Best automotive audio sound system in the world?
hell my MPV sounds better than the Bose in my Pathfinder!
02-28-07, 11:19 AM
#17
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To the gentleman that said "what kind of answer did u expect from a lexus forum"? I believe clublexus forum members to be objective minded people and not some fanboys who will rant lexus lexus all day long even if a particular aspect of lexus is not the best....that is why i still posed the question and wanted insight from everyone.
thanks again for everyones input! Keep em coming.
thanks again for everyones input! Keep em coming.
02-28-07, 11:23 AM
#18
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yeah clublexus is like vwvortex, both of these forums have very open-minded people
sure we are slightly biased, who isnt, but we are still honest with our opinions
sure we are slightly biased, who isnt, but we are still honest with our opinions
02-28-07, 11:52 AM
#19
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What kind of answer do you expect from a Lexus forum?....Honestly.
If you asked this question in an Audi forum you would get B&O and in a Lexus forum you are going to get people saying the ML.
They are both amazing systems and are very comparable, although the B&O system wows you a bit more with its' pop-up tweeters and woofer while providing amazing sound quality.
If you asked this question in an Audi forum you would get B&O and in a Lexus forum you are going to get people saying the ML.
They are both amazing systems and are very comparable, although the B&O system wows you a bit more with its' pop-up tweeters and woofer while providing amazing sound quality.
To the O.P, we just had a thread (sadly it got locked) where a Lexus salesman said he lost a sale b/c the person said the sound system in the S-class was better. That would be great for your report. It is somewhere in carchat, very recent.
Also, BOSE, while being advertised heavily by car brands as an upmarket system, just sucks camel ***** compared to even base sound systems. However the name "bose" gives people that don't know anything about stereo systems woodies (I know, I used to think Bose was a great system until I got schooled on Clublex).
Last edited by LexFather; 02-28-07 at 11:55 AM.
02-28-07, 12:19 PM
#20
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I have to agree that Bose is one of the most over rated, if not THE most over rated, audio brands out there.
I have the "upgraded" Bose system in my new RX-8 and am not impressed. Like myself, many other owners had to switch out some speakers and add tweeters along with sub woofers to improve the system.
My Nakamichi system in the 15 year old Lexus was better than the stock Bose setup. The saying over in the RX8 forum is:
"No highs and no lows....must be Bose"
I have the "upgraded" Bose system in my new RX-8 and am not impressed. Like myself, many other owners had to switch out some speakers and add tweeters along with sub woofers to improve the system.
My Nakamichi system in the 15 year old Lexus was better than the stock Bose setup. The saying over in the RX8 forum is:
"No highs and no lows....must be Bose"
03-03-07, 01:52 AM
#21
Here's a new article from the Bangkok Post, which has a fairly extensive automotive news section...
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:...lnk&cd=1&gl=us
Best factory-issue system ever
This week's highlight, a Lexus LS460L, has a factory-issue audio and A/V system by Mark Levinson which is a legend in its own right when it comes to hi-end home audio systems. Most of my encounters with Mark Levinson were home audio systems and I dare say that only a few have heard car audio systems by this brand, let alone realise that they actually make car audio systems.
The luxury car market is an elite class in itself when it comes to world class audio systems because there are so few of them. BMW has Fujitsu, Mercedes-Benz has Becker and Honda uses Alpine (allowing new generation Hondas to enjoy top sound quality with many more improved features).
But the aforementioned eat the dust when the name Mark Levinson appears on stage. Let's see if it delivers the same world class sound quality like it does with its home audio systems.
Components
This Lexus is the first of its kind with two separate units (front and rear) of a six-disc DVD changer head unit to have been tested in this column.
There are two monitors as well featuring a front monitor six-inch touch screen which serves as a command monitor to control various audio systems and setting various functions. The other 10-inch monitor is attached to the roof area.
There are 19 speakers including seven one-inch tweeters, seven four-inch midrange units, two 6x9-inch woofers, two 6.5-inch woofers and one 10-inch subwoofer.
Then there's a 15-channel 450-watt DSP amplifier
Installation
It's hard to believe that the entire system was actually stuffed into the given space and still came out with such a tidy look. The attention to detail was much better than other cars with factory-issue systems. It's as if a top-notch stereo shop was the creator for this work of art.
