LS430 ML Subwoofer

[Micholas]

I finally got a car audio specialist to take a look at my ML set up. Issue was the sound would cut out when the volume was slightly raised. Had tried a replacement good amp but still the same. 
Anyway within 25 mins and at a cost of £60 the tech diagnosed it as the parcel shelf sub. Despite the sub looking in good shape with no tears or signs of damage, it had in fact blown at some stage of its life and the amp was cutting the sound out to protect itself. He diagnosed it by cutting all the speaker wires at the amp and then playing the radio one speaker at a time. 
So he left the sub isolated and I got uninterrupted music for the first time since owning the car.. Now I know there’s no mid bass because of the missing sub but God the sound quality on these systems is poor. Imagine paying all that money back in 2001 and this was what you got. 

Anyway I ordered a Paul Frost special Sub from eBay, and tonight removed the old one. I went a bit medieval but I in no way have the time to remove the whole rear interior. 

 

As per some others have done, with a Stanley blade, a ruler and a magic marker.. I cut around the perimeter of the sub catchment on the parcel shelf.

 

 

Takes a bit of wriggling and the bottom left bolt was a pain to remove, but got there in the end. 
 

 

This will now go off to Paul tomorrow and hopefully I’ll get a new one next week so I can hear Mark Levinson in all his glory!! 

[BigBoomer]

I replaced mine with the DaytonAudio Sub
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223667715863
Works great but does require some minor Dremel modification of the plastic frame that holds the Sub.
Once broken in it sounds just like the ML Sub and considerably cheaper.
I cut my parcel shelf just like you did.

[Micholas]

8 hours ago, BigBoomer said:

I replaced mine with the DaytonAudio Sub
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223667715863
Works great but does require some minor Dremel modification of the plastic frame that holds the Sub.
Once broken in it sounds just like the ML Sub and considerably cheaper.
I cut my parcel shelf just like you did.

This is probably the same one that Lexus Spares Direct are probably fitting to my housing. Shame I didn’t find this before.. ah well it’s only money. 

How’s your sound? Is it still poor once all operating correctly? 

[BigBoomer]

No, the Lexus Spares Direct one is rated to 800W and the Dayton only to 80W RMS/160W peak.
The Dayton also looks different with a bigger dome in the cone.

The sound is excellent. Once I replaced the sub (my ML one had torn foam, but also had a broken wire inside the speaker cone) the bass was a little over-the-top, so I turned it down 1 notch on the Bass setting on the screen. Then after about 2-3 weeks of use it mellowed and now I run Bass, Mid, and Treble all at 0 and sounds superb.
I did also have to re-foam the speakers in the front doors, but now I have a great sound and it's loud enough to deafen me and still with zero distortion. 

[Cotswold Pete]

On 8/9/2022 at 7:33 PM, Micholas said:

 Now I know there’s no mid bass because of the missing sub but God the sound quality on these systems is poor. Imagine paying all that money back in 2001 and this was what you got.

I wonder what the ML syste msound like when new, I assume car systems degrade espercially due to the extremes of heat and cold the whole car suffers.

I have just replaced the tweeters in my home audio system, after  the ferro-fluid in them was causing the sound to degrade and crack up.  So if a home stereo goes a bit AWOL after 15 years then a car stereo must benefit from a total replace at some point.

Mind you looking at the prices for replacing with genuine ML spares is a little eye watering.

I think I'll not be poking around with the speakers in my 400, but totally aware sound is nothing like being on the sofa listening to speakers that cost £1000 15 years ago.

[BigBoomer]

The ML system in the 2001 LS430 was one of the first, if not THE first production "premium" sound system in a car. Prior to that you could get a B&O system fitted to your Roller for a mere £10k as an option but that was about it.
I guess it depends on what you expect from a car audio system. If you want pounding bass and window rattling volume, buy a new Hot-Hatch as they are setup for Pop/Dance music with the emphasis on BASS BASS BASS!.
The ML system was all about perfect reproduction along the lines of home Hi-Fi systems. The sound was balanced and to my (admittedly damaged) ears sounds very good, certainly better in quality than many systems fitted to modern cars and better than many home "Hifi" systems I have heard.
I listen to quite a lot of Prog Rock and some of the dynamics on those albums are on par with the best Classical music CDs and are a good test of reproduction quality.
However, if you have a £5k+ sounds system at home then the ML is going to sound dated. It has had 16-21 years of being in a hostile environment and comparing it to a new system is unfair. It sounds better than what was in my 2001 S-Class, better than my Dad's 2003 S-Type Jag, and better than anything from it's era. If yours doesn't, well then something is broken.

[Micholas]

I’m intrigued now as to what it’s going to sound like with this new 800w sub. I’m no audiophile but I have always thought the ML system sounded a bit poor. Maybe something is broken 🥴
 

I certainly won’t be refreshing or uprating any of the other speakers though. I don’t think it would cost that much as pretty good modern aftermarket speakers that are probably better than the originals can be gotten fairly cheap.. but the time it’d take to access and replace every speaker on that system!! 
 

I’ll update with my thoughts when the new sub is fitted. 

[Malc]

at least in my 95 Ls400 I can blame the crackling sound on the tapes I'm using rather than any unlikely and expensive degradation of the sound system itself  

Malc

[ls430sportsuspension]

Can anyone send me current links to suitable front door speakers? I believe I need 6.5 8ohm mid range. Just need current links since a lot of the previous posts are quite old. Thanks!