Who else believes this is true? Lexus deleted ML on the IS350 to hold down costs, adding ML caused sticker shock?

fyi, the vehicle I ordered today that I hope to have in a few weeks has ML and I'm in shock right now...but it wasn't cause by no sticker.

 

The one I found to be the absolute best is "No Scrubs" by TLC. "Yeah!" by Usher is real good as is "Run It!" by Chris Brown. Here is the CD I used:

1. If I could Go! - Angie Martinez
2. Bump, Bump, Bump - B2K
3. Baby Boy - Sean Pual
4. No Scrubs - TLC
5. No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys
6. Yeah! - Usher
7. Posse On Broadway - Sir Mix-a-Lot
8 Run It! - Chris Brown
9. Someday - Nickelback

 

Levinson is only $995 more, stand alone option, At least here in North East, if you want to order it.

 

I think it is important to point out a few facts:

1. Just because a few of us want ML, does not mean that lots of people want it.

2. Lexus didnt screw up just because we didnt get ML. For all we know, their research was spot-on and they were very successful.

3. Region dealers and the corporate regional sales managers set allocations for their regions. That accounts for the disparity in allocations.

4. To satisfy every customer's individual taste, Lexus would had to have allocated an immense combination of options packages, colors and upgrades. They would also have to know EXACTLY where to allocate them. They did their market research, but they are not telepathic.

Don't forget, you CAN get exactly what you want; you just have to have a little patience while your order is processed.

Think about what would happen at McDonalds if they accounted for every possible taste that might walk in the door, rather than building a small inventory of burgers for the majority of people they expect to serve.

After hearing ML, I wouldnt touch an IS without it. That doesnt mean that everyone shares that value and that Lexus is misguided in their assumptions. They know more about their market than any of us, and I'm willing to believe that they know what they're doing.

 

very nice write up, big thumbup to you!!!!

i have yet to listen to the ML. but having tried it on the gs430 (06), it's a must have for me

 

I've only heard the ML system in the New IS...not the pioneer setup. When you have a good audio or dvd track of sound, the sound is phenomenal. And this is coming from a novice audiophile.

 

Here is my impression: Lexus (and enthusiasts) hyped up ML because it truly is a great system. People will wait for it, and they will wait for prices to drop. Everyone is guessing that prices will lower well below MSRP in about 3-4 months.

But imagine, if and when, a new allocation of IS finally comes in with ML (among other bells and whistles). Lexus dealerships can say "hey, you get this exclusive ML system that everyone's been waiting for. We're not lowering the price on something this exclusive..."

Suddenly, BAM! The prices do not drop from MSRP and you have to (a) buy it then at MSRP because you're sick of waiting or (b) wait another 3-4 months before you get a discount. INGENIOUS!!!

 

You might be onto somethin!
Makes sense to me.

 

95% of the menu at McDonalds is the same in every single franchise in 50 states. They might have the moose burger in Alaska and a pineapple salad in Hawaii and mango flavoured shakes in Florida, but I have to believe this Lexus allocation scheme is based on something other than "market research." Oh, well...I guess we'll never know for sure. BTW, the hint of sarcasm in my last post, I should have used red, that's what we normally do in other forums.

 

Don't forget what I said in one of my earlier posts above. I got this information from the people who made this decision. I know coming from me to you it's hearsay, but I'm quite clear about why they did what they did.

I did share some of the conversation with FlipSide, but would rather not make it public since I was not given permission to do so.

As for the McDonalds analogy, what I was trying to convey is that most people want a BigMac as-is. Some people come in and want no pickles, or no sauce, or extra onions. If McDonalds were to try to cater to those people, they would end up with a bunch of stale inventory, and they would have to guess about a massive number of combos.

I think it is reasonable to assume that a bunch of standard Big Macs (Premium Plus) were allocated and those who want extra onions (Mark Levinson) would have to order it and wait while their burger is cooked.

 

Titanium tweeters and Neo magnets aren't the end all for any audio. Sure, they seem like more "advanced" materials, but they really aren't, especially if they have problems with resonance and ringing. I have YET to see a metal dome or hear a metal dome tweeter that doesn't have the ringing problem. That includes Focal, Diamond Audio, JBL, Infinity (not metal, but similar to ribbon), MB Quart (ESPECIALLY MBQ) and others. For the record, it is MUCH more difficult to produce a soft dome tweeter than it is for a titanium/aluminum tweeter. More steps involved rather than just "punching out a can" to get the desired shape. I'd GLADLY swap out the metal dome tweeters in the ML system for a pair of Dynaudio MD100's. Much more enjoyable to listen to. Listen to the "s" sounds and any horns or trumpets. Orchestra music will be very revealing of any ringing, especially when it comes to strings. High hats also will reveal any ringing. Most untrained ears can't pick out the ringing since they are so used to it. A/B/A listen to a metal dome versus a nice soft dome (dyn, ads) and you'll notice a difference.

Now why does the ML sound so good? They figured out the cabin area, speaker locations, etc and threw in a lot of processing. Equalization too. Not sure if there is any time delay management, but they did their homework. Now if they can only get their drivers to last longer and not burn out...

Percy

 

Now you've heard from the master himself.

 

So do you think its better not to get the ML system and just upgrade the stock system to Dynaudio?

 

If you can get the ML and then upgrade to Dyn, it's worth it. If you can't get ML and still upgrade to Dyn, it's more than worth it also.

Can't really lose either way, but with the ML/Dyn combo, it'll be a heck of a combo!

Percy

 

Will dynaudio fit without any retrofit? specially the tweeters
I had dynaudio in my GS and I wouldnt get anything else