bigperm

with all the hype of the ML, i'm really impressed with how great my stock sounds are. how are you guys liking your systems?

nois3504me

I LOVE my ML
I never heard the stock ones so i dont know what the difference is.

kevp913

I think the stock system is very good, but it isn't great. Unfortunately being in CA none of us have heard the ML =(. The subwoofer is loud, but since it is 8" it cannot hit the lower frequency's that some of the larger 12" cones can.

Zephyr

iTrader: (1)

Good enough to enjoy while driving. I don't need the "hey everyone this is what I'm listening to!" sound system.

kevp913

Thats the best part!!! =) j/k

It's certainly nice not having to carry about a big subwoofer enclosure in the trunk either. My old Acura CL's Bose system (no highs, no lows, just Bose) was true to it's name.

mhiggi02

I couldn't agree more!!

krs71

I have a question, when I went to look at the IS, the salesman got me into a GS, and he showed me this sound system screen where you can control where the sound was coming from like, you can make just on the drivers seat or passenger side or just the rear, all touch screen options is this on the ML system in the IS too? I think the option on the screen was 'DSP'......

jlin101

smaller subs can easily generate as much or more bass than larger subs by increasing the driver excursion, thus the volume of air movement. Good examples include Sunfire or Definitive Technology subs. Same way some small engines can generate more hp than larger ones (IS350 vs GS430).

kevp913

Yup, my IS without ML has that same DSP button where you can select those settings. I ususally just leave mine on full seating.

kevp913

Very true! 8" subs can hit very hard. I've been out of the sub game for a couple years now tho. Are they making 8" that can hit very low frequencies?

What I remember from a few years back was that the tradeoff between 8" to 15" was hard hitting fast response to low louder bass.

jlin101

Paying bass LOUD does not equate playing LOW. I can't say how low the bass goes in the ML, but it seems adequately loud. Playing LOW is not as important in a car, as opposed to at home, due to the noisy environment and the abundance of low-freq rumbling from the car/road.

Cypren

If you live near Orange County, I'll be glad to let you demo mine. =D

In all seriousness, you can find some demo models on some dealers' lots that have the ML system installed -- which is how I decided I absolutely had to have it -- but yes, if you want an ML-equipped IS here in the Western region, you have to special order or buy out of state.

clubfoot

Absolutely, that's what you should feed it In saying that, it sounds mighty fine on CD as well. Just shift the fader a bit forward so that the orange line intersects where your ears would be to improve the balance. And the sub does go very low, if I get some time this weekend I going to run my Rives Audio Test CD through it and report back on the low end response. What it does have in spades is low end clarity, where you can follow changing bass cords easily.

Payam

I love the sound of my ML, very pleased with every part of it. Perfect amount of bass, mids, and highs. My other car has a $5000 sound system in it and about the only difference is just the loudness of the bass. But that car is what some of you would call overkill.