IS300h to RC300h

[Wingy]

Hi guys.  Not posted on here since i purchased my IS, so thought i'd update.  I owned my IS300h for a little over 14months before my ownership experience was cut short rather abruptly, as you can see below !!  Im not going to lie, i was absolutely gutted, but every cloud and all that.

 

Id actually been considering moving to the RC not long after purchasing the IS so took the miserable experience of having my car written off to make the move and around 6weeks ago, picked myself up a beautiful  low milage 2016 RC300h in Azure Blue with sunroof and ML Sound System.

 

So far i'm really impressed.  The RC's ride seems a lot more compliant and less clattery than the IS300h...whether thats due to the lower milage, or chassis i don't know, but i'm really enjoying the drive.  Nothing notable in it regarding performance as its the same engine/gearbox but it does feel a more confident drive and as always, Lexus comfort and quality is first class.  As good as the ML sound system is, i just cant seem to get it set up perfectly (for my tastes) and it just sounds like its lacking that certain 'something'.  Anyone else find the same ?

 

Anyway, hopefully this one will give me more than 14months of enjoyment 😂

 

[Linas.P]

1 hour ago, Wingy said:

As good as the ML sound system is, i just cant seem to get it set up perfectly (for my tastes) and it just sounds like its lacking that certain 'something'.  Anyone else find the same ?

It looks beautiful - make sure to elevate your drive way this time ! It would be real shame if this one would get flooded! 🥶

Regarding ML and in comparison to Lexus Premium system I have notice following:

• ML has less base, but more clarity and thus is much more sensitive to source quality e.g. if you have very good source it will reproduce the sound with much more clarity, but if your source is poor (ripped from youtube for example) it will highlight all the artefacts you have there.
• ML doesn't have good sub-woofer, it is kind of weak overall on low frequencies... it is not a problem if you listening to classical music, or very instrumental/vocal songs - it has good reproduction in mid/high frequencies. But if you listening to modern music, pop etc. which tends to be very "bassy" - system just doesn't sound that well past ~30-35, it doesn't have sufficient depth.
• Overall, ML just does not sound good past ~45-50 - it gets very loud, but it just somewhat sounds flat. Again I attribute all that to system not being balanced for full frequency - mid/highs just overpowers the lows after 50% of volume.

That said it is still very good system, just has it's own limitations - I wish they do something similar to BMW HK system where you have 3-subs, the main one + 2 small ones under driver and passenger seat. You just literally "feel" the music there without blasting it too loud.

To be fair adjustments provided by such "High-End Hi-Fi" are very limited and you only have 3 stage EQ and basic Balance. So my solution so far considering I am mostly sole "passenger" in the car is to set balance as +1L and fader as +2R,, and equaliser as +3L, -1M, +1H. This sort of works to give better depth for songs with base whilst removing mid/highs screaming to my face.

[Wingy]

5 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

It looks beautiful - make sure to elevate your drive way this time ! It would be real shame if this one would get flooded! 🥶

 

 

Haha, Cheers Linas 😀.  My IS drowned whilst at work...thankfully i'm situated on higher ground and refuse to park in that section of road anymore, just in case !!

 

19 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

Regarding ML and in comparison to Lexus Premium system I have notice following:

• ML has less base, but more clarity and thus is much more sensitive to source quality e.g. if you have very good source it will reproduce the sound with much more clarity, but if your source is poor (ripped from youtube for example) it will highlight all the artefacts you have there.
• ML doesn't have good sub-woofer, it is kind of weak overall on low frequencies... it is not a problem if you listening to classical music, or very instrumental/vocal songs - it has good reproduction in mid/high frequencies. But if you listening to modern music, pop etc. which tends to be very "bassy" system just isn't good for it past ~30-35, it doesn't have sufficient depth.
• ML just does not sound good past ~45-50 - it gets very loud, but it just somewhat sounds flat.

That said it is still very good system, just has it's own limitations - I wish they do something similar to BMW HK system where you have 3-subs, the main one + 2 small ones under driver and passenger seat. You just literally "feel" the music there without blasting it too loud.

 

 

I find its more the depth.  To my ears you can get the bass, middle and treble adjusted fine, but it still sounds kind of flat to me.   Ironically i thought the sound was slightly better on my Premium Nav spec'd IS, which is a little disappointing having heard so many people rave about the ML system. 

 

23 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

To be fair adjustments provided by such "High-End Hi-Fi" are very limited and you only have 3 stage EQ and basic Balance. So my solution so far considering I am mostly sole "passenger" in the car is to set balance as +2R, +1L, and equaliser as +3L, -1M, +1H. This sort of works to give better depth for songs with base whilst removing mid/highs screaming to my face.

 

Funnily, i considered adjusting the balance L/R to try and feel more depth, but i must be OCD as it just doesn't sit well to me to have the L/R on anything other than 0 🤣😂

[Linas.P]

4 minutes ago, Wingy said:

I find its more the depth.  To my ears you can get the bass, middle and treble adjusted fine, but it still sounds kind of flat to me.   Ironically i thought the sound was slightly better on my Premium Nav spec'd IS, which is a little disappointing having heard so many people rave about the ML system. 

Funnily, i considered adjusting the balance L/R to try and feel more depth, but i must be OCD as it just doesn't sit well to me to have the L/R on anything other than 0 🤣😂

That is why I am comparing it with "Premium Nav" sound system, I just find it working better from poorer source and having more depth in "modern" music. ML is "technically" better system, but I found it to be more suitable for instrumental/vocal songs and not "universally" better.

Same here, but the fact is - car is terrible for hi-fi, your position is wrong in the car to begin with, so my bal/fad suggestions are to try to work around it.  

[Wingy]

9 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

That is why I am comparing it with "Premium Nav" sound system, I just find it working better from poorer source and having more depth in "modern" music. ML is "technically" better system, but I found it to be more suitable for instrumental/vocal songs and not "universally" better.

Same here, but the fact is - car is terrible for hi-fi, your position is wrong in the car to begin with, so my bal/fad suggestions are to try to work around it.  

Agree completely....now i just need to get over my uncomfortable feeling moving the L/R balance from the 0 position 😂

[dutchie01]

Well Dave, in Holland we have a saying "every disadvantage has an advantage" and in your case that really seems the case.

Absolutely stunning in blue!

[Wingy]

On 11/10/2020 at 6:59 PM, dutchie01 said:

Well Dave, in Holland we have a saying "every disadvantage has an advantage" and in your case that really seems the case.

Absolutely stunning in blue!

 

Cheers !!  Definitely a looker 😄