Good question. Maybe they just forget to include "BOSE", kind of weird they left that out. If it's a system that isn't bose and of lesser quality i'd be surprised.

 

It's hard to find... It's only listed in the configurator under standard equipment. It would be nice if it were listed under the overview or technical specs. Porsche has never been good with their web design...

Electrical Systems
CDR Plus audio system with 11 speakers and 235 watts
7-inch TFT display, RDS double tuner radio and MP3 compatible single disc CD/DVD player
Universal Audio Interface (Aux-In, USB, iPOD®)
Bluetooth® hands-free mobile phone connection

Based on comments from Cayman owners about Bose, as well as my experience with Bose in Audi products, I think the only worthwhile upgrade option is the Burmester. Unfortunately that one is truly cost prohibitive.

 

That's a great spot, Whoosh - I never thought to look in the 'Standard features' section of the Configurator - kudos to you! I agree the Porsche website could be improved a little, but I've got to say that the 3D mode on the Configurator is the best I have ever seen from any car manufacturer - and I've seen a lot of them recently!

So your find makes things a whole lot simpler in terms of audio options offered, i.e.:

Macan Turbo

• Standard BOSE®
• Burmester option

Macan S and Diesel S

• Standard CDR Plus
• BOSE option
• Burmester option

I've visualised these for comparison in both table and graph form (based on GBP cost):

What stands-out for me is the apparent 'dip' in the number of amplification channels for the BOSE®, and the severe increase in the number of amplification channels for the Burmester - one amp. to drive each individual speaker.

Of course what this graph doesn't convey is how good these systems sound. Unfortunately it won't be until April at the earliest it would seem, until we can actually sit in some vehicles and have a listen.

 

I think based on the post above, Goldie is either in finance or engineering of some sort.

I can tell you that the Burmester sound is definitely engineered for the vehicle and will be the most satisfying if you can accept the pricing. The Bose will have some advanced DSP, obviously more power, and probably upgraded components. Whether it's to your taste is another story. The only Bose products I enjoy personally are their noise cancellation headphones.

 

haha - you're so right whoosh - I'm a Pre-Sales (technical) guy that sells software to the finance industry.

I too have pair of BOSE® noise cancelling headphones and think they are great (their after sales service is good too). I've compared them side-by-side with Sennheiser's and Sony's and the BOSE® are strides ahead - I never fly without them.

I would love to have deep enough pockets to stretch to a Burmester based upon the rave reviews from other owners of other Porsche models. However, I think for the majority of people it will be whether the BOSE® is going to be value for money, or whether it will be a disappointment - as seems to be the case in other models. Roll on April when hopefully we can find out

 

I have a fairly nice home theatre setup (Anthem amp, Paradigm speakers) and wouldn't let any Bose product inside my front door, however in the compromised environment of a car I think they should be good bang for buck. It comes with AudioPilot or something, meant to adjust the response curve according to the road noise (although I have read this can erase the bass)

In Australia they are a $3,600 option though so while I have it ticked atm, if the standard PCM audio is sufficient (PCM w/ Nav is standard here) I would find it very easy to untick!

Burmester costs $15,820 here so that is just silly and well beyond the curve of diminishing returns.

 

All good, but you cant own a 2014 macan.

 

Did some more digging around and have decided to take the gamble with standard audio. A lot of people who are upset with base audio have had the 100W system which is almost universally pathetic, but the Macan comes with the 235W system base which is apparently decent and easily upgradable if necessary.

Bose performance seems to be largely dependent on the car - in many cars it is boomy and muddy although this can sometimes be fixed by stuffing wadding into the subwoofer port. Rear bose speakers are pathetic so a front balance must be used for decent sound. Upgrading speakers is problematic due to the wacky resistances and crossover frequencies.

Burmester is good if it's affordable in your country.

So I'll go with the standard PCM audio which frees up money for me to go back to the red/black full leather interior I know I really want My 2012 Macan is gonna be awesome

 

Did some more digging around and have decided to take the gamble with standard audio. A lot of people who are upset with base audio have had the 100W system which is almost universally pathetic, but the Macan comes with the 235W system base which is apparently decent and easily upgradable if necessary.

Bose performance seems to be largely dependent on the car - in many cars it is boomy and muddy although this can sometimes be fixed by stuffing wadding into the subwoofer port. Rear bose speakers are pathetic so a front balance must be used for decent sound. Upgrading speakers is problematic due to the wacky resistances and crossover frequencies.

Burmester is good if it's affordable in your country.

So I'll go with the standard PCM audio which frees up money for me to go back to the red/black full leather interior I know I really want My 2012 Macan is gonna be awesome

I actually did this as well. The sales guy was pushing the Bose but by the end of the build I was looking to reduce the price a little and the base spec stereo didn't look too bad. I think I'll be spending a lot of time listening to the exhaust anyway.

 

Just wish we could see the car, how bout a trip to Tokyo in Jan for a look?
That's pretty close to home?

 

That could be fun, is there an event where we can actually sit in it?

 

I, too, am going with the stock audio, the specs seem good enough for me

 

Some interesting observations about the PCM/CDR+ 235W sound system vs the Bose from the 6speed forums:

I had a chance to compare the PCM audio to the Bose(585 watts including a 200 watt subwoofer), surprisingly I found the bass of the PCM stronger than the Bose. The Bose does have better overall sonic clarity. But for day-to-day listening, including CDs and iPod, I find the PCM to be more than adequate.

The current PCM audio is now comparable to the previous Cayenne's Bose system.

