[T-Bone]

When I got my 968 a couple of weeks back, it head a pimped out Alpine unit. While nice, I am much more into the cleaner, OE look. I know there are better head units but I really liked the look of the Becker CDR-220, along with the Aux input and I am used to it from my Boxster. My wife started to get concerned when i had the whole center console out on the garage floor, but I kept assuring her I knew what I was doing...



Here is the result. I really like it.



   

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[PorscheDude]

That nice looking head unit. Wish I was not such a music addict.

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[T-Bone]

I hear you. I will eventually re-do the speakers and add an amp so I'm hoping this is good enough for that. I had a decent setup in the Boxster with this head unit, new speakers and and amp and it sounded pretty good. Probably not to your level, but good enough to crank up with the top down and still hear it well and pretty clearly.

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[flash]

sound is VERY subjective and what pleases one person may not another - i just spoke to somebody yesterday who said he thinks the stock system sounds great - i hate it



having "been there and done that" with systems in this car (just played with another one yesterday), the single biggest factor in the quality of sound has been the head unit and its tone control - i've played with the other deck the car had, and i don't know what the becker 220 has, but i do know that simple bass and treble will not get you there regardless - the factory speakers are actually pretty good, and can be made to sound great (though admittedly they will never produce a lot of low end) - i see no reason to change them if they are in good shape - keep in mind that i am saying this as an audio engineer too



it takes a clean signal, clean power, and a good EQ to make them sound good though - when joe comes back up for an event, you'll get a chance to listen to what they can sound like, powered merely by a clean deck - it wasn't an expensive one either



you know the old adage though - "garbage in - garbage out"



but, bring it over and we'll see what we can do

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[BBZ 968]

I too have the Becker / Porsche CDR-220 unit which suits the design and year of the 968.

However as it came from a Boxter which has a more vertical dash layout it is impossible to read the display without leaning forward somewhat.



Unfortunately this cannot be rectified by the factory or service agents and only the later Mexico models have an adjustment to the angle of display built in to the programming mode.



Still.....perhaps a small price to pay for an " Original " look to the 968 cabin.



Cheers Shaun

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[flash]

as i said, this one is VERY subjective - i am very much function over form - i don't really care so much what it looks like, as long as it works - frankly i think the "original look" is something that holds the car back - that being said, updating the look updates the car, and keeps it current, so why not have the better sound quality AND the updated look?



a similar analogy would be on wheels - if you want the "original look" then updating the wheels is out too



i get the idea of wanting to "keep it original" if you are going to concourse the car, but if you want to actually use it the way it was intended, i think you should optimize the performance of any area you can



if they were building the car today, you can bet it would have better tone control, a sub, bluetooth, and an i-pod interface

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[PorscheDude]

[quote name='flash' post='61389' date='Oct 9 2008, 12:18 PM']i get the idea of wanting to "keep it original" if you are going to concourse the car, but if you want to actually use it the way it was intended, i think you should optimize the performance of any area you can[/quote]



This is exactly how I feel. Otherwise by a poster and hang it in the office.

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[flash]

yeah - i've done both - before i moved here i had 6 MGBs - one was concourse perfect, and had less than 2k miles on it - the other end of the spectrum was a full on race car - 4 in between, set up differently for different uses - the concnourse car cost me countless hours and dollars searching for the authentic components - i was nutty about that - so, i understand the idea of wanting the keep something original - i can respect that



that's just not how i feel about this car (as if anybody needed to ask)



on top of that, being an audio engineer, it would make me just crazy - i turn the system off when it doesn't sound right



but that in no way means that somebody else doesn't feel the exact opposite, and isn't right in doing so

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[biotechee]

I tend to lean towards the "whole package"... function and form, as equal as possible in any given situation. I'm not an audio engineer so playing my iPod through the typical interface gives me all I need in terms of sound quality and versatility. I like the looks of the CDR220 so it will be going in the cab. Since I either listen to SiriusXM or my iPod, radio reception means nada to me. I hardly even pop in a CD unless it's to hear something that I have not put on my 'pod yet (like Helmet's "Unsung").



Most of the new head units look too toyish to me. Yeah, they may be miles ahead in technology, but they're years behind in looks.



To each his own of course!

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[flash]

well, via an i-pod, you have an EQ available, so that may work just fine if that's the only source you listen to



here's something else to think about - now that you have a cab, the display may well become a huge issue for you - i have yet to find one that is particularly visible in direct sunlight - even the Z2 i have in the M3 has issues, and it has adjustable position



do yourself a favor - prior to installation, power up the 220 and hold it in position in direct sunlight and see if you can see it

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[PorscheDude]

Helmet Rocks!

I never use FM/AM only Sirrius and Ipod the occasional CD.

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[T-Bone]

Fortunately, we live in America and have lots of choices to suit our personal wishes and requirements. I'm happy with the CDR-220, but Flash and others might not be.



BTW Shaun (BBZ), you can buy a new face that is made for non-vertical mounting. It is about $100 and is simply the same face with the LED's at a different angle. Mine shows up perfectly from where I sit. I can point you in the right direction if you want to PM me.



Travis

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[flash]

absolutely - and as i said, these things are VERY subjective - i don't think there is any "right" or "wrong" on this one



my better half was fine for years with the factory system in her cars - lol - of course, then she heard what could be done, and now feels otherwise, but that's another argument for another day, with an entirely different bottle of wine at the end



so, maybe it's best to never venture into high end audio - like many things with these cars, it's a very slippery slope

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[mikeo]

Speaking of EQs, a guy I used to work for was a huge stereo freak (back in the analog age). He had all the good stuff and he liked it at concert levels. As he aged he found that the EQ was really important to his listening pleasure. Seems his hearing was going to hell and he had to jack up several of the frequency ranges to make the music sound right to him. To everyone else it sounded like a cacophony of tone deaf cats! He had to use earphones to keep the peace with his wife. So you older guys that find yourselves fiddling with the EQ a lot and listening alone - it may not be the (non-biological) equipment!

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[flash]

lol - true enough - thankfully i get tested every year as a function of what i do for a living - after over 15 years of working as a touring and studio engineer, i only have about a 1db drop at 1300 in my right ear - it does make me have to turn around though when i am setting a system so that i can compare left to right and get it even - it also makes it different when i use the phone in that ear, since the human voice is centered near there



i travel with ear plugs everywhere too



depending on the system, i usually find that i use the EQ to defeat certain frequencies, and don't normally have to bump any very much, if at all

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[Seadweller23]

T-Bone,



Thanks for posting the pic. The head unit looks great.



Joe

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[T-Bone]

Nobody noticed my homemade garage door opener in the instrument panel? I have 2 garage doors so I decided that a window switch should work to operate both. I had to take the guts out of the each door opener and soldered the wires to the switch. Works like a dream... I figured Flash of all people would have noticed that detail? <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[PorscheDude]

That is very cool.

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[flash]

lol - i would have if either you had brought over the car, or i had been in it



i actually saw the extra switch, and wondered what that was



i'll have to check that out whenever you bring it over - i have been wanting to do something to get rid of the remotes for quite some time

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[biotechee]

Very slick T-bone!



I'll have to do that for mine as well.



I'm Biotechee and I approve of this message!



(Sorry- just adding a little political humor...) <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/cool.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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