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What set me off is your use of word Melodramtic. Definition being "overly emotional,exaggerating." I've never met you in person and overly melodramatic would not be a word people associate me with. You can accuse me of being overly frustrated with this. You can accuse me of being frustrated that the dealership even agrees with me that my rear speakers are INOP, yet they have no fix. You can accuse me of having a bad ear for sound since I like the sound better in a different car. I fully accept any statement that "this guy is frustrated! I'd say...damn right! So much so...I am done with the topic and accept the sound system as designed. I would just like to meet the engineer to ask why they made this worse than my 2016 Lexus ES300.
Just took a peak at cars.com reviews by other owners. I guess I'm just one of the many frustrated...or melodramatics. Shame on me for thinking my car was really different with the sound complaint. The Lexus response playbook apparently is solid. It was "designed that way and is in spec." But, topic has been covered many times and it is time for me to give it up! I do love the looks and the ride of this car. I get great mileage and I find it really smooth. Just wish I didn't put such a value on audio quality. Apparently others have the same demand for a quality stereo sound. Now I just have to figure out how to improve it on my own nickel.by Former Lexus Lover from Scottsdale, AZ on Sat Feb 09 2019
This is my 6th Lexus ES over many years. The radio does not work correctly, the sound really only comes out of the front speaker. I imagine the software for the fader was improperly designed for when you want to increase the sound from the back of the car the front drops out and the back is almost off.
by Unhappy Buyer from Lancaster, Ca on Mon Dec 31 2018
I like the overall car after the redesign but the 10 speaker sound system is anything but that. The ability to fade any sound to the rear is nonexistent. You cannot balance this system out to hear any sound from the rear speakers at all. Future buyers beware! The complaints are growing for this problem with Lexus giving the standard consumer response that it is performing to Specs. This is unsatisfactory performance for any sound system and unsatisfactory response from Lexus
by Pjfitness from Miami Florida on Thu Oct 17 2019
Worst sound system ever and cheap front end bumper. I have leased seven ES 350 cars over the years and never been as disappointed as I am with my newly leased 2019 ES F Sports.
by Lawdog from Dallas, TX on Fri Jun 28 2019
Sound system is defective as the rear speakers do not play unless you fade completely to the rear (thereby stopping front sound) and turn the sound up to maximum. Lexus says this is normal and will not solve problem. Apparently all of the 2019 ES350s have the same problem. Considering class action
by NY Rick from Millwood NY on Sat Mar 16 2019
Radio has no ability to balance the sound. Fade function is a joke. I would not have bought this car had I listened before buying
by Joe S from Sarasota Fl on Sat Jan 19 2019
Everything in the car is fine, the stock radio is terrible with only front speakers that work. Seems to be a major flaw.
by Lexusguy from Los angeles on Wed Apr 10 2019
Nice car, but had I known the issues with the sound system, I never would have bought this car. Seriously, who test drives the speaker system in a $50,000 car? The rear speakers produce no sound unless you fade all the way to the rear and max the volume. Then and only then will you hear faint noise out of the rear side speakers and still nothing out the rear speaker. All the sound comes out of one big speaker at the base of the windshield. Like an old car radio from the 60’s. Ask for a test drive, try the sound system....YOU WILL WALK AWAY!! Lexus says this is normal. BS!!!!! I am getting no help from Lexus. This problem is known and buyers are finding out.
by Peb58 from New Jersey on Sun Feb 24 2019
I really like this car, however it is somewhat complicated to use navigation) and the audio system ( music) is the worst ive ever heard, For a $50G car, i feel the audio should be way much better.
by DISSAPOINTED LEXUS OWNER from Surprise on Tue Oct 22 2019
I like the vehicle but the Audio System Sucks. The rear speakers do not provide ( almost ) no audio. One has to be very quiet in able to hear any sound. i just spoke to Lexus Corporate and was told that is the way the system was designed to work. I EXPECTED this type of response. Lexus WILL NOT admit that there is a problem ,because if they do they will be forced to remedy it. "That's the way it was designed "
by GerryBois from oak creek, Wi on Mon Jul 01 2019
The ride and comfort of this car is great. The interior comfort and materials used inside are very good. The problem is the radio, the fade and surround sound is very poor and not workable. For a car of this class the radio is very poor.
