Talk me off the ledge, regretting my purchase
04-02-14, 06:02 AM
#46
2014 Lexus IS Review: Way Better Than Before
http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewd...ve-and-review/
Just my .02.
04-02-14, 06:26 AM
#47
Lexus Test Driver
I am a bit picky when it comes audio systems. My A6 had B&O and that system is unbelievably good. ML system to my ears sounds average. I would absolutely not call it impressive. Again, as I said before ML in LS and perhaps in RX are a lot better than that found in 3IS.
04-02-14, 07:30 AM
#48
This thread turned out more reasonable then expected.
After a few days, I'm enjoying the car. Getting a ton of compliments on it. The mouse interface seems to work alright and I found a few more features. Not a fan of the nav entry, but I don't need it really anyways.
Engine could still use some more power and the throttle doesn't seem linear. The power does bother me a bit. Like I said previously, drive this car hard and it's very rewarding, but the middle ground seems fairly soft. A quick getaway need a heavy foot and isn't effortless.
Otherwise, lack of place to put sunglasses and storage space in general is a bit of a pain.
If I had a do-over, I might still consider an alternative. I know all cars tend to have weaknesses, I just discovered more than I thought I would pretty quickly.
Appreciate the responses and insight on the other cars in the class as well.
After a few days, I'm enjoying the car. Getting a ton of compliments on it. The mouse interface seems to work alright and I found a few more features. Not a fan of the nav entry, but I don't need it really anyways.
Engine could still use some more power and the throttle doesn't seem linear. The power does bother me a bit. Like I said previously, drive this car hard and it's very rewarding, but the middle ground seems fairly soft. A quick getaway need a heavy foot and isn't effortless.
Otherwise, lack of place to put sunglasses and storage space in general is a bit of a pain.
If I had a do-over, I might still consider an alternative. I know all cars tend to have weaknesses, I just discovered more than I thought I would pretty quickly.
Appreciate the responses and insight on the other cars in the class as well.
04-02-14, 08:08 AM
#49
This thread turned out more reasonable then expected.
After a few days, I'm enjoying the car. Getting a ton of compliments on it. The mouse interface seems to work alright and I found a few more features. Not a fan of the nav entry, but I don't need it really anyways.
Engine could still use some more power and the throttle doesn't seem linear. The power does bother me a bit. Like I said previously, drive this car hard and it's very rewarding, but the middle ground seems fairly soft. A quick getaway need a heavy foot and isn't effortless.
Otherwise, lack of place to put sunglasses and storage space in general is a bit of a pain.
If I had a do-over, I might still consider an alternative. I know all cars tend to have weaknesses, I just discovered more than I thought I would pretty quickly.
Appreciate the responses and insight on the other cars in the class as well.
After a few days, I'm enjoying the car. Getting a ton of compliments on it. The mouse interface seems to work alright and I found a few more features. Not a fan of the nav entry, but I don't need it really anyways.
Engine could still use some more power and the throttle doesn't seem linear. The power does bother me a bit. Like I said previously, drive this car hard and it's very rewarding, but the middle ground seems fairly soft. A quick getaway need a heavy foot and isn't effortless.
Otherwise, lack of place to put sunglasses and storage space in general is a bit of a pain.
If I had a do-over, I might still consider an alternative. I know all cars tend to have weaknesses, I just discovered more than I thought I would pretty quickly.
Appreciate the responses and insight on the other cars in the class as well.
04-02-14, 09:08 AM
#51
04-02-14, 10:27 AM
#52
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By the way my initial statement was not "a silly comparison" but a factual observation. That 6K B&O blows even ML system found in LS.
The bottom line ML in 3IS is an average audio system but no means can I call it premium. Now you guys can attack me however much you want.
04-02-14, 10:31 AM
#53
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I'm not sure what the value is for this argument.
It's safe to say anyone who says ML "sucks big time" in the IS 350 is, at the very least, utilizing massive hyperbole.
I think it's an amazingly clear and detailed soundscape. I don't know what your problems are with it, but you haven't really defined it in a way that could be debated anyway.
