LC Audio Upgrades

[96spec]

Hi Folks

Has anyone looked into audio upgrades for the LC? My LC has the stock system no ML and I am really interested in making some improvements - replacing base speakers in the first instance and then installing a DSP for better base tuning?

I cannot find anything online that people have done which is surprising and there are no obvious aftermarket speaker replacements so Ill have to measure each speaker etc. The system can be a little bright and the front dash tweeters need a little dampening. I'd expect more from the sub in the centre rear seat - in fact I had to take the panel out just to confirm there was something there!

On a separate note - does anyone know what the part is that the 2 straps of that rear centre speaker cover are connected to when you remove it? There looks to be a release running into it but it looks like a key lock...

[lloydweb]

Is this not the emergency release for the fuel filler cap, or maybe the boot lid?

[96spec]

I think you must be right. The panel removes so easily. I dont know why its connected via straps??

I had a look in the boot and the amp is a pioneer unit.

[96spec]

Here is the amp details. Initial thoughts are whether I could just swap this out to another (high spec) Toyota or Lexus item or the ML amp. The main connector is 30p.

 

 

[96spec]

Well that moved much faster than expected after some digging and coming across a Toyota Musway adatper with the same connector a call to the Musway UK team and a very helpful guy named Norst. I dismantled the current amp to get some photos of the connector labels + 4EUR for an hours access to lexus tech - I didnt even realise you could do that! - downloaded the connector wiring and they are making up a custom Lexus harness which should hopefully mean no splicing, also going with Musway D8 v2 amp/dsp and app module. This setup will retain the existing Pioneer amp.

FYI it looks like the wiring is the same for the ML system.

Noticed as well on the Lexus tech site the ML system has larger front door speakers which I am hoping will mean there is space to put something bigger in there. Then will look at sub, rears and possibly tweeters.

540£ so far - lets see what improvement the Musway makes.

 

 

[96spec]

Lexus did a great job making everything neat and tidy back here. Have to figure out where the new amp goes, whilst it looks like there is space its pretty tight once the preformed tool and jack insert goes back. Thinking I may have to do away with it. Do I really need a jack in the car?

[Brian R]

25 minutes ago, 96spec said:

Lexus did a great job making everything neat and tidy back here. Have to figure out where the new amp goes, whilst it looks like there is space its pretty tight once the preformed tool and jack insert goes back. Thinking I may have to do away with it. Do I really need a jack in the car?

 

Many thanks for that photo Ben. I'm not intending to upgrade my sound system, but I can now see there appears to be 2 batteries in the rear. I half suspected there may be, and I am also intrigued to see a relay/fuse box on the nearside. Essentially, I bought a rear view dash cam some while ago and I keep meaning to wire it in. So it would seem I might just be able to find a switched connection in there.

I presume the boot covers simply pull up to release?

[96spec]

Hi Brian

Yeah its straight forward - you'll need to take the right hand floor piece out and there is a 10mm bolt holding that in which is under the plastic flap part of the cargo floor eye/hook, then the only other part is the rear plastic piece which is covering the actual lock - there are 3 panel fixings, after that it all mostly lifts out.

As well as that fuse box theres also one on the other side. Ill get some photos later with the covers off.

I put a front dash cam in and will put a rear in too. I was planning to run that back to the front of the car and go to the second port of the Garmin OBD Power that I went with :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-010-12530-23-Constant-Power-Cable/dp/B094Y3KNFJ/ref=asc_df_B094Y3KNFJ/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=535991939755&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11223734351880707847&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006766&hvtargid=pla-1585867751192&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

 

[96spec]

More pics. Musway and harness arrived. Been figuring out where to put it. Can either cut out the plastic RH tray but not so keen on cutting too much even if its a single removal panel or directly underneath that there is an alloy mount. Need to do something to raise it off the bolts.

Fuse box for reference.

 

[Brian R]

Cheers Ben, much appreciated. Hope the installation completes without too much head scratching.

[96spec]

We are in. With help from a kitchen chopping board that I now need to replace. Otherwise fairly neat and tidy and hidden away. That board is velcro to the bracket. Need to spend some time playing with it but suspect Ill look at sub snd door speaker replacement pretty soon...

That first photo is showing alternative location which would need cutting.

 

[96spec]

Just another update on this thread! I hope this will be useful for someone else at some point in time. Been having a play with the DSP now and the amount of configuration this setup gives over each channel and the results are pretty amazing. It really does give a huge boost to the base Lexus audio and actually the OEM speakers seem to take what I throw at them really very well - there doesnt appear to be much distortion and I had been expecting the increase in power might show up a lot of weakness in the stock speakers. That said the system would benefit from a sub to handle the lows better - I dont really want a box in the boot so might look at under the seat options.

