Hi,
I really liked this as we can still use the oem box.
Other than the mechanical modifications, is it plug and play with oem system. Do we need any custom adapter ?

Thanks

 

[QUOTE=tdlnfm;11588171]Hi,
I really liked this as we can still use the oem box.
Other than the mechanical modifications, is it plug and play with oem system. Do we need any custom adapter ?

Thanks

 

[QUOTE=BD12;11821930]This mega install from the guys in Poland that make the custom fit sub box appear to have:
https://caraudio.basser.pl/en/57-lexus/[/QUOTE

can anyone confirm if this space is the same in the 350h as the 450h+?

 

Great install! Love the custom fabrication work. 🔥 I just did an entire install on the 2025 NX350 and the batteries are all in the front now on all the newer models at least here in Canada in the non hybrid models. Other than that and the rear roof speakers everything else is identical to these pictures. The car in this post could be a 2022. Hard to tell.

 

thanks but not my install…I’m debating ordering this custom enclosure for my 2023 NX350h, but the enclosure is for the 2024 NX450h+ and the vendor can’t confirm the spaces are the same dimensions in the 350h.

 

Ok. If you can call the dealer or find out if yours and that model have the battery in the back then it’s very likely the measurements are the same. Another thing you could do that I would do is head to the dealership with my tape measure. Both are newer models so it’s very likely you will find that exact one there and you can compare measurements with your own vehicle before or after. Hope this helps my friend. 🤞

 

After reading this and related threads, I opted to replace the three dash speakers with JL Audio C2-350x speakers. I couldn’t be happier. As the speakers are sold in pairs, I do have a spare. Should anyone want to go the same route and need a third speaker, message me privately.

UPDATE: The extra speaker was sold pretty quickly. As there seems to be a lot of interest in replacing the three dash speakers, I would imagine that anyone on this forum who posts an extra speaker for sale would be able to readily find a buyer.

 

Like so many other people who've read through this thread over the last couple of years, I went ahead and did the dash speaker upgrade (all 3 to JL c2-350x) and added a Kicker HS10 powered sub to the back like Tbartman did.

The dash speaker upgrade made a world of difference to the clarity and the sub has added more base, but I'm struggling to find settings that I can settle on.

For all those who also went the route of installing the Kicker HS10, what settings have you all settled on? I've set the gain to where everyone seems to like it, 2nd notch clockwise, but phase, bass boost, and crossover are still things I play with and am unsure what works for me. And did anyone install the bass dial? I'm curious what the sound defaults to when there is no dial to adjust.

 

Great speakers and nice upgrade. I would start with setting your gain for your specific speakers using a scope and -5 DB test tone at your max volume to insure you’re getting max unclipped power or max continuous RMS output at peak level if that comes first. For the dash I would go 400 500Hz HPF for better clarity because your lower front door speakers in that car play from 60-1000hz. This will give you powerful clarity. For your sub I would maybe go with a -10 db 40Hz tone to get a little more output from it at lower volumes. If you’ve tapped your sub signal in the trunk I feel like 50Hz LPF with 24 db slope sounds the best in these cars because the sub channel in most Lexus’s plays from 35-65ish Hz so allowing your amp to create the slope before the OEM crossover kicks in will give you more output in the lower range and clean things up significantly in the cabin on heavy bass tracks. Im running a pretty strong subwoofer so my recommendations may need further adjustment in your application. This is just a baseline for reference and all just in my opinion and experience. I’ve been playing around with these newer Lexus’s for years now and it’s interesting what you pick up over the years sometimes. A lot of trail and error. LOC, DSP, two 10’s two 12’s one 12” one 10” you name it I’ve tried it. Let me know how it goes and hope this helps my friend.

 

Thanks so much for the informative reply, greatly appreciate it.

Sadly, as I'm an AV noob, I have to admit that all your helpful suggestions are just gogglygook to me.

I did follow the Kicker manual's instructions on setting gain by playing a 50hz -5db amp tone downloaded from their website while the car volume was set to 75% and the bass dial all the way to max. I found that a bit above 2 notches is where I think I started to hear distortion so I backed to just 2 notches. However, I've been at a bit of a loss trying to determine which phase setting is "better" to my ears and what x-over. My ears can tell a difference, but honestly I'm not sure what is actually better and why.

 

Try the phase all the way in one direction for a day or two and maybe play 2 or 3 albums or a playlist during that time. Then try the phase all the way in the other direction for a few days and listen to those same playlists' or albums and that will help you to decide which one ultimately sounds better to you. We all hear different so what sounds good to me, may not sound good to you and vise versa but testing different settings (trail and error) is the best way to go. For your sub gain, what is your headunit bass level set to? having it at 0 could help you to achieve more and cleaner output from you sub by being able to turn the sub gain up and not have it distort as soon or at all at max level. Hope this helps my friend 🤞

 

Hey everyone,

I recently got a 2025 Lexus NX350 (non-Mark Levinson, 10-speaker setup), and while I love the car, I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by the audio system—especially the bass. After going through the forum, I noticed that many users upgraded their dash speakers and subwoofer first and found great results.

