Threxx

Here's the deal.

I am getting ready to buy a GS400. I see some come with the Nakamichi sound system, and some don't.

Right now I own a '00 Chevy Silverado w/ a very nice stereo.

I can sell the Chevy with our without the stereo. With I'd probably get a couple thousand more, which would well more than pay for the Nakamichi stereo option in a used GS400.

So here is what I have in my truck:
Head Unit: '01 Alpine CDA-7969 headunit ($1100 head unit, discontinued about 6 months ago)
For the front: '02 MB Quart QSD-series 5 1/4" speakers ($1200) with the QSD-series mid-bass add-on 6.5" speakers ($550).
'02 Precision Power PC X 4125 4 x 125 RMS (@12 volts, so at 14 volts should be higher) to power the 6 front drivers ($1100).
For the rear: well, I have some Infiniti Kappa Perfects that aren't even turned on right now in my truck, but they won't fit the Lexus, obviously... so I'd have to find something else for the rear in the Lexus.
Rear amp: JBL 80x2 RMS (@14 volts) ($200)
Subs: I have 2- CDT Audio 8" ($240 each, plus the box) ...they don't get very loud but are supposedly regarded as some of the best subs made for accuracy and tightness, although they really don't seem like it to me.
Wiring: all monster cable- their premium XLN line of RCAs, etc, etc- also including a 1 farad capacitor.

But here is the dilema...

To me, maybe I'm just jaded\spoiled, but my system really doesn't sound that good to me. But then again, it's also in my truck which accoustically speaking is not a very good environment for sound because the doors are cheap and hollow, so the midbass drivers don't seem to do much of anything (despite the fact that I have 120+ sq feet of sound deadener all over). The subs don't sound that tight either, but that may be because they are shoved up behind a seat (my truck is a standard cab), and the accoustics aren't that great- even with my q-logic kick panels- they have to compensate for a very high listening ceiling.

At the same time, I'm thinking despite how much I like my head unit, that if I get the GS400, I don't want to destroy the factory look over everything. So I think I'd like to keep the stock head unit.

So my question to you guys is: taking into account that I don't like the way my system sounds now, do you think the GS400 in terms of accoustic environment will make a night & day improvement with sound quality? What about the mid-bass, especially? Has anyone put any full-range speakers into the GS400's doors that hit harder than the Nakamichi speakers did? Having speakers matched for the door's enclosure seems to help quite a bit, and seems to be a big advantage for most OEM stereos that we aftermarket guys don't usually have. Heck, my stock speakers in my silverado put out more bass than my dedicated QSD-series MB Quart midbass speakers do being fed 125-150 watts each! Is that some crap or what?

Furthermore, will ditching the aftermarket headunit make that much of a difference in sound quality? Enough to negate the change in accoustic environment?

Thanks for your advice.

engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

Threxx:
You'd do better than Nakamichi with the Levinson system that comes in the newer GS's, but if your buying used, you'll find the Nak around.
Save your money, don't get the Nakamichi option. The system you have now sounds better than the stock Lexus Nak system, assuming it's installed reasonably. I had the GS Nak system and completely gutted it except for the headunit, which I kept because I liked its quality (pretty good, but not the best), simplicity, and the factory look.
The factory Nak speakers are miserable. The mids in the doors are 4" in a tuned plastic enclosure (same as the GS Pioneer system). The system sucks at high volume. The tweets can't cut it, and almost everyone that has the system replaces the woofer and adds an extra amp for bass (if they do nothing else).
I have pics posted of the factory Nak speakers in the Members section, if you want to see what they look like. (If one look at the Nak 4" midrange doesn't convince you, well...)
As far as acoustic environment, the Lexus will provide a quieter space. Other than that you'll have different resonances due to the different geometry and materials of the car interior if you install the same system. Watch out for your expectations in terms of midbass. Yeah, most people here in these threads have replaced the stock door speakers with success, many using Dynaudio, Focal, MBQuart, and others, any of which will sonically blow away the stock speakers if fed the right amount of power and crossed over properly. But due to the cross over frequency, you may not have a "hit hard" sound from a midbass driver, and with your aftermarket Chevy system, that may be as it should be. You may have been hearing more bass from the doors in your Chevy stock system because that means that Chevy can spend less money on a woofer and sub amp to get the same 'apparent' bass level. It's a different mentality.
Most aftermarket headunits of decent quality, especially the Alpine that you mention, will be as good as or better quality than the Nakamichi stock headunit. You can have a custom shop make you a matching faceplate to fit the stock location.

Threxx

Thanks for the advice engin_ear!

Another question, if I buy a Lexus without the Nakamichi, that means that I could get one with Navigation instead (since it's either one or the other until the 430s came out). Is it relatively clean and easy to do this? Or does the Nav complicate things?

engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

I don't have the nav, so I can't comment, but I know that you'll wind up with less space to work with. I don't know if the radio is tied thru the nav. You might want to do some searching thru the threads here. Or post something specifically on that topic.

LS007

If the navigation guideance voice only comes out of the front left speaker then you are probably safe wiring in another stereo without loosing the navi voice. On my LS430 the Navigation module interrupts the the speaker wires. So as long as you don't change the wires out between the dash and the speakers you should still get navigaiton voice. The ability to mute a aftermarket stereo while the navigation talks might be tricky.