Airwolf

I love my IS-350 Sport BUT... I'm a talk-radio lister so I use AM more than FM or CD (I expect plenty of abuse over this...) and the audio quality sucks. It sounds great in all other modes, but in AM, it sounds like a cheap walky-talky (about 400 Hz bandwidth). No amount of goosing the tone controls helps (it changes, but still sounds like crap).
Before I take time from work and have them swap out the radio, I thought I would ask the collective mind if their AM audio is equally crappy. Receiver sensitivity, by the way, is fine. Just sucky audio.

Thanks

onihc

iTrader: (1)

you can not compare AM to FM. i have to turn up AM slightly more compared to FM and CD.

TimboIS

AM, it is what it is.

is4me2

That is an understatement. I have to turn it WAY up and then remember to turn it down when I switch back to FM or go temporarily deaf

mike714

Are you in SoCal? What AM stations do you listen to?

RCPiercy

My best advice is to check out the C. Crane Company. They have several solutions for auto AM antennas. www.ccrane.com

mikewpu04

I listen to several talk radio stations as well, but I really don't notice a diffrence from my Grand AM to the Lex... is it possibile the stations you listen to are far away...or maybe you do have a bad antenna. I didn't notice a diffrence, but AM is def. AM.

And if its true you use AM more... I hope u did not splurge on the ML.

Bichon

It's a shame Lexus doesn't offer an HD radio capable receiver in the IS. With HD (digitial) radio, AM isn't "what it is" any more. In the NY radio market, several of the big AM talk radio stations (e.g. WOR and WNYC) are now simulcasting in digital.

Airwolf

Lessee here...

Yes, I'm in SoCal... San Diego in fact, can't much more So than that.

No comment on the station I listen to, don't want to get into politics.

I have tried a bunch of stations and they sound tinny and muffled at the same time. FM and CD sounds just fine. Based on your responses, I'm going to assume that this is a bad radio. At the very least, I'll go back to the dealer, who has been very cooperative, and try out the radio on another car. That will tell the tale and I suspect I'm gonna get a new radio.

I love this car, traded in a 1999 Corvette for it and I'm not disspointed.

Just wish there was a way to add the RADAR cruise control (even though I NEVER use cruise control) but I'm a gimick freak.

Cheers,

Kermee

iTrader: (1)

My AM stations are fine here (e.g. KOMO 1000, KIRO 710, KVI, etc.) and I don't have to adjust volume switching between AM and FM.



Something doesn't sound right.

Cheers,
Kermee

OneOfOne

me either. what do you expect from am? I was listening to wfan for the first time in a long while and its loud and clear. and crappy. thats why I got xm. lots of talk there. even worthless air america.

Airwolf

Air America? How much did they have to pay XM to run their feed?

Why don't they just call it Worker's Socialist Radio and get it over with.