Anyone experiencing what I am after putting in aftermarket speakers / subwoofers? When I turn on the ignition, the volume level of the radio drops a bit, then come back to normal level.

 

Hi everybody,

I just bought a used 2007 RX350 with 95K to replace my love RX300 1999 with 220K. My old one was in perfect shape and running like new with original transmission. But I got a good deal on this one from my friend dealer in perfect shape and decided it was the time to say good-bye to my old love. I test drove it but did not even bother to check the sound system assuming it should haven as good or better as it was in my 300. After everything was settled I finally turned it on. I did not like the sound right away. I thought it could have been just the settings. Well, I set it the same way as it was on RX300: treble +5, middle 0, base +2, on the scale from -5 to +5 and still no good. Whatever I tried I could not get the quality of the sound of my old RX300. The sound is really really bad!!!

I just could not believe it this is Lexus stereo. In RX300 the sound was just amazing. It was crystal clear. I could put the volume on the minimum and still hear every sound with a nice tight bass and clear treble, every instrument, every note, unbelievable center stage, I was just wrapped up by the sound. And it was a standard Pioneer system, not even premium Nakimichi.

The designer of that system was just a genius. It has just 7 speakers. 2 tweeters in the corners of the dashboard all the way to the windshield raised up facing the cabin, 2 woofers in the front doors and 2 mid-range smaller speakers on the rear doors. But here comes the king of the system: subwoofer under the front passenger seat. The radio sound was of CD quality not to mention CDs themselves. As I said even the radio stereo sound was nothing but amazing. Who was the idiot who killed such a beautiful sound? What for they put 9 speakers which sound like 1 speaker? I just can't believe it. You don't have to be a super audiophile to understand this sound is crap. Did the 'designer' of this system has a hearing problem?

I read some posts above the you guys are not happy even with 2013 models even with premium system. I think I can believe it now. I saw one of the latest models with a subwoofer in the trunk on left side. Why did they took away valuable space? What was wrong under the passenger seat location? None of my passengers ever felt any vibration under the seat even I cranked the volume. It just produced nice tight bass which filled up the cabin. Not sure if it does anything good all the way in the back especially if the tonneau cover is pulled up. Why so many speakers and people still complain? They better did it with 4 speakers in the doors and that's it. It could have been the same sound and who knows may be even better. The idiot designer screwed up big time. Why was to re-invent the wheel? Why to do something just for the sake of doing something instead of keeping the same system as it was on RX300 1999.

I don't understand also why the manufacturers are obsessed with 11, 13 or even 17 speakers? I have a Bose stereo system at home which I bought back in 1998. It just 3 speakers system: subwoofer and 2 tweeters. As of today the system sound is simply amazing. I still surprise new guests every time I turn it on. They can't understand where the sound is coming from. I trick them showing the small cubes with the tweeters which are in the corners of my living room on the wall. They are shocked. Then I reveal the secret showing the 'invisible' subwoofer sitting behind the TV stand which is the heart of the system. Why the car manufacturer put 17 speakers in the car making it more complex and expensive and still producing crappy sound instead of doing something similar to Bose? Or at least, keep what was already good instead of killing it. I don't understand how they charge 50 grand for the luxury car where the stereo sound is worse then in my Ford Taurus 1988 where I think there were only 2 speakers?

What a disappointment!

 

. This is exactly how I felt when I bought a second hand 2008 RX 350 after driving an Acura 2002 3.2 TL Type-S with the Bose system. The Bose system in my Acura with 4 classy speakers and a 10" sub-woofer inconspicuously placed behind the rear seats is supremely better than this crappy 8 perforated tin boxes "speakers". I tried adding a Kenwood KSC SW11 ultra compact subwoofer (as that is the only sub that can fit under the seat) but that did not help much as the overall system with its speakers and head unit is pathetic. Replacing the entire sound system will be very expensive. Damn Lexus!!! Stupid a@@holes. Ruined my delight of driving a premium brand and my money! I don't feel like using the RX anymore because I love listening to music while driving and I dread listening to its audio system. It reminds me of the money I wasted on this when I could have gone with an Acura MDX or Infiniti. Damn those stupid Lexus designers again! They ruined an otherwise beautiful car with their stupidity (or maybe greed)?? "Premium brand" my foot!!!

