I've done some searching and haven't come up with much. I'm trying to figure out what these two settings do. I can hear a difference when I toggle them on and off, but I'm not sure whether having these settings on or off is better suited for certain types of source. I primarily listen to FM radio, and I'm more interested in clarity than anything else.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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Surround is exactly that. Surround sound. Meaning the DSP simulates a 5ch like system where your centers are working. (when its on)

Haven t even noticed DLS before.

 

Sorry, I meant ASL, not DSL. I'm just trying to figure out the optimum settings for listening to FM radio. It seems that the sound is deeper/fuller with both surround and ASL on, but the downside is that there is a sacrifice with respect to clarity.

 

ASL (automatic sound level) is for when you're driving at varying speeds.
As you travel faster, road noise increases, so the audio volume increases to compensate.
When the road noise reduces (quieter tarmac, slower speed), then the system reduces the volume.
The scale is effectively sensitivity - the more bars lit up, the bigger the increase will be for a given dB increase in noise detected.

The Surround function will make the sound more diffuse (less directional cues) and may be enhancing the bass end of the spectrum too make stereo audio sound more enveloping.
You'd see that if you played white noise and spot frequency sine wave tones, and monitored the output from a calibrated mic on a spectrum analyser/PC with suchlike software.

 

For FM:

Surround: OFF
ASL: ON

nuff said.

 

Or.... Play a CD and turn the Surround on and off while you're listening. Analyzer

Explain this...
Because when I turn my Surround off... the center ch speakers are off. Do you have a ML system in your Lexus?

 

Centre speaker is part of the 5.1 (front left, front centre, front right, rear left, rear right, and sub) - in pseudo mode, it'll be active, so the stereo sound becomes diffuse.
I guess if you're not an audiophile, then directionality, sound field, imaging will be alien concepts.
Equally, it'll depend on the music and quality of the recording.

 

....Gotcha.

 

Good thread, I always wondered lol

 

yaaaa thanks me too... can't wait to get isimple install this weekend!!!

 

Now that's an explanation!

 

I don't know, maybe I'm doing something wrong. Like I said, I listen primarily to FM radio. Prior to the 06 GS430, I had a 99 GS400 with the Nakamichi system and I thought it sounded fantastic. I was driving around with a colleague today (who had been in my 99 many times), and he commented that the ML stereo did not sound good at all. I get the fact that the ML system in the 3GS is not any where near as good as, say, the ML system in the LS460, but jeez, at the very least I expect it to sound good/above average. Sometimes it sounds just plain terrible, especially when listening to songs that seem to be heavy on the midrange. I currently have the bass at +1, the mid at -2, and the treble at +1.

 

Maybe those settings aren't bringing out the clarity or best of the system. Those are a little low for my taste tbh I have max bass, 1 from max on MID, and 2 from max on Treble. I had to increase the treble and max since I added a subwoofer too.

 

For me I just leave everything in the middle except the bass to +3 or +2 depending on the songs. I read somewhere that the system was tuned for best performance when everything is in the middle, but I feel it's lacking bass. When I turn mid or treble up, I feel my ear getting uncomfortable. Btw I'm a musician with perfect pitch if that makes a difference, I have a sensitive ear...

 

I feel the same very high frequencies hurt my ears and give me a headache. Before the sub I had Treble +1 or +2 with MID at +3 and BASS Max. So your ear has perfect pitch? I try to sing with perfect pitch!