Need some more time to continue configuring and listening across different sources.

[96spec]

Had some fun on Saturday after spending last week configuring the DSP but never driving - the LC has Active Noise Control which cancels some noise out it seems under 3k revs and is noticibly applied on deceleration around 30mph - with the Musway gain in the mids and bass I could clearly hear the lower frequencies ANC is plumbing in even with the volume off. So to resolve this I have unplugged plug #49 which is the centre plug on the OEM Pioneer amp.

The sound difference now is night and day - the mids and bass are so much better and not at the expense of any distortion just no ANC which I dont think will be an issue. Feeling satisfied to keep with the stock speakers at least for now.

Attached is my current Musway configuration file - this might be helpful as a starting point for anyone who goes down the same route.

If anyone wants this system and the loom making up its Horst at Allwoods Audio - he has the pin details from my loom - the DSP 8 v2 is currently about 389£.

I also routed a USB extension from the Musway through to the rear of the car and comes out behind the back seat so I just need to pull the centre seat to reach it rather than trailing it outside. This is for the PC software link otherwise you can use the app.

 

Lexus LC500 2 - Adjust D.lygs

[K22MDL]

Ha!!!  I've just purchased a used LC500h without ML option and worrying that the standard fit audio won't be to my liking, so reading this post is interesting.....

I'll re-read and see if I can get my head around it but I do like good audio and if it wasn't for the fact that the car ticked every other box for my purchase (5000 miles & 1 owner in 5 years are just two...!) I'd have passed. HUD is missing too but that isn't a deal breaker.   Any other comments / advice you can offer it would be much appreciated. 

[96spec]

Hey K22MDL. Nice - what colour/spec?

If you can take a look at your OEM amp and compare photos above you should be able to determine pretty quickly if its the same setup as mine - which it should be - then you can just get the same harness created by Horst.

I am really happy with my audio now and pleasantly surprised with the stock speakers although I am planning to add a sub. The only thing you will lose is the OEM noise cancellation which I believe works under 3k rpm only but the upgrade in audio should mitigate that.

Reading other owner threads who have the ML setup it doesnt seem the ML provides much improvement - they report similar observations to stock system. I have wondered if the audio is somehow deliberately detuned / toned down by Lexus to prevent overlap with the noise cancellation frequencies.

[K22MDL]

45 minutes ago, 96spec said:

Hey K22MDL. Nice - what colour/spec?

If you can take a look at your OEM amp and compare photos above you should be able to determine pretty quickly if its the same setup as mine - which it should be - then you can just get the same harness created by Horst.

I am really happy with my audio now and pleasantly surprised with the stock speakers although I am planning to add a sub. The only thing you will lose is the OEM noise cancellation which I believe works under 3k rpm only but the upgrade in audio should mitigate that.

Reading other owner threads who have the ML setup it doesnt seem the ML provides much improvement - they report similar observations to stock system. I have wondered if the audio is somehow deliberately detuned / toned down by Lexus to prevent overlap with the noise cancellation frequencies.

Thanks for coming back to me. When the car finally gets delivered I'll check out the installation. Mine's red with caramel, 500h.

[Las Palmas]

2 hours ago, 96spec said:

 

• Author

Posted August 8

Had some fun on Saturday after spending last week configuring the DSP but never driving - the LC has Active Noise Control which cancels some noise out it seems under 3k revs and is noticibly applied on deceleration around 30mph - with the Musway gain in the mids and bass I could clearly hear the lower frequencies ANC is plumbing in even with the volume off. So to resolve this I have unplugged plug #49 which is the centre plug on the OEM Pioneer amp.

The sound difference now is night and day - the mids and bass are so much better and not at the expense of any distortion just no ANC which I dont think will be an issue. Feeling satisfied to keep with the stock speakers at least for now.

Attached is my current Musway configuration file - this might be helpful as a starting point for anyone who goes down the same route.

If anyone wants this system and the loom making up its Horst at Allwoods Audio - he has the pin details from my loom - the DSP 8 v2 is currently about 389£.

I also routed a USB extension from the Musway through to the rear of the car and comes out behind the back seat so I just need to pull the centre seat to reach it rather than trailing it outside. This is for the PC software link otherwise you can use the app.

Interesting reed. Nice that somebody want good audio.

A sub is making a lot of difference, but if room is little, increasing the speakers in doors and where else they are will give a lot more depth in sound. Once in the Honda Accord we had with 6x9" speakers, changing them to 7x10" (possible with a bit of work) the difference was remarkable. So, if you can change speakers from whatever to something bigger you will get a lot more than many would think possible.

