Another Porsche Classic Radio Navigation review

[ejp]

I’ve had several aftermarket head units in my ‘88 Carrera and have been consistently dissatisfied with everything that the aftermarket has had to offer. The car came with an Alpine that I thought was terrible (bad sound, slow interface, looked terrible). I replaced that with a Kenwood Excelon KDC-X996, which offered strong functionality, but it looked out of place in the car with glossy black plastic, fake chrome accents, and all of its features were plastered all over the face. Worse, the glare on the curved screen was unreadable in any kind of sunlight. Every time that I changed the volume, I had to endure a silly and pointless animation. The hands-free phone was unusable in my noisy car. The face plate eventually stopped responding and the cost was about the same as a new unit. I replaced the head unit an updated Kendood X998. It offered slightly upgraded functionality, but it had all of the same problems as its predecessor. The shiny black plastic and plastic chrome face plate was such an eyesore that I took matte black plasti-dip to it.

There are a few Blaupunkt and Becker systems on the market that other people have had success with, but they never really did it for me in terms of display and functionality. After a few years of being dissatisfied with aftermarket head units (and as a birthday splurge), I bought a Porsche Classic Radio Nav System (PCRN) about 6 weeks ago. My car is (more or less) a daily driver, and while many feel that the flat six behind them is enough music, I suspect that this is likely shared by people whose 911’s are Sunday drivers. I drive this car to work most days and in highway drones and heavy traffic, a good infotainment system is something that makes my other car so much more liveable. I felt that most of the online reviews of the PCRN seem to lack sufficient detail to make an informed decision about whether or not to make a purchase, so I’d have a go at writing my own review - maybe help others out.

Overview:
Taken in and of itself, it’s pretty good, and it looks great in my car. However, for the money, it should be far better.

The Good:

• Looks great in the car
• Navigation works well
• Good BT audio streaming
• Good hands-free phone
• Fast interface and a nice display
• Relatively powerful internal amplifier makes for good sound
• Internal battery/capacitor means that starting the car doesn’t reboot the unit

The Bad:

• Don’t expect much in the way of support from Porsche
• Auto dim/night mode doesn’t work
• Poor radio reception
• No HD radio
• Nav does not have traffic information/routing
• Does not auto-select BT audio streaming upon startup
• Screen polarization is in the wrong orientation for my sunglasses
• Relatively long boot time
• No method to change how playlists are organized

In Detail:
I ordered mine from Sun Coast for around $1300 with tax and shipping. It arrived in a few days and (as others have noted), the packaging was very nice. Unlike most modern consumer electronics, this came full printed documentation. I am not sure who built this device for Porsche, but my best guess would be VDO or Becker. I was lazy and had a local audio shop perform the install. I provided a number of instructions for how I wanted it installed, and they were able to accommodate all of my requests. My first impression was that the audio quality was far better than my previous head units. As it turns out, most aftermarket amplifiers offer around 22 watts per channel RMS, while the Porsche unit provides 45 watts per channel. I don’t want an external power amp taking up space in the frunk, so I’m happy with the more powerful internal amp. Admittedly, I’m no audiophile and am probably not the best person to comment on specific sound quality. However, I can say that in my noisy 911, I can turn it up loud and it doesn’t distort. It only offers a 3-channels equalizer, but I’ll take the more powerful output over the Kenwood’s 13 channels and DSP functions any day. Outside of the sound quality, I really love the way that it looks in my car. It comes with black knobs for newer 911’s and chrome trimmed knobs for older cars. Mine is currently equipped with the black knobs, which match much of the switchgear, but I may swap out the knobs with the older look.

The display is crisp and clear. Other reviews have complained that the display is too small and they have difficulty reading it, but I find the display to be appropriately sized for a single-din and it is perfectly readable for me. One sticking point on the display is that while it has a light sensor and there is an option in the menu for auto screen dimming, it doesn’t seem to do anything. There is no input for a headlight switch to dim the display either, so the system offers one brightness level for day and night. I’ve sent PM’s to other users of the PCRN and they have verified that their auto-dim does not work either, so it’s unlikely to be a case of a defective unit. I find bright LCD screens to be distracting at night and would love auto-dimming. The upshot to this is that the display’s color scheme is fairly dark, so it isn’t as bad as it could be.

Additionally, the LCD’s display is polarized in exactly the wrong orientation for my polarized sunglasses, meaning that I need to tilt my head to be able to read the display. Most automakers tend to get this detail right. The system allows for switching between green, white, and amber backlighting for the buttons. I’ve set mine to amber, which suits our cars nicely.

