An interesting read.

https://www.wired.com/brandlab/2018/...?sf201842940=1

 

I'm sure a lot of people will be impressed by the ML if they haven't heard what a better system is like! But I have, so I'm not impressed!

And sorry, maybe the word "issues" wasn't the right word to use. And most of the reasons I wasn't all too impressed by the car overall, are purely personal and subjective. Not anything I can really say is WRONG with the 2019 ES...But the ML is still the WRONG system to be in a car of that price!!

 

Saw this in the morning, very interesting indeed!. I wonder how much Lexus/ML paid for this. Lol

Or maybe this system is tuned to properly play ONE type of music? lol

 

I have the non ML system in my 2019 ES 350. It is terrible! Compared to the audio in my 2016 ES 350 which was fine. I was pleased with it. I expected the 2019 version to be at least as good if not better--that was a mistake, it is bad. The 2019 does not allow you to fade sound to the rear without an extreme loss of quality and volume. An audiophile expert I know said it was because of a "cheap" amplifier in the car. I would say listen to the audio in the car before you buy it and see if you are satisfied with it. I did not do that and I am really unhappy that I failed to do that. Surely, there is a fix to this issue. It is not just my car, it is all 2019 ES350's with the Pioneer system.

 

I got the ML system but I listened to both and I was only disappointed with the Pioneer system in one area....XM radio. XM sounded static-y on the Pioneer system. For sources like MP3s over Bluetooth from my phone the Pioneer system sounded pretty good but the ML system was better. If I didn't listen to XM I think the Pioneer system would have been just fine.

 

The pioneer system is not "just fine" unless you are OK with having good sound coming from only the front speakers. Lexus calls that "theater sound". Basically, that means when you fade the sound to the rear, you lose volume and sound quality. Even if you up the volume to about 40, the quality is still poor..

 

I'm very interested in understanding how a "cheap" amplifier will cause this problem. Would your expert friend be able to share with you so that you could share with us?

 

My friend who has designed and sold speakers for many years listened to my radio issue. His analysis was that there were sufficient speakers in the rear (5) but that the amplifier did not have sufficient power to send the signals to those speakers to get the performance desired. He did provide me with examples of how the power in an amplifier has a major impact on speaker performance.

 

Interesting. Power definitely makes things louder... you should ask him about placement, sensitivity, and how sensitivity and power relate, but usually conversely with distortion This stuff fascinates me if you couldn't tell lol I gave up car audio when I started trading in cars more frequently, so I moved to home theater instead. Also, for the pioneer system, there are really only 2 speakers in the back, two little 3.5" speakers. I don't think the subwoofer in the trunk lid counts toward the frustration people are feeling over the lack of volume. The ML system technically has 5, but again, the subwoofer isn't part of the problem and the 3.5" speaker just gains a tweeter for extended upper frequency response. The little 3.5" will have a hard time digging deep enough in the octave range to cover a lot of the important stuff. I think most people would be much happier if Lexus put a mid in the rear doors to go with the 3.5" speakers, like they did in the front doors, and bumped up the power a bit.

Ah well, if it's a big enough problem for them they can always pull up the carpet and adjust the amp themselves Or go aftermarket.

 

Thanks for the comments. Actually, I looked in the trunk under the rear shelf and there are two speakers in addition to the subwoofer along with the two tweeters in the rear doors. If there is not sufficient wattage (power) from the amplifier to drive those speakers, then you get poor sound.

I did check with an aftermarket sound shop and they will not touch the system since it is integrated. Said they could not help. I did admire their honesty.

 

I'm assuming you are referring to the standard Pioneer system in this comment. The Mark Levinson system has 1800 watts so power isn't an issue.

 

You are right power isnt the issue. I dont get people defending Lexus on this one. Pretty obvious Lexus dropped the ball on this one. If a few like all their sounds to come from the front thats what a Fader is normally for. Any car can have the "front stage sound" by turning their fader all the way foward(tho just about every enjoyone surround sound in the car so they typically wouldnt do something lame like that). Placing speakers and woofers in the rear and making them almost mute by default is just dumb and indefensible.

 

JL Audio makes a system just for that. It takes the signal that would have gone to the speakers, sums it, equalizes it flat, then gives you RCA outputs for amps. The amps then connect to the stock wiring for the speakers and boom, you have mucho power to all speakers (assuming you bought a more powerful amp).

I wonder if people would be happier swapping out the 3.5s in the back doors for something that will play louder.

 

Swapping speakers is something Lexus has said they will not do. I am going to check your suggestion with an audio company and see if they think they could do that.

 

Your recommendation of a potential solution is interesting. Specifically, what JLAudio System are you referring too. Can you give me a name and/or a model number so I can give it to my audio shop to see if it might work for me.