2011 Cayenne specs, but you get the idea:

 

Turbos come with Bose as standard ... they can't sound worse than PCM right ? I'd love to go for Burmester but the price is starting to get a bit ridiculous (3600€ on turbo model) don't you think ? ... I ll ony drive the car once a week (unfortunately)

 

It shouldn't sound too much worse than PCM. As per the Bose thread, people who have compared 235W CDR+/PCM with Bose say it is quite close (although the PCM may have more bass)

 

...

It would seem to me that the partnership has not always worked, and that there are a lot of disgruntled Boxster and Cayman owners who ticked that particular option box (Bose sub stuffing -)?

This is something I can speak about. When the Cayman came out, some people who were not "sports car" people bought the coupe because they didn't have to deal with the rag top. It was also strange that the coupe cost more than the ragtop, which is not normal.

If you careful read where some of the complaints came from, they came from owners of more "luxury" "sports cars", like a MB (I forget all the models). They went into a Cayman and found two faults:

1. The ride was way to harsh. They could actually feel the road.

2. They couldn't hear the stereo over the engine.

There was no ipod connect and the cup holders are sort of joke or afterthoughts. After all, sports cars don't need cup holders. You can't hold a drink while going around the twisties.

What they didnt get was that the whole point of a sports car is the driving experience. You FEEL the road, you LISTEN to the engine. The only music you need is to drive on a windy road, roll down the window, and become one with a car.

I think some who complained really wanted an appliance, got discouraged, and move on to something more "luxurious". They might not have really understood what a Porsche was all about. For example, the complaints about the lack of an ipod connection were numerous.

So, I wouldn't put to much stock in Bose complaints coming from boxster and cayman owners. For the Macan, this might be different. As a crossover SUV, owners might listen to the stereo more than in a sports car. I suspect, but don't know, that the engine sounds will be much more muted. Much bigger cabin air space, farther from engine.

You got to remember that boxster/cayman owners have the engine right behind their ear, and on the cam it just sings. No need for music.

The Macan is a totally different concept. I would not compare the experiences between the two.

 

just came back from an audio test...
first listened to the bose in a panamera - not so bad at all - pretty good actually !
then listened to burmester in 991 turbo s - now that was just crazy !!!! pretty big difference with bose ... big enough that i ticked the box

 

I listened to both too. If you value car audio and sound quality, the Brumester is a worthy upgrade. I'm sold.

 

Oh man. So many different opinions here messing with my head. LOL. My order has the Bose system. I like that it comes with a subwoofer in the trunk as opposed to the standard system. I havent actually heard the system, just went off the brand name. I guess I'll have to swing by the dealer and listen for myself. I like good quality sound but the Brumester system is too expensive.

My current car is an Acura RDX with the ELS system, and I'm quite content with it. If the Bose system sounds about the same then I'll be happy.

 

My wife's ELS in an MDX sounds fantastic (& only 435 watts, I think)

 

The Bose sounds good really ! It was pretty mediocre on older models (997) but they have improved it a lot. If I had not heard the Burmester I would have been happy with Bose.
It's just that Burmester is just outstanding ... never heard such good sound not even at home with Naim system...

 

Is the Burnmeister really worth the substantial cost? I know that in BMW models, they have the Harman Kardon as an upgrade - well worth it and in some of the newer models (6 series) they are now offering B&O sound, but at similar costs to the Burnmeister.

Advice on whether the upgrade is something that will be appreciated for an audiophile with a passion for driving? I would go with base system otherwise as I don't feel the Bose will be good enough to capture my hard earned dollars.

 

Go to the nearest Porsche dealership and compare the systems. They'll have a vehicle with it. Try to compare similar models/soundstage if possible, as sound can vary greatly between vehicles. Whether it is worth the upgrade is for you to decide. What option is important for someone is not for others. Me, I just think very option had value and thus can't stop ticking those boxes!

 

I was just at the dealer checking out the Bose System on the Cayenne. They didnt have any Burmester systems on the lot.

So stepping out of my Acura with the ELS system and stepping into the Porsche I right away noticed the Bose had a more drowned out sound. Then my dealer turned on the surround sound, and the system was better with sound coming at me from everywhere. I was a little disappointed that the audio settings are very limited (bass, trebble, fade, balance). If it was more customizable (i.e. each speaker zone having it's own adjustments like ELS) the Bose system could really shine I think.

All in all Bose is not bad. I think I can live with it.

 

I can't Judge on the Burmeister system, but for my taste the Bose is doing very well in a 987S and 991 4Scab... at least for vocal/acoustic music. Lots of details can be heard. It was a no brainer to order the bose for the Macan.
My settings: surround on, autopilot off, slightly faded to the back, trebble +1 and base +2 or 3.

 

Similar settings to mine. It always sounds great. I think Autopilot being turned off is key.

 

AudioPilot you mean turning that off also turns off the speed-dependent volume

 

Have you guys seen this clip? It makes me want the Burmester system soooo bad.

Porsche Cayenne Burmester - YouTube

 

Have you guys seen this clip? It makes me want the Burmester system soooo bad.

Porsche Cayenne Burmester - YouTube

givvvvveeee meeeee my precious!!!!!!!!!

 

If I were to order Burmester without getting PCM, what would I be missing out on aside from obviously nav and the higher res screen? Bluetooth audio? I don't particularly care about nav, but I do care about audio quality (at twice the price of the nav!) Does the non-PCM screen look ok?

 

Any idea who manufactures the CDR Plus audio system?

 

Becker, a member of Harmon. Harmon owns quite a few brands.

 

So trying to lock down my order. What is the final consensus between the cdr+ or the Bose? The CDR+ does not come with a sub which concerns me as all of my current cars have a sub. If the sound will be comparable to the B&O in our Q5 or the HK in our M3, I will be fine.