Thoughts on Mark Levinson system
11-16-18, 11:55 PM
#31
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the ML does not play the SACD layer. You must be playing a hybrid SACD, which has Red Book (CD) layer also. Do you have any DVD Audio discs (DVD-A)? Those may play on your ML. I can get close to half of mine to play, but not all. Source is everything with this system. I can't tolerate SiriusXM on it.
First I tried the Pioneer system (they didn't have any 2019 ES models on the lot with ML at the time). High bitrate MP3s (256-320kbps) over Bluethooth sounded pretty good. I wasn't blown away but I was happy enough. However, XM sounded static-y. I certainly understand that XM is compressed but it was noticeably worse than the JBL system in my current 2011 Camry. Considering the limitations of XM it sounds pretty good in my Camry.
Like two weeks later I came back to see if they had a 2019 ES with the ML system and they did. The high bitrate MP3s over Bluetooth sounded great on the ML system. However, where it really shined is on XM and not so much how good it was but how much better it was than the Pioneer system and even my Camry's JBL system. Was it CD quality or even high bitrate MP3 quality? Oh course not but I wasn't expecting it to be. But it was very enjoyable. I believe this is due to the Clari-Fi decompression technology that is used my the ML system
Considering the variety on XM it accounts for 60-70% of what I listen to in the car. The other 30-40% MP3s from my phone. When I ordered my ES (300h Ultra Luxury) the extra $1080 for the ML system was worth it just for the XM quality. The quality of MP3s was just a bonus.
11-17-18, 06:01 AM
#32
I had a very different experience with XM. I listed to both the standard Pioneer and the ML.
First I tried the Pioneer system (they didn't have any 2019 ES models on the lot with ML at the time). High bitrate MP3s (256-320kbps) over Bluethooth sounded pretty good. I wasn't blown away but I was happy enough. However, XM sounded static-y. I certainly understand that XM is compressed but it was noticeably worse than the JBL system in my current 2011 Camry. Considering the limitations of XM it sounds pretty good in my Camry.
Like two weeks later I came back to see if they had a 2019 ES with the ML system and they did. The high bitrate MP3s over Bluetooth sounded great on the ML system. However, where it really shined is on XM and not so much how good it was but how much better it was than the Pioneer system and even my Camry's JBL system. Was it CD quality or even high bitrate MP3 quality? Oh course not but I wasn't expecting it to be. But it was very enjoyable. I believe this is due to the Clari-Fi decompression technology that is used my the ML system
Considering the variety on XM it accounts for 60-70% of what I listen to in the car. The other 30-40% MP3s from my phone. When I ordered my ES (300h Ultra Luxury) the extra $1080 for the ML system was worth it just for the XM quality. The quality of MP3s was just a bonus.
First I tried the Pioneer system (they didn't have any 2019 ES models on the lot with ML at the time). High bitrate MP3s (256-320kbps) over Bluethooth sounded pretty good. I wasn't blown away but I was happy enough. However, XM sounded static-y. I certainly understand that XM is compressed but it was noticeably worse than the JBL system in my current 2011 Camry. Considering the limitations of XM it sounds pretty good in my Camry.
Like two weeks later I came back to see if they had a 2019 ES with the ML system and they did. The high bitrate MP3s over Bluetooth sounded great on the ML system. However, where it really shined is on XM and not so much how good it was but how much better it was than the Pioneer system and even my Camry's JBL system. Was it CD quality or even high bitrate MP3 quality? Oh course not but I wasn't expecting it to be. But it was very enjoyable. I believe this is due to the Clari-Fi decompression technology that is used my the ML system
Considering the variety on XM it accounts for 60-70% of what I listen to in the car. The other 30-40% MP3s from my phone. When I ordered my ES (300h Ultra Luxury) the extra $1080 for the ML system was worth it just for the XM quality. The quality of MP3s was just a bonus.
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