cmasten

I have a SC and GS with ML in them and they are good sounding, but I dont need all the DVD gizmos that come with that. The LS460 I just picked up has the premium system in it which has a very basic sound, but I like the head unit and the DSPs ability to switch the audio into driver (very decent) front, rear and all.

I was thinking of just adding a Audio Control DQL 8 to take the outputs of the head unit, which I am keeping and then feed that into an Alpine PDX5 so I get more power to the stock drivers and the ability to tune the system without putting a fortune into an upgrade.

I can then listen to whats there to see if any of it is worth keeping (front mids and tweets perhaps) and add drivers and re-tune accordingly

My Q is has anyone done anything like this with your LS460? keeping the factory head unit?

Thanks in advance

CMasten

jarm

cmasten:
I too have the factory stereo and want to keep the factory head unit without spending a fortune for the upgrade. Let me know how this works.


jarm

cmasten

will do jarm.

I also intend on keeping this all plug and play in the back so if I decide to take it out and leave it factory I can easily.

One thing I really like about the DQL 8 is the ability to tune the system to the speakers that are there, and then make adjustments where I replace drivers, first thing it so intercept the amp and replace that with a much better unit to see how that works. It will be a progressive adventure.

cmasten

taking the trunk apart to better determine the fit and finish, then if it all looks good, Ill get it all ordered and get a plan for a plan, Ill have the installers take pics so anyone interested can see how it works. I am looking forward to how it sounds with more power and better processing, should also be interesting to see what adding in some upgraded drivers will add into the base upgrade. probably by the end of this week and Ill have an update

jarm

Cmasten: I am definitely interested. Please show all pictures and details as I will follow your directions on this install.


jarm

cmasten

Locked down the products (Focal-165VR3) for 3 ways in the front and Focal amps (sub-Solid1 and 3 ways-Solid4). JL sub-10W1V24 and a custom enclosure to fit in the corner right above the amp in the trunk.

I am having Jason and Josh at Al-Eds in La Verne, Ca tackle this. Very knowledgeable guys and excellent reputation. The goal here is to see if I can put in an aftermarket that rivals the ML for about the same cost. I have no doubts it will... It wont have DVD.. then I have home theatre for that.. I am only after audio sound quality that the quiet interior of this wonderful vehicle deserves.

They will start his sunday and will need about 3 days to get it all together, they will take pics along the way and post them up here. We ended up not going with the DQL-8 processor but will use a Rockford 3Sixty instead. It has time delay adjustments

kattawar

I am keeping the head unit as well but was extremely disappointed with the speakers/amp/sub,etc... My plan was to get some BA upgrades throughout the car as well as a much better quality sub with custom enclosure; add to that about a 500 - 750 watt 5 channel amp and things should be kicking in the LS 460. I did something very similar in my other vehicle and it sounded great. Those speakers that are in there from the factory appear to be plain-jane paper speakers... (pretty sad). I am also adding the VAIS tech Ipod-adapter and and also add the PS box to override the darn motion-lock stuff. That thing is unbelievable.... I will get some pics when the work is done, but it will probably be another week or two...

jarm

Hello cmasten and kattawar: Any results of your stereo upgrade? Are you replacing all 10 speakers or just select ones? I am going to follow your lead on this one as I purchased a LS460 without the ML system. Is there a website that shows the location of all the speakers? I noticed the three in the front panel, one speaker in each door and one woofer in the real panel. Where are the other two located? Thanks for all your help.


jman

cmasten

I turned it in yesterday, I should get it back by Tuesday. I am leaving it to the pros even though I am versed in audio design and installs. They will be posting pics along the way and putting the links up here to allow others to see what their approach was.

