Some of you might have seen my previous questions about the possibility of just replacing the stock head unit (CDR-23) with an aftermarket double-din unit, without going the whole nine yards of replacing speakers...amp...rewiring. This all stemmed from the fact that I haven't had music in my car for the past year or so due to faulty OEM amp...my technician verified that CDR23 and CD changer are perfectly fine, it was the amp that caused the issue of CD player kept going on and off.

I won't call myself an audiophile nor I listen to a lot of bass-heavy music. And I seriously wasn't in the mood of breaking the bank for this project. Anyway, think it's about time that I contribute, somewhat, to the forum to put my feedback about this setup as I know some of you out there might be interested to find out besides reading DIY.

Project Duration: I have 2 guys helping me, but one person can probably do this. It was just a weekend garage project. We spent a total of about 8-10 hours, a lot due to us only read instructions when necessary...

Parts: Pioneer AVIC-Z120BT ($899 from Amazon with $100 rebate) and eBay install kit ($150)

Warning: I don't have OEM Nav unit, and I relocated the climate control to the bottom as well. I assume those already have the OEM Nav unit might have an easier time given they already have the right brackets, and not having to deal with relocating climate control. I do have to say this is almost a "no looking back" type of project if you just want to use stock bracket which most DIY instructions would tell you to do anyway to keep cost low. e.g. Cutting the divider (rod) between climate control and CD player...

Result: Once done and garage is cleaned again (all wifey cares)...I can only say the hours and effort were well worth it. I know some will say the resulting sound is crap and so forth...and to be honest, I was a bit expecting so when I began this project. The adventurous side of me kicked in anyhow...I really wanted to try and see if this really works in terms of just replacing the head unit. AND...IT WORKS! We bypassed (and removed) the amp and CD changer, connected speakers directly to the head unit over copper wires. My honest answer is that the sound is really decent. I think to a degree, it sounds better than when the stock CD player was working. Sound is more crisp and clear...don't ask me why. I don't want to be misleading and say I have the best sound system on earth. But I can say it sounds much better than expected. This setup is perfect for most music, but if you are into hip-hop and can't live a minute without big and heavy bass, this is not for you. Those Bose speakers just aren't meant for that anyway...a new head unit won't magically update the speakers. But I can't complain now I have blue tooth connectivity (for calls and audio streaming), GPS that actually works and looks good, and Pandora streaming over iPhone.

Feedback: My honest feedback about the eBay kit is OK at best. The climate control relocation kit is no more than a new face plate and it didn't fit perfectly. I like the Porsche-logo faceplate for the head unit so it keeps the classy interior. But $150 is a bit pushing...many of the install hours were dedicated to making parts work (dremel...etc) rather than wiring or installing...pictures to come next, but it looks quite stock finish at this point. I have no complaint about the Z120BT either, it is absolutely a very decent head unit. I am very happy that I didn't spend $3k+ on this, so fund can be reserved for other things...ala PSS10.

Final Thought: Probably sound like a broken record by now...if you are into super high quality sound or need bass that can make your neighbors jealous, this setup is not for you. If you are like me, updating the interior, getting the new tech features, not wanting to lose arms and legs for this, and best yet, losing the CD holder (sorry, I really think this is very early 90s to be in a 2003 car) along the way, this should be considered.

I don't have any DIY to share as I only followed those that you can already find from renntech...just want to provide my average Joe, end-user perspective. Hope you find this helpful if you have been on the fence about this like me for the longest time.

 

i have the same ebay dash kit and i also thin it should cost 1/5th of what they are charging for it. the metal plate is not secured by anything, which is annoying.

 

How many speaker outputs were there? Were there only four channels, or is each individual speaker (tweeter + mid + woofer = 3) on its own channel? Thanks for any info.

 

You dont say much about the MOSt system and this head unit. Are you saying this system ties into the factory MOST system and works properly? I have a double din unit with a factory amp. Is it possible to only replace the double din unit and tie an aftermarket one into the most system?
I looked up the unit you installed and did not see anywhere that is will work on the factory bus system.
thanks
scott

 

You could have used your factory Bose and been done in one hour.

I come from a car audio background so I have experience

I hope u did not have to pay these people by the hour.

Not sounding foul but this job with anyone with 12v experience should have taken anywhere near this long. Even with the Bose removal.

I hope they did not charge u.

 

and the kit is overpriced if you ask me

 

Is the install kit you mentioned just the generic plastic Metra type kit?

 

I wish mine was a metra. Metra does not make one. And the harness comes with it. It is decent.

 

looking forward to the install pics...I really may go this route but isn't the ohm rating coming from the head unit 4 whereas the bose speakers are 2?

 

Porsche has always put substandard sound systems in their cars. Add to that Bose is one of the biggest marketing scams on the market. My next project is to completely gut out the entire Bose system and start over. However if you're happy with the results and the sound, thats all that really counts.

 

If you will notice, he actually did not use the MOST system. He connected his aftermarket unit to the factory speakers. The factory head unit connects to the amplifier via fiberoptic cables (MOST system) and then the amplifier connects to the speakers via regular copper wires. You can remove your double DIN head unit or for those of you who have a single DIN unit, you can simply use any aftermarket head unit and then connect it directly to the speakers. You can even use the factory wiring harness by cutting off the connector to the amplifier and connecting the wires appropriately. The car computer controls are then visible through the dash and can be scrolled like when it was connected to the factory unit. Only real problem is that the Bose speakers simply are terrible and it is evident as soon as you replace them with aftermarket units.

 

Does anyone have a link to the Renntech DIY?