It's safe to say anyone who says ML "sucks big time" in the IS 350 is, at the very least, utilizing massive hyperbole.
I think it's an amazingly clear and detailed soundscape. I don't know what your problems are with it, but you haven't really defined it in a way that could be debated anyway.
04-02-14, 11:16 AM
#54
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I'm not sure what the value is for this argument.
It's safe to say anyone who says ML "sucks big time" in the IS 350 is, at the very least, utilizing massive hyperbole.
I think it's an amazingly clear and detailed soundscape. I don't know what your problems are with it, but you haven't really defined it in a way that could be debated anyway.
It's safe to say anyone who says ML "sucks big time" in the IS 350 is, at the very least, utilizing massive hyperbole.
I think it's an amazingly clear and detailed soundscape. I don't know what your problems are with it, but you haven't really defined it in a way that could be debated anyway.
We all agree on the notion that ML system in 3IS is sold as "premium audio system", don't we? In other words it is a top of the line audio system that we can possibly get from a luxury car manufacturer such as Lexus, period. As a result one reasonably expects ML system to equally compete with other premium audio systems offered by other luxury auto manufacturers. As you can see the expectations are pretty high here from ML and this is the key in this argument. Unfortunately ML does not sound "premium", it sounds just good. I tried to use high quality CDs but the system simply cannot deliver this crisp premium sound quality. It just cannot. Sure Sirius satellite stations sound good but that is not enough.
Now I stand corrected when I said "ML sucks big time". It doesn't. It is sure a good sounding system but in my books it is worse than HK/B&O and others alike.
04-02-14, 11:18 AM
#55
Fair enough. Let me elaborate on that if I may.
We all agree on the notion that ML system in 3IS is sold as "premium audio system", don't we? In other words it is a top of the line audio system that we can possibly get from a luxury car manufacturer such as Lexus, period. As a result one reasonably expects ML system to equally compete with other premium audio systems offered by other luxury auto manufacturers. As you can see the expectations are pretty high here from ML and this is the key in this argument. Unfortunately ML does not sound "premium", it sounds just good. I tried to use high quality CDs but the system simply cannot deliver this crisp premium sound quality. It just cannot. Sure Sirius satellite stations sound good but that is not enough.
Now I stand corrected when I said "ML sucks big time". It doesn't. It is sure a good sounding system but in my books it is worse than HK/B&O and others alike.
We all agree on the notion that ML system in 3IS is sold as "premium audio system", don't we? In other words it is a top of the line audio system that we can possibly get from a luxury car manufacturer such as Lexus, period. As a result one reasonably expects ML system to equally compete with other premium audio systems offered by other luxury auto manufacturers. As you can see the expectations are pretty high here from ML and this is the key in this argument. Unfortunately ML does not sound "premium", it sounds just good. I tried to use high quality CDs but the system simply cannot deliver this crisp premium sound quality. It just cannot. Sure Sirius satellite stations sound good but that is not enough.
Now I stand corrected when I said "ML sucks big time". It doesn't. It is sure a good sounding system but in my books it is worse than HK/B&O and others alike.
04-02-14, 11:27 AM
#57
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Well, I don't believe you can be somewhat unbiased. The 3IS bears no driving/handling relationship to the 2IS. You have no clue what the 3IS is like to live with.
2014 Lexus IS Review: Way Better Than Before
http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewd...ve-and-review/
Just my .02.
2014 Lexus IS Review: Way Better Than Before
http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewd...ve-and-review/
Just my .02.
04-02-14, 11:45 AM
#58
Fair enough. Let me elaborate on that if I may.
We all agree on the notion that ML system in 3IS is sold as "premium audio system", don't we? In other words it is a top of the line audio system that we can possibly get from a luxury car manufacturer such as Lexus, period. As a result one reasonably expects ML system to equally compete with other premium audio systems offered by other luxury auto manufacturers. As you can see the expectations are pretty high here from ML and this is the key in this argument. Unfortunately ML does not sound "premium", it sounds just good. I tried to use high quality CDs but the system simply cannot deliver this crisp premium sound quality. It just cannot. Sure Sirius satellite stations sound good but that is not enough.
