I just read a J.D. Power review of the 2008 ES350 and among the items listed as "new for 2008" was an optional "premium Lexus sound system." This apparently does not refer to the ML system since that has always been available. So maybe this little thread had a part in convincing Lexus to do something about this glaring weakness of the 2007 model.

I could kick myself for not waiting as I've always been of the opinion that it's best to wait until at least the second year of a model's life to buy. Some tangible upgrades such as this new premium non-Levinson system usually come along as the model is refined. I do like the car but I already have an eye on three new cars on the horizon: the Pontiac G8 with a Corvette V-8 (out this spring), the Camaro with the same engine and the Hyundai Genesis with the V-8. The Genesis will have all the luxuries - including a Rollls Royce sound system - of a $60,000 car. A loaded one will be about 40K - same as I paid for my ES350. Lexus could have offered more but held out with a cheap sound system until prodded into action for the '08 model year.

Or, if my frugal side wins out, I'll keep the ES for several more years but with a bad taste in my mouth.

 

I seriously doubt there's a new "premium" stereo available, as Lexus did not mention this when the '08 car came out; the article was most likely wrong. The base stereo is called "premium" in some of the glossy literature.

I agree with others on this thread that the base "premium" stereo is mediocre at best. It can't hold a candle to the JBL in the 07 Camry I drove previously in terms of midrange and bass response. The ES has too much treble, not enough midrange, and weak bass in my opinion. The ML is stellar, but none were available when I bought my car plus it was an extra $4K over the Premium Plus package -- just not affordable.

I'm waiting to see what aftermarket speakers people are having good experiences with before upgrading my speakers. I don't play music especially loud, so I want something that sounds good without needing to be cranked up.

The best I've come up with so far to improve the sound is the following:
* Set DSP to "2 front seats"
* Leave Treble at center
* Increase Midrange 1-2 above center
* Increase Bass 2 above center
* Avoid listening to music on FM or XM or iPod via AUX, and instead listen to CDs or MP3 disks made from CDs captured at 192 Kbps.

 

Well if the non ML sound systems are called optional premium, I would hate to hear what the base system sounds like.

 

I just go the ES350 as a loaner and had to see if anyone did not like base system on CL. I cant believe that Lexus would put a crappy base system like this in a luxury vehicle.....wow

 

In case anyone is interested in upgrading the speakers in their base audio system, here are the specs.

Also, note that the front door speakers receive their signals from a crossover circuit built into the dashboard tweeters. All other speakers, including the tweeters, receive signals directly from the amp.

Center dash x1: 65 mm, 10 Ohm, 10 W (20 W*)
Front tweeter x2: 25 mm, 4 Ohm, 25 W (50 W)
Front "Woofer" (yeah, right) x2: 160 mm, 4 Ohm, 21 W (50 W)
Rear door full range x2: 160 mm, 4 Ohm, 21 W (50 W)
Sub woofer on rear shelf x1: 200 mm, 25 Ohm x2 coils, 30 W / coil (60 W)

Wattage in parentheses are Max ratings; other number is Rated input.

 

No problem, I joined to learn actually, thanks for having me. I to am having subwoofer issues with my 07 ES350. Soldered it twice and the lead keeps vibrating loose after some time. This time I want to remove it and resolder correctly. Does anyone know if there are rear deck speakers in the ES350? I think I blew the voice coil on the rear driverside.

vic

 

It depends on the model and the stereo you have. If you have the base model, then no. The rear speakers are in the rear doors.

 

I just wanted to give my 2 cents about the ML system in my wife's es350. Since we bought the car back in 2013, we have enjoyed this fully loaded es350. But the ML system has NOT been all that it is claimed to be by Lexus. Since we bought the car, we have had the dealer replace the amp, sub-woofer, then the amp again. The last time we took it in, the dealer adjusted the amp so that the rear sub was turned off. My wife and I both enjoy reggae music as well as some bass thumping stuff. But this system COULD NOT play any music (with a little bass) without the sub-woofer sounding like crap.
It looks to me like the 8 inch rear sub could be the problem. I wanted to test a 12 inch sub to see if it had the same affect but I could not figure out how to pull the rear seat out to separate the +- cables running over to the current sub-woofer. I was told by a friend that I would have to add another amp to get a 12 inch sub working , but after reading some Lexus threads this will not be easy. The ML system is not that friendly and many experts do not like to touch any Lexus with the ML system. I guess my wife will have to stick to what she has, it sounds ok given that fact that there is a front center channel speaker that works as the sub-woofer. I prefer the sub in the rear as it just sounds better! Any hoot there it is, I would not buy the ML system nor would I recommend it to anyone!

 

So after reading thru MANY threads I'm starting to believe I was suckered into believing the pipe dream. I've only had my ES for about 5 months now and I LOVE the car...all except the sounds system. I barely get ANY volume thru my rear speakers when the system is 100% balanced. I pretty much have to adjust the balance to 75% rear speakers before I get decent sound out of them and then even with my volume ALL the way up it still sounds weak. Maybe I'm just used to the Bose system I had previously but even my wife's Toyota Venza's JBL system sounds better than mine. Doesn't matter what I play, regular radio, satellite radio, CD, Bluetooth from my phone....they all sound weak and muffled in some cases.

Been thinking about changing out system parts but don't want to dive head first into a money pit. I think I'm gonna start with the sub, then try the amp. I'll post back here and let y'all know what I find out. Wish me luck!

 

I didn't read through the entire thread but my wife's Pilot is described similarly in forums. Most of it can be solved by installing nice speakers in the factory locations. Easy, cheap, and effective. That will get you about 80% to nice sound.

The problem with your system is probably not that it lacks bass or power, so upgrading the sub and amp would probably just be money wasted. Upgrade the speakers first with some nice replacements and see how far that gets you.

 

Sorry if I missed something as I just skimmed the thread. My question is this: Why is it so damn hard to find a 2010-2012 ES 350 with the ML or UL package? Did they make about 5 of those? I have access to the Manheim auction internet site, and every single ES for the past couple of months has been a base or a base with nav but no ML or UL. I'm guessing you have to buy the UL to get the ML. Driving a crappy 09 Corolla I got awhile back as a commuter, but I want a decent 10-12 ES 350. I test drove an 08 and the stock sound system is horrible. It's on par with my Corolla, if not worse. I used to have an 07 4Runner SR5 and the basic stereo in it was significantly better than the Corolla and the ES. Got stuck with the Corolla when I took a job requiring a 100 mile commute for awhile, but I'm no longer there, so I can buy a car I actually want---a black/black 2010-2012 with ML, don't care about nav or UL but would be nice, low miles. CR of 3.8+ Manheim grading.