TechNut

I have a model with Nav and the radio sounds fine so I really have no advice. I don't personally like the satellite radio and use Pandora anyway, so I wouldn't know about that either.

I can comment on the Bluetooth however and I can say it doesn't work well with Apple iPhones. The receive audio sounds fine inside the car, but it is highly distorted and at least one octave higher on the transmit side. I constantly have to repeat myself. It was terrific with a Blackberry, but when I switched to an iPhone the transmit quality went in the toilet. This is the same complaint I have with our 2013 RX and two different iPhones. We use it, but the quality isn't good. It is odd that streaming music from an iPhone sounds excellent, but not the transmit phone quality. You might want to get someone with an Android or Blackberry to try your Bluetooth and then you will at least know if it is the car or the phone?

virtual

I think there maybe a way to set it up - that it will improve transmission a little.
The guys at the dealership have a way to access settings that look like a 4 digit number. There is a paper with a table with meaning what each number adjusts. Give it a try. Maybe that works for you - who knows?

When I tried to adjust my first head unit - those numbers were capable of changing the pitch somehow and the max output was also influenced.
We spent 2 hours doing that and trying two phones. The tech who helped me was very knowledgeable and nice to us. He was very patient and tried all he could. We kind of made it from "absolutely useless" - to "poor performance". Then we gave up - because nothing could make it good.
But mine blue tooth was damaged. My radio was obviously bad and we couldn't make it to work. On the new radio I see a little difference now.

I have to work on it a little and I am gonna give it two more weeks because
I want to be able to tell the difference after many phone calls not just few.

If you have a navigation radio - then I would expect it to be much better -
those codes should help you.

TechNut

Thanks. I will check it out at my next service. My RX is being serviced this coming Wednesday as a matter of fact. I had just accepted that iPhone integration was crappy and hadn't pursued it any further. I lost other functionality converting from the Blackberry and just assumed the transmit quality was another loss.

gemini6kl

I don't knw u really have a bad situation going there, may be some how things will get better. As u knw the radio is not very good at comparing sound quality. Bye the way we're u able to turn on the surround soud feature. Click on the speaker icon on the bottom of the screen and then go to DSP. I think u have to adjust it for each music source . Also when u are listening to the radio do u see a little green light next to the HD icon.

airgas1998

I agree my stock stereo w/out nav sounds pretty good if you ask me....

Hotrod70

Thinking about changing out spearers on my 2013 Any pics, guides or DIY information I could use would be helpful.

Thanks

virtual

Thank you very much for the tip.
It was hard to find, but I found that DSP and turned it ON. Much better.
Why didn't they say about that in the manual? Why is it turned OFF by default? Most importantly how come these people at the dealership don't know about it? Why didn't they tell me?

It is a shame they don't put that in the manual. This manual with its obsoleted screens and all versions shown in one book is a scandal.
How can a 43K car with such a complicated control system come with a manual like that?

I mean if you didn't tell me - I would drive like that for years.
People out there don't know and they suffer this horrifying sound quality.
What are they gonna say to their friends? That the sound system sucks, no? What a shame. Probably some idiot decided to save few bucks printing two versions. Or maybe they forgot to write a better manual.
Or maybe they just saved couple of dollars on salary for a professional review of this piece of shi...t called the manual.

Mike728

I thought your main issue was with the sound quality of the internal mic, not the sound on your end. Changing the DSP to surround will do nothing for that.

The DSP setting was set to surround on my '13 ML audio system. It sounds like crap with it on. That's the first thing I changed.

virtual

Yes, my main issue was the blue tooth. Not microphone, but voice transmission to outside callers. We checked the microphone and it was not the problem. Microphone was OK.