Now I stand corrected when I said "ML sucks big time". It doesn't. It is sure a good sounding system but in my books it is worse than HK/B&O and others alike.
We all agree on the notion that ML system in 3IS is sold as "premium audio system", don't we? In other words it is a top of the line audio system that we can possibly get from a luxury car manufacturer such as Lexus, period. As a result one reasonably expects ML system to equally compete with other premium audio systems offered by other luxury auto manufacturers. As you can see the expectations are pretty high here from ML and this is the key in this argument. Unfortunately ML does not sound "premium", it sounds just good. I tried to use high quality CDs but the system simply cannot deliver this crisp premium sound quality. It just cannot. Sure Sirius satellite stations sound good but that is not enough.
Now I stand corrected when I said "ML sucks big time". It doesn't. It is sure a good sounding system but in my books it is worse than HK/B&O and others alike.
It was difficult to find things not to like about this system. It was largely distortion-free. Tonal balance was silky smooth. Timbre and tonal accuracy were palpably lifelike. The sound stage was immense and imaging exact. Dynamics were crisp and well-controlled. Our listening notes revealed very few nits to pick, and they all were in relation to where it fell short of our top choice.
The optional $2,530 system in the 2009 Lexus LS 460 L we tested is a prime example of why it now makes perfect sense to purchase an automaker's premium stereo at this level instead of going with an aftermarket system. And even if you're an avid audiophile seeking the nth degree of performance, you'd be hard-pressed to piece together your own system that performs this well at a similar price.
The Levinson system was also neck-and-neck with the winner in terms of DVD-Audio performance. Although each of the two top surround systems had its own distinct "voice," the differences in overall quality were subtle and more a matter of taste. If the Lexus has an edge, it's that the car's ultra-quiet interior makes it the best environment for listening to audio while on the road. It also had the best linearity scores of any car in the test, which is important for those who want to listen at lower volume without sacrificing the details of the music."
http://www.edmunds.com/car-technolog...sound-off.html
"Indeed, the number one system was not only lauded by www.askmen.com, but it was also given an impressive award by Ward's Auto World which awarded Auti's A8 Bang and Olufsen Advanced Sound System top honors a few eyars back and time has only made it better. This system consists of an impressive array of 14 speakers, including a huge 12-inch subwoofer that will let your feet feel sound your ears can't hear. Imagine this addition, though, each speaker has its own amplifier and there are accoustic lens speakers in the dash that extend and retract. This is a system that will melt earwax and other things because it cranks out 1,100 watts of sound.
Number two on the hit parade is found on a more prosaic model, a Lexus Ls. The system is the Mark Levinson Reference surround Sound Audio System. This is a system that features total harmonic distortion of less than 0.1 percent says www.askmen.com. It features 19-speakers, a "450-watt Mark Levinson Reference (7.1-channel) Surround Sound Audio system that," askmen.com notes, will mean "you are unlikely to miss a single note because of the system's 20 hz to 20,000 hz range." Storage is a little light with only 8GB online."
http://voices.yahoo.com/top-5-car-au...28.html?cat=15
Please provide links to support your contention that the ML system is not premium or I let it go and accept that audiophiles regard the ML system highly.
04-02-14, 12:16 PM
#59
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"Lexus set a new benchmark for OEM audio when it introduced available Mark Levinson systems almost 10 years ago, and the most recent 19-speaker, 450-watt Reference Surround Sound audio system raised the bar even higher when it debuted in the LS 460 in 2006.
It was difficult to find things not to like about this system. It was largely distortion-free. Tonal balance was silky smooth. Timbre and tonal accuracy were palpably lifelike. The sound stage was immense and imaging exact. Dynamics were crisp and well-controlled. Our listening notes revealed very few nits to pick, and they all were in relation to where it fell short of our top choice.
The optional $2,530 system in the 2009 Lexus LS 460 L we tested is a prime example of why it now makes perfect sense to purchase an automaker's premium stereo at this level instead of going with an aftermarket system. And even if you're an avid audiophile seeking the nth degree of performance, you'd be hard-pressed to piece together your own system that performs this well at a similar price.