This system lacks HD radio support, which is surprising for such an expensive head unit, especially given that it was just released in the US market last summer. Further, I found that the FM reception is poor at best. Radio stations where I normally get a perfect signal with the same antenna (in the old Kenwood, for example) fade in and out of service with the PCRN.

I tend to use bluetooth audio streaming more than anything else. The PCRN has bright spots and weak points here. The good news is that bluetooth audio works well. Audio quality is fine, device control works well, and the phone is able to push track and album data to the display. As in other areas, with the good there is also a major flaw. In this case, upon starting the car the system will automatically connect to my phone, but it does not automatically select the phone as a media source when it was the last audio source. I have to press the media button and then select bluetooth audio. This isn’t a deal-breaker for me, but I expect more polish from something this pricey - especially when my $300 Kenwood was able to do this every time. It’s become a matter of routine for me, but every time I start my car up I am slightly annoyed. One place where this shines is that the PCRN has a capacitor or battery that does not reset the system when the car is restarted (a contrast to all of the aftermarket units that I’ve used). This means that I can fill up with gas, leaving the keys in the accessory position, and then restart the car and not have to wait for bluetooth to reconnect or wait though the 20 second reboot sequence.

Hands-free phone functionality is good. I’m not much for using the interface to scroll through my contacts, but it’s there if you use it and the device’s interface is very snappy. There is no option for voice recognition, which would have been nice for dialing - but it’s not a big deal. Most importantly, I can have a conversation via hands-free. This is a stark contrast to the aftermarket units that I’ve had, which had unusable hands-free bluetooth operation. This could have been due to mounting the microphone on the steering column shroud. My PCRN’s microphone is mounted toward the bottom of the a-pillar. Either way, people can hear me clearly on calls in my car’s noisy cabin.

I don’t use GPS often, but I’ve tried it out on a few occasions. Out of all features, the navigation offers the highest level of configurability. I had to disable audio speed warnings, and it took me some time to get the rest of the settings dialed in. The maps are current, and directions are clear. The screen is small, but is sufficient to get you to where you’re going. What this lacks is traffic support. It may be included with XM, but I did not opt for the XM module (edit: I just checked the XM manual and it does not seem to support this with or without the module). Given that I live in an area with high traffic congestion, the lack of traffic support makes the built-in GPS less useful than my mobile phone. The lack of traffic also makes this less useful than the head unit in my Volkswagen, which pulls traffic from XM and does a great job of routing around traffic in realtime. Per the manual, the radio supports “Traffic Announcements”, but I have never heard them, and seriously doubt that it’s integrated into the navigation system. One other minor annoyance is the need to press “accept” to a liability/safety warning every time that navigation is launched after the car is started. Most new cars today no longer mandate these warnings screens, and I find it obnoxious that Porsche left this in. I haven’t used the POI database yet, but I given how useless I’ve found these in other cars, it does not concern me.

[ejp]

(continued)

Media support is where this device really shines. I’ve only used USB and SD storage on the system, but media support has been something that has bothered me about every aftermarket system that I’ve used. On aftermarket systems, scrolling through long lists of albums/artists/etc is incredibly slow - whether it’s slow filesystem access or slow screen redraw, most aftermarket systems are terrible in this sense. The PCRN does not have any of these issues. Scrolling is very fast, and it’s easy to locate whatever I’m looking for. The system displays song data nicely, and supports album art. The PCRN supports nearly every audio format under the sun (flac, m4a, mp3, ogg, wav, and wma). I don’t have a lot of FLAC files, but I love that this supports lossless audio compression. I have not plugged my phone into the system via USB, and cannot comment on that in this review - the manual states that it supports iPod/iPhone connectivity, and I’m an Android user, so this may not be an option for me. One downside of the media support (and this is not unique to the Porsche system) is that it will sometimes play tracks out of order in albums, it is most likely not organizing albums by ID3 track number. There no sorting options in the configuration for this. Additionally, there are few options for random play/shuffle. The PCRN allows for random play of the entire catalog, but no random play for an artist or genre.

I have not tried to contact Porsche to report bugs (like the broken auto-dimming), but there is no support line. The manual says to contact your local Porsche Classic dealer for support. This means having to deal with my local Porsche dealer’s parts department. At best, this will be a frustrating experience. At worst, they will know nothing about the unit and my contact with my local dealer will be an exercise in futility. This is especially frustrating because many of my issues with the device could be fixed with simple software patches. I seriously doubt that Porsche is interested in shelling out for software updates to fix these issues - especially given the amount of time that it spent in testing for the US market to still ship with these problems. On the other hand, if I had a new car, I’d have to go to the dealer for infotainment support, so I can see where they’re coming from.

