Stroock639

the sound quality itself in my car is AWESOME it's just modern features it's lacking. hell yea i'm rocking the cassette adapter even with that the sound quality is totally awesome and crisp with plenty of rich feel to it.

SW17LS

This is true of all the newer Lexus sedans I've had but my LS460, it has a hand sanded body and the paint is really nice. Otherwise you're right, more orange peel on the newer cars than there was on my LS400 or 430. I think a lot of that is the shift to low VOC water based paint.

One thing that has been consistent though from 1998-2015 is the paint chips really easily.

Does yours have the Nakamichi audio? That was the best sound system I've had in a car. The 430 had ML, it wasn't nearly as good. My 460 just has the base audio and its okay, one reason why I never sprung for ML again was the ML in my 03 ES and the 04 LS430 was lacking compared to that Nakamichi so I just stuck to the base audio.

Stroock639

nah it's the pioneer. but even for the "not good" audio option it still totally kicks ***. the cassette adaptor is like 95% quality of what a good CD will do. in some ways i'm happy i don't have the nakamichi only because they're now effectively out of business and i can still readily get parts for the pioneer unit, such as the LCD which i've have to replace TWICE... having a nakamichi audio system would definitely be cool though, so 90s....

Stereorob

hate to say it but the old Nakamichi upgrade system may not be surround sound, it may not have BT audio, and may not have 17 speakers, but it flat out BLOWS THE PANTS off of the ML today, that is, if you can find one that's still working that hasn't been played to death. my 90 had the Nak system. after it went I spent a considerable amount of money on a aftermarket system for the car, but it still never sounded as good as the factory NAK system. and I cant say that about ANY other almost 30 year old factory system. it was absolutely unreal..

dicer

I agree there is no reason to put an aftermarket system in these cars. So Rob you work at Lexus, is the repair info available for these old 90's systems? On TIS? Or where?

SW17LS

That surround stuff, number of speakers, etc is just BS. No substitute for a proper, high quality, well engineered audio system. Unfortunately nowadays people focus on the number of speakers, watts, etc.

I would disagree about BT audio though. The impact that has on my music listening enjoyment is significant.

Jlacck

I'm the opposite on this opinion about the stereo department. While the double din install does add some updated functionality to the car, I actually like the stock look of the stereo system. I have the Nakamichi system in my car and its one of the biggest reason i don't want to upgrade/change my stereo system. But the biggest thing is the classic simplified look of the stereo/dash unit is makes the interior look so elegant in the LS400.

Jlacck

This is probably the biggest reason why I'll never sell my LS400 besides the fact that it still looks good. That Nakamichi system is probably worth it by itself. It sounds good on just about any style of music that you listen to, from Jazz, pop, hip hop, etc etc. Its a very clean and focused sound. Sometimes it sounds so good, I can't get out of the car at work until the song that's playing goes off

Stereorob

yup.

there is some very old stuff on TIS but its buried pretty deep and its not complete because we don't repair the old stereos. we don't even replace them anymore because they don't make them anymore and haven't for quite a very long time. im sure there is a pile of them sitting in a warehouse somewhere in the world but god knows where. and even if there is, just cause something is NOS doesn't mean its going to be any good simply due to age. there is a common misconception that old stuff still in the box is still going to be perfect. its simply not the case. I collect vintage stereo equipment and stuff that's still in the box never used from 30 years ago is going to have more trouble now than units that had been used there whole life.
this stuff has to be used. ten years it wont matter but when they are approaching 30 years old its a whole other ball game. just like the classic car that has 15,000 miles on it. its pretty but will be nothing but trouble. in the case of electronics its not seals, motors, and rubber that goes bad from non use. its corrosion and electrolytic capacitors. they are oil based and if not charged with power regularly, they dry out and start blowing stuff up. just cause its stored away its not immune to age.

Stereorob

what I do find amazing though is how many of these original factory systems still work considering how old they are bordering on vintage at this point. car stereos have about 1/3rd life expectancy of home equipment due to the harsh environment they are in. the extreme hot and cold plus they have to work twice as hard as home stuff. I really cant think of any circa early 90s aftermarket car stereo equipment that still works. even the best stuff. heck even stuff from the early 2000s is a rarity these days..

dicer

So if the info is so sketchy, what if someone comes in and needs the password cleared on a 90 unit? Its really funny if they do have the procedure and it is still a big secret, I really don't think these systems are in demand enough to warrant that. And I'm sure most people would just toss the thing before paying what ever to have the dealer unlock it. When is antique status on these cars and the sound systems? Maybe then the info will be available.