Subwoofer Upgrade in RX help

[Fatts]

I am looking to upgrade the subwoofer in the booth of my car 4th gen RX; so as to get more thumping bass -: upwards of 200w. My current set up is a ML spec but the bass output is not powerful as I desire. Can anyone suggest which makes of subs will do the job. Also I have seen subs with built -in amplifiers (active subs) can I simply unbolt the factory booth woofer and then plug in the after market examples or is it a complex set up that requires tech wiring knowledge?

I will be grateful also if anyone can send me a link to where this topic may have been discussed in the past on the forum. Looking forwards to your suggestions txns.

[Mr Vlad]

Hi Fatts. I've just come across your thread. OK it's been a year but have you sorted getting better sub bass? If so how did you do it?

I know for the 3rd gen IS300H with ML there is an upgrade c/o our American friends.

[Fatts]

No Mr Vlad, I haven’t done anything but if you have a link you could share it will be much appreciated . I guess generally most people find the ML setup adequate , but really suggestions from any Lexus owner who had upgraded their system would be useful

[Mr Vlad]

Unfortunately I don't have a link to any mods for lexus audio. From your thread I looked into removing the sub. It's quite a job from what I've seen and I was gobsmacked to learn it's one speaker in a Plastic L shaped box. No wonder the sub sounds wooly. 

I have an Alpine SWE 815 powered boxed sub. It's only 8" speaker and 100w but believe me it packs one helluva punch. It shook the glass in a previous Monday I had it in. 

Google an upgrade to lexus audio and you'll find about the sub in the ML system. I think there's one or two on eBay.

[Guest]

I fitted a blaupunkt powered sub under front seat of aygo. Works well. Pickup off a speaker feed and 12v and adjust the crossover and volume to suit. Auto power up and off.

So if I wanted more Bass in a lexus ml I'd be tempted to leave original in and fit an extra powered sub in the cabin or boot. Bass doesn't need directing like a tweeter so positioning is easier. I have an antimode in my house that clips the bass signal based on the sound waves in the room. Not sure if such a thing exists for a car. Works very well. Allows easier positioning.

Bass on ML in rc is more than enough so seems surprising.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
 

[Fatts]

Thanks guys, as you may imagine I already did a lot of internet research before I posted on the forum. A lot of my findings came from the American forums. The narrative is often too techy for me to fully understand . I also approached one audio specialist store but they themselves do not seem to know how to integrate the existing ML amp and hence their solution was to bypass it altogether and sell me an aftermarket amp and subwoofer package. This is clearly not an option for me. I also tried ML site in the states whether I would find a download link for the wiring system, but no that isn’t available either. At this point I guess what I really need is a UK based audio store who have good experience of working on ML systems in Lexus cars. Thus if anyone know of such in the London area, please let me know .

[Guest]

That's what I'm saying - you don't need to. Just tap into a main speaker and use a powered sub. Easy.

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[Mr Vlad]

There's an organisation called EMMA who are like an umbrella organisation looking good after the UK's car hifi stuff.

Go on their website and check out car hifi dealers in London of which the major ones are there.

There's one Big problem running another sub alongside the ML one. It'll sound even worse. Something to do with frequency cancellation and a minute time difference between the two signals which makes it sound awful.

Do you know where the ML amp is in your car? If so then simply disconnect the sub and install a different sub of your choice (the Alpine I mentioned is unbeatable and worth 5 times its price)

[rayaans]

Is there no equaliser on the ML version? The 12 speaker setup on the standard RX has an equaliser and once the bass is put to max it can shake the doors. 

[Mr Vlad]

It may be able to shake the doors But the issue is its low quality of sub bass. 

What gobsmacks me is in the RX ML system is only around 300 watts. The ML in the IS300H is a mighty 835 watts.

Also the RX has pityful sound proofing. The door skins are so so tinny. Most definitely need treating with dynamat. 

There's always room for improvement. 

[rayaans]

10 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

It may be able to shake the doors But the issue is its low quality of sub bass. 

What gobsmacks me is in the RX ML system is only around 300 watts. The ML in the IS300H is a mighty 835 watts.

Also the RX has pityful sound proofing. The door skins are so so tinny. Most definitely need treating with dynamat. 

There's always room for improvement. 

On the 3RX maybe, but not on the 4RX. 

Its an 835 watt system on the 4RX ML system and by switching from a 3RX ML to a 4RX non ML, Im pretty sure the Pioneer 12 speaker setup is probably around that figure too. In fact, I heard very little difference in sound quality in the ML 4RX 450h that I had in the USA last week to my 4RX. 

I can remember it was the same with the 3IS too, I deliberately didn't look for ML because the 8 speaker setup is almost as good.

[Mr Vlad]

You know what Rayaans even tho I've not heard a none ML Lexus I'd be inclined to accept that there's very little difference between the two. 

Neither of the ML systems I've had were/isn't as good as the £600 system I had in my previous Ford Mondeo. 

[rayaans]

53 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

You know what Rayaans even tho I've not heard a none ML Lexus I'd be inclined to accept that there's very little difference between the two. 

Neither of the ML systems I've had were/isn't as good as the £600 system I had in my previous Ford Mondeo. 

