Quick Q: Avalon's JBL vs. LS430 ML
 

Hey all,

I am contemplating getting either a new Avalon Limited or an '05 LS430 UL. I have read many threads already. BUT, i have not read of any comparison between the two audio systems. Has anyone heard both? I tested the JBL system already because my Toyota dealer is very close to my house...and found it to be very good. Sound stage in the rear seat is a bit off (just a tad too much sound coming from the rear deck satellite speakers). I will have a chance to listen to the LS 430 ML system soon, but i want to get some feedback before then.

Thanks in advance.

I've driven an Avalon a few times and not sure if it had the JBL system (was not my vehicle), and me not being an audiophile by any means (some say I'm tone deaf)... I doubt the JBL would be better staged than the ML system, but with all things being equal let's say, I would say the quality in the LS has to be better just from a sound isolation standpoint. The LS is clearly more quiet inside than an Avalon and you'd be able to enjoy more sound and range.

i actually got to sit in my back seat (05 ls UL) sober for once the other day for about an hour and i had the sun roof open and the stereo thumpin. i have the stock ML system but removed the 8" sub and put in a jl12w6 (in a box) + a 500.1 jl amp and while sitting in the back seat i found the stereo to sound awful compared to the front seats.. i couldn't hear hardly any treble at all and i guess since i was so close to the sub (compared to the front seat) it sounded way to bassy for me.

i am not head over heals for the ML system at all, but i'm not going to sit hear and say that my bose setup in my 99 grand cherokee was much better either... i still think my old Nakamichi in my old gs400 was better than my current ML.

Could it be that your aftermarket sub is not correctly calibrated??

it could most definitely be that it is not tuned properly,, but in my UL the rear trunk does not have a way for air to freely pass through to the cabin so there will always be a little muffled trapped bass sound to it. unless i pay a lot more money to have it done up all professional like, which i'm not willing to do presently since the bass sounds acceptable from the captains chair... ;)

Doesn't the sound pass through the hole where your OEM sub was?

yes but on the UL model the ML sub is enclosed separately from the trunk compartment. this is the one thing that i wish i had the non UL model on/in. i have like a wall on the inside top and back of my trunk with no passage to the car or ML sub area for that matter...

Bose = Blows, IMO. This has been the case in most everything I've ever heard from Bose. Most over-hyped audio equipment in the history of the universe. LOL

I agree that the Nakamichi in the earlier Lexus cars was awesome, and probably better than the ML. ML in the LS430 is pretty good but not fabulous. With good source material, the top of the line system in the LS460 owns all though, including about 99.5% of all aftermarket systems IMO.

Alright, finally, today, i had the chance to really test the Avalon's JBL system. Test vehicle was a 2009 Avalon Limited with NAVI. All the audio settings to neutral (zero). Surround mode on and off. Same CDs as what i used on the LS430's ML system. I did not test the system with the car in motion...this was with the car stationary.

Conclusion? No comparison. As much as i wanted to believe otherwise, the Avalon's JBL system is superior to the ML system. Imaging was better. Staging was better. The sound stage is wider. Clarity was on-par with the ML system. Bass seems to be better distributed and deeper. In fact, the Avalon's system has taken over the Acura TL's ELS system as my 2nd favorite system after Lexus LS460 Reference system. It is a very impressive system from JBL...and clearly showed that Toyota really invested a lot of money into Avalon's JBL system. (Oh yeah, it blows my Sienna's JBL system out of the water!)

It's probably my age, but I've never considered car radio comparisons to be a deciding factor between two cars. Then again, my radio tastes include news and both kinds of music - country and western.

i have officially changed something with the stereo on every single car that i have owned thus far. so to me this is a negligible thing. but good to know that toyota is stepping up their game with their 09 models, but like you said toyotas lux line has a better 09 stereo. i bet the 2015 models will be even better :D

Not a deciding factor, but a very important factor nonetheless for me. I drive to work 35 miles each way everyday...on a boring highway. Therefore, a car stereo system is actually more important to me than a good handling car. (I have had one of those before with my 2003 BMW M3.) I am an old fart in a relatively young body...therefore, i want a serene ride with a good stock audio system. This is why i am in this LS subforum to begin with.

I was like that when i was younger until i realize that aftermarket parts/work usually comes with negative tradeoffs (rattles, scratches on panels, uneven sound, etc.). Therefore, i am ONLY interested in OEM sound system that i won't need to change afterwards.

Actually, the JBL system in the Avalon has been there since 2005...nothing has changed that i know of. It is one of the rare systems that i know of that sounds equally good whether you're in the driver's seat or the front passenger seat. The one negative with the Avalon system is that the rear passenger sound stage is bias towards the back of your head. :( But, it is still pretty decent back there...and a little bit better than the LS430's back seat audio.

The only experience I've had with JBL was the system in my old Lincoln '97 Mark VIII w/ 8speakers. It was a good system for for its time, lacked a dedicated sub-woofer, but great nonetheless. However, i find the system in the LS to be far superior in clarity and quality of sound. This hardly constitutes a comparison considering the age difference between the two.

However, audio systems are mostly subjective as everyone has different taste in notes and sound. Some care for more Bass, while others value sound clarity and staging.

That makes two of us. (except the western music part, lol)

Have you adjusted the DSP setting to accommodate all four seats? I noticed it made a huge difference.