Mark Levinson & Gs300

[Jesse95911]

Hello Everyone:

This is my first post. I just leased a new GS300 with the Mark Levinson stereo. This is my 7th Lexus (including two prior GS300's). Three of my prior Lexus' have come equiped with the Mark Levinson. My prior experiences with the ML were outstanding. I thought the sound was excellent. So much so that I ordered my new GS without first auditioning the 2006 ML version. Well... I have to say that I am VERY DISAPPOINTED with the ML. The fidelity is terrible. It lacks bass, the mid-range is over-emphasized, the mid-tone is colored and the speakers do not even sound matched. I would describe it as sounding like AM radio. The Sirus sat fidelity is even worse. Does anyone have the same opinion????

I took it to the dealer this morning and they stated that everything was connected correctly. They also stated that I was not the first person to complain and that they were of the opinion that the 2005 ML was superior to the 2006 version.

I love these cars... but I feel cheated. I spent an extra $4K to get the ML (I did not want or need the Nav but the car is bundled that way and had to spend the extra $$$ to get the ML). I telephoned Lexus (1-800-25L-EXUS) to register my complaint. If anyone else feels the same way please let me know and please call Lexus and let them know as well.

Jesse

[Byran]

Gotta say- you're on your own. No bass? Unmatched speakers? Colored mids? Umm... you sure you got ML? I love music- been playing violin for 20+ years, and my choice of music is rap/r&b. Sounds great, along with everything else.

[Jesse95911]

Gotta say- you're on your own. No bass? Unmatched speakers? Colored mids? Umm... you sure you got ML? I love music- been playing violin for 20+ years, and my choice of music is rap/r&b. Sounds great, along with everything else.

It's ML....

Thinking I should take it to another dealer to get checked out again...

[Rohan]

I too thought the Levinson system sounded wierd when I first got my GS.

After tinkering with the settings, I noticed the surround setting for the DVD was turned on. I changed the setting to stereo and the system sounds much much better.

Not sure if this is what your experiencing, but it made a huge difference for me.

[zlee1]

I noticed the surround setting for the DVD was turned on. I changed the setting to stereo and the system sounds much much better.

Could you please tell us which setting? Although the ML is day and night compaired to my BMW's radio, Honestly I was expecting more. It would make sense that an audio setting is off.

[digg1er]

I sort of agree with Jesse... I just picked up my 06 GS300 AWD last week and I was expecting much more from the ML stereo. I feel like when I test drove the car the sound was much better. I feel it lacks bass... I set the bass all the way to the max and only then do I feel the bass. I also noticed that when I turn the "surround" off it sounds better. Does this make sense? I would assume "surround" makes for a better sound?

[Rohan]

There are two audio setting buttons from your audio screen. One is DSP and the other is Sound.

DSP is your surround setting. It's a bit confusing here as the button is either lit or not lit. From my listening experience, it appears that in surround mode, the audio system is trying to convert all signals (even stereo... which is really strange) into 5.1 surround sound (basically center, front, rear, & sub). This means that it will try to filter all vocals to the center channel and will focus all stereo to the front two speaker, anything resembling echo or surround will be sent to the rear speakers. All low frequency will be sent to the subwoofer. If your wondering why this setting is even here, it's solely for the DVD. In my opion it's a confusing setting to have as you can only watch DVD's when the car parked. (..and yes I know about the work around. I already did it to my car for the bluetooth phone settings.)

The Sound menu is where you will find bass, treble, and midrange settings in addition to balance and fader.

If your still confused on the settings, please check your owner's manual in the audio section

As for the comment on the subwoofer bass, I find it's nearly non-existant at lower volume levels. When the volume is increased, the sub starts to kick in. (I'm talking about volume levels at least well into the 30's). I personally like to keep the volume in the lower twenties for my average everyday listening, so I don't really hear much of the sub at all. However, when I get in those moods and turn it up, that's when I realize that there is a subwoofer in this system.

As this is my first experience with the ML system, I can't comment on how it compares to previous Lexus ML systems. I would think however (from my past audio experiences), that previous systems would have sounded better, just from the sheer fact that its a simpler system... just making CD's sound their best. Adding DVD surround playback to the mix means that speaker/amp selection and settings in the current ML system was a compromise to get the best overall appeal to support all of its features.

I hope this helps.

[bloozeman]

I sort of agree with Jesse... I just picked up my 06 GS300 AWD last week and I was expecting much more from the ML stereo. I feel like when I test drove the car the sound was much better. I feel it lacks bass... I set the bass all the way to the max and only then do I feel the bass. I also noticed that when I turn the "surround" off it sounds better. Does this make sense? I would assume "surround" makes for a better sound?

I personally leave the "surround" setting off since it activates a DSP chipset that either emulates DPL (dolby pro logic) or some variant. In other words it turns a 2-channel audio track into a 7.1 presentation. The vocals and most of the font left/right is "blended" into the center channel speaker (center speaker on top of the dash), etc. Thus, unless you are watching a DVD while on the road (with the hack) or parked you are probably better off with "surround" disengaged.

As for the bass, boy you have a completely different experience than I do. I am constantly adjusting the bass (mostly turning it down) depending on the CD, DVD-A, or FM station in my GS430. For the FM radio I barely have it 2 to 3 "clicks" above "zero" of the EQ. However, for most CDs or DVD-As I have to lower it to "zero". In other words the ML bass response in my GS430 is fantastic and the ML is one of the things I love about the car. I can put in one of the worst produced CDs of all time and get the ML to render it quite well - way better than the stereo in my previous GS400. Of course on the other hand well produced DVD-As, e.g., Steely Dan's Gaucho is just absolutely flat out amazing on the ML.

[donbl]

After 2800 mile trip listening to ML, then home to listen to the 2000 Jag, the Jag wins.

Not sure why. More speakers in the Jag and more power but it is not surround.

After reading the above comments about "don't use Surround unless with DVD" I am going to change the settings and go from there.

However, the ML should pick off the two surround channels and give them to us in back.

Bottom for me is I think there are not enough choices on the ML to really make the surround viable. I fiddled with the home surround system quite a bit before I was happy with it but the home system had more options.

Just did the tests......

Turned surround off on XM radio and it was much better. Then,,,,,ML automatically sensed surround sound DVD-Audio when played and switched audio back to surround. Also, seems to recognize CD's with dolby surround encoded and switched to surround automatically.

Once I had it set correctly it switched back and forth on its own correctly.

Apparently, either XM does not send the encoded surround channels on the CD or ML does not decode radio.

DVD-Audio sounded super!!!