EmpPenguin

I just inherited my dad's 1995 LS400, which comes with the Lexus cell phone (wow!) under the armrest. I assume that the phone used an older technology and network totally unsupported now. Of course I can change the Pioneer "Premium Sound" (wow!) stereo with a $700 system complete with navigation and Bluetooth which I can sync to my phone, but can the phone be saved in any way? Like maybe have a prepaid phone installed. I am wondering what Lexus offered its customers ten years ago when everyone was switching over to today's GSM/CDMA networks.

LScowboyLS

before you do this, realize that you will need either a new sub amp and some custom wiring or else a $325 beatsonic box, if you want to keep use of the awesome LS400 sub

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

no. the old carphones are analog and pretty much useless since the US has no real analog cell companies left.

You can hack it up to be a bluetooth phone but it isn't really legal to use in many states, and inadvisable to use regardless.

many lexus models after 2001 have built in BT.

Kansas

The 2004 LS430 was the first Lexus that had Bluetooth but only with the optional navigation system.

2003 was the last model year that a dealer installed phone system with a handset was available. It was based on the Nokia CARK-91 phone kit and the only handset supported that would fit in its charging cradle was the GSM-only Cingular/AT&T Nokia 6310i. Up to maybe four years ago, 6310i phones were still a hot commodity on eBay. Unfortunately GSM service back in 2003/2004 was rare except around major cities.

The 2001-2002 model year dealer installed cell phone system was based on a Qualcomm Touchpoint CMDA phone from Sprint. The ending of the relationship between Lexus and Sprint was not pretty.

If your radio is still working well, my suggestion would be to keep it.

If you want nav, consider using a portable which can also give you really wonderful voice control over nav and handsfree phone: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...lan-nokia.html (The nokia handset photo shows the CARK-91 charging cradle that was used in the 2003 LS430 dealer installed phone system.)

I don't know where you live in California but if you live close to them you could deliver your radio head unit and have Factory Radio Service install an aux-in: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...000-ls400.html I can't emphasize how wonderful this aux-in is. The damn thing provides sound quality that I can't tell isn't from a CD. I've stored all my CD's on my phone but mainly stream music from the Internet - mainly from Pandora but also from Slacker, iHeart and Tunein.

And to make using an Android phone in your car even easiler, there is the free iBolt Dock n Drive app: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/lex...k-n-drive.html Dock n Drive has the cool feature of causing your phone to automatically answer when in docking mode. And if you are streaming audio from your phone when a call comes in, the audio is automatically muted. My Galaxy S3 automatically hangs up by itself when a call ends so that means I don't have to touch my phone or the Garmin the call plays through for an incoming call.

You can have lots of features for little money and still keep your OEM Pioneer system.

EmpPenguin

Dude, I was being sarcastic when referring to the Pioneer "Premium Sound" system. That system needs more power and the speakers cannot handle the music I'm playing. I used to be a stereo conoisseur and audiophile back in my early days, and I know what sounds good and what doesn't. I'm the guy who runs hundreds of watts of continuous power from the cleanest amps to seven or eight high-end speakers (tweeters, mid-range, woofers and subwoofers) and crossed them over three ways, while fine-tuning the music with a passive EQ.

Looks like I'll just pull out the phone and simply shell out for the Alpine navigation with Bluetooth.

LScowboyLS

you are gonna be shelling out for a lot more than that, sounds like you are gonna be installing a new main amp, sub amp and speakers?

if you plan on using the factory sub and factory amp, you will also be shelling out for either a beatsonic kit for $325, or else doing some additional wiring and shelling out for a sub amp at minimum, just replacing the head unit only will lose your factory sub


so you have the finest amps money can buy at home too? - awesome! - someone else besides me with class A single ended triode tube amps! - cool!

EmpPenguin

This is a side note, but I've not been in the world of stereo equipment in over twenty-five years. Is Carver still around for home amps? Who is the leader in amps today?

I will have to start a new thread on stereo, since the phone I will have to pull out.

Gene01

LScowboy, I would have thought you were using a DeForest Audion :-)

LScowboyLS

To quote the book History of Electron Tubes:

Stereorob

since were on the topic of sound stereos and tubes, im an audiophile and have been for the last 20 years, I have a insane stereo in my house that's several thousand watts, but my everyday system is/are a pair of HH Scott 7591 based tube amps paired with paradigm sv-2mkII and polk monitor 10 speakers., anyway, for car audio the stock systems in the Ls400 are actually pretty damn good for what they are, I had the factory Nak system in my old 90 and it really rocked! the CD player went out on me and cassettes are unacceptable so I replaced it with a pioneer premier head unit, unfortunately loosing the rear deck sub, so I installed 2 pioneer premier 12' subs with matching amps. it sounded good and had decent bass, but honestly I thought the stock system sounded better, which is unheard of in a 20 something year old car! as for my 95, it has the regular pioneer system and still sounds good but I think the sub is kinda eeeehhh..