by BIG DAN from HOUSTON, TX on Wed Oct 30 2019
LEXUS REALLY SCREWED UP AND THEY KNOW IT. YOU HAVE A GREAT PERFORMANCE IN LEXUS...BUT THE STEREO SOUND SYSTEM IS A JOKE!!! THERE ARE NO REAR WOOFERS/ SPEAKERS - LEXUS ADMITS THEY REMOVED THEM - AND THE SINGLE MOST LUXURIOUS THING ABOUT LEXUS, BEING THE STEREO SYSTEM, LEXUS IN THEIR WISDOM, REMOVED IT FROM THE REAR SPEAKERS AND THE STEREO FADER - FRONT TO BACK - DOES NOT WORK!!!!!
Agree. My mistake as others have noted on the forums. I bought mine in December 2018 and the sound issue hadn't come up much as an issue. It just never dawned on my that the 2019 would be that significantly different than the 2017ES. As I and others have stated, who would have thought you would have to fully listen to a stereo in a $50K luxury car. Fact is, I had mine shipped from California to Colorado and never sat in a Luxury ES since Colorado Stevinson Lexus didn't get them until February 2019. But you're right. I own the car and shame on me!
Question: wonder if it makes since to post a thread on How to Improve the sound system in the 2019/2020 ES.
Just looking for people that have tackled the problem and improved it on their own. Clearly, Lexus is fine with it current spec and performance.
What set me off is your use of word Melodramtic. Definition being "overly emotional,exaggerating." I've never met you in person and overly melodramatic would not be a word people associate me with. You can accuse me of being overly frustrated with this. You can accuse me of being frustrated that the dealership even agrees with me that my rear speakers are INOP, yet they have no fix. You can accuse me of having a bad ear for sound since I like the sound better in a different car. I fully accept any statement that "this guy is frustrated! I'd say...damn right! So much so...I am done with the topic and accept the sound system as designed. I would just like to meet the engineer to ask why they made this worse than my 2016 Lexus ES300.
from the language of your posts, i got the sense that u were overly emotional, hence the word melodramatic. Like i stated, i too did not like the fact that lexus decided to put in tiny speakers (but with giant grills) in the back doors, which makes zero sense to me. i complained and also wrote letters to them, but got the standard response. However, that said, some people are indeed overly exaggerating how bad they sound, comparing them to ''garbage'' like the title of this thread. Before buying the 2019 ES300h, i tested the accord touring hybrid and rav4 limited hybrid sound systems, and neither of them sounds better than my ES stock pioneer. I also tested the 2016 ES350 luxury with stock speakers as a loaner car from the dealer, and while front and back speakers have the same volume, i hated their sound and wanted to be back in my 2019 ES.
So while i think lexus did make a mistake with the design, the quality of the sound is not nearly as bad as some have suggested. Also something interesting to note is Lexus is now no longer advertising the stock sound system as ''surround sound'' whereas the ML system is.
Do you have any insight into if I replaced the rear speakers with larger/better speakers, would it sound better? My guess is probably not because of the amplifier limits? Just looking for solutions at this point to improve the quality of the sound.
I actually think the sound from the front is quite good. It's the passengers in the rear that suffer. If the problem is simply the size or efficiency of the rear speakers as opposed to the power being supplied to the rear speakers by the amplifier, couldn't a simple swap to larger, more efficient rear speakers be a potential answer?
Do you have any insight into if I replaced the rear speakers with larger/better speakers, would it sound better? My guess is probably not because of the amplifier limits? Just looking for solutions at this point to improve the quality of the sound.
its not that simple, you need the right impedance and right wiring harness, but most likely its to do with the amp.
I actually think the sound from the front is quite good. It's the passengers in the rear that suffer. If the problem is simply the size or efficiency of the rear speakers as opposed to the power being supplied to the rear speakers by the amplifier, couldn't a simple swap to larger, more efficient rear speakers be a potential answer?
i suspect its the amplifier and not the speakers, because even tiny USB speakers can sound louder than the current volume of the rear door speakers.
