Cut-Throat

I have been an Audiophile for over 30 years. I build my own Tube Amplifiers and have spent over $100,000 in Audio Gear for the home.

I have been a Lexus Driver for over 8 years and have owned 2 of them. I am getting ready to pull the trigger on a 07 GS350. So, I have to decide on whether to spend the extra $2K on the ML audio system. Tonight, I bring in a few CD's to my Lexus dealer (Art Pepper Jazz, Female Vocals, Symphony stuff) and try out the 2 different audio systems. - Now I am in Closed GS350's inside a showroom with absolutely no road noise and I can hear no difference between the 2 systems. In a completely blind test, I would not be able to pick out the individual systems. With road and wind noise, the winner would be with the best road and least wind, not the Mark Levinson vs. the Premium Audio system.

The verdict: If you are buying the Mark Levinson for reasons other than audio quality (which I don't know of) - you may have a point. Otherwise, you are completely wasting your money. Spend the extra 2 grand on improving your home audio system. It will be money far better spent!

Firstlps

Can the base system play dvd's, mp3, wma, cd's. Can it be modified to
increase volume?

Cut-Throat

The verdict: If you are buying the Mark Levinson for reasons other than audio quality (which I don't know of) - you may have a point. Otherwise, you are completely wasting your money.

The Premium System comes with a 6 CD Changer. It cannot play dvd's. - mp3's are so compressed that I don't know why anyone would be interested. I have no idea what a wma is?

Firstlps

The Premium System comes with a 6 CD Changer. It cannot play dvd's. - mp3's are so compressed that I don't know why anyone would be interested. I have no idea what a wma is?

WMA is Windows Media Audio

2thfixr

I have to agree completely. The ML system is not as impressive as people say it is. I think the appeal of the ML system is not so much the sound quality, it's the extra options and features that come packed together with the ML system. It's unreasonable to assume that $2k spent on a ML system option (including all of the other stuff that comes with it) is for true "Mark Levinson" sound. IMHO, it's just brand marketing.

I'm curious to hear your assessment of the GS350's Mark Levinson and Premium Audio System in regards to sound quality and imaging.

rainforest

I also agree. I have the 450h, and though I'm not an audiophile, I can't say I was particularly blown away by the sound quality. It was good, but it wasn't as outstanding as they would make it to be. What kind of options does the ML system have over the regular one?

2thfixr

For me, the only option that I was concerned about was the ability to play DVDs on the front screen. As far as I know, it appeared that the ML equipped GS350s were the ones that were fully loaded. Parking sensors etc.

The main thing that bothers me about the ML system is that it sounds like it has a hole in the freq response. I find myself constantly fiddling with the adjustments as well as the DSP mode. If I could think of one single way to improve the sound system, it would be to combine the sound of the system with DSP off and DSP on. With DSP off, the soundstage is waaaaaaaay too low and it's missing something in the mid freqs. With DSP on, it picks up the freqs that lacks in DSP off mode and significantly raises the soundstage but it's way too narrow and focused on the center front channel. It's a no win situation. Both modes lack something but the funny thing is that a combination of both modes would be perfect.

conclevage

iTrader: (1)

Cut-Throat - If only you brought a DVD-A to the Lexus Dealership...then you would've saw the light...regular cd's cannot do justice to the audio quality of the ML system! Warning: Once you listen to DVD-A's, you will not want to go back to regular CD's

2thfixr

I think you are right. It makes sense because a DVD Audio disc would be the exact combination I was talking about above. I might have to go get a couple. Any recomendations?

Cut-Throat

Well, that may be true. But, I have seen other audio formats such as SACD come and go(in the audiophile world). Also, since none of my source material is in DVD-A and the FM radio is not either (which I listen in the car about 75% of the time) - I don't think I'll be springing $2K for the ML.

If you are really interested in great audio - Get a pair of Tube SET Monoblocks and a pair of high efficient Horn speakers and put them in a quiet room of your house where you can enjoy a good cabernet and not have to deal with traffic noise.

conclevage

iTrader: (1)

http://www.amazon.com/DVD-Audio-Musi...F8&node=574074

There you go sir.

conclevage

iTrader: (1)

I'm sure it sounds excellent, but it's hard to compare car audio with home audio. It's also a personal preference. If you don't think you're going to take advantage of the DVD features, then you shouldn't spend the $2K. I personally can't stand the radio, so I am happy with my ML system and the VAIS TECH Ipod unit.

scottmyers

Well I guess I will throw in my 2 cents.
I also have been an audiophile for about 30 years, musician, and worked as a recording engineer for many years. I took my favorite CDs to the dealer before buying my 300. All I can say is, if you can't hear the difference it must have to do with the audio source you were listing to. The ML system was quite apparent from the standard audio system to me. I have noticed that FM radio does not do the ML system justice, but a high quietly CD recording or the Audio DVDs sound just incredible.

Now, I have not tested this in a 350, but I believe there is no change from the 06 to 07 system. If you do a search on this board about the ML system, this subject has been discussed to death.

My new 350 will be here in two weeks, it has the ML system.

JZS147btr

iTrader: (3)

On the 2GS, there was most definitely a difference between the ML and Premium sound system in terms of sound quality. Even a non-audiophile could tell. I haven't heard the new Premium sound system in the 3GS (only the ML) but maybe Lexus as made it better.

Also, your choice of sample music might be the difference too. I listen to a little bass heavy music (drum&bass) and the ML system sounds much better then any of the Premium systems that I have heard. The bass just craps out on the Premiums.

The best thing to do is sample the systems with the kind of music YOU listen to but if you're bringing junky 128K MP3s converted to CD's, don't even bother. Bring originals or 1:1 copies of originals (unless 128K MP3's is all you listen to I suppose). I always make 1:1 copies of the CD's I buy (no need to mess up your originals) and then I make a 320K MP3 copy into iTunes so I can listen to it at home and if I lose my original, at least I can make a relatively good quality copy from the 320K MP3's.

sas

If you're expecting Mark Levinson home audio quality then you need to recalibrate your expectations. What the Levinson name means in mobile audio is that it's pretty much state of the art for an OEM system that is fully integrated into the rest of the car's systems. Can you do better? Yes, but it would be very expensive, time consuming, and only possible if you find a sufficiently skilled installer, and I'd bet you would lose some if not all of the integration with other systems.

Whether the ML system is better is a mostly subjective decision. Bring music you're familiar with, and LISTEN. Trust your ears and judgment, not someone else's.