Guy, i need a little help with upgrading my non-ml stereo in my 2010 gs.

Anyone got any ideas/suggestions?

 

JBL MS8 look it up. Just did mine and it sounds 100 times better.

 

Never heard of it, but from what I can see with a quick search, it's quite interesting.

Can you give some insight into installation? My complaint with the non-ML stereo is overall volume.. I want it to be louder! but maybe better sound would work?

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

Reviews are revving. I guess i'll order it off Amazon and see if i can get someone to install it.

 

Get Pioneer or JL for speaker

 

Any thoughts on JL Audio CleanSweep? Any idea how its compared to JBL MS-8?

 

The clean sweep is very different then the JBL MS8. They both offer High/Level to low level signals for amplification. The big advantage of the MS8 is it offers a real time analyze of the car after install using the provided microphone. So it will adjust tuning for each specific vehicle. It also processes 7.1 because we have a center speaker in our vehicles. I installed mine and was very impressed with the sound improvements. It has an internal 30watt/8 amp. I installed mine onto the existing power circuits for the factory pioneer amp in the trunk. It pulls low amperage so a new power feed is not all that necessary. Keep in mind it is a start you will want to do new speakers and more amplification but right off the bat it improved the sound dramatically.

 

Here is my MS8 under the drivers side floor in the trunk of my GS350. If anyone has questions PM me. As far as the question about install I would not recommend attempting this is you are a novice audio installer. I have been doing audio for 8 years now and I had contacted JBL for some clarification.

 

iight... you just reinforced it. i'm gonna get it ordered.

 

Anyone arund Central Jersey who would wanna help me install this unit?

 

Chrisream, does your bluetooth and navigation still work properly. I have heard of a lot of people using the MS-8 that have issues with their bluetooth when using it??? I'm curious because the MS-8 looks like a really neat piece. You are definately correct that a novice should not try to hook it up. Especially in a GS because of how the speakers are wired.

 

Earlier in a post here I said I had to contact JBL about some things when I installed it. That was because of the navigation/bluetooth issues. The directions for the MS8 are not so great but if installed correctly the navigation/bluetooth works great I use mine everyday! If you want to know the details let me know.

 

Chrisream,

That would be great if you could give me the details because I am looking at OEM integration pieces right now. AudioControl has a new piece out called the LCQ-1 and if I could get the MS-8 to work properly I would lean towards it because I know the advantages of the T/A, equalizaion and etc... that the MS-8 has.

I have a complete wiring diagram of the stereo system and I have tapped into some of the wiring on the front because I installed a set of components in the doors and dash.

 

You can connect the factory front speaker outputs to any MS-8 Hi Level inputs, but factory stereo or amplifier
subwoofer outputs MUST be connected ONLY to the MS-8’s channel 7 and/or 8 inputs. During the calibration/
setup process, the MS-8 will “normalize” the input signals and derive as many output signals as your speaker
system requires

That is right from the install book that comes with the MS8. You need to make sure that each coil from the factory sub (there are 2) is running through channel 7 & 8 only. Your front speakers will only pass thru nav/bluetooth audio if connected to the front 1 & 2 channels of the ms8. I had mine located on 5 & 6 and it would not pass nav/audio thru till I moved them to channels 1 & 2. This is basically just part of making sure the install is done correctly. The device works great. JBL has a video on their website and the demo car is a IS.

 

Thanks, I watched the video before and read the manual, but after reading your post and doing both again I was able to put it all together.

Did you change out any of the speakers or did you just use all of the stock speakers including the sub.? Both the front and the rear tweeters are wired in paralell with the door speakers, but the wires go to the tweeter first and then the woofer in the door. If I use the MS-8 I am planning on running the front as a two-way to separate the woofer from the tweeter, a one-way center, the rear door woofers only as a one-way and separate 10" sub in a sealed enclosure. I will use the on board amplifiers of the MS-8 to run the tweeters, center and doors and then separate amps for the door mids and sub. Are you using the on board amplifiers of the MS-8 for everything, and if so how does it stack up to the stock amplifiers performance???

BTW, I have chatted via e-mail a few times with Andy W at JBL and he is a great source of help and information on the MS-8.

Thanks in advance.