Robdog1515

More good news. well for me.

I got another call from Lexus Lemon. mid June, I have a meeting with mark Levinson Engineers and Lexus at my dealership. They will install the new amp the night before, and then next day we will all sit in the car and listen to the new amp. I am thinking if I don't like it, they will hook up their laptops and fine tune it on the spot.

So mid june, new amps will be avaliable. Its official.

Mike728

Ok, so I may be (am) eating my words. At around 3k miles, I'm now starting to hear this sub issue. It was definitely not there before, as I listen to pretty much the same source at the same levels consistently. My bass and treble have always been set to +1 and mid at 0. A couple days ago I started to notice increased bass levels and just assumed it was due to the system breaking in. Yesterday, I heard the sub bottom out at a level of around 40, so I turned down the bass setting to 0. This morning it happened again at a level of 36. WTF?

So, I take back my original statement that a test drive is all you need to see if the car has this issue. Mine was fine for over 2 months. Unless my sub goes out completely, I'll wait to have it addressed until my 5k service. Hopefully, by then Robdog's efforts will have paid off!

Robdog1515

I need help from you all.

I am compiling a song list using Spotify, downloading the songs at 196kbs(?). going to use this playlist to demo my car with the new amp.

Can you all please give me one or two tracks that you know are torture tracks? songs that will surely test the bass and overall sound.

I will take note of the settings and volume level at each song that gives me distortion and compare that to the new amp and report back to you all.

ElliotB

Most of the songs on XM channel 2 will cause the distortion.

Music4ever

Hi Robdog, thanks for all the information.
I finally got my Vehicle back the amp was replaced as the other amp blew. I was informed by the Lemon Law office today they are in talks with Lexus and Lexus has informed them they are looking into the issue and will get back to the lemon Law office within 3 weeks and Lexus is going to review the documents from the engineer.
As for songs that make the sub bottoming out ( starting from the Bottom) by Drake

Robdog1515

My feeling is as follows;
Mark Levinson got their A$$es chewed out by Lexus over this issue. I have been told that ML has been swamped with field complaints. Given that ML has already attempted to fix this issue once and failed Lexus now has a 0 tolerance for any further issues. The fact that ML is flying out two engineers to install my new amp in hopes of convincing me to keep my car tells me that they fixed it.

Sandollars

I have been in the music industry all my life and this is not an amp issue, it's a speaker issue. The sub installed is too small for the system. Sure, it can be fixed with a new amp, but the fix is to put in 1 with a weaker output than the one that is in there.

I just bought my ES300h 2 weeks ago right off the boat and I have the same exact issues you all are having.

I do not want them to drop me down to a 300 watt or so amp or narrow the Hz output response to "patch" this problem, I want them to install a sub -woofer that can handle the heat they put in the car.

Again, the distortion is in the speaker, not the amp. I have heard this problem in low end studio monitors a million times.

Mike728

I wish there was a way to turn just the sub-woofer down by itself. My problem is the sub is way too over-powering at even low volume levels, which it wasn't prior to me having the issue. If I could turn down the sub and keep the lower door speakers where they are, my problem would be pretty much gone. That said, something has changed in my system for the worse. I really hope the fix is an easy and non destructive one.

Music4ever

I agree with Sandollars, we have to make sure the fix is not to reduce the output and watttage. Harman and Lexus promised in writing 835 watts output system with all channels driven, at less than 0.1% THD; 20–20,000 Hz this is their claim and what all of us paid for. Everyone with this issue should let Lexus know reducing the output is unexceptable and that is what I informed Amy from the lemon law office.

ElliotB

"Harman and Lexus promised in writing 835 watts output system" There is also a disclaimer in their material that would likely cover them legally should they reduce it.

These Band-Aid fixes are certainly a surprise and major disappointment considering we are dealing with Lexus. We deserve better!

"I wish there was a way to turn just the sub-woofer down by itself" there is, but it would involve modifying the audio system which could void its warranty.

Mike728

I was not referring to any modification. My wife's CR-V has it available through the head-unit, which is all I meant. We have Bass, Mid and Treble. She has those 3, plus a setting for the sub. That said, her system still sounds like garbage compared to the ML.

ElliotB

I am not sure how you have you bass, treble and mid-tone sliders set but if you turn the treble and mid to full, you effectively lower the volume of the bass because you don't need to have the volume as high when listening. I do this and also have my bass up all the way and find this gives me the best results overall (well balanced sound).

Mike728

I have Treb +1, Mid 0 and Bass 0. It's not the bass I want to turn down as a whole, just the sub.

DiscoDan

I agree, we paid for a 835 watt system and we should be able to enjoy a system which pushes out 835 watts. I am not sure why I want to listen to 835 watts, however when I purchase a car which states it can, I will.

Lexus needs to address then fix this problem.

DiscoDan

I just found this link to Edmunds dated 1-9-2013

http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/es-300h...ewId=568503316


Review
I know this maybe hard to believe but the Lexus USA customer service is the WORST. I had to do all the follow up! The car itself is fine but the optional Mark Levinson sound system is horrible. Do NOT purchase this option!!! Please understand I have been very reasonalble with the cusotmer care reps and they dont even care. This will be the last Lexus I purchase if something is not done about the sound system.