 

I bought this RX350 07 in Jan 2013 and was so disappointed with its stereo system that I almost stopped listening to the music until one day in May I pressed the listening position button to 'Driver' and could not believe my years. The sound became much better, still not like it was at RX300 99 but much better than it was at 'All' position which would've made more sense for better sound. I drive most of the time alone anyway so I left the driver position on, my wife is not so sound sensitive and occasional passenger in the back will survive without the best sound.
But I sat in the back a few times to test with the driver mode on, and seems to me that the driver mode produces still better sound than 'All' which is supposed to produce better sound for everybody in the car. Why the resources were wasted on all those 4 modes while only one mode sounds good. My old RX had only one mode and the sound was amazing. Just don't get those 'designers'. What I don't understand even more who approved it? Does it go from design to production without any testing? I guess we can just ponder.

 

My wife has a 08 RX400h with the "Premium" audio system and it certainly isn't great. It is better than the horrible system in my old '02 WRX which is the worst audio system I've ever heard.

If I ever buy another Lexus, I'll make sure it has a Mark Levinson system, although the one I had in my 08 IS-F was a little disappointing too.

Jeff

 

Automotive high fidelity Stereo is more about the host vehicle's NVH than the actual sound reproduction hardware.

The system in my new 92 LS400 impressed me mightily until I looked into the actual hardware. NO mosfet DC-DC upconverter, just base 12 volts driving low resistance, 2 ohm, high quality speakers. At least it was an "H" bridge final drive.

By 95 the sound reproduction hardware issue was also addressed and those are STELLAR sound systems.

 

my mark levinson sounds great....

 

I have an 05 RX330 with the stock stereo and also have 2 blown door speakers.

I just came from an MDX with the Bose and Rear Sub and found this thread and am scared!

I was hoping to simply replace the OEM speakers and look for where Lexus hid the sub but now I am concerned with putting good money after bad. After just spending the big bucks for the actual car, I am not in the mood to fork even more over for a whole stereo makeover.

At the moment I am looking at these:
Kenwood - 6" x 9" 3-Way Car Speakers
Peak Power handling 300W
RMS Power Range (Watts) 50
Sensitivity 90dB
Frequency Response 35Hz - 25kHz

Thoughts?

They are 4 inches deep, my research shows Lexus recommends a 3 in deep speaker. Does anybody have any experience here?

 

Just call Crutchfield, they can help you decide these things, without having to buy. I used them for my install in my RX330:

 

Best buy has dropped there price to make way for the new ones coming to market:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/6-x-9-3-...specifications

They seems like good factory replacements, I'm not sure if it would be too much of an improvement. But they are 3 way, I would imagine that's an improvement. Any one know what the stock speakers had?

 

Perhaps this thread may be of some help:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...aker-size.html

You will need a spacer if you replace the speakers. You may be able to use some epoxy to fix the OEM speakers as well.

 

The front door speakers for the standard stereo are 6 x 9, 2 ohm, woofers. There is no separate sub-woofer. My source for this is the Lexus 2004 New Car Features Manual for the. RX330.

If you use a speaker that is deeper than 3 inches there may be interference with the window. As I recall there is not a lot of extra room. I have not tried anything deeper than 3 inches.

 

I am a huge music lover and audiophile, so I want the sound to be full and true. I have found very few that are only 3 inches deep.

 

You can put a million different 6.5" speakers in there with a spacer. The ones I am putting in are 2-3/16".

 

I have the Mark Levinson stereo. The front door speakers are 8 ohm woofers versus the 2 ohm woofer in the standard stereo.

When the first one went, I bought a 6.5 inch woofer from parts-express.com and made an adapter from medium density fiberboard. The speaker I bought is no longer available. When the second speaker blew, I repaired it with RTV.

The RTV repair worked well. I did it about 2 years ago and it still works fine.