If adding a larger amplifier, you will have better power supply to it if adding a capacitor 1 or 2 farad as close to the amplifier as possible; much easier than replacing the wires from from Battery (on some cars at least).

[Las Palmas]

[96spec]

Bit of an update. Santa was generous and now have additions of an amp and twin subwoofer enclosure again all Musway gear. Wasnt sure on amp placement, was keen for it to be hidden away like the other amp so everything stays as stock looking as possible but needs to be reasonably accessible. Considered behind the rear seats inside the car but wouldnt have been easy so opted for under the front portion of the luggage trim - theres a lot of space there taken up by padding/lightweight/polystyrene filling and whilst I didnt want to cut anything OEM needs must and its not too aggresive. Note. Not sure if the LCh has this space or not.

Not wired in or setup yet but location ready....pics....

 

 

 

[Brian R]

Hello Ben

Very impressed by your tenacity and your intentions to maintain OEM as far as is practical. Quite remarkable how you "found" space for all the kit! I presume all the wiring extensions were also supplied by Musway?

Congratulations on a good job and of course the outcome. However, I suspect you are not going to stop there and the speakers will be your next project............

[96spec]

Hi Brian. Yes this is all Musway kit supplied by allwoodsaudio who helped on my initial enquiry in 22. I purchased my own cable and had some shorter RCA cables made up at Sevenoaks last week. 

Still in progress at the moment as wanted to tidy up the wiring. Some more pics. Note the wire just at the edge of the photo clipped under the white plastic loom carrier - thats the USB extension for the original amp and the lead which is used for the bass controller on the new amp - still need to wire that through to the cabin. Usb I put in so I could sit in front seat with DSP software on laptop if needed from the first install.

 

 

[Las Palmas]

Very nice and tidy job you have made. Impressed.

Loudspeaker upgrade from standard Lexus to - ?

Or are the OEM ones good? The speaker suspension gets better the longer the speakers have played, but the diaphragms (depending on the quality of the speakers) sometimes become less able to perform at their best.

Bose for extreme clarity?

JBL for louder sound?

Some other brand?

[96spec]

Speakers are still OEM right now. I'd like to look at the front speakers at some point either go to the ML versions which are larger so maybe better OR if they have a different mounting then find some used mounts and find a speaker that would go in :

On 7/29/2022 at 3:36 PM, 96spec said:

FYI it looks like the wiring is the same for the ML system.

Noticed as well on the Lexus tech site the ML system has larger front door speakers which I am hoping will mean there is space to put something bigger in there. Then will look at sub, rears and possibly tweeters.

540£ so far - lets see what improvement the Musway makes.

 

 

 

[96spec]

Another update as all in now. Ended up dissambling rear seat to tidy cabling and run usb socket for D8 amp and subwoofer amp bass control to centre storage. 

That first pic shows back of the sub amp through the rear seat.

2nd to last pic shows centre storage with the controller and new usb socket - no real need to do that but much tidier !

Got a a bit more sub - bass now!  

Pic heavy...

 

 

 

 

 

[96spec]

So I have now replaced the front dash speakers - a significant improvement. I suspect that this would be a good upgrade for anyone even keeping to the stock amp.

The space is very limited on the drivers dash speaker, the passenger side has a little more and the centre is frankly huge - very deep. I spent quite a bit of time looking at various products and went with 4" Audison APX4 - I can safely say that these fit and without any modifications to the car, only the speakers themselves - you need to remove 2 of the opposing lugs on 2 speakers and partially increase mounting lug holes. I also put the centre speaker into a slightly crude adapter purely to keep the logo oriented correctly - not that you would notice when the cover is on!

The APX has a very slim flange where as a lot of other products have a sizeable flange - the Audisons look to be about 1-2mm. I found that anything bigger would foul the speaker cover - things are pretty tight between the top of the speaker and the cover + the drivers side needed a 4-5mm shim/spacers to clear the vents underneath.

It would be nice if these aftermarket speakers featured a better connection as spade connections feel a bit crap to be honest. I retained the original Lexus connector as I wanted everything to stay OEM on the car. Ideally I would have found some connectors and may order some from China - the only place I could find them. For now I modified some Toyota audio connector pins to push into the Lexus connector.

Not very pic heavy as unfortunately lost track of taking them but some below. You can see the old 2 side and centre speakers against the Audison.

I got these for 160£ for 4 - which means I have a spare if anyone is interested in doing this upgrade!

The Audisons are a really lovely looking speaker and the fact the tweeter isnt raised is another great help.

They sound fantastic!