Boxster Audio Options

[Malo]

Hello all first off post here.

I have just started my search for a 981 Boxster, and having driven a Demo a while ago which only had what seemed like a basic sound system the audio upgrade is my first priority.

I am no audiophile but want more performance than what seemed like 2 tinny speakers.

So hopefully across the spectrum of forum members I will get a clear picture of what to go for.


Apologies if this is a topic elsewhere, I had a quick look and could find nothing.

[TheAnimal]

Hi - I feel your pain. Basically all of Porsche's audio system offerings are inferior. Even in the latest generation the Bose etc, even though improved over the 987 are poor systems and expensive based on what you are getting. If you must go with OEM then the Bose or Burmeister are the 'better' of the options, but I cannot recommend them - though others may be happy with them (it depends on how good your ears are and how much of a perfectionist you are too...).

I went aftermarket on my 987 which is vastly superior to anything Porsche offer, though you don't need to spend as much as I did to get something that sounds better. Here's my post on my install for reference:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=112...

[sootyvrs]

I listened to the std. hi-fi and thought it was "OK" for me so not optioned anything extra... I also listened to Bose and it was better (obviously) but my personal opinion is that the 981 is not a refined quiet car so you're not going to hear any real Hi-Fi quality anyhow with all that road/tye/engine/induction/exhaust noise going on in the backgroud... The flat 6 is music to my ears

[BGHughes]

Agreed, the basic offering is very poor (from experience with a loan car). Sound is tinny, barely good enough for listening to the weather report

Sound package plus, is the cheapest upgrade option and it's ok. The Cayman GTS is a noisy car, but I can still enjoy the music on the sound plus set up. Unless you are very particular about your sound system, I would recommend the 'plus' package

[craigjm]

TheAnimal said:

Hi - I feel your pain. Basically all of Porsche's audio system offerings are inferior.

Have you listened to a Burmester system? I agree about sound package plus and Bose etc but the Burmester speaker system is very good but then you would expect it to be at that price

[nsm3]

I have the Bose in my 981 CS and find it a marked improvement over the Sound Plus from my 7.1 GT3.

Whether that means it is any good from an audiophile perspective though, I couldn't say, as I ain't one?

[bcr5784]

Haven't tried any other systems, but wouldn't recommend the Bose on my Cayman - very overpriced for what it is with decidedly woolly bass. That said there aren't many cars out there with Burmeister systems (I haven't tried it, so can't comment) and I suspect a DIY system probably won't help come the time to sell the car on.

[Ozzie Osmond]

I went for the Bose and it's fine, if rather pricey. At least it keeps the OEM look of the car and avoids any warranty issues which may arise from having your local car stereo centre hacking about inside your expensive and complicated dashboard.

One point to mention - if you have parking sensors (kinda handy when you can't see the corners of the car) you will presumably lose the display if you change the stereo.

On the matter of parking sensors the 981 is ridiculous. If you turn off the radio you lose the display for the parking sensors! And if you just mute the radio the darned thing switches back on every time you start the car. Any why is the display "side to side" rather than "fore and aft"? The picture of your car points in a different direction to the car itself. So your rear left parking sensor shows on the bottom right of the screen! Plum daft.

[bcr5784]

Ozzie Osmond said:

On the matter of parking sensors the 981 is ridiculous. If you turn off the radio you lose the display for the parking sensors! And if you just mute the radio the darned thing switches back on every time you start the car. Any why is the display "side to side" rather than "fore and aft"? The picture of your car points in a different direction to the car itself. So your rear left parking sensor shows on the bottom right of the screen! Plum daft.

See what you are saying about the display - but given that a car is more than twice as long as it is wide, it's sort of understandable that they put it sideways on a landscape display. But I have to agree with you about the radio coming back on, which I rarely use if I'm actually driving. I normally use the audio on my phone (for speed camera alerts) and it drives me bats when it comes on loud when it defaults to radio on switch on.

Have looked on other forums and I know we are not alone in wanting a default setting other than radio.

[craigjm]

The radio coming on at start up happened on the 987 too