Gawein

What options do we have as far as disconnecting or disabling the rear deck subwoofer? Not trying to cut the two wires in the trunk. I want to temporarily disable it and do a sound test due to the discontinuity in front to rear bass.
Is there a fuse for it? Just trying to see if there is an easier option than pulling everything apart. Does the grill on the deck pry off and give access to a plug?
Some bass heavy songs are just unbearable in the back seats because all you hear is off beat thumping and booming. I'm assuming only a certain lower frequency range plays through the subwoofer and it's just terrible sometimes.
I would sincerely appreciate any useful help.

LeX2K

You can't access the connector from inside the trunk? Speakers are not fused.

Gawein

Nope. all that is there is a cone housing and 2 exposed gold flat wires

grp52

According to the wiring diagram in Speaker Circuit - Audio And Visual System (for Gasoline Model) - Lexus ES (XZ10) Service Manual and the instructions and associated illustration in Removal - Rear Package Tray Speaker - Lexus ES (XZ10) Service Manual (scroll down to step 16.) there's a connector, N75, for the (subwoofer) rear speaker assembly that is disconnect-able. Unfortunately, it looks like you can only gain access to it from the top/passenger compartment side which will require quite a bit of disassembly of rear package tray area parts.

Gawein

There’s gotta be a way without removing all that. Holy cow. Please tell me the speaker grill can be removed on it’s own. It seems like its own piece, surely.

64035-06030-C0

Gawein

Alright.. the cover came off simply by prying with interior trim tool. Indeed there was a simple connector that could be unplugged. It only brought a new issue of absolutely zero bass even up front, with the sub disconnected which makes no sense. Do aftermarket subwoofers solve this misaligned timing between front and rear space? The discontinuity/off beat bass with faster songs drives me nuts and I can’t believe they tuned it like this, or lack there of. I know it has been beaten to death, especially for the 7th gen ES and ES in general, but Mark Levinson is an amp company to begin with and it all just feels like a Lexus scam to make a few extra bucks with their ‘premium audio’.

LexFinally

Mr. Mark Levinson has nothing whatsoever to do with the Mark Levinson stereos in Lexus vehicles. He posted on this site a number of years ago and confirmed that personally. He sold the rights to Lexus to use his brand name in the automotive space.

I believe two companies, Harman Kardon and Clarion, are the manufacturers of virtually all OEM car audio systems today, even the ones you'd assume make their own like Bose. Harman is the maker of the Mark Levinson systems for Lexus.

This is not any more or less of a "scam" than the dozens of other famous brand names that adorn the stereos in all high- and mid-level automobiles.

grp52

According to the website of Harman Automotive (part of Harman International Industries and now part of Samsung Electronics) HARMAN Branded Car Audio brands are AKG, Harmon/Kardon, Infinity, JBL, lexicon, Mark Levinson, Revel, Bang & Olufsen*, and Bowers & Wilkins* (*Licensed).

Gawein

Yep. anyone with slightest interest in car audio knows harman group owns all the brands and it’s really just a marketing gimmick to use borrow and use big names in the industry. And no, Mark Levinson had a lawsuit with its own company and the company kept his name when he left the company. He did not give Lexus the right to his name lol.