So before I take the plunge and actually begin shopping & hunting for the LS430 I'd like to pick up, I had a stereo-related concern. Let me be very forward about this: I am not savvy when it comes to electronics and stereos.

I plan to install a fairly basic stereo system (Double DIN unit, component speakers, etc) in the car I pick up. Do I need to limit the search of my prospective Lexus based upon whether it does or doesn't have the Mark Levinson / NAV package?

I really want the least headaches and hang-ups as possible when it comes to getting the stereo I want in the car. If the presence of the factory ML/NAV packages will actually effect the COST of my stereo install, and the difficulty of it - I'd really prefer to take the easy way out. Before considering this aspect, I didn't care whether the car had one or the other, since I don't plan to keep or use them. I'd appreciate some insight on this. Based upon the paint & leather color combos I'm interested in, my vehicle search will be narrowed already. Throwing one more specification into the mix will be worthwhile.

 

a few people with nav have this done. leroy has it done, but i forget his name on here, its LSroy430 or something like this. you should pm him.

 

Too bad you can't recall his name, there is no LSroy430 or LSroy in the member list.

I recall seeing some folks use Beatsonic items for their stereo installs, and I should be able to find instructions & how-to's around here about it. I'm just trying to ensure that I'm making a pretty educated decision on the car I'm buying. If choosing one package (or avoiding said package) will save me some headaches & $100 when it comes time for installation, it's worth it.

However, in the unlikely event the car of my dreams pops up with the right mileage / price / color combo and doesn't fit the ideal criteria, I'm still probably going to buy it

 

From what I know it is much easier and a more simple process to replace stereo on an LS that does not have ML or Nav. With the inbuilt NAV on LS you are stuck with it because it integrates the HVAC controls among other things on its screen based GUI...the average car buyer hasn't yet realized what a terrible design/plan that is for a car that you plan to keep for many years. A few years from now more and more klunky inbuilt integrated NAV systems on all types of cars will start failing especially on the early 2000's cars and it will be apparent then. I am on the Toyota highlander where owners of early 2000's cars are starting to reporting failure of NAV screen....fortunately its a rare option on a highlander.

 

Lroy430UL is his screen name

 

If you are dead set on installing a system try to get one without NAV. It will save you money on the install

 

Thanks as usual, Jabber!

Ah, found him - were you referring to this thread? MDEC has a great thread that's quite in depth & with tons of pics for the same installation - I've just decided it's a lot easier to just go without NAV, as I assumed it would be.

I am not one to go all out for an audio system, I just know that I won't be happy with the factory radio or NAV interfaces (nor their aesthetics). Since I know what I want to install, I figure it's just smarter to try & shop the cars equipped accordingly for easy installation when the time comes

I always thought that it would be cool to have a double DIN unit in place of the factory NAV, I just assumed it would be a headache or impossible to do. Seems I was on the right track.

 

The ls430 with the ML system is really nice (when listening to CD's) but doesn't sound as good listening to the radio as with most systems. If you're wanting to go with just clean good sound, the ML would be an excellent option. If you are hard set on installing something aftermarket, get the ls430 without nav or ML system and this will be the easiest to work with aftermarket electronics. If you get the ML system, an addition of a good aftermarket sub will be all you need. Hope this info helps.

 

If you're anywhere near Plano I can highly recommend Car Toys for installation. They did my Kenwood 6960 install perfectly. Click the Kenwood link in my sig for pics. I used the Beatsonic faceplate and harness, no problems.

 

I thought this would be the case. All I've owned previously were smaller sportier cars and sound quality was the last thing on my mind, and most speakers & radios remained stock among my fleet of vehicles. Now that I'm going for a car that's more about comfort & quality, rather than handling & quickness, I'm gonna go for more amenities than the OEM system can offer (i.e. bluetooth media streaming, NAV, touchscreen, etc.).

Thanks - I'm in Austin though. I simply have some of my local friends assist in the audio install, a handful of the guys I know are nuts for that stuff & really enjoy doing it (and they're great at it). Luckily this means my install costs are low haha

 

i prefer to keep the stock looking nav/ML system for some reason in this car (first time i've ever said this) and went with a device called a cache' which is like a clean sweep but only for a sub woofer. then i added an aftermarket amp and sub. i almost pulled the trigger on a clean sweep and replacing all the factory speakers, this would be my next move if i ever decide to revisit the stereo in my LS430. but yeah unless you just want the look you don't have to change out the head unit just to get good quality sound from some aftermarket speakers.

 

I understand that, and to each their own but I insist on the Kenwood DNX6990HD due to features such as the Bluetooth Streaming Media and the touchscreen NAV. It really comes down to safety & convenience. I'd much rather stream audio from my phone while it sits in my pocket rather than keep an iPod device plugged in somewhere in the car. We end up with well over 60-80 consecutive days of triple digit temps here in the Summer. iPod's don't have a very good life expectancy when baking at 100+ degrees every day, for months at a time.

Secondly, the touchscreen NAV is more convenient in the sense that standard NAV dials/buttons aren't as safe or accessible for a passenger to manipulate while I drive. Most of our trips have been in our 2008 335i, and the iDrive dial on the center console means that either driver or passenger can easily control the NAV or music selection. My previous stereo, the Pioneer AVIC D3, was also easily controlled by passengers, and I don't think I'll ever go back to factory NAV or stereo for those reasons.