Hi, and inevitable stereo question

Hi all, Been lurking here for a while while I chose my first Porsche, a Silver '98, Tip C2. In other words, I live in central london, and I'm a cheapskate I love the car though, it's amazing. Now I've got it, just like everyone else, I want to do something about the stereo. I've got two questions: 1) how easy will it be for me to replace the currently fitted becker CDR21 plus some kind of DSP module, and what I guess is an amp (see photos) with another unit. 2) does anyone have any recomendations for more modern stereos? I like the look of the Becker players, but I'd ideally like something that can play off SD or CF cards, and I'm not sure whether to stick with my tomtom or go for an integrated unit. Things I'd like: Clean looks (not too many flashing lights) Bluetooth handsfree (but can live without it) Able to play MP3s conviently (ideally off a memory card) Most aftermarket CD players tend to look a bit garish to me, but the cheaper Beckers will only play MP3s off CDs, and I'm not sure if reburning and switching CDs will get annoying. Another option that would be ok with me would be to permenatly mount an ipod in the front luggage area, attached via a cable, but I'm not sure how easy it is to route cables from the back of the stereo to the luggage area. Drilling holes in my pride an joy doesn't seem like fun right now. I've like to avoid an ipod in a cradle in the main bit of the car, and I've tried an FM transmitter, but it didn't work at all well in London. Yet another option would be to go for a 2 DIN unit, but from what I've read here that will involve a lot of pain moving the aircon controls and stuff around. So, any experiences or recomendations are welcome. I'll post photos below cos I can't figure out how to stop them messing with the text layout. Thanks in advance, Steve

Photos for my previous post.

if i could fit one into my car without ripping out the BOSE system and fibreoptics...I would fit an Alpine iDA X100 unit. http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/alpine-idax100-p-6482.html

Put a double DIN Pioneer unit in mine and the ipod is fitted into the arm-rest cubby hole. Adjustable button lighting to match car interior and the having "wallpaper" like the PC for any picture you like leads to a very OEM look. Fitting isn't difficult really - just a few additional parts required. I have previously posted photo's if you do a search. Currently in the middle of upgrading all the speakers now

I do like the look of the pioneer AVIC-F700, but there seems to be some people complaining about the speed of the UI and the quality of the sat nav. I see you've got the D3 from your posts - how have you found it? I hadn't though of wiring an ipod in the console bin, that's a good idea. Was it difficulot to get the wiring to there, and did you do it yourself? The lack of glovebox is a pain there. - Steve

worth lookng at this http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=29382 although I need to update the pics as photobucket seems to have thrown a wobbly since postings :frustrated:

Have recently installed a double DIN Kenwood Dnx 7220 into mine and am very pleased with it.

+1 for The cascade it is definately discrete with all the bells and whistles - Simon

Thanks, that's useful information. Do you know how well the Cascade handles "urban canyons"? eg. in central london most satnavs without an accelerometer get confused and put you on the wrong road in heavy traffic. Also, how hard is it to install the GPS antenna? Do the speed limit warning things work on UK A roads, or just motorways? How does the UI compare to Tom Tom, is it OK on the small screen? Sorry for all the questions, but I've not been able to find somewhere I can test one in person. If anyone knows of a dealer that has Becker units on display in London, or anywhere near, that would help a lot. Cheers, Steve

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Hm, difficult decision. I saw a Pioneer AVIC F900BT on Saturday, which is 2 DIN, but looks quite elegant. Would mean more shuffling of the DIN units, but it's UI is good, and it's available for £750, about the same as the Becker. However, the Becker also looks very good.

Hi all. I too have been lurking and now own a 98 996 tip so am now officially part of the community. Same thing here, need to replace the stereo. I have just ordered the Becker Grand Prix 7990 which has the yellow illumination, bluetooth and iPod cable. going to have my local ICE place bury the iPod in the centre console cubby. I am also going to replace all of the speakers and install some small sub boxes on the rear shelf behind the back seat. Should be nice and discreet and sound a treat when it's done. Pictures will be posted ! Thanks, Lee.