Listening to both, or all three with base, will answer all your questions. No one but you can weigh the $$$ value of the three, versus other options you may want.

The problem with Bose, is that it's $2500. It's an improvement over base, but not $2500 worth. The BM is worth every penny, it is that good, but it depends on how you listen, and how you prize what it does best.

I've got one car with Bose, one with BM. I'd get the BM again (and did with a new 991 build).

 

Check the Bermeister box and you'll never look back except to thank everyone.

 

Personally I thought it was a waste of money to upgrade from the base in a rear engined car with a dedicated exhaust button.

Drive the car without the radio on and you hear every pebble in the wheelwells, the rolling of the wide tires, wind, the ticking of the Sport Chrono and most importantly the exhaust. I couldn't see spending money to try and compete with that.

you'd have to have it quite loud and bright to compete and at that point you may as well have over the ear headphones on. There are just too many variables, including the cabin.

Sitting still without the engine running in the showroom may be a different story but that's what living rooms are for.

. . . My logic

But if you wanted better sound, I would say that replacing your speakers with the base head would yield the best bang for the buck. The THD, frequency response, etc differences will be negligible compared to the quality of the speakers. This goes for home audio as well. I believe if you had $5,000 to spend, I'd put it all in the speakers before thinking about a new head unit. People can out listen their speakers before their components. This is where most of the discernible difference is.
Don't let the A/V salesmen tell you otherwise, they love to sell components, cables and conditioners - not sound.

It also depends on what kind of listener you are, the type of music you are playing and the source.
These days people don't so much hear music, but like to feel the music and are very accustomed to heavy bass and bright tweeters, that Radio Shack and a sub can provide.

At home I keep things flat and listen to what the engineer wanted me to hear as best reproduced as possible, I don't believe all music should sound the same. (I buy my "roast" by what I want to taste and how I want to taste it - some people like to taste coffee with the sides of their tongue, I like body). At home, a pair of Sonus Fabers will be much warmer than a pair of Adams and I appreciate the nuances and I find that I play different music on them.

One of the great joys has to be sitting in a great car with a great audio system enveloping you, but it has got to be one of the worst environments. It's an uphill battle with all the reflective glass and driving noises, where it seems that only volume delivered through clean speakers can help.

991/50 C2S 7MT X51 SPASM PDCC

 

I just tried Apple Lossless encoded audio files on my iPod connected via USB. It sounded pretty darn good. If I had ordered my 911 I would have ordered the Burmester.

I had ordered a Boxster S with the Burmester but switched to the 911 when it arrived at the dealer. I did listen to it and it is indeed better than the Bose. But you have to be into music reproduction - dare I say be an audiophile - to pay for the Burmester.

 

 

Burmester without question. Every 911 I had before my TT had Bose. Never again. Burmester is probably 40% better all the way around. Bass, high end, midrange, you name it. It was the one thing that jumped out at me when I took delivery- how good the Burm was.

 

[QUOTE=Marc King;4737676]I"ve been all over the configurator and have never seen such an option. How would they even accomplish such a thing?

 

Burmeister while parked...engine while running.

I did not upgrade

 

 

 

I had a ‘12 Panny with bose and have a 14 991 turbo S with burmester. Bose sounded worse even with the larger soundstage. No highs, no lows, must be Bose. True to the saying. Burmester is better but still lacking. I dropped an aftermarket system in my ‘20 Jeep rubicon with good but not great speakers and sounds better than the burmester. My pcm in the turbo S just crapped out so looking at going aftermarket for head unit, amp and speakers. Was disappointed for the “high end burmester” in a $200k car.

 

I believe Burmester will not provide as much punch in the smaller cars. (911, 718, etc.) My best friend has a Boxster with Burmester and it does not have nearly the power my Panamera TT has. That's due to lack of space for more/larger speakers and subs.

 

True, internal acoustics make a big difference and the panny with the larger interior space and hatchback greatly helps. If I understand correctly, the burmester in the 911 has ballparkish 6.5 inch woofers and any excellent woofer upgrade would help (JL, Focal etc...). I have upgraded speakers in my Vette which is a little car and sounds better than my burmester in my 991 turbo S.