Hello all,
some quick questions... is the Navi radio's sound quality for the 98-00 years as good as the Nak system? is there a difference in the first place besides the obvious?

 

I remember from my repair manuals for my 00 LS that the audio system that comes with the nav system uses the same amp as the standard Pioneer audio system. So I guess they would sound the same.

The Nak in my 00 LS sounds nice - I think the total watts is about 95 higher than the standard or nav audio system. I've listened to the standard audio system in a couple of 99 LS400's but not to the extent that I could tell if the sound quality was different from the Nak.

From what is shown in my repair manual, it looks like one could replace the 98-00 nav system with the climate control and head unit that comes with the standard Pioneer system and that the amp does not have to be replaced. The wiring harness between the amp and headunit is different for the Nak system - different number of connectors and pin configuration. The CD changer is the same on all 98-00 LS audio systems.

The Nak system in my 00 LS developed problems (right channel weak) earlier this year. I was on the verge of replacing the whole system with a neat double DIN unit that had nav and an iPod connection but it cost less than $50 to have the Nak head unit repaired so I stayed with it.

 

the 98 to 2000 nav has a pioneer made dash mounted digital amp the nak still had a trunk mounted analog with dac converter so the wiring is not condusive to switching systems. finally in 2001 the best lexus audio system went to digital and they called it mark levsinson even thought it used the same digital radio made by pioneer as the 98 tio 2000 models had. the main problem is that digital amps control all the speakers. in analog systems the radio controlled all the speakers so if a digital radio plugged into analog system amp and wiring the radio has no control over the speaker volume.