Overall, I don’t mind the fact that the PCRN costs $1300. If I bought a new car from Porsche, this featureset would be significantly more expensive. For example, PCM navigation on a new Cayman is a $1730 option. The difference is that the PCM navigation system is far better polished, and this is where the rub lies for me on the PCRN. For what it is and how much it cost, it should be so much better. It should be more polished, and everything should work. Auto-dimming should work, and it should automatically select bluetooth audio if it was the last audio source. I’d like it to work like a new car’s infotainment system works, and it just falls short in the polish department. That being said, I don’t regret buying my PCRN and would do it again. I just love the way that it looks in my dash. In fact, my dad made the mistake of replacing the factory head unit in his 928 GTS with a cheap aftermarket unit. I didn’t get a chance to tell him that these systems are repairable and that this would affect the value of his car - he really regretted throwing the OEM system away. Upon seeing my PCRN, he promptly ordered one and installed it in his 928 and seems more satisfied than I am (“sophisticated”, he calls it). In my experience, the PCRN is a mixed bag, but there is nothing else on the market like it and I really like mine - despite its flaws.

Let me know if you have any questions before making the plunge or have any corrections.

[GBX]

great review! Any updates after 2 years of use?

[ejp]

Originally Posted by GBX

great review! Any updates after 2 years of use?

Looking back, I wouldn't change much in my original review. All of the things that really bothered me are even more maddening - especially.
-Long boot cycle
-Does not automatically select BT audio as a source - lots of button-pushes are required to change the mode
-Compared to Google Maps, the nav in this seems pretty useless. I never use it and instead just use Google Maps via Bluetooth on my phone.

My original report stated that the SD and USB reads were fast, but I did not mention that the system takes quite a bit of time to read and catalog these devices at startup, so if you want to use these, expect it to add another minute or two to the bootup time.

In any case, a detailing shop wiped the face of this unit down with a substance that removed some of the anti-glare screen coating. After months of back-and-forth and repair attempts, they've agreed to replace it. The PCRN is no longer sold and the detailer is going to replace it with an updated single-din PCCM system as soon as it's available - sometime this summer. My hope is that the new one has completely different internals (hopefully eschewing the embedded MS Windows of the PCRN). I'll be sure to post a full review of that system whenever I get it in my car.

[darrin]

ethan -- can't wait, find the new PCCM's apple play/google car integration interesting!

[StevensMA]

It would be nice if the new PCCM had a navigational display that replaced the clock for the single din model.

[gremlin]

I've sort of long wondered if someone makes a round display LCD that could fit into that space and what cool stuff that could be used for. Something like this, although this is too large as I understand: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/3-Inch-round-Touch-Screen-HDMI_62014612819.html?spm=a2700.7724857.normalList .86.c36d2176pevVr6

[ejp]

Originally Posted by darrin

ethan -- can't wait, find the new PCCM's apple play/google car integration interesting!

My new head unit arrived the other day. I haven't had a chance to install, but I've read through the manual. The single DIN PCCM supports Apple CarPlay but not Android Auto. According to the manual, the double DIN PCCM+ supports both.

More to come.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by ejp

My new head unit arrived the other day. I haven't had a chance to install, but I've read through the manual. The single DIN PCCM supports Apple CarPlay but not Android Auto. According to the manual, the double DIN PCCM+ supports both.

More to come.

I hope to hear it is a big improvement. For that much money the unit should be instant on and ready to go. My wife has a 2017 Porsche Macan. The factory radio is pretty cool with the Apple play and sounds great. Of course it is way too big to be a single din.

I really need to replace my 911 stereo. It is a low end unit that sounds horrible.

Please keep us informed and please post a part number or source for the new unit.

[avale]

Originally Posted by ejp

My new head unit arrived the other day. I haven't had a chance to install, but I've read through the manual. The single DIN PCCM supports Apple CarPlay but not Android Auto. According to the manual, the double DIN PCCM+ supports both.

More to come.

Did you order it with the optional navigational maps or without?

[ejp]

Originally Posted by avale

Did you order it with the optional navigational maps or without?