You have to understand that ML is a company aimed at audiophiles i.e. music should sound exactly like it did when recorded and how the artist intended. Nowadays, the bass is heavily amplified in a lot of other brands like HK and Bose to name a few

I still haven't come across any system which is circa £1k and has the clarity of ML, at any volume. But, they do need to be played fairly loud to get the full benefit, and with a good source. I tried DVD-A in my previous RX and it was very very good. USB appears to be close enough as are CDs but no point even listening to anything off Bluetooth or radio

[Guest]

There's one Big problem running another sub alongside the ML one. It'll sound even worse. Something to do with frequency cancellation and a minute time difference between the two signals which makes it sound awful

Lots of setups in homes have pairs of subs (don't even have to be the same) and even 4 is possible. The biggest problem in a car for frequency cancellation is reflected waves off the windows. I think that's why subs tend to be in the boot, under seat etc. If you can tell where it is, it's probably set incorrectly.



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[Mr Vlad]

Sorry Rayaans but ML isn't the company it was when it 1st started and it's ethics in sound reproduction. What it is now is a marketing tool. Yes now they produce better than most car audio equipment but it's just too different between Lexus models.

My current RX is a 62 plate registered 2013 and it's ML system is not as good as the 2nd of my IS300h's whose ML was superb. The ML in my 1st IS was utter shyte.

Yes systems now in cars have their bass boosted probably coz it's cheaper to do that than properly sound deaden car body panels. 

I can make any car sound better than ML for under £1k probably £800.

Rockford Fosgate amp £300. Infinity speakers £350ish. Alpine sub £125 and a couple rolls of dynamat plus wires/leads. 

Yes Comedian some home systems have 2 or more subs running but they'll be run from dedicated sub amps. Before buying my Alpine sub I ran a custom designed by Wilmslow Audio (1980''s original company) 4th order bandpass box which had 2 10" speakers facing each other but in separate enclosures with just one 4" hole for the sound to come out. It was designed for home use. I guinea pigged it for car use as it was only about 2 foot cube.

Acoustic Research AR9''s have 2 subs in each speaker making a total of 4 subs perfectly matched powered by BBC grade Quad amps.

And yes if you can hear where the sub is then something is set up wrong. You feel good sub bass.

[steveledzep]

Don't listen to music in the car.  It's so far behind my domestic set-up that I restrict myself to Radio 4.  R4 is excellent imo.

[rayaans]

54 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

Sorry Rayaans but ML isn't the company it was when it 1st started and it's ethics in sound reproduction. What it is now is a marketing tool. Yes now they produce better than most car audio equipment but it's just too different between Lexus models.

My current RX is a 62 plate registered 2013 and it's ML system is not as good as the 2nd of my IS300h's whose ML was superb. The ML in my 1st IS was utter shyte.

Yes systems now in cars have their bass boosted probably coz it's cheaper to do that than properly sound deaden car body panels. 

I can make any car sound better than ML for under £1k probably £800.

Rockford Fosgate amp £300. Infinity speakers £350ish. Alpine sub £125 and a couple rolls of dynamat plus wires/leads. 

Yes Comedian some home systems have 2 or more subs running but they'll be run from dedicated sub amps. Before buying my Alpine sub I ran a custom designed by Wilmslow Audio (1980''s original company) 4th order bandpass box which had 2 10" speakers facing each other but in separate enclosures with just one 4" hole for the sound to come out. It was designed for home use. I guinea pigged it for car use as it was only about 2 foot cube.

Acoustic Research AR9''s have 2 subs in each speaker making a total of 4 subs perfectly matched powered by BBC grade Quad amps.

And yes if you can hear where the sub is then something is set up wrong. You feel good sub bass.

You're comparing apples to oranges.

The 3RX came out in 2009, the ML system hasnt changed since then. The 3IS came out in 2013......

[Mr Vlad]

Maybe I am Rayaans but 4 years is a helluva long time in technology world.

Steve. My domestic hifi hasn't been used in over 10 years now. It was arguably one of the best money could buy but I spent more time in my cars than at home lol so in car hifi became a semi pro hobby and my systems suprised home hifi dealers when they listeneed to my systems. Urgh radio 4? Noooooooo. Braingell for me. Metal till I die.

[steveledzep]

2 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Steve. My domestic hifi hasn't been used in over 10 years now. It was arguably one of the best money could buy but I spent more time in my cars than at home lol so in car hifi became a semi pro hobby and my systems suprised home hifi dealers when they listeneed to my systems. Urgh radio 4? Noooooooo. Braingell for me. Metal till I die.

My user name on here will give you more than a clue to my music taste.  Just doesn't work for me in the car.  Prefer my records 😊

[rayaans]

3 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Maybe I am Rayaans but 4 years is a helluva long time in technology world.

Steve. My domestic hifi hasn't been used in over 10 years now. It was arguably one of the best money could buy but I spent more time in my cars than at home lol so in car hifi became a semi pro hobby and my systems suprised home hifi dealers when they listeneed to my systems. Urgh radio 4? Noooooooo. Braingell for me. Metal till I die.

But its not long in the car world. Cars nowadays get facelifted every 3 years and overhauled every 6 years. Most of these overhauls use some parts which are exactly the same as before.

Unless its a Porsche 911 that is...