prepare upgrade to Mark levinson
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From: ON
prepare upgrade to Mark levinson
Hi guys, i am going to order the head unit(radio receiver assembly) with the Mark Levinson sound label on it,, with DVD, with NAVI and will also order the mark levinson speakers, and then the Amp will be the later improvement. Any ideas or advise or suggestions or something for this? Say what you what to say~~Thank you~
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Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Hill Country, TX
You are going to spend a ton of money ordering parts from Lexus to do this conversion and I would question the worth of it. Have you got the prices spec'd out yet? You'd be better off going for custom sonic upgrade with high end gear from other vendors. With the size of the RX's interior you are not going to get a mega improvement, imo.
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From: ON
Your interior trim panels won't have the necessary speaker openings, the ML system is supposed to be 15 speakers (though I can only ever count 14 locations), and the base model system is 9 speakers, upgraded Lexus system is 12 speakers.
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From: ON
I will buy them from Carson Toyota, totally around 6500USD, Just want to make it the same as the OEM.
You are going to spend a ton of money ordering parts from Lexus to do this conversion and I would question the worth of it. Have you got the prices spec'd out yet? You'd be better off going for custom sonic upgrade with high end gear from other vendors. With the size of the RX's interior you are not going to get a mega improvement, imo.
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From: ON
Mine has the 12 speakers system, and I will order 14 speakers(as you said will can only find 14 locations), the two panels for cargo area(for additional two cargo area speakers), ML Amp, ML and DVD head unit~~just want to upgrade the sound system like the OEM one~~~
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Nebraska
Just my 2 cents.
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Pole Position
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From: GA
Just what I was fixing to suggest. Newer car and desired radio. I can't wrap myself around the idea of lot's of stuff going in and out of the dash, new wiring, speakers, and will it all work perfectly when connected? Probably but .... New car built with it 
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I think it would be better just to upgrade the speakers - add an amp and a sub and you would be good to go and it wouldn't cost $6500. I am not an audiophile but I can't see the justice in adding the ML stereo over the 12 speaker premium audio IMO. I custom ordered my RX and got almost every option except the ML.
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From: ON
Upgrade by myself is a kind of fun haha1, I will not give up my current RX, because I was already spend a lot on it, I custom added the side camera(oem), Parking assist(oem), LED illumnited door trim(oem), wood shift **** and steering wheel, and now, I am only need to upgrade the sound system to make it perfectly as the OEM~~~haha. just like do it~~
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yes, I tried the ML in RX in my dealer, the ML is much more clearly than the 12 speakers and more deeply. That is why I cannot control my impulse to upgrade it~~~~
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Just what I said, it is a kind of fun~haha and it will definitely works, do not need to rewire any thing, there was some one tried in China, and only have to add two wires for each cargo area side speaker~~
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only upgrade the speaker will not bring the surround EQ because there is a program set for RX based on space, each speakers power, and lot of thing in the ML Amp. And you are right, I will not spend 6500 for this because I will sell the old parts on ebay~~haha, I always did that~
I think it would be better just to upgrade the speakers - add an amp and a sub and you would be good to go and it wouldn't cost $6500. I am not an audiophile but I can't see the justice in adding the ML stereo over the 12 speaker premium audio IMO. I custom ordered my RX and got almost every option except the ML.
Driver
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 157
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From: BC
I don't think $6500 will cover OP's lost in difference of a trade-in. New cars depreciate more than you can imaging and with the dealers are being so greedy, it is guaranteed a lost-lost situation. Giving example for my "11 RX. I paid $55K plus tax which is already after receiving nearly $7K discount. If I was to trade the vehicle in today, I won't get more then $44k in value. That is to say if I am lucky enough to get the maximum value stated on the black book. Most dealers now go under the stated value on trade-ins these days. (Canadian market)
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yes! Exactly, that is why I keep upgrade them myself. Like you are in Canada, you will know this, I am
just last one step(ML) to upgrade my car to the Ultrapremuim package 1, and after I sold all the replaced parts, I was totally spend around 2500cad for my car to upgrade, after finish the ML upgrade, the total I guess would be around 5000CAD, so that is the same price to the RX equipped with ultrapremuim package 1. I bought the car on Jan 2011, and totally paid 60000(around 6000discount) for the touring package, and the price different between touring package and the Ultrapremuim package 1 is just around 5000CAD, so I agree with you, it is a lost and lost trade in.
The reason why I bought touring package is just because there is no ultrapremuin package 1 RX in the dealer, and I cannot wait, so i just bought the touring package, and then I feel so regret..........
just last one step(ML) to upgrade my car to the Ultrapremuim package 1, and after I sold all the replaced parts, I was totally spend around 2500cad for my car to upgrade, after finish the ML upgrade, the total I guess would be around 5000CAD, so that is the same price to the RX equipped with ultrapremuim package 1. I bought the car on Jan 2011, and totally paid 60000(around 6000discount) for the touring package, and the price different between touring package and the Ultrapremuim package 1 is just around 5000CAD, so I agree with you, it is a lost and lost trade in.
The reason why I bought touring package is just because there is no ultrapremuin package 1 RX in the dealer, and I cannot wait, so i just bought the touring package, and then I feel so regret..........
I don't think $6500 will cover OP's lost in difference of a trade-in. New cars depreciate more than you can imaging and with the dealers are being so greedy, it is guaranteed a lost-lost situation. Giving example for my "11 RX. I paid $55K plus tax which is already after receiving nearly $7K discount. If I was to trade the vehicle in today, I won't get more then $44k in value. That is to say if I am lucky enough to get the maximum value stated on the black book. Most dealers now go under the stated value on trade-ins these days. (Canadian market)