With. It's a separate part and comes in its own box. I wouldn't have bothered if it wasn't someone else's money - in-dash nav is pretty bad compared to what Apple/Google/Waze, etc can do. I don't expect it to be all that great, but I'll certainly review it (it is TomTom based).

[needspeed]

Originally Posted by ejp

With. It's a separate part and comes in its own box. I wouldn't have bothered if it wasn't someone else's money - in-dash nav is pretty bad compared to what Apple/Google/Waze, etc can do. I don't expect it to be all that great, but I'll certainly review it (it is TomTom based).

Are you replacing a PCRN with a PCCM? I'm curious if a PCCM will just plug into an existing PCRN installation adding CarPlay. I'm also curious if the touch screen display has been improved. PCRN's display was soft plastic as opposed to glass like an iPhone.

[rikaro]

This is not really a related questions but if i have the older PCCM navi i can't get carplay right?

[needspeed]

Originally Posted by rikaro

This is not really a related questions but if i have the older PCCM navi i can't get carplay right?

If you mean Porsche Classic Radio Navigation, PCRN, I haven’t seen an upgrade path to PCCM other than to buy a new PCCM unit. CarPlay in the 1-DIN PCCM unit is only available when you plug in your iPhone. Wireless CarPlay isn’t available. Also, note the PCCM 3” display is smaller than your iPhone display.

[ejp]

Originally Posted by needspeed

Are you replacing a PCRN with a PCCM? I'm curious if a PCCM will just plug into an existing PCRN installation adding CarPlay. I'm also curious if the touch screen display has been improved. PCRN's display was soft plastic as opposed to glass like an iPhone.

Yes, I'm replacing a PCRN with a PCCM - a detailer damaged my PCRN and a replacement isn't available, so they're buying me a PCCM. I will be swapping out all of the peripherals (microphone, GPS, etc). My PCCM is still in its box, and I can't tell if the display is glass or plastic - but when I tap on the new device's screen, it feels pretty rigid. I'll be sure to report back on this once I have it together again next week.

I'm not sure what you mean by plugging into an existing installation using CarPlay. Do you mean to ask if the PCCM can drop right in using all of the existing cables? If so, it appears that the USB/iPhone/audio breakout box and GPS antenna are different for each of these. I'm not sure whether or not the connectors for these are compatible, but at a glance, the connectors are similar. I am not aware of any firmware updates that were ever offered for the PCRN - I would not bank on additional functionality ever being available for the PCRN (e.g. CarPlay).

I snapped photos of the technical data from the two manuals - perhaps these will be helpful.

PCRN technical data:


PCCM technical data:


A couple of differences here; although the tech data in the manuals seems almost intentionally vague. From what I can see, the processor for the new device appears to be slower than the old one, but they're both ARM A9-based (maybe someone who knows a lot about these ARM SOC's will chime in). The big change appears to be the underlying operating system, switching from embedded Windows CE 6.0 to an embedded Linux 3.4.5. Bluetooth appears to have moved to a different SoC as well. The new unit is also physically shorter by 14mm. Finally, the button arrangement has been slightly altered, with the "map" button being removed from the new unit and a "home" button being added.

I'm not optimistic that the PCCM will be much of an improvement over the PCRN, but I'll be certain to make a post detailing any changes and improvements; especially with regard to the complaints that I had about the PCRN.

[Racerbvd]

Subbed

[rikaro]

keep us updated thanks!

[Sajan]

Disappointing that none of these radios have HD Radio.

[Mds73o]

Thanks for posting about this. I also have the original PCRN and had the dealer do the install (very expensive but did a good job). I am really curious if I could install the new one myself. If it would essentially just be a swap. Any install info would be greatly appreciated.

[ejp]

I've got the new PCCM installed in my car. I haven't really had enough time with it to write a review, but from my limited experience, many of my complaints about the PCRN still exist in the updated unit. The boot up cycle is just as long as the PCRN (although the standby mode goes right into playing bluetooth audio after up to a half hour). The light sensor/auto dim still doesn't seem to do much, if anything. The nav function appears to be identical to the PCRN as well.

One early observation of note, the screen is not glare resistant - I have found it to be pretty unreadable under any level of sunlight. It is perfectly aligned with my polarized sunglasses as well, making it even more illegible.

The sound is at least as good as the original or better (although I'm no audiophile). I can clearly hear my podcasts at 80 MPH with the windows open.

I'll try to post a more comprehensive review after I spend some more time in the car with it - but I wanted to share my initial impressions.

For the money, it still can and should be better. I think that the Blaupunkt Bremen SQR 46 is likely a far better value.