I have a 2002 ES with NAV and ML and I need to take the door panels off so that I can replace the speakers. They are all blown thanks to valet parking attendants. I'm not sure how to take them off and I would like to be able to put them back on, LOL. Any where I can find instructions?

Thanx
Mike

 

Did you ever hear of the Lexus Warranty? Bring the car over to your dealer and they'll change the speakers under the warranty!!
P.S. I never heard of all the speakers being blown. One, maybe two, but all.......this smells fishy!

 

I agree it should be taken to your dealer. DO NOT TELL THEM VALETS BLEW YOUR SPEAKERS; TELL THEM IT STOPPED WORKING AND THEY SHOULD HANDLE IT WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM.

 

If they'll replace them that would be great, I'll call them tomorrow, but I was hoping to replace the drivers with better ones. That's why I wanted to know how to take the panels out. I realized it's a Mark Levinson but I think the drivers are cheap paper cone drivers and I want higher power handling, higher efficiency, and deeper bass response. I would like to use the top of the line Morel drivers, they are excellent and very shallow dual neodymium magnets which are perfect for the doors.

Thanks
Mike

 

mikelexus,

Unless you're an audio designer with specialized testing equipment I don't advise that you start changing the original factory speakers! The Mark Levinson system was designed with certain types of drivers that have been optimized to work perfectly with this system. Of course, if you don't mind an imbalance in the frequency response, than go right ahead and do your thing.

Don't be impressed by the hype (dual neodymium magnets)......It means absolutely NOTHING, and just because it'll fit into your car it doesn't mean they'll sound better or handle the amplifier power any better.

You should have said what your intentions were in your first post!

 

>>You should have said what your intentions were in your first post!<<

What was not clear about:

> I have a 2002 ES with NAV and ML and I need to take the door panels off so that I can replace the speakers.<

?

As far as the drivers that I would replace them with, I'm not getting them because they have Neodymium magnets, I would get them because I know they are excellent drivers. The system uses digital crossovers so no impedance matching to the crossover is needed and the crossover points are around the same point as where the three band EQ transitions, so fixing the frequency balance is no problem. Even so I will probably only do this if Lexus will not replace the drivers, it would be a lot easier for them to do it, and cheaper, LOL.

 

What I don't understand is:

When you said that all the speakers were blown, did you mean that the voice coils were open and you didn't get any sound out of them at all, or they sounded distorted because the cones or surrounds were torn?

Loudspeakers with the same physical dimensions does not mean that the sound characteristics will be similar, even though the impedence, crossover points, power handling ability, efficiency, etc. are the same! There are too many other factors involved.

I don't deny that these speakers you are contemplating are fine speakers, but all I'm saying is that you are oversimplifying the original intent of Mark Levenson's engineers. Is it possible that the EQ in their amplifiers were designed to complement the original factory installed speakers rather than aftermarket units?

Finally, If you do decide to change the drivers, I'd like to know whether you find them any better than the original drivers, and how so.

 

Actually none of this matters if I can't even get the door panels off! LOL.

 

If Lexus thought those were better speakers than the ones they matched with the ML, don't you think they would have put them in? LEXUS DOES NOT CHEAPSHOP ON ANYTHING IN THEIR AUTOMOBILES; I can say that, having owned all their models.

 

The best thing to do is FIRST have the dealer change them for you. ONCE you have all new speakers, then decide whether or not you want them changed. If so, you can move them on Ebay and make $$ for your trouble. I'd be happy to refer you to some cats that may want to grab your equipment for a good price.

 

>wdlugitch<
>If Lexus thought those were better speakers than the ones they matched with the ML, don't you think they >would have put them in?

You can't seriously think that the drivers in the ES are the best there is? The drivers in the LS and SC are better and that's still an ML system. The ML is only a $3000 upgrade, you can't put the best anything for that much and that's not even taking into account the profit that Lexus and the dealer have to make on that. So of that $3K, probably about $400 went to speakers and there are 7! There are pure diamond tweeters that cost more than the whole ML system, and yes they are much better than any tweeter in a home system no less any car. To put the best of everything in the ML system would've cost more than the car! And yes the Morel's are better, but it wouldn't have been economic for Lexus to use them or for example Revel drivers which are also much better because it would triple the price of the system, at least.

>tiguy99<
>The best thing to do is FIRST have the dealer change them for you.<

That's what I plan on doing, thanks

 

What you are proposing to do, replace the speakers matched with the system, makes absolutely no sense.....at least to me. The ML system is great for 99.9% of those who have it.......you must be the other .9% that LEXUS will never be able to satisfy no matter what they do.

 

I like my system in my 93 just fine, and yes, it is slightly upgraded (3 way 6x9's and two 10" subs @ 300 watts); I know its' CERTAINLY not the best by any means at all, but it's SUFFICIENT. I can't imagine having enough bling to 1.) own a 2002 ES, 2.) have it with the NAV and ML for a lofty 3 grand extra ( a good chunk of what I paid for my ENTIRE 93 MODEL) , and 3.) even be able to consider some of the stuff y'all are talkin about! Diamond or whatever tweeters? Hell, my whatever-they're-made-of stock tweeters work for me. Y'all need somethin else to do. That or less money...Oh well, I don't mean to offend anyone (probably too late for that), I just can't imagine, being a high school student and dang lucky to have the 93 I do have, which I am very thankful for, ever being at a place in my life where I can even think about worryin about stuff like that! I guess I can only hope that I can get to that point sometime b4 I'm 70!

 

I concur with LEX3486....be content with what you have.