But the radio quality bothered me as well. DSP changed the radio sound perception. It is better having that ON. But regardless - they could have made the radio better. What happened with the sound quality engineering?
Radio in Lexus is no longer going to impress anyone.

gemini6kl

I am happy I was able to help just remember u have to adjust it for each music source, so for cd , Bluetooth and so on . I don't knw why the manual is not more specific but I guess it is expected that most people will play around with the settings if they have an issue with something in the car. I was once told that all major manufacturers try to cut cost in every part of the manufacturing process even if its to save 10 cents. I guess that's the idea behind staying profitable but also the reason for some unbelievably stupid choices. On the stock system the surround sound makes a huge difference but on the ML system its not recommened. Also in the same menu as dsp make sure auto sound leveler is turned off .

virtual

what is ML system?
Why the sound leveler OFF?
(I have it ON)

How can a reputable manufacturer expect the customers to make advanced changes to settings that you don't see, because there are no ***** outside, settings that are hidden in menus without description in the manual?

By the way - the Bluetooth still doesn't work well, and I am so annoyed by this - I am going to take further actions against them. This is not right. This was an important feature influencing my decision to buy the vehicle. It is difficult to work on the phone with all legal restrictions and for us the Bluetooth functionality is the single primary feature that comes before the radio and navigation system.

If LEXUS can't make that thing to work correctly - then do not advertise the car as having this function. I could have purchased another car with a well functioning Bluetooth.
They seemed to save too many pennies on that radio.

TechNut

Do what you have to do, but they will argue that it is the phone. I have seen this myself when I switched to an Apple phone. I did talk to the dealer about this when I had our RX serviced last week as it suffers from the same issue as our ES, but they said there was nothing they could do about it. Their response was that we had the current firmware and there wasn't anything more they could offer. I described your response regarding the 4 digit codes and they looked at me like I was from Mars.

I have two questions. Are you using an iPhone? Have you tested with another brand? I know this probably isn't what you want to hear if you have an Apple phone and like it. I like my Apple phone as does my wife, so we have just decided to live with it. I am not willing to return to a Blackberry just to restore my Bluetooth phone transmit quality. I do not know if Android phones would sufffer from the same issue in our Lexus autos.

I don't think this is an issue for everyone with an Apple phone or there would be a greater outcry, but it is an issue with both of our cars and our current iPhone 6s and the past 5s.

virtual

No, I have an LG phone and my wife has a Samsung. We have tested an iPhone at the dealership and the iPhone was sounding best of all three. I think LEXUS screwed up and saved pennies on the system and they think they can get away with that.

I can't believe they didn't even want to help you setting those codes.
I saw the instructions, I was present when the tech typed the codes on the console.
This is not some urban legend - they have advisory for it.

Look, I am planning to go to the dealership again next week - I will ask them to give me a copy of that document and I will share it.

Also - there is a good way to test it.
You take a cell phone, pair it, call a landline and talk to somebody holding your cell phone close to your face and with the car engine running, then within half sentence you turn OFF the engine and the microphone switches back to the cell phone automatically. The person you are talking to gets a shocking experience as the voice quality suddenly improves. Do it the same way. This bluetooth is so bad - it works bad with any phone. It is just that you have to compare it against it's own microphone. That bluetooth is that bad. I think this is the radio they made. Design issue.

This whole situation is beyond ridiculous.
I would understand saving money on some screw, or a piece of plastic in a place where nobody can see - but the radio and bluetooth? Those are the things anyone would notice. Are they stupid or what? And how much have they saved? A dollar? On a radio? C'mon. I am taking this personally. I am not going to tolerate it. I don't want any money - I just want a good working bluetooth as advertised.
I am going to return this car back to them if they can't fix that bluetooth.

gemini6kl

Wow. Omg so tht was your problem all along. The soundleveler should be turned OFF . Thts why your radio sounds terrible the soundleveler reduces the frequency level so basically there is no highs or lows just a flat sound. Do me a favor turn sound leveler OFf get your favorite cd pop it in there. Crank up the volume and enjoy your car.

P.s ML stands for mark levinson

wowzer

No one has ever complained about my voice being distorted on my 2015 es300h and iphone 5s. Siri works perfectly, as does voice to text. Could it be the bt on your phone?