I'd put a pair of very high sensitivity rear speakers in and see if it helps. Should be louder given equal power and possibly make a difference. The cars were truly designed to have a front sound stage, it's in all the press releases I read before purchasing.
I also took a USB drive with my favorite songs and listened to it on the test drive to be sure I liked it, since it was an important feature to me.
How to fix or change the cheap and awful sound system in the 2019 Lexus ES350? You don't pay the dealer extra $1,600 for a Mark Levinson Audio upgrade because you're still gonna have a garbage sound system. From the factory audio you just can't hear enough bass and just not enough sound from the rear. It doesn't matter how much you try to adjust the fader, bass or volume, you're stuck hearing little or no bass but only the soft mids and highs from the rear. This makes you feel like all the sounds are flat, incomplete and they're all coming from the front of the dashboard. It's a big design flaw from Lexus of just putting a tiny 3.5 inch mid range speaker on each of the rear doors whether you have the base audio or Mark Levinson audio upgrade. The factory woofer in the rear doesn't produce any significant bass and is almost useless.
I was able to resolve this problem by installing a spare tire mount powered subwoofer from JBL (BassPro Hub) using Audio Control (LC2i) line output converter by tapping into the factory radio's front door speaker wires. A discreet setup which doesn't sacrifice any trunk space. Now my factory audio sound much much richer and fuller and complete with tight bass. Highly recommended if you own 2019 or newer Lexus ES to correct the audio problem. IMHO I don't think there is any better solution than this.
Lc2i mounted under the driver's seat next to the facotry amp. Powered sub-woofer mounted in the spare tire. You would have to flip the spare tire upside down to fit the sub and shave off the bottom of the jack tool foam holder to fit flush.
Last edited by samcjung; May 17, 2020 at 10:01 AM.
You think the factory ML system is garbage and has no bass, but you install that piece of trash and pass it along as an upgrade? And you complain about the ML price, which is $900 not $1600, but you'll spend $560 on a subwoofer that equates to one of Andre the Giant's farts? That JBL and the factory sub are nearly the same size, but the JBL being shallow mount means there is no suspension travel. Probably has an Xmax of 4mm LOL. JBL even knows it's terrible which is why they don't even publish the woofer T/S specs.
You'd be FAR better off installing a small sub in the trunk for half the price. They have subs that take up such little volume wouldn't even miss the space, but would actually give you bass.
I've never heard of people complaining there's not enough bass in the ES until now...how does pumping out more bass increase treble and mids volume for the back passengers?
The problem is factory amp no good regardless of versions. We had two versions installed from dealer and still only had 20% output. We installed AudioControl 6 channel line out converter to control what the factory couldn't, Sub/800 watt amp with base **** control and motorcycle amp for Factory speakers. All installed under seats after factory amp so nothing removed. It sound unbelievable we have total control of sound now. Bose quality
You think the factory ML system is garbage and has no bass, but you install that piece of trash and pass it along as an upgrade? And you complain about the ML price, which is $900 not $1600, but you'll spend $560 on a subwoofer that equates to one of Andre the Giant's farts? That JBL and the factory sub are nearly the same size, but the JBL being shallow mount means there is no suspension travel. Probably has an Xmax of 4mm LOL. JBL even knows it's terrible which is why they don't even publish the woofer T/S specs.
You'd be FAR better off installing a small sub in the trunk for half the price. They have subs that take up such little volume wouldn't even miss the space, but would actually give you bass.
I'm so sorry if I offended you, Andre the wise guy. I appreciate your 'expert' advice but I rather have a full trunk space and be discreet about the upgrade. I wasn't complaining about the ML Price. I just googled the price and got that figure. Good for you if you got your ML for $900 and are content with the ML sound. By the way my total cost for the upgrade was $230. ($180 for the powered sub and $50 for the Lc2i.)
Last edited by samcjung; May 22, 2020 at 09:33 AM.
Reason: removed repeating screenshot attachments
That JBL and the factory sub are nearly the same size, but the JBL being shallow mount means there is no suspension travel. Probably has an Xmax of 4mm LOL. JBL even knows it's terrible which is why they don't even publish the woofer T/S specs.
