Anyone care to comment on their experience with playing DVD Audios. I've played a few. While the sound is much better than CD's I wonder if speaker and/or amplifier upgrade would improve the sound.

 

Are you saying that the GX can play DVD-Audio CD's?

 

Doc: No such thing as a DVD Audio CD. Its a DVD Audio Disc. Yes it looks like a CD, as do a lot of DVD's, but its a DVD and will only play in a DVD Audio player, not in a regular DVD Video player. DVD Audio's have the best sound available, 5.1 channels. Some have two sides, one for just 5.1 Audio and the other side with Video. Check out http://www.aixrecords.com/ you will be amazed at the quality of the recording versus CD's, IPODs, MP3's blech!

Lexus owners must not be audiophiles?

 

Well, you're posting in a single model forum that has fairly low traffic, and most of the owners that post here don't have the newest version 5 ML/nav system that plays them.

I took a bunch of disks with me to audition during a set of test drives (LS430, IS350 and ES350) including a CD, DVD, DVD Audio, SACD and MP-3 burned disk. Listened more in the ES350 than the IS... sounded decent but I was underwhelmed with the overall presence of the system. Mids and Highs were pretty good, but not awesome. Lows were evident but in now way impressed me. DVD-Audio vs CD was only a subtle improvement (but not the same source material). SACD was not recognized as expected, but thought I'd try.

I've got a pretty heavily customized setup in my GS that sounds much better (Dynaudio speakers, etc). Not 5.1 though. 2 ch Home setup for audio (got a couple HT's as well) is Theta transport, Audio Research tubes, Sonus Faber Grand Piano. Have a Pioneer SACD / DVD-A also that goes into that setup.

Check the FAQ in the 2nd gen IS forum for a link to a good writeup by one of our audio forum moderators

 

I am a little confused. Are you saying that you play DVD audio discs in your 2006 GX?

 

Dr E - new Lexus with the Mark Levinson system / 5th generation Nav system can play DVD Audio. I'm not sure if the 06 GX gets that system as an option or it arrives with the 07 or later (I've read it here, just can't recall).

 

Maybe I'll just try one and see. I don't think it would hurt anything. My previous Acura RL could play them.

 

Dave: I have been amazed that Acura is the only car mfg that even makes mention of DVD audio capability, albeit only on a few select vehicles, and they seem to be unsure they have a marketable feature. None of the Lexus dealers I visited knew of the feature. I first heard a DVD Audio in an Acura sedan a couple of months ago. It was a Jon McKuen recording specifically recorded for 5.1 and it blew me away. As with CD's the quality of some recordings are better than others. What I was trying to ask this forum was how they found the sound in their GX playing a DVD audio. Totally different speaker setup than a sedan. And also if it was worth considering a speaker and/or amp upgrade.

I am not sure about your question to DR E about which year model has the DVD Audio. I have an 06 and it came factory.

 

Did you try the DVD Audio?

 

Not yet. I can't find my couple of discs yet that were that. Once I do, I'll post what happened. Since trading cars, sometimes things get misplaced.

 

I tried the DVD audio and one dts audio DVD. They both did not work in my 6 disc CD changer but did in my DVD player entertainment system. I was pleased.

 

The DVD-Audio quality is excellent, and with the Nav hack on my new IS is even very nice to look at the graphics/videos together with the music.

But... I just bought a new DVD-Audio from Silverline Records:
Author: Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
Title: XXL
Barcode: 6-7662882069-8
Year: 2003

It's an excellent multi-channel orchestrated jazz recording, and it sounds great at home in my 'audiophile-like' system as a DVD-Audio, or even in my PC as a normal DVD in Dolby Digital.

But when I inserted it (more times...) in my IS ML system the support wasn't recognised: the disk was accepted, put in the next free slot, but nothing appeared in the IS display close the the slot number to identify the media type.
I explain better: I can see the usual six slots buttons with "1 DVD-A", "2 CD", "3 DVD-V",..., "6 " (nothing written to indicate the recognised media type of XXL).

I managed to play in my Mark Levinson with no problems:
- Other DVD-Audios (eg. Donald Fagen, Clapton & BBKing, Elvis, etc. both older and newer than XXL)
- Normal DVD's (eg. Star Wars, test disks, etc.)
- DualDisc (both DVD and CD sides, eg. Bruce Springsteen)
- SACD (but only playing the CD layer, not the SACD one)
- Normal CD's

Have you got any clues?
Are there different DVD-Audio specifications that could be not compatible with Lexus systems?
My Lexus (italian) model: IS 220d, year 2006, Luxury & Multimedia Pack (Nav + ML). Nav Disc V 05.00.31.

Thanks! Gianluca

 

My favorite DVD Audio is Jonathan McKuen-One Step Ahead . He's the son of John McKuen from Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. http://www.aixrecords.com/catalog/jonathan_mceuen.html . This was recorded in true 5.1 by AIX Records, the leader in DVD AUDIO.

 

Not sure this is the best place to ask (believe it or not a search for "DVD" turned up with no hits...makes no sense).

I have an '06 GX470 with ML/Nav and a CD changer...i.e. no DVD.

Do you think I could change the CD changer to a DVD player in order to play audio DVDs and have the sytem control it? Not inerested in the video.

thanks,
Mark

 

You could probably do that with a reputable aftermarket dealer. I do not think Lexus will do that for you as far as changing out the CD player. I did not know if you realize, but the factory DVD player that can be installed in the 06 GX and maybe by a Lexus dealership after purchase will play DVD audio discs and dts audio discs, in addition to videos. Let me know if you have any more questions. I too have a 06 GX. Are you having any trouble with the clunk/thud feeling after coming to a quick complete stop as discussed elsewhere on these forums? I have started to notice that at the 5000 mile mark with my new GX and have backordered TSB parts for that fix.