If you take a look at the rear, it will be impossible to tell that there is a world-class sound system hidden beneath because the Mark Levinson ML3-16 processor power amplifier and subwoofer is carefully hidden away out of sight. Even precious stowage space is available, while the appearance is on par with a standard system on board.
The rear 10-inch monitors allows viewers a clear picture and proper angle thanks to the ability to adjust your seats all the way back and have a bird's eye view of the roof area, so to speak.
The installation is excellent and just as good as the hi-end quality of the components of this system.
User-friendly
Convenience is outstanding and easy to use just by following the English-language instructions on the monitor. It's easy to read, unlike grey imports which usually have Japanese-language instructions.
Commands can be performed from controls at the steering wheel, while the front command monitor and remote with wire is located at the arm rest of rear seats. I give maximum points for functionality.
Sound quality
I tested the system in audio by sitting in the front which gave a better musical atmosphere when compared to sitting in the rear. The sound quality was hi-end.
I tested several types of music from my usual batch of test CDs. The image, sound stage and focus were excellent and on par with listening to live music.
But if the tip of the high frequency signal and bass density was a tad better, the overall sound quality would be much better. Maybe it was because of the presence of a Multi Channel power amplifier which did not recognise microdynamic details so well.
I then proceeded to test it in surround from my DVD and the sound quality was again outstanding. I tried sitting in the rear and the sound appeared to give more dimension with deeper effects and bass impact when compared to sitting in front.
The monitor in the rear was bigger, with a much better viewing angle which is why watching movies should be done in the rear seats.
In short, the audio system of the Lexus LS460L is simply the best of the factory-issue systems. It justifies its world-class stature and is an audio system that you can listen to forever and ever.
This week's highlight, a Lexus LS460L, has a factory-issue audio and A/V system by Mark Levinson which is a legend in its own right when it comes to hi-end home audio systems. Most of my encounters with Mark Levinson were home audio systems and I dare say that only a few have heard car audio systems by this brand, let alone realise that they actually make car audio systems.
The luxury car market is an elite class in itself when it comes to world class audio systems because there are so few of them. BMW has Fujitsu, Mercedes-Benz has Becker and Honda uses Alpine (allowing new generation Hondas to enjoy top sound quality with many more improved features).
But the aforementioned eat the dust when the name Mark Levinson appears on stage. Let's see if it delivers the same world class sound quality like it does with its home audio systems.
Components
This Lexus is the first of its kind with two separate units (front and rear) of a six-disc DVD changer head unit to have been tested in this column.
There are two monitors as well featuring a front monitor six-inch touch screen which serves as a command monitor to control various audio systems and setting various functions. The other 10-inch monitor is attached to the roof area.
There are 19 speakers including seven one-inch tweeters, seven four-inch midrange units, two 6x9-inch woofers, two 6.5-inch woofers and one 10-inch subwoofer.
Then there's a 15-channel 450-watt DSP amplifier
Installation
It's hard to believe that the entire system was actually stuffed into the given space and still came out with such a tidy look. The attention to detail was much better than other cars with factory-issue systems. It's as if a top-notch stereo shop was the creator for this work of art.
If you take a look at the rear, it will be impossible to tell that there is a world-class sound system hidden beneath because the Mark Levinson ML3-16 processor power amplifier and subwoofer is carefully hidden away out of sight. Even precious stowage space is available, while the appearance is on par with a standard system on board.
The rear 10-inch monitors allows viewers a clear picture and proper angle thanks to the ability to adjust your seats all the way back and have a bird's eye view of the roof area, so to speak.
The installation is excellent and just as good as the hi-end quality of the components of this system.
User-friendly
Convenience is outstanding and easy to use just by following the English-language instructions on the monitor. It's easy to read, unlike grey imports which usually have Japanese-language instructions.
Commands can be performed from controls at the steering wheel, while the front command monitor and remote with wire is located at the arm rest of rear seats. I give maximum points for functionality.
Sound quality
I tested the system in audio by sitting in the front which gave a better musical atmosphere when compared to sitting in the rear. The sound quality was hi-end.
I tested several types of music from my usual batch of test CDs. The image, sound stage and focus were excellent and on par with listening to live music.
