CDR 23 replacement

I have a CDR 23 BOSE 10 speaker system in my 03 C4S (MOST BUS) and was considering changing out the system so that I can have IPOD and satellite radio. I was considering either a single DIN Alpine or Kenwood receiver. My questions are: 1. I'd like to maintain the existing Bose speakers and just add 1 or 2 amps. Does anyone know what the wattage rating is on the factory speakers? Do you think they could handle an Alpine PDX (probably 70-100 watts per channel). I was thinking about installing the new 5 channel Alpine PDX, wiring the front and rears together on two channels, running the doors speakers on two channels and using the 5th sub channel for the rear subs. 2. The rear subs are pretty weak. Has anyone replaced these with an aftermarket speaker utilizing the same enclosure? I'd like to be able to get a little more thump out of them. 3. I assume I can just disconnect the fiber optics from the new stereo and factory amp and leave as is. Besides having the local shop clear the faults, anything else I need to do? Any responses are much appreciated. John

Hi John, I can't help you with the Satellite Radio, but if you're wondering how to connect an iPod to the MOST bus on the CDR23, the mObridge iPod connector is a perfect match. The mObridge allows you to control any iPod/iPhone from the headunit and it has a 24bit ADC sound converter that also cleans up the sound quality. They are being chosen by Porsche in Australia as a dealer-fit option, and they are now available in the UK. Click on the link in my signature for more info or you can contact me by email/PM or phone. Regards, Adrien

Thanks for the advice Adrien. I considered the mObridge but I really want satellite radio and I'd also like a receiver that has decent IPOD controls and display like the Alpine X001 model which is why I've decided to pull the CDR.

No problem John - good luck!

1. The Bose speakers have very low impedances <2ohms so take care wiring up the Alpine. They'll definitely struggle but a clean(er) 50w is better than a dirty 30w. 2. Not a lot of room to replace with a better unit, I've seen custom installs with 12" and 15" but these aren't a stealth install 3. With the headunit & speakers detached the car will log the fault continuously until you get dealer/indy with a PIWIS to remove it from the system inventory. Once done you'll be fine.

Thanks for the advice Damian. That's just the information I was looking for.

Although my configuration was slightly different I'll tell you what I did/found and you'll be able to take a judgement on your situation. I have a C4S which had the CDR23 head unit, standard amp and 6 speakers. The standard amp had a fibrte optic connection to the head unit. I spoke with both the OPC and Porsche in Germany and they told me that I could remove the amp with head unit and fibre connection and there would be no issues regarding error messages on the most bus - so don't be concerned about that. I then installed a Kenwood 7200 double din. I had the speakers hard wired into the head unit and used the amplified outputs. The main problem was that the Kenwood only has 4 amplified outputs, not the six that I needed. My configuration has two base speakers and two mid range/tweeters in the dash. The other two speakers are full range speakers. What I had to do was to buy two crossovers with the same impedance (ohms) as the speakers with three outputs. The input to the crossovers came from two of the outputs from the Kenwood. The output from the crossovers (three) were hard wire connected to the bass and the mid-range and tweeters (the existing crossovers removed). It sounds complicated, but actually it wasn't. I did all the research myself and got a local firm to fit the system - they did a great job. Any other questions then please send me a pm. Ray