lamealibi

I have a 1998 LS 400 with standard premium audio and a 2004 LS 430 CL with the ML audio system.

My 98 sounds incredible. I have a friend who's a hardcore audiophile and even he says it sounds pretty amazing. Good bass that's not all loose, good mids and highs. Just a great sounding system. Put the same CD in my LS430 and the only bass you hear is coming from the door speakers.

After some searching I see that a blown sub is often the cause of this. So I pulled off the grill only to find the sub woofer seems to have no tears that I can see anyway and it's flexing with the music. No rattle or anything.

I just bought this 430 and I have no other 430 to compare it to sound wise. Is the stereo in my 400 just that much better or is there something wrong here? Perhaps I should go find a used 430 to "test drive" and try out the stereo on that one.

jimbosr1

i had a 98 gs 400 and the stereo in the premium 98 was a much better set up the the ML in my 06 ls.the bass in the 06 is not up to par so you will not get anywhere close to your 98.

ls430lover

2002 ls430. the interesting facts are the system in the standard ls400 not the nakamichi is a great system. I think the ls430 has cleaner music but the output and sound in the front of the automobile is better on the ls400 than the levinson system in the early ls430. I had a blown sub and speaker and just to pass on the info instead of replacing them you can silicon the sub and speakers if there is a tear.
great thread the ls400 sound system was underestimated, I actually have a video of mine the night before my car got picked up it was totaled and miss the power of the old system

lamealibi

Could you describe to me how you knew the sub or other speaker was blown? I can see my sub cone flex but it just feels like there's no real sound coming from the sub at all. Maybe I just don't know what I'm looking for.

CarGuy89

I think what you're describing is normal. I feel the bass primarily at the door speakers as well, unless I play something with really heavy bass. I just had the sub replaced under warranty several months ago so I know it's brand new and working. The car is much more setup for instrumental music like classical, jazz, classic rock etc.

lamealibi

I'm guessing you're right and there is nothing blown or wrong as I don't hear any rattling or distortion. It just doesn't have much bass at all. I was expecting an upgrade from my 98 LS 400's stock sound system when, in fact, it's a downgrade.

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

I agree with the ML system being a downgrade. I have an SC300 with the OEM Pioneer speakers and it sounded much better to me as well. The same goes for the other various LS400's, SC's, and ES' I've been in over the years, The Mark Levinson stereos were a disappointment in my opinion. They got better with the newer Lexus' though.

The Nakamichi system is legendary. Supposedly it was one of the best factory stereos during it's time as well.

LexoRoller

Call me Captain Obvious, and maybe you have already done this. But there is a bass adjustment control in the system. Did you increase the level of bass in the system?

If you have the Nav system, press the "Audio" button, then press "sound" touch screen button.

jayclapp

The Mark Levinson in my LS430 is much better than the 92 SC400 Nakamichi, even when it was new.

BradTank

That was my first thought as well.

When I first bought my car, the previous owner was sneaky and turned the bass down to the lowest setting in order to mask the blown rear sub.

Some liquid electrical tape fixed about 80% of the issue to where only the occasional song will be an issue if the sub is pushed.

I agree though that the Mark Levinson option was a straight up rip off. You could outperform it with a few off the shelf parts at WalMart for a fraction of the price.

LEX ES300

Sadly, I tend to agree that the ML Sound system in the LS430 is also very average.

I have a 2004 UL with the ML sound system and prior to this I owned a 1997 Lexus ES300 with a ML sound system and the one in my ES300 was so much better and it had less speakers!!! Much better bass and I never had to replace any speakers.

Since I have owned my LS430 I have had to replace the rear subwoofer with a new OEM one which made a marginal difference, and just today I had to replace the front drivers side speaker with a new OEM one which had blown. In both cases the foam had deteriorated causing hard to see tears and spilts in the foam. I could tell mine where blown because they started to rattle with the bass of the music.

I have played with the audio settings too and at the end of the day the system is ok but not as good as my old ES300. Just goes to show that a newer model isn't always better!

quixotic

Didn't Lexus use Pioneer or Nakamichi until 2001? Unless you mean 2007. I don't think there was even an optional sound system in 1997 ES, just a CD changer option.

jimbosr1

Nakamichi was in my 98 gs.

LEX ES300

I'll have to check some old photos to see. You maybe right. I had the Australian spec vehicle and it had the cd changer and on the radio on the dash was printed 'Lexus premium sound system' but I can't remember if it said ML as well. Had factory amp too. Whatever it was it sounded better.

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

You are correct, Lexus used Pioneer and Nakamichi until 2001. ML is used on 2002+ Lexus.