Current consensus on 599 stereo

Several years ago I got rid of the original Becker unit and replaced with a “Porsche Classic Radio.” Logic and functions similar to a Porsche PCM system and fits in the single DIN space and allows closure of the 599 radio cover. Provides current electronics, XM/Sirius radio, navigation. Only downside is it won’t operate the Becker CD changer. Porsche recently upgraded this and is now called PCCM and this new unit includes ApplePlay. Not cheap. I am please with the performance over the Becker unit. The custom shop was able to silkscreen over the “PORSCHE” script on the faceplate.

 

I popped one of these in last year - Apple Play and its great for Waze and stuff - we do a lot of continental trips.


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I find it incredible that Ferrari put this garbage infotainment system in the car. I have an '07 S550, which I happen to be trading tomorrow. My 599 is an '08. The difference in the two systems is shocking. In 15 years the stereo system in the Mercedes has been fabulous. By comparison, the 599 stereo is such that you can't even adjust the equalization of the system, among all its other problems. We're talking about a $100K car vs a $350K car, that's crazy!

 

I agree- the 599 stereo is rubbish. But you can get to the eq with a bit of fiddling. Being able to adjust the eq really does help- but its still pretty bad. (I wrote to a friend that the sound one you access the eq went from Alex Grahm Bell tin cans with taught string to pretty darn good!)

Below are my notes. I learned the process to enable from another F-Chatter and I don't remember who you are so Im sorry I can't give you the credit. If you remember, please just speak up.

My notes on where I ended up with my own settings are also below. As to modifying the stereo, it is possible, but ultimately you are limited by the small and poor speaker locations. You could spend a fortune and still not get a great stereo. You might be able to get one of those Bovee or Invery adapters- it plugs into the iPod port and makes it bluetooth for your modern phone. I do this in my 458. I tried both adapters and find the Invery works better- I have to run it in its most basic mode for it to work consistently.

As to the radio code, I think the dealers can get it, but its a bit of a pain in the neck.

On to the radio.

Push the 2 buttons above the 2 knobs along with the lower right button below the right knob all at the same time.

This will put you into a hidden menu and you can select the Bose option. Then you need to enter your radio code- this allows you access to the equalizer in the sound menu. It has preset curves and 4 user save presets....

Here are my settings.
599 GTB / what I did when I had a GTO (not sure why I made the changes- my GTB was a very early car)
EQ:
50hz: +8 / 0
200hz: +6 / +1
700hz: 0 / 0
2.7khz: +1 / 0
10khz:+1 / 3
Balance & Fader: 0
Loudness: Off
Ferrari Surround: On, medium size vehicle. (Larger vehicle makes the sound more echoey but I dont hear any advantage and the echo is annoying to me)
Subwoofer: +10
Crossovers: Front & rear: off (this basically sends all the bass to the sub where it needs to be in this setup. Any other setting restricts the bass output of the system. In a car you want it to sound very heavy when sitting still because when you move a lot of it will evaporate.)
Subwoofer crossover: 150hz
Compression: Off

 

Thank you for this! I'm sure most of us had no idea you could do this, it will help greatly, thanks again.

 

My pleasure and, likewise, I would not have known but for another F-Chatter

 

THIS is the reason I love this place.

 

There was a "Bose" option for the 599 - it was not spectacular but had specific amplifier and speakers, as well as a bass box.

 

No. I believe I have the Bose option but there isn't a speaker in the middle of the dash. Overall, it looks pretty normal.

 

Also with the Bose upgrade, the system is crap.
Changing the CD Radio, and you can live reasonably with the sound quality.

Daniel

 

Gas - if you are UK based i used Oxford car Audio, was less than £1k fitted and fully reversable.

 

I am picking up a 599 in a couple of weeks so I’ve started to look at stereo / nav upgrades. I see that Ferrari sell a more modern unit with a flip out screen, DAB and you can also add a reversing camera. Has anyone tried this out? I’m guessing expensive for what it is?

 

A good first move with this era of Ferrari, is to ditch the standard speakers, made by the brother in law of the guy who owns the coffee shop down the road from the factory, with a decent brand like Focal. It won't turn your car into a nightclub but it will bring a clarity and musicality to the sound, without having to install big amps. (You can also have very loud stereos that sound bad.) After that you need wattage, but the speakers are the first weak link, like having bald tyres.

The real answer would be to redesign the soundstage from ground up, but that's pretty much impossible unless you want your car to look like a mobile disco. There just isn't the reverberation space in the door cards. Bentleys and Astons which do sound systems well in this era designed their cars around the sound - Bentley made a point of creating their own CD for journalists on their media launch, to play on the Naim hifi in the Conti GT that was contemporaneous to the 599 and 612. Interior was designed around the speakers.

 

I concur, the stereo in the 599 is possibly the worst thing I have ever heard. I’ve got a 2011, compared to my 2009 911 GT2 it is absolute garbage…and the system in the GT2 isn’t anything to write home about.

I’ve just accepted the fact that the only radio that is needed is the Enzo v12. You are better off spending $500 on a set of Fabspeed cat delete pipes…if you thought the car sounded good stock, it is unreal with this simple change. No radio mods necessary .

I’ve got a 2011 HGTE, I believe the exhaust was slightly different (Tubi) than the non-HGTE but I can’t imagine it sounded that different.


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