The Levinson system was also neck-and-neck with the winner in terms of DVD-Audio performance. Although each of the two top surround systems had its own distinct "voice," the differences in overall quality were subtle and more a matter of taste. If the Lexus has an edge, it's that the car's ultra-quiet interior makes it the best environment for listening to audio while on the road. It also had the best linearity scores of any car in the test, which is important for those who want to listen at lower volume without sacrificing the details of the music."
http://www.edmunds.com/car-technolog...sound-off.html
"Indeed, the number one system was not only lauded by www.askmen.com, but it was also given an impressive award by Ward's Auto World which awarded Auti's A8 Bang and Olufsen Advanced Sound System top honors a few eyars back and time has only made it better. This system consists of an impressive array of 14 speakers, including a huge 12-inch subwoofer that will let your feet feel sound your ears can't hear. Imagine this addition, though, each speaker has its own amplifier and there are accoustic lens speakers in the dash that extend and retract. This is a system that will melt earwax and other things because it cranks out 1,100 watts of sound.
Number two on the hit parade is found on a more prosaic model, a Lexus Ls. The system is the Mark Levinson Reference surround Sound Audio System. This is a system that features total harmonic distortion of less than 0.1 percent says www.askmen.com. It features 19-speakers, a "450-watt Mark Levinson Reference (7.1-channel) Surround Sound Audio system that," askmen.com notes, will mean "you are unlikely to miss a single note because of the system's 20 hz to 20,000 hz range." Storage is a little light with only 8GB online."
http://voices.yahoo.com/top-5-car-au...28.html?cat=15
Please provide links to support your contention that the ML system is not premium or I let it go and accept that audiophiles regard the ML system highly.
It was difficult to find things not to like about this system. It was largely distortion-free. Tonal balance was silky smooth. Timbre and tonal accuracy were palpably lifelike. The sound stage was immense and imaging exact. Dynamics were crisp and well-controlled. Our listening notes revealed very few nits to pick, and they all were in relation to where it fell short of our top choice.
The optional $2,530 system in the 2009 Lexus LS 460 L we tested is a prime example of why it now makes perfect sense to purchase an automaker's premium stereo at this level instead of going with an aftermarket system. And even if you're an avid audiophile seeking the nth degree of performance, you'd be hard-pressed to piece together your own system that performs this well at a similar price.
The Levinson system was also neck-and-neck with the winner in terms of DVD-Audio performance. Although each of the two top surround systems had its own distinct "voice," the differences in overall quality were subtle and more a matter of taste. If the Lexus has an edge, it's that the car's ultra-quiet interior makes it the best environment for listening to audio while on the road. It also had the best linearity scores of any car in the test, which is important for those who want to listen at lower volume without sacrificing the details of the music."
http://www.edmunds.com/car-technolog...sound-off.html
"Indeed, the number one system was not only lauded by www.askmen.com, but it was also given an impressive award by Ward's Auto World which awarded Auti's A8 Bang and Olufsen Advanced Sound System top honors a few eyars back and time has only made it better. This system consists of an impressive array of 14 speakers, including a huge 12-inch subwoofer that will let your feet feel sound your ears can't hear. Imagine this addition, though, each speaker has its own amplifier and there are accoustic lens speakers in the dash that extend and retract. This is a system that will melt earwax and other things because it cranks out 1,100 watts of sound.
Number two on the hit parade is found on a more prosaic model, a Lexus Ls. The system is the Mark Levinson Reference surround Sound Audio System. This is a system that features total harmonic distortion of less than 0.1 percent says www.askmen.com. It features 19-speakers, a "450-watt Mark Levinson Reference (7.1-channel) Surround Sound Audio system that," askmen.com notes, will mean "you are unlikely to miss a single note because of the system's 20 hz to 20,000 hz range." Storage is a little light with only 8GB online."
http://voices.yahoo.com/top-5-car-au...28.html?cat=15
Please provide links to support your contention that the ML system is not premium or I let it go and accept that audiophiles regard the ML system highly.