Upgrading a CR-210 With Factory CD Changer

[HGGuate]

Hi Guys.

Just got my baby, a new to me Burgundy 911 Carrera C2 6 Speed with about 36,000 Miles. Model year is 1998 (RoW Version) comparable to a 1999 US vehicle.

Head stereo unit is the stock CR-210 head unit with a 6 CD Changer in the bonnet.

I want to upgrade the stereo but would like to keep the look as close to stock as possible.

Would like to hear about some of your experiences, for example, if you believe it would be worth it to upgrade to a CDR-220 with an adaptor for IPOD or maybe choose another Becker / Blaupunkt unit that may have these functions integrated (Plug and Play would be appreciated), how difficult it is to integrate these newer units and if they will maintain Porsche functions.

I have access to some good installers and I could consider other head unit options, but I dont want to lose some of the Porsche functions that may exist in my car (such as the speed sensor volume adjustment that I believe this unit has, and how the stereo stays on a few seconds after the keys are removed and lowers its own volume as you exit the car)

After that, I will probably consider swapping out the speakers (dash and rear speakers, the car doesnt have door speakers installed). Would love to hear about how newer speakers work with the factory Grilles and if any custom work has to be done to integrate them.

thanks for all your help.

[HGGuate]

Hey Guys, No takers to date. Seems like a common upgrade, any opinions?

[ALBERTQ17]

Congratulations on your new to you baby. I really like that color combination.

I wouldn't recommend upgrading to the CDR-220. I have the 220 in my car and I think that it's a unit you upgrade from not to. My first Boxster had a Sony head unit that blended into the interior of my car very well. It wasn't flashy and it had the screen and buttons light up amber to match the oem look. There is an infinite amount of options when it comes to aftermarket head units. It's just a matter of what you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. As for the Porsche functions you mentioned, I believe that some aftermarket units have the speed sensor feature. If the new unit is wired correctly it should stay on as long as the stock one did after removing the key. Here are a couple of threads to help you. Thread link Thread link

You really can't go wrong with a speaker upgrade as almost any aftermarket speaker will be better than stock. Replacing them will require a little work but very doable. Here is a

and a thread to give an idea.

I recommend changing your speakers first as they will make the biggest difference in your system, then upgrade your CD player to get access to different types of media like your Ipod.

Hope this helps

Albert

[kbrandsma]

I upgraded from a CDR-210 to a CDR-220 for connectivity to an iPod. Then eventually upgraded to a Pioneer AVIC D-3 with bluetooth for cell phone and a back-up Camera.

Also, you definately should consider upgrading dash and door speakers if they haven't been already.

Edited July 30, 2010 by kbrandsma

[kristian]

Hi,

I bought a new unit from Crutchfield.com with a wiring harness that was easy to put in. I just connected a few wires with the instructions and put the new unit in. It was the best upgrade I had done on my car. I have front upc input, hd radio, bluetooth and I was able to make the color to match amber in the dash.

It is a JVC HDR-60 for $159 shipped with harness.

I threw the old unit in the garbage. I had replaced the knobs on it ,but it started to act up on cold mornings I did not want to buy a new faceplate for a radio that did not even play MP3's. That unit really shows the age off your car...

Kristian

[HGGuate]

A few weeks ago I upgraded the stock speakers in my car with JL Audio 4 inch speakers. The modification was not complicated, and I was very pleased with the quality of the sound (not too loud, as the CR-210 only puts out about 15-20 watts, but much better clarity and quality). I wholeheartedly recommend the upgrade to anybody with a stock speakers still in their factory locations. Do all 4 speakers, as it makes an important difference.

After a lot of searching over the net I came up with an idea of how to access my IPOD through the CR-210 head unit and was able to implement it successfully (and very inexpensively). The solution requires your CR-210 have a CD Changer installed and a 12$ cable (plus radio removal keys and an hour or two of your time)

I have placed the complete DIY guide in the appropriate section, and hope it can help people like me who would rather tinker with their own car than have a Car Stereo specialist fix your problems with a new install.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php/tutorials/article/242-mp3-player-through-cr-210-with-cd-changer/

[white99c2]

Read my post on the rennlist forum here:

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/996-forum/562194-a-solution-for-adding-an-ipod-to-a-cdr210-had-it-installed-today.html

[msaif]

Hi there, my advice to you is to stick with the stock unit and not to modify the stereo. I had a 996 C4S and installed custom door builds, JL Audio Amp, Sub, Alpine touch screen etc... The second 996 I had I left it stock and am enjoying the car more, and the more I drive it the less I listen to the radio. Spend your cash on parts from the Tequipment catalogue, parts such as Switchable PSE, Sports suspension (ROW) etc,, sports seats from ebay, the list is endless but these will add not detract from the ownership experience. I get what you are trying to do, I used to compete in Car Audio SQL Sounds Offs in my previous cars (Prelude, BMW;s) , but I don't think the 996 is the car for all this. Enjoy it for what it is ... a sports car.

[solent]

I upgraded CDr220 unit in ,02 targa ... I think the benefits of a double DIN unitwith iPOD, Bluetooth etc. far outweigh staying with stock radio. There are a lot of dicussions on how to do this at rennlist - just search. 02,s and older dont have MOST bus - so easier to do. You can keep stock AMP and speakers - although BOSE AMP and speakers are not great - they do the job for me for now. Not worth to put $3K stereo in 10 year old car. I went with Pioneer AVH3200BT unit - it is upgradable to navigation also if I ever want to do that later. Plays DVD -you can put a lot of MP3s on a single DVD - has iPOD usb connector (I use front, but I beleive the unit also has rear), BT phone connection etc. *Backup up camera is another option.

It is easy to move HVAC controls to bottom console slot *not sure if ,99 has the lower console ? You need a slightly different open tray *available from suncoast for example - if you want to replace Cd holder - and then best bet is to get Eurospeed DDIN kit from ebay *about $160 that includes wiring harness, bezel etc. *installer used Metra Audi Bose adapter on mine that also works - but fabbed bezel from ABS and it doesn't look as good as Eurospeed one .....