gdcheng

iTrader: (2)

So I recently for a Eminent White NX220t F-Sport with Roja Red interior. I notice there is a ASC adjustment on the dash under the right side of the drivers steering wheel. How does that thing work? Anyone know?

Swacer

ASC = Active Sound Control

aka....we have made the car so quiet and luxury...that we forgot you like hearing the car run.

You turn it up, you get more "fake" engine sound, you turn it down, you hear it less.

Thats all it is really.

gdcheng

iTrader: (2)

Sorry I should have been more clear. I know ASC is Active Sound Control, but I was wondering more how it works. Is there a little microphone in the engine compartment that pipes the sound through to the speakers?

typocl

the sound is all artificial from what I understand. But it is supposed to simulate the sounds according to what the engine is doing, so it's not like a constant monotone sound.

Swacer

Ugh...fake noise is incredibly annoying.

I prefer an engine making noise. Heck, my camaro can shake garage doors. Under wide open throttle, I can shake a windshield (been proven!)

dunebuggy

I'm not sure if it is "all artificial", as many reviews state that it is engine sound, enhanced and amplified.

Quotes...

"The feature of the day was the F-Sport’s Active Sound Control (ASC). The ASC literally uses an extra speaker in the cabin to accentuate and enhance the sound coming from the engine. Under hard acceleration or downshifts, the sound becomes very prominent. While this may sound like a terrible gimmick, my driving partner and I couldn’t help but to keep turning it on and off to listen to the difference. We had to agree that the ASC does give the car more of a racing feel, but we were also happy that you could turn it off when your Speed Racer fantasy was over."
http://www.lacar.com/?p=19489

"Road noise was isolated from the cabin, which allowed us to concentrate more on the F-Sport's Active Sound Control (ASC), which piped in an artificially enhanced audio track from the engine note underhood."
http://www.leftlanenews.com/new-car-...#ixzz3SoEnKc7S

"the Yamaha-developed Active Sound Control system offers the ability to dial up a throatier synthesised induction note"
http://www.motoring.com.au/reviews/2...4-review-44567

So the system is actually developed by Yamaha, who have no small amount of experience in sound.

Many want cars like the NX to be ultra quiet. And many people want cars to have sport sound. Lexus was merely trying to satisfy both. And particularly if the system is a sound enhancement, I don't understand why some complain about this feature - especially when you can switch it off entirely. In my test drives to date, I found it a lot of fun - and the notion of controlling engine sound under different circumstances, is actually genius. Although I don't think Lexus is the first to employ it.

Of course, most motoring reviewers will wail and cry about it being "impure", because they are manly men to whom engine noise is a siren's song, and must be heard at all times, along with the sweet smell of gasoline.

Saabkyle04 on youtube (the guy with the epic long review of this car) seemed to really enjoy the ASC though, and he reviews every grade of car out there -

Rdcrow

If you're getting an NX, it's not because you want to hear the power of the engine.

I'd get a RC F if I needed that sound in my life

Swacer

Valid Point. But the idea of fake noise just seems.....strange

I fully agree on the RC-F. My camaro could use a JDM equivalent. I am going to wait a generation though, since we have a '15 NX and a '15 IS, would be weird to have 3 cars with similar interior and exterior look lol However, I would only stay interested if it remains a V8. My other concern is the locked ECU which makes putting big power mods out of the question.... However, also keeping my eyes open for a GT-R in 5-6 yrs. One or the other. The wife wants an automatic to drive to car shows haha

corradoMR2

Well said.

The new 2015 4cyl Ecoboost Mustang and BMW has had the fake sound for a few years now including the latest M4 and i8.

alfaromeo3

iTrader: (4)

I said it before that i did not like this feature... so yesterday my son pointed the ASC button, whats that? So turned it on, put it in sport mode and shift the gear to manual mode. He was impressed by the sound as well as me. Its not a muscle car off course with a big V8 engine or like my C63 AMG. It's impressive for a 4cyl with small turbo.

So I switched the dash to boost feature to see whats going to happen since Im on manual mode. Heres what I found! I was flooring it slowly before it hits the red line then I will shift up. What I saw was when the boost hits 1.5 its turns and light up it red as its telling u to shift up! I think its a safety feature but i like it and I had fun!!!

Swacer

Just because they've been doing it for years...doesn't make it a good thing

I love the C63 AMG. Do you have a clip of it running? Had a neighbor at our apt complex a couple years back that had one. Did a full exhaust/header setup, boy did that thing purr coming up the entrance to the complex.

alfaromeo3

iTrader: (4)

yes u could do a lot in the c63 but its freaking pricey lol
mine is completely stock

cynd0310

Do you guys know if 2019 LS500 comes with this ASC? And is there an option to disable it?