williakz

You're not getting hi-res audio with MP3/4. I see no ability of ML to accept FLAC hi-res material although I have not personally tested this. Also, I saw some complaints that ML in 2013 GS models cannot play DVD-Audio material (5.1/7.1) whereas earlier systems could. Do you know if this is true? I don't have any readily available DVD-Audio material (I went SACD - baaad move!)

I HAVE tested iPods (USB connecton only, have not tested Bluetooth) in both 2013 GS and LS with audio stored in Apple Lossless format and both play perfectly (bit-perfect CD quality 16bit/44.1kHz). Please let me know if you get higher resolution music to play in your ML. Good luck.

buffguy

I will load up some flac on my usb later and test to see if it works.

williakz

Great! Please be sure to post back your findings. I find it endlessly frustrating that Lexus does not publish clear, concise descriptions of its audio systems' capabilities. Instead, we get glossy pics and reams of dreamy, frou-frou marketing-speak about "transcendent realms of auditory ecstasy." Save me!

Which reminds me; I found a link to a Fujitsu paper on how the HDD recording of CDs in ML systems operated when this function was available. It used to be in the LS models (gone in 2013), but I'm not sure about older GS models. I can dig the link up if anyone's interested.

ESsearch

[QUOTE=williakz;7866343] . . . . . . . Also, I saw some complaints that ML in 2013 GS models cannot play DVD-Audio material (5.1/7.1) whereas earlier systems could. Do you know if this is true? I don't have any readily available DVD-Audio material (I went SACD - baaad move!)
QUOTE]

The ML system will play DVD-Audio. I have one in the player now.

Pete

williakz

Thanks for the info. DVD-Audio is 5 discrete channels PLUS subwoofer, right? Are you getting solid 5.1 channel sound from your source?

ESsearch

I am not an audiophile so I really do not know the answer to your question. I will say that it does seem to seperate the channels and sounds distinctly better when played in surround mode.

Pete

williakz

Hmm...Surround is a DSP mode (Digital Signal Processing) where source music is "artificially" split into multiple channels to provide a sense of "surround." The costs of doing so (beyond the cost of the components) lie in somewhat greater distortion (due to multiple digital/analog conversions) and the mismatch between what the music producer intended and what the DSP algorithm produces. If your source material is 5.1 and you have DSP Surround off, you should hear distinct separation of the 5 main channels (.1 subwoofer generally collects low freq from all other channels). Since I don't know DVD-Audio well, I can't recommend any music that would showcase this effect. It is also possible that your DVD-Audio source has a default stereo or 2-channel layer and that maybe what the ML is playing. You might consider going to a good music shop and ask around for a test disc that produces distinct tones (usually sequentially) in each of the driven channels. Good luck.