I’m really interested in upgrading my system but not sure where to start. A few questions I have:

1. What’s the best order to upgrade? Should I follow the common dash + sub upgrade first, or would it be better to do front door speakers first?
2. Why do most people upgrade the dash and sub instead of the front speakers? Is it a big difference in sound quality?
3. Recommended brands? I see a lot of different options floating around—what are some solid choices that offer good quality without going overboard on cost?
4. Budgeting advice? I want to improve the sound but don’t want to break the bank. What’s a reasonable budget to set?
5. Amplifier & DSP – Necessary or not? Would adding an amp or digital sound processor make a huge difference, or is it fine to just upgrade the speakers for now?

Since this is my first car, I want to get it right and make sure the upgrade is worth it. Any advice, recommendations, or experiences you can share would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

Before giving you advice, Id first ask: What are your expectations from this upgrade? Are you looking for a slight improvement in sound quality, or do you want a significant upgrade?

For a general baseline course of action from my own personal experience, upgrading the entire system meaning amplifiers, wiring, and speakers, when looking to begin, the best starting point is the subwoofer. I recommend disconnecting the factory sub, feeding that signal into a line output converter (LOC), then into an amplifier, and finally into a proper subwoofer. This alone will significantly improve the lower end of the system, which is where most factory audio setups fall short. For many people, this upgrade is enough to bring the entire system to life.

However, many all-in-one sub, amp, and LOC combos tend to be underwhelming, often failing to meet expectations. Instead, running a proper power and ground cable along with a high-quality speaker adapter (with OFC wiring) to the rear of the car gives you full control over customization. You can choose the LOC, amplifier, and subwoofer that best suit your needs whether thats a single 10-inch, dual 10-inch, sealed, or ported setup. This approach also makes future upgrades much easier.

With newer vehicles especially those with high-resolution digital amplifiers audio upgrades are more complex than they used to be. In the past, swapping out components almost always resulted in an improvement. Now, tinkering without a clear goal can sometimes make things worse. Thats why I strongly recommend starting with a solid foundation. Aim high with your installation, because if you cut corners early on, you might find yourself limited in future upgrades.

If you understand this and are willing to invest the time and effort, go for it but do it right the first time. You can always scale back later if needed, but if you don’t aim high from the start, you may hit a dead end with no easy way to improve things further.

 

Thanks for the prompt response! That was actually my first post on the forum ever, so I really appreciate the detailed advice.

To be upfront, I’m a complete beginner when it comes to car audio. I won’t be doing the upgrades myself since I have zero experience with this kind of work—I’ll most likely take it to a shop. That’s why I was looking for advice on how to improve the sound in my car without going in blindly.

I’m hoping to strike a good balance between sound quality and price, so my questions might be a bit basic. From what I’ve read, upgrading the sub and dash speakers seems to make a big difference, but I wasn’t sure why people prioritize those over the front speakers. Also, if I go with a sub upgrade first, what would be a good sub, amp, and LOC setup for the NX350 that provides a noticeable improvement without going overboard? Or which brands are recommended and which to avoid?

Would love to hear your thoughts, and thanks again for the help!

 

OK gotcha now I understand a little bit better my friend. I feel like people veer away from the front lower door speakers because it's a harder upgrade to do Due to the door panels having to fully come off and then if you're amplifying those speakers you're changing in the doors new wires will have to be run through the stock grommets in the doors which is one of the hardest aspects of installing in any Lexus. Also the oem amplifier only sends 60 to 1000 Hz to those lower door speakers so it's not a full range signal. Brand wise I feel like Hertz is very good because the build quality is great and the price point is very reasonable in comparison to other brands where you'll get lower build quality for equal or higher price. The front left and right dash speaker channels is a very clean full signal likely 400 to 500hz ranging up to 20K Hz. Because of that frequency range changing those speakers to higher quality drivers is going to give you a noticeable result without having to change amplifiers or wiring or anything of the sort. Will give you increased clarity and output depending on the sensitivity of the new speakers you'll be installing. Another reason why I like the Hertz brand is because they make OEM replacement speakers that can be powered by our stock audio systems and amplified and their very high build quality across their different lines. I'm running Hertz Deci 87.3 in the dash amplified and man Do they ever bring the entire system to life. I will definitely recommend to you is vet the shop that you're going to take your car into . Just assume that they will do a good job . Industry is saturated with people who think they know and can produce a temporary result but long term my damage or be harmful to your vehicle . Ask to see pictures of previous installs . You want to see clean wiring look how they connected the terminals for their wiring. Did they use pharaohs or is it just bare wire? If you're thinking about a place you can share their Google business here on this forum and I could check it out for you to make sure that it's a good reliable place that will do a good job. Also there is a lot of work involved in this endeavor so be prepared for a medium to high price point for this type of installation done correctly. If the price is too low for the installation I would hesitate towards the quality of the final result. It really is a lot of time and effort to do this correctly. Just letting you know my friend. Hope this helps and gives you a little bit of a starting point.

Here are a few pictures of my installs on my NX350 and ES350. Some of them may be mixed up a little bit between the two cars but this is just to give you an idea what the shop you're going to will be in for if they're planning to do it correctly. Hope this helps my friend.