Jump to content

pragmatist

Regular Member
  • Posts

    4
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Lexus Model
    LS 460

pragmatist's Achievements

Progressing

Progressing (3/14)

  • First Post
  • Week One Done
  • One Month Later
  • One Year In
  • Conversation Starter

Recent Badges

0

Reputation

  1. Hi: Thank you all for your replies. After posting my query on this forum, I embarked on further research and found that the XM signal is indeed compressed and that the level of compression may vary from station to station? Furthermore, there are numerous posts on the net that concur with our findings of poor audio quality via the satellite signal, so, I guess the problem lies with XM rather than our receivers. With this in mind, I doubt that I will subscribe to XM once the 3 month trial period expires, although, I might consider the NAVTRAFFIC subscription. I must add that there have been several, although few in numbers, who have indicated that they are unaware of any difference in sound quality between FM and XM but for my discerning ears the difference is huge. Not only is there a difference in fidelity but in sound stage as well, all in favor of the FM signal. So, when XM touts their "digital" signal they are correct from a technical viewpoint but the word digital says nothing about sound quality. In summary, it would seem that if one is satisfied with the sound of Mp3's compressed files and their IPOD's,then they might be equally as satisfied with XM but I for one have no interest in returning to the days of low fidelity and will stick with FM and CD's. It's quality, not quantity, that counts!
  2. Hello: I am new to this forum and a new Lexus owner as well. My brand new, 2009 LS 460 has the standard radio package which exhibits better than average sound quality from both FM and CD sources, however, I have noticed that when switching from either of the aforementioned sources to XM satlllite radio, there is an audible loss of sound quality somewhat reminiscent of the compressed sound one experiences with the MP3 format. In reference to this finding I have several questions: 1. Have others noticed this difference with the same radio package? 2. Does the Mark Levinson radio have the same sound quality where it relates to the XM source? And, yes, it is understood that the ML radio is a significant upgrade in terms of amplification, speakers, etc. 3. If the answers to the above questions are in the affirmative, does the problem lie with the XM source and if so, are they compressing the information to reduce bandwidth? Thank you in advance.
  3. Correction, the listed base price (MSRP) for the 2009 LS460 is $63,675.00 In addition to the "holdback," there are unit quota incentives that can amount to significant dollars to the selling dealer at the end of a given period (month, quarter, etc.). If the dealer is selling below invoice, the above motive may be in play and if he makes his quota and adds back the amount attributed to the sale of said vehicle, he will most likely still be in the black or better. Furthermore, many dealers add on fees (i.e. dealer fees, etc.) that compensate for a portion of any perceived discount. Therefore, when computing the value of the "deal," it's the bottom line that counts ... what you actually pay out of pocket when it comes time to sign the check or whatever financial vehicle you chose to employ. To be sure, it is the rare dealer who will sell at a loss, even in this market, unless it is part of a market exit strategy (i.e. going out of business, clearing out their floor plan, etc.)
  4. In response to the above quote, it is important to bear in mind the fact that the dealer actually pays less than invoice for the car! How is this so? There is a customary back-end percentage return on every car sold that differs from one manufacturer to another. In addition, other elements factor into the actual cost of the vehicle and these include monies that the dealer may receive for selling a certain number of vehicles for a given time period, a number that could turn out to be quite significant. So, if you manage to negotiate a price that appears to be below the invoice as listed on the net, you can be sure that the dealer is probably not losing money on the deal, although, his profit margin may be thin. On the other hand, if he sells enough cars, he gets a windfall at the end of his designated selling period that should make up for any perceived loss.
×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership