RGW LLC

iTrader: (50)

just be careful with those ML amps.....they will burn out when you put too much load on it...that's why we sell them all the time...and they are NOT cheap....good luck

garsarno

They all have better than average panning, clarity etc over all the other CDs (over 200) I own.

bobsobi

I had my rear deck woofer replaced as it occasionally rattled on some Maxx Bass-processed tracks. The replacement has fared better, although I can still get the cone to bottom out if I turn it up enough. Using ASL can aggravate this annoyance at high speeds.

Your BIA disc is definitely a hybrid SACD -- the ML system doesn't play the SACD format. Is your ES a 2010? If so, you can play surround DVD-As in discrete 5.1 -- previous model years don't have the throughput capacity between the head unit and the amp, so DVD-As are downmixed to stereo. (Doh!!) DTS and DD 5.1, however, are both played discretely.

While the ES' ML system has it all over the stock "premium" system, it's a far cry from the best implementations of ML in the Lexus fleet. The frequency response seems to be optimized for movie soundtracks rather than music (my system has a huge peak around 200Hz, which makes some tracks so boomy they are unlistenable). The rudimentary tone controls are useless in trying to correct this. Shortly after I leased my ES, I went round and round with my dealer, then corporate, over the 5.1 downmixing and terrible equalization, and they finally shut me up by sending me a check for $1600 (the approximate MSRP of the ML option).

For regular CDs, the sound can be improved by turning on the DSP. But for surround, solving the frequency response was a bit more involved. I only went through this procedure because once you hear a well-made 5.1 mix in the car, it's hard to listen to just stereo!

Since the highest-quality 5.1 my ML can produce discretely is DTS, I created six DTS test discs with third-octave tones from 20Hz to 20kHz, one for each channel. I then measured each channel's FR with my trusty Radio Shack sound level meter. I found that the biggest offenders were the front L and R channels -- the others had acceptably flatter FR.

Next, I ripped my DVD-As to 96/24 WAVs, equalized the front channels, and processed the tracks to DTS discs. Since the DTS specification includes the CD format (these were sold as "DTS Music Discs"), I opted for DTS-CDs to avoid the problem of the Nanny-car touch screen lock-out on DVDs. They load and play just like regular CDs, except in discrete 5.1!

A bit of a work-around, but the results are worth it.

jagtoes

I was discussing this post with my bride the other night so we decided to try a few of the different volume ranges. We got to about 25 and our eyes started to water and as we approached 40 our ears began to bleed. So back to 12-15 range. Good luck on you folks that go deaf. I understand hearing aids are running around $4k. Now I understand why the boomers are yelling into their cell phones. Maybe that's why texting is so popular. Hahaha

lomarica

wow Bobsobi lots of info I know about DTS for home theater movies but not for music. There is much discussion on the sound quality of DTS over DD5.1.

so I assume you are talking about concert dvd's recorded in DTS format? do you have some examples?

also how does the Dire Straits cd sound soooo good if it is just a hybrid cd?

finally how did you create dts disks again? what was the source?

my home stereo has SCAD so I really don't want to go to one my format ie DVD-A but maybe I will play around with the DTS you recommend.

bobsobi

There are audio purists who summarily dismiss both DTS and DD since they are compressed or "lossy" formats. But if you have to choose between them, DTS, with its higher bit rate, is generally regarded as sonically superior to DD.

I assume your ES is not a 2010, in which case DTS 5.1 is the best you can do for discrete surround in your car.

We're talking studio recordings remastered as DTS CDs. It's another "dead" format like DVD-A. Here's an incomplete list of them:

http://tehparadox.com/forum/f117/uni...cd-list-63791/

The original recording was remastered for the BIA SACD release, so the redbook CD on it is superior to the original CD release. Do you have 5.1 in your home? The SACD (and DVD-A) surround version leaves the remastered CD version in the dust.

There's a lot of software out there for ripping, manipulating and processing audio, but to make your own DTS discs, you have to spend some $$ for a DTS encoder.

Unfortunately, there's no easy way to rip DSD from SACDs. There are custom hardware mods available that will give you the capability to capture PCM from an SACD player, but I haven't yet considered it as I can play with DVD-A content with the tools I already have.

TheDudeMan

folks anyone had any luck in installing a sony MEX-DV2200 in an ML system? I read elsewhere its impossible to install it within the complexities of ML? any direction on this would be appreciated

sprlexi

your best bet would be to post this in the Audio discussion forum.


as for the level I listen at... about 25 for the radio, 35 for CDs (they seem to be really quiet) and 50 if all the windows and sunroof is open on the highway...

note that i have my mid and high settings one below the default and my bass down 2

I just recently purchased my '07 and was a little dissapointed about the ML sound quality, i'm thinking of maybe installing an alpine FIT or MS-8 and a small amp and 6" boxed sub

RTSM

My volume settings on my ML with most SAT broadcasts has been between 45 and 58. I have the ASL off, the treble flat and the mid 3 ticks below flat, bass 2 ticks below max and no surround. I agree with others that the source material is the overall dictator of how well the sound is. Some R&B tracks have excellent bass and many rock tracks I have found to have very little bass. I just started experimenting with the USB port on one of those micro sized USB sticks (so I don't break it reaching in the console). Anyone have any advice for format settings? I tried WMA with the highest rates and it would not work. I'll have to try turning on the ASL as mentioned here as well.
Lastly is there any MP3 mixing software to set your own equalized recordings?
Thanks in advance to the forum members.