Falcondrvr

If you aren't an audiophile, the cars without it are a real bargain. I never spend more that 15-20 minutes at a time in this car so I don't miss it. 28 years of professional aviation has ruined my ears anyway...

worker

At times I wish I can use other players, this ML is too old and they have not improve much since ML sold the company. It doesn't support many other format. I don't think you can even find a DVD-A disk in store.

Someon told me ML will play WMV format, I was so hoping it'll play WMA format for audio only... didn't seem to work.

jegyed

As an Audiophile., I auditioned the M.L. stereo when buying my GS350, I was absolutely floored that it was only a minor improvement on the standard system. I was very unimpressed, but you have to know that Levinson is an amplifier company, not a speaker company and car audio is something it looks like Harmon ( who owns them now) just licensed the name for. To me its just a slightly better Pioneer system. That said you could always replace drivers and on the stock system and kick the ML's butt

worker

^ I can only count 11 speakers for the ML system, I think lexus advertise it to have 12 speakers... how many can the Pioneer system drive?

jegyed

Not sure about that ,it would come down to the amps and impedance, but I think from your question you are looking at this the wrong way. The specs are counting woofers, midwoofers, and tweeters as separate speakers. At home if you have two stereo speakers do you count the drivers and and say you have 4, 6, or 8 speakers when you have two? That's how car manufactures count them. My stock system has one Sub (1) , and each door has a tweeter and midwoofer, (8) and some sort of center dash speaker (1) so they count drivers and call them speakers for a total of 10. Both systems are fine. I would just not pay extra for the levinson, but then I buy a car and keep it forever. If you buy a lexus your stuck with factory so go listen to both and ask yourself is it worth a whatever the price difference is to you... as far as resale I doubt it makes much of a difference.

IXI187IXI

iTrader: (3)

lol the ML system in the GS sucks.

worker

For house speakers, the word "speaker" is referring to the box that house the speaker. But I do look at each individual speaker inside the speaker box when I make my purchase decision. in store, i do go to each one and pop the front mesh to see the speaker inside.

All those individual speaker have a specific job and in combination produce the best 'music'.

anyway, i'm not crazy about sound. Just play some music is fine with me and the lack of supporting mp3 is kinda a deal breaker for me.

B.Diddy

iTrader: (1)

I am very satisfied with the regular base stereo. ML would have been great, but I would never call it a deal breaker.

jegyed

First the MP3 jack is hidden inside the center console in the back next to the hidden power outlet. Not sure if the Levinson adds apple controls. But the stock lets you use your player.

Lets not discuss drivers, my best advise is trust your ears, if its worth it to you then it is what it is and spend the money. I do think it adds to resale. Check Edmunds to find out how much.

While I look for accuracy at home, in a car I look for clean and punchy, which it sounds like you are looking for. To me the biggest failing of both systems are how the factory decided to eq them.
When I demoed the Levinson car I was really looking forward to hearing it, knowing that the price of new home Levinson gear can cost more than a new GS350. That said I turned it on and was very disappointed. Maybe my expectations given my experience with their home gear is to high, or back in the day when I would build my own systems ( but then I was friends with a known speaker designer, the PPI amp company was down the street and I could talk to the owner, and I bought German cars).

I will say the Levinson seems to have a bit more power vs the stock.

Here is a link that seems interesting. The writer is suggesting that you replace the rear woofer and add an amp to the factory set up. That should get you the punch you want at a reasonable price http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/...xus-es350.html

The thread mentions the GS350 as having a 10 inch dual coil at 2.5 ohms with 60 watts to the woofer. It also explains how easy it is to run another sub amp that is integrated with the current system.

I may try and figure this one out myself.

Good luck.

DrexLex

My "Kicker" thread documents the process for getting better bass, whether you replace the sub or not.

jegyed

I read the thread and have a question. I will post it to that thread. Sounds good, pun intended.

1sWt2GS

iTrader: (6)

^+1

ML system sounds like crap compared to some of the aftermarket things out there (even some cheap kickers), it shouldn't be a deal breaker but for the average person and not audiophile it should work fine and make the car a little more prestigious

LexFather

ML just sounds cool to have though

We have it in the 3GS and 4GS... The new one makes my car sound like a guy beat boxing on the street lol

To me in the 1990s base Lexus systems were incredible and the Nakamichi was out of this world. To me in the 2000s they dumbed down the stock system and ML is hit or miss but even a miss is better than stock.

IXI187IXI

iTrader: (3)

see thats where i disagree. i remember getting a loaner IS and ES w/o ML and it sounded much crisper on those cars then mine.

Ive always read the ML system in other lexus models are much better but it seems it slacked a bit in the 3GS

LexFather

^^^ Difference of opinion, I really dislike stock Lexus sound systems today. Family has a loaded HS, every option but the ML and LEDs and it sounds like ****.

Now I am not saying the 3GS ML is great, it is not. But to me its better than stock and as I've gotten older I noticed I'm more inclined to "do it" than "not do it".

Just do it