But if the tip of the high frequency signal and bass density was a tad better, the overall sound quality would be much better. Maybe it was because of the presence of a Multi Channel power amplifier which did not recognise microdynamic details so well.
I then proceeded to test it in surround from my DVD and the sound quality was again outstanding. I tried sitting in the rear and the sound appeared to give more dimension with deeper effects and bass impact when compared to sitting in front.
The monitor in the rear was bigger, with a much better viewing angle which is why watching movies should be done in the rear seats.
In short, the audio system of the Lexus LS460L is simply the best of the factory-issue systems. It justifies its world-class stature and is an audio system that you can listen to forever and ever.
03-03-07, 06:22 AM
#22
Lexus Fanatic
The Mark Levinson unit in the new LS460 takes the cake, hands-down (see my LS460 review last December). SICK agreed when I got him to go listen to it himself.
03-03-07, 06:54 AM
#23
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03-03-07, 09:42 AM
#24
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This one is often overlooked, and quite good.
B&O is more about form than function, it's almost always been that way. I haven't heard a B&O system I thought was spectacular. On the other hand the ML systems Lexus uses are quite incredible given the space they are working with. There are some Harmon Kardon systems that are reasonably decent too.
I used to do SBM for an audio company, it's interesting how what we considered "good sound" was often disliked by the average listener. We also found that people because accustomed to one kind of sound, so that when listening to another the are initially un-impressed (even with an impressive system). Sit in a G35 for a few days and you get so used to stupidly overboosted lows and non-existent mids that everything else sounds empty in comparison, until your ears re-adapt.
Anyway, the ML in the LS460 is definitely one of the more dynamic systems, that's for sure.
B&O is more about form than function, it's almost always been that way. I haven't heard a B&O system I thought was spectacular. On the other hand the ML systems Lexus uses are quite incredible given the space they are working with. There are some Harmon Kardon systems that are reasonably decent too.
I used to do SBM for an audio company, it's interesting how what we considered "good sound" was often disliked by the average listener. We also found that people because accustomed to one kind of sound, so that when listening to another the are initially un-impressed (even with an impressive system). Sit in a G35 for a few days and you get so used to stupidly overboosted lows and non-existent mids that everything else sounds empty in comparison, until your ears re-adapt.
Anyway, the ML in the LS460 is definitely one of the more dynamic systems, that's for sure.
03-03-07, 04:39 PM
#25
This is an older review I read a few months ago on Audio Video Revolution for the SC 430 ML system which said, "I have no question that the Mark Levinson system in the Lexus SC 430 is the finest premium car audio system made worldwide."
http://www.avrev.com/equip/lexus/index.html
A statement I have seen elsewhere is the comparison between customized aftermarket sound systems, and that a few of the best factory car audio systems can rival them.
http://www.avrev.com/equip/lexus/index.html
A statement I have seen elsewhere is the comparison between customized aftermarket sound systems, and that a few of the best factory car audio systems can rival them.
03-04-07, 10:36 AM
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The interesting thing to note here is simply that automakers are now partnering with high-end audio companies as a form of differentiation. It really is kind of remarkable that Mercedes and Porsche use Bose equipment, not because there's anything wrong with Bose but because it is very much a mass-market brand. The kind of people who buy these high-end cars probably have high-end audio at home as well and may not want to drive a "luxury" car that's paired with a non-luxury stereo.
03-18-07, 12:37 AM
#30
I was just reading an older issue of Road & Track (May 2006), and there was an artcle about car audio engineers. The editor who wrote the article visited Jaguar's sound lab, where they had benchmarked competing automotive sound spectrums. The quote was:
The article goes on to suggest that the XK8 was in the middle between the Lexus and Maserati sounds, but "tilted slightly towards the civilized Lexus end."
Interesting that Jaguar evidently used the LS 430 as a model in its sound labs!
Through the headphones we listened to sounds of those various GT cars. Interestingly, the civilized, ultra-quiet end of the spectrum was represented by a Lexus 430, a subdued, honey-like euphonious thrum. "A very high-quality sound," [the Jaguar engineer] explained, but quieter than we like at Jaguar."
At the other end was the 4.2-liter Maserati--hyper, high-pitched and snarling.
At the other end was the 4.2-liter Maserati--hyper, high-pitched and snarling.
Interesting that Jaguar evidently used the LS 430 as a model in its sound labs!