Rusty Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 I have the original stereo system in my 1993 LS400. I consider the sound quality to be very poor and would like to know if it can be repaired or needs to be replaced. All speakers are operable, but there is no depth to the sound coming out of them. The bass is set all the way up, but you can hardly hear it. The overall sound seems very 'flat' to me. I get a better sound when I play a cd versus the FM stereo, so I am wondering if it is a matter of having 12 year old stereo technology versus todays hi-quality sound systems. Any help or suggestions will be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flanker271 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Is it Pioneer or Nakamichi? Your description of the sound is not normal. I have a 1992 LS400 with stock Pioneer deck, and the sound quality is exceptional. Are you sure this is the original radio deck for your car? If someone installs a 90-92 deck into a 93-94 LS400 (or vice versa), the radio will still work but with no bass. I guess this is just because of the slight difference between 90-92 and 93-94. Many sellers on ebay mention that 93-94 radio deck will not work on 90-92 deck (or vice versa) is not true. The radio will work but there won't be any bass. It sounds like you have this problem. Also, check if your subwoofer is making any sound. You could have a bad amplifier in the trunk. If all else fails, chances are you need a new radio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Posted March 2, 2005 Author Share Posted March 2, 2005 Is it Pioneer or Nakamichi? Your description of the sound is not normal. I have a 1992 LS400 with stock Pioneer deck, and the sound quality is exceptional. Are you sure this is the original radio deck for your car? If someone installs a 90-92 deck into a 93-94 LS400 (or vice versa), the radio will still work but with no bass. I guess this is just because of the slight difference between 90-92 and 93-94. Many sellers on ebay mention that 93-94 radio deck will not work on 90-92 deck (or vice versa) is not true. The radio will work but there won't be any bass. It sounds like you have this problem. Also, check if your subwoofer is making any sound. You could have a bad amplifier in the trunk. If all else fails, chances are you need a new radio. ← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Posted March 2, 2005 Author Share Posted March 2, 2005 flanker271, Thank you for your response. My stereo is the Pioneer Premium Sound System. I am the third owner so I do not know if the radio has been replaced. It appears to me to be the original, since the faceplace color seems to match the rest of the console area. It is not only a lack of bas, but the treble and midrange also sound very 'flat' and muffled. Any other thoughts ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flanker271 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 does this happen only when you play the Cassette or does it sound flat all the time regardless if you are listening to the cassette, FM radio, or CD? The only other possibility I can think of is your cassette head being dirty. It is very strange because Lexus radios are supposed to be the best factory stock radio on the market, even by today's standard. Have you tried to adjust your "fader" and "balance" to make sure all your speakers work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Posted March 3, 2005 Author Share Posted March 3, 2005 The cassette and radio have the same poor quality. I will try cleaning the tape heads to see if that improves things. The CD sounds better than the radio and tape, but not great. I have tried adjusting all knobs, fader, treble, bass, balance & mid and have verified that all speakers are producing sound. I need to set my volume control between 10 o'clock and 12 o'clock to get a reasonable sound from the stereo. Is there some way to system can be electronically tested to see if the output is correct ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flanker271 Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 My conclusion is that your radio is going bad. The radio has built in amplifier to power six of your speakers, and the amplifier in the trunk is for the subwoofer. You said your volume control must be placed at the 10 to 12'o clock position in order to produce reasonible sound. A normal radio will produce fairly loud sound at the 8 or 9'o clock position. I guess your radio amplifier is slowly going out, which implies that you loose bass effects on your six door speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93lexxx Posted November 15, 2021 Share Posted November 15, 2021 On 3/1/2005 at 8:59 PM, flanker271 said: Is it Pioneer or Nakamichi? Your description of the sound is not normal. I have a 1992 LS400 with stock Pioneer deck, and the sound quality is exceptional. Are you sure this is the original radio deck for your car? If someone installs a 90-92 deck into a 93-94 LS400 (or vice versa), the radio will still work but with no bass. I guess this is just because of the slight difference between 90-92 and 93-94. Many sellers on ebay mention that 93-94 radio deck will not work on 90-92 deck (or vice versa) is not true. The radio will work but there won't be any bass. It sounds like you have this problem. Also, check if your subwoofer is making any sound. You could have a bad amplifier in the trunk. If all else fails, chances are you need a new radio. Is this true? I replaced my 93 radio with a factory 90 and there's no bass if I witch to one from 93-94 I should have the bass back? What difference in the head unit makes it not produce the sound when all connections are the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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