2003 Gs300 Factory Single Cd Player

[SweetBlackMagic]

Hi all...first post. I've had my GS for about a year and love it (other than the gas mileage...lol). However, I just cannot get used to the CD changing system. I like to swap a lot of discs in and out, and it's just such a hassle with the changer. And as we all know, Lexus felt the need to keep installing cassette players for WAY too long. So I would like to install just a single CD player. I would prefer to keep it factory and don't really care if I lose the changer altogether.

Has anyone else done this? Is there a good source for a single disc factory player out there?

I know I could always go aftermarket, but it seems like an Alpine or something would just look out of place inside :)

Peace,

Matthew

[Matty]

I understand your dilemma. I didn't like having to open the glove box to change CDs. I don't believe there's any way to simply add a single in-dash CD player to the factory radio. I agree with you about trying to keep the factory look so I went with a double-din Pioneer stereo. I now have iPod control, single in-dash CD, and navigation (which I didn't really care about but is nice). It doesn't look exactly factory original but it's very nice. I went with the Avic-D3 so with install it came to less than $1000. While it's not "top of the line," unless you're a serious audiophile or entering competition, it's excellent. If money isn't an issue then take a look at the Fujitsu double-dins. They have an excellent look and top quality features and function.

Matty

[SweetBlackMagic]

I understand your dilemma. I didn't like having to open the glove box to change CDs. I don't believe there's any way to simply add a single in-dash CD player to the factory radio. I agree with you about trying to keep the factory look so I went with a double-din Pioneer stereo. I now have iPod control, single in-dash CD, and navigation (which I didn't really care about but is nice). It doesn't look exactly factory original but it's very nice. I went with the Avic-D3 so with install it came to less than $1000. While it's not "top of the line," unless you're a serious audiophile or entering competition, it's excellent. If money isn't an issue then take a look at the Fujitsu double-dins. They have an excellent look and top quality features and function.

Matty

Yeah...it's looking more and more like that's the way to go. If I go aftermarket, is there any issue with the existing setup since Lexus has built-in amplifiers and a sub? Will most likely try to do it myself, but I've heard these aren't the easiest cars to work on.

[Matty]

I didn't do mine myself so I can't speak to that but here's the deal with the factory amps, speakers, etc. Obviously, you'll get the best sound by going with a new amp for your speakers and another one for your subwoofer. If you do that, you really need to get new speakers and a sub all the way around. In my younger days I used to compete nationally (no major awards but I was out there) so I know a bit about car audio. That's not really my scene anymore so here's what the guy at my audio shop suggested.

First, you can get a very good aftermarket head unit with a very good built-in amp. Look for something with somewhere like 50W/channel MAX (probably around 20-25W RMS). In my case, I went with the Pioneer. Most of these will be strictly pre-amp for the subwoofer, however, and therefore won't power it. The best case scenario is that you may be able to wire it so that the head unit can still send a signal to the factory subwoofer amp. It's more likely, however, that you won't be able to use the factory subwoofer amp with your new head unit. So, get an amp for the subwoofer only. This way, you're using the built-in head unit amp for all of your speakers, and an aftermarket amp to drive your sub. You may, at this point, decide to replace the factory sub because while the factory sub isn't bad at all, a decent aftermarket will really take advantage of the new sub amp. But see what you think. This doesn't have to be outrageously expensive. There are reputable companies that build excellent gear for the consumer who wants a nice quality, balanced sound. It's not always about shaking your gaskets loose.

Don't get me wrong, I love to check out all of the mods that people do to their cars, but my interest is in keeping my Lexus looking as original as I can and making every bit of it flawless. That's why I took this route. These are modest improvements that add a lot to the sound experience but you still know you're driving a Lexus, and there's nothing wrong with that! ;)

Matty

[SweetBlackMagic]

I didn't do mine myself so I can't speak to that but here's the deal with the factory amps, speakers, etc. Obviously, you'll get the best sound by going with a new amp for your speakers and another one for your subwoofer. If you do that, you really need to get new speakers and a sub all the way around. In my younger days I used to compete nationally (no major awards but I was out there) so I know a bit about car audio. That's not really my scene anymore so here's what the guy at my audio shop suggested.

First, you can get a very good aftermarket head unit with a very good built-in amp. Look for something with somewhere like 50W/channel MAX (probably around 20-25W RMS). In my case, I went with the Pioneer. Most of these will be strictly pre-amp for the subwoofer, however, and therefore won't power it. The best case scenario is that you may be able to wire it so that the head unit can still send a signal to the factory subwoofer amp. It's more likely, however, that you won't be able to use the factory subwoofer amp with your new head unit. So, get an amp for the subwoofer only. This way, you're using the built-in head unit amp for all of your speakers, and an aftermarket amp to drive your sub. You may, at this point, decide to replace the factory sub because while the factory sub isn't bad at all, a decent aftermarket will really take advantage of the new sub amp. But see what you think. This doesn't have to be outrageously expensive. There are reputable companies that build excellent gear for the consumer who wants a nice quality, balanced sound. It's not always about shaking your gaskets loose.

Don't get me wrong, I love to check out all of the mods that people do to their cars, but my interest is in keeping my Lexus looking as original as I can and making every bit of it flawless. That's why I took this route. These are modest improvements that add a lot to the sound experience but you still know you're driving a Lexus, and there's nothing wrong with that! ;)

Matty

Matty...thanks for all your help. I used to be more into this in my younger days as well...no competitions or anything, but still had a very decent rig. I feel the same way about this car being a Lexus...I want a better audio experience, but it still needs to feel like a "luxury" car :) I may ask around some local shops here in Nashville and see what they can do. Not very familiar with the vendors here, but I'm sure some have good reputations and have modded these before.

Peace,

Matthew