just use some resistors to get the Bose speakers to the 4ohm audio standard. Bose just uses drivers with really low resistance so they can advertise higher wattage numbers, that's not really MOST's fault, it's Bose's. - Suneet

I just emailed Bose to verify whether the new system will or will not be compatible with the Bose Sound System package in an '06 Cayman S. Not very hopeful, but I'll post their response here.

Well I received a response by Bose, but unfortunately it didn't answer my main question...maybe if we complain enough to Porsche, they will catch up to the 21st century and start including standard technology like ipod integration. Response below: Hello ____, We are excited about this new technology and thank you for your interest in the Bose Media System. At this time, we are speaking with several automotive manufacturers about bringing this technology forward. We are creating a consumer database with all of the inquiries and questions we receive regarding this new technology, as information becomes available it will be added to our main website www.bose.com . Thank you again for your interest in the Bose Media System. Bose Automotive Systems Division

Thanks. Not a real personal reply.

Zoomee, you're right it does. But most of those manufacturers, no pun intended, only use the bus in one or two of their vehicles. Toyota uses it in Prius, no other vehicles nor lexus, bmw uses it throughout their model line, Diamler Chrysler uses it in Mercedes offerings. Nissan, Ford, Jag and Aston don't use it on their audio systems, they might for other components.