I am keeping the head unit, cd etc, as its all perfectly tied into the steering wheel and navi. I am just adding amps and replacing the speakers. They are using a Rockford 3Sixty.2 to take the high level outputs back in the trunk that feed into the amp and then neutralize everything into a flat 20-20k signal to then feed that to a couple of Focal amps. I am using one mono for a new 10" JL sub that will get a custom fiberglass enclosure in the rear corner above where the amp is now. They will be replacing the 4" mid and tweeter in the dash with Focal separates and a new 6.5" mid bass in the door with a Focal 3way cross over that allows the tweeters to be adjusted.

I am leaving the simple mids in the rear doors as I dont really care what the quality is in the rear seats.. my boys on trips etc, either will have IPads (when they ship!) to listen to their own music or watch a movie. so the mids will be live, but just tuned down. We will have to play with that to see how it works out.

Once its all in, they take pink noise and a spectrum analyzer and flatten out the interior to overcome some of the acoustic differences. The Rockford processor has amazing control over all of this. The JL sub in the trunk will be adjusted as its sound will just pass through where the 10" is now in the rear deck, but there is really no way to replace that sub with anything that is as free-air as the one Lexus tuned to be in there now. By building their own enclosure and then tuning it afterwords they will have more control. I will also have a manual dial in the front to adjust how much bass I want.

The 3Sixty.2 is a really cool device, if you have not seen it or any device like it, google it and check it out, there are some great utube videos by Rockford that they produced by the designers and product managers that talk you through it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhArw...eature=related

I am looking forward to getting it back next week, Jason and Josh are a great team, they have produced some outstanding custom systems and Im sure you get get lots of ideas from them. If your in So Cal and you would like to upgrade your Lexus.. I would highly recommend them. They are in La Verne off the 210 freeway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znbxm...eature=channel

cmasten

the 10 drivers are as follows

5 in the front, mid and tweeter on each side and a mid in the middle (Its summed of the two channels.. I wont be using this at all in my upgrade)

2 mid bass in the front doors

2 mids in the rear doors

1 sub in the rear deck.

cmasten

Should be getting this back tomorrow evening. They took pics all along the way, so I will have them post them somewhere and Ill put the link of here for you guys to check out.

Cant wait!

also I added in the link to the 3Sixty.2 video from Rockford a couple of comments up and the link for Josh and Jason

CMasten

kattawar

well it just so happens that after listening to the focals at custom sounds I think I will go with them over the BA's... a bit more expensive, but what the heck... ALSO... I went to two different stereo shops and they both said I should just leave the center channel in the front dash alone (as-is) and replace the other 9 speakers with a custom enclosure for the sub in the back. There just isn't much of a chance to get the air moving with the opening in there right now... I should get my car back from the shop tomorrow; I got hit by a yahoo in a monster-truck (just a fender-bender) in the back.. after just 4 days of having the car!!! (ARGH)

Where are you guys getting your sub put in (location?)? In the trunk; or up inside the void-area behind the back seats (around the sub)???

kattawar

oops... sorry.. I meant the location of the amp and sub? I am not sure about mounting it all down in the trunk (which I would rather keep clean) vs. try to hide it up inside the void area above the trunk/behind back seats... ? Thanks for any ideas/thoughts...

cmasten

The center channel is almost worthless and will take away from any quality separates you install up front. you could power it from the 3Sixty, as it is 6 channel into a clean amp, but why?

The 4 channel amp and the mono for the sub will be mounted on a panel and put in the trunk on the other side from the sub enclosure. The video for my shop shows one that they did for a corvette, but once I get the pics up here in a couple of days that may make more sense of give you some other ideas. the two areas behind the tail lights in the trunk are pretty good places, there is always the spare area on the back seat too. The Focal amps are so nicely designed that I would like to showcase it all in the open, they just need to be well dressed, which Josh at my shop does to perfection.

cmasten

Were close, the 3Sixty is giving us some troubles, that we need to figure out today, but the amps, speakers, sub are all done.

Here is a shot of the Focal Amps (4x and 1x) and the JL sub, they did a really nice job on the enclosures.

http://yfrog.com/b6img0502rbjx

Ill post all the pics with the stock drivers etc, once we have it all buttoned up and working as designed.