2008 Is250 Sound System Upgrade

[wickedcpj]

Hello, new to the forum, and quite an audiophile.

My IS250 is about to run out of its 100k warranty, and I'd like to do some aftermarket tweaks to it, to make it a more enjoyable car, now that its off warranty and I wont violate anything.

I've researched it a bit, and realize that I do not want to change out the head unit, as too many of the electrical systems run through the stock unit.

I've also done several aftermarket speaker installs over the years on other cars, and after market speakers never seem to give a full strong audio range compared to a stock setup, but yet the stock speaker setups also do not meet my requirements.

I need some advice:

First - I need to add an ipod/iphone unit to my stock head unit, any recommendations there?

Am I able to install a "stock" ML system into my non-ML IS250 ? and if I can, is it worth it ? (I think this would be the most optimal way to increase the sound quality in my car, but not sure how to go about it)

Would it be better to just keep my stock install, and dynamat the doors/trunk to maximize the sound that I'm currently getting?

I need my trunk space, but have found a few molded sub enclosures that fit in the corner of the trunk and allow for a ~1cubic ft. 10" subwoofer to be installed. Is adding a subwoofer to the stock system an expensive/difficult journey?

I really just want a strong 20hz => 40khz in my car. I drive *a lot* and need my music to be pristine on my daily drives. Sound quality is definately better than SPL for me, but I need a lot better than what I currently have.

Thanks so much

-craig

[Handover2100]

As I know, IS250 with ML system is equipped with 14 speakers, non-ML IS250 only 8 speakers, firstly you need replace original Pioneer power amplifier to be ML, and then replace all the speakers, but indeed it is difficult to find all these materials.

[13IS250C]

Audiophile and these systems just don't seem to go hand in hand. I'm really upset with the distortion I'm getting out of mine. The system in my G37 was waaaaaaaaaaaaay better. Instead of 18 little bitty speakers, I don't know why they didn't just put 6 real good ones.

My car is only 3 months old. I have a long way to go before I'm going to let anybody tinker with it.

Good luck. Let me know what you do.

[Handover2100]

For my understanding, ML is skilled at sound field, 5.1 or 7.1 channel is suitable for this system, symphonic music is better. If you prefer music kind of HEAVY-METAL, maybe you will be disappointed.

All ML amplifiers have Coaxial input, but it is dependent on your CD/DVD player, only DVD player can provide coaxial output to this amplifier, and it is really optical signal, if not, it will be replaced with analog signal, the quality of music will be decreased.

[13IS250C]

Yup, heavy metal...very loud.

I need to load some CDs into my player. I only listen to my iPod.

[pj8708]

This has always been the age old question." Is the stock OEM system good enough?, or," if I replace some of the speakers with top quality after market ones will it really give me the range and distortion free sound I want? Then to it's the "what about adding an amp for a sub to fill out the bottom" that most Lexus have never really been good at..

The Mark Leninson systems has evolved over the years to be a truly top of the line in car sound system. That being said, almost all auiophiles find it lacking in one way or another. Is this a suprise? Heck no. First, if your a true audiopfile your never really happy with any thing audio. Thats what makes it fun. Tweaking, tuning, constantly reading.

The absolute worse environment to try and build a true audiophile standards system in is a car. OK. maybe one worse. A submarine. I have an 2013 ES350 with a Kicker Sub-Station that has been in my 2005 ES, My 2010 ES, and now my 2013 ES. It is indestructalbe. I run it off a 250w Alpine in the trunk. The improved OEM speakers this year have made it a great system for my taste.

The major probem with trying to change the ML system is it's incredibly complex network of crossovers. Trying to replace one or two speakers such as the front doors,leads to throwing the balance of network off. The other problem is that it is virtualy impossible to get a hold of a service manual or schmatic for their products. Even the Lexus dealers don't repair them. It's all unplug old part, plug in new part. I bought a DVD on ebay for a Mar Levinson Repair just for fun. It was for 2004.

Below is a link to United Radio in New York. To my knowledge, they are one of the few if not the only place in the US that has the ability to work on ML systems. Other members have used them and have been pleased with their service. Look them up for a phone number and see if they will give you advice as well as some oarts you might need like wiring harness,

Come back here and let us know how things are going.

Paul

http://unitedradio.com/automotive/

http://autos.aol.com/article/car-sound-systems/

[Handover2100]

Today I did this replacement, I bought a second hand ML amplifier with model 86280-0W360 which was used in IS300.

I only replaced the amplifier and keep speakers unchanged, and find some music better but some worse, i don't know why, maybe I need to add more speakers or something else.

I got the ML amplifier pins definition as below:

P28-1: WF1+

P28-2: WF2+ (SR+)

P28-3: MR+ (CTR+)

P28-4: WFL+

P28-5: WF1-

P28-6: WF2- (SR-)

P28-7: ML- (SL-)

P28-8: ML+ (SL+)

P28-9: MR- (CTR-)

P28-10: WFL-

P29-1: WFR+

P29-2: FL+

P29-3: RL+

P29-4: RR+

P29-5: WFR-

P29-6: FL-

P29-7: FR-

P29-8: FR+

P29-9: RL-

P29-10: RR-

The Pin definitions are same between ML and Pioneer, but sequence is different, I re-arranged the sequence of original lines to make it suitable for ML amplifier, and made the test, as what I said , some kind of music is better but some worse.

Now I still have a problem, if you check the pin definition, you can find ML provides 2 kinds of output, for example P28-2: WF2+ (SR+), for the same pin, in different condition, it will output WF2+ OR SR+, someone told me this is dependent on whether your car has front-middle speaker, if is, ML will output SR+, if not ML will output WF2+, but how does ML amplifier know this information? It makes me confused.