Lexicon1

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The ML door speaker size is 8x9" (see factory pictures), the non-ML 7", but the frame is the same 8x9". If you want to upgrade your OEM professionally, you should prefer 6x9 speakers and adapters for it (Metra, etc.). OEM speaker connectors are also required. Some manufacturers offer plug-and-play Toyota speakers, but they are not 100% plug and play in Lexus: 8https://www.focal.com/en/car-audio/car-audio-kits-solutions/integration/plugplay /focal-toyotar/is-toy-690, https://powerbassusa.com/products/mo...tem-Toyota%20/ and some other speakers with Toyota adapter:

Lexicon1

tdlnfn
well, the picture indicates the NON ML system (which I have is somewhat oblong) , I am not sure Ive seen anyone replace the door speakers w a 6x9 and mounting is another issue....

Lexicon1

Does anyone have a great picture of the OEM dash speaker for the NON- ML speaker system ?
I am trying to confirm the sensitivity rating of the dash 3.5 speakers.
I am looking for a picture of the OEM model number on that speaker as well as the capacitor rating of the attached capacitor which limits the frequencies that reach that speaker (like a Bass Blocker)
I have read in one post that the sensitivity is 83 dB, but Crutchfield says they don't have a measurement. and I don't know where that reading came from
.
IF i have the speaker model number of the Pioneer speaker , I might be able to find the specification on line....
There is one pix of the OEM speaker, but I cant read it from the angle of the pix . The capacitor reading will help when I replace the dash speakers w non OEM replacements.

Any assistance is appreciated
Thanks

AtomicLexus

Rated sensitivity of most speakers is inaccurate and take it with a grain of salt.

The factory door speakers are surprisingly reasonable sound. Changing them out will help most if you are going to the trouble of adding an external amp. Lots of work there. Without the higher power amp, the sound will be different, but not substantially better for all the work.

Sub and dash is the best bang for the buck. The new dash speakers already have caps to limit bass, and adding a bass blocker will change the crossover curve for you are combining 2 caps in series. There is free design software online for crossovers that helps you better understand this. Be aware that the charts are starting points, and in the end use pink noise, music and your ears to tune to your liking. I have designed lots of crossovers that yielded great results, but it is a tedious process with lots of parts and jumper cables testing it out.

Here is the dash speaker photo:

Perc

+1 for the Inifity's.
Amazon dropped them off today and I had them installed in about an hour.
Put on some Dire Straits 'Fade to Black' and Stevie Ray Vaughan 'Tin Pan Alley' and it's a huge improvement.. lifted the soundstage right up.
I'm 51 years old.. so I very much need the crisps highs.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this about the system.. playing .flac files off a USB stick makes the system sound much better than streaming from Spotify etc.

Now that I've got the highs.. I'm definitely feeling the need for a better sub.
I've got a JL10w3v3 and a JL JD500 amp that'd I'd love to get under the storage but it's a bit big.
Looks like the easiest way to go is the Kicker HS10.

AtomicLexus

If you have the hybrid, adding the under seat sub is easy, as is a Taramps or Infinity amp to the factory sub. I don't think the Kicker will fit the opening under the deck led. Verify the size. Kenwood (and others) make some smaller ones that should fit easier in the lower deck openings.

It is just amazing how bad the factory dash speakers.

Perc

I was surprised that the factory dash speakers were coaxial.. they certainly don't sound like it and c'mon, paper cone?
I've got the plug-in hybrid so the battery is at the back with the big storage area next to it.

I've got some leftover parts I pulled out of my previous vehicle before trading it in.. wondering what I can reuse:
- Audio Control LC2i
- Dayton Audio DSP-LF DSP
- the JL JD500 500w monoamp

Maybe I put the Audison APS8D you guys were talking about into the factory sub box, then use the Audio control LC2i to take speaker level from the factory sub to feed the JD500 mono amp to the APS8D.

I've got some time this weekend.. maybe I'll put in the LC2i, Subwoofer DSP, and the JD500w amp to the factory sub.. I'll start from very low levels and work my way up.
If I blow up the factory sub, I'll invest in the Audison APS8D.
You guys were all using the battery at the back and then using the 12v cigarette plug as the remote trigger?

tdlnfm

The JD500 turnes on, if receives a signal, no separate remote is needed. Be careful with this amplifier, because the factory sub supports a maximum of 50-100W. Even for Audison, it is very strong!

I wrote earlier that I tried it and don't recommend replacing OEM speaker with Audison or any other driven with a big amp, because the factory plastic box and the body (steel) cavity are very weak and not suitable for powerful (over 100W) bass sounds, you definitely need a separate box for that. Atomiclexus's solution (OEM sub with a small aftermarket amplifier) is technically OK.

Perc

I found another solution: Hertz CBA250 powered 10" subwoofer ($299CAD). Just 4 wires.. + battery, - battery, disconnected factory sub and wired the +/- into the speaker level input of the new sub.
I installed the downfiring feet onto the sub and was originally going to downfire it.. but I think it sounds better facing up with the feet on to spread the weight of the deck cover.
I had to rip the velcro off the feet (thus the ugly adhesive residue) as it was snagging the deck cover.
I was originally going to remove the storage bin next to the battery and put it there.. however I ended up removing that big styrofoam tool insert that's just above it and putting it there.

I'm super happy with the result when combined with the Infinity 3.5" on the dash I installed earlier this week.
Adjusting the crossover on the subwoofer to remove some of the mid-bass that was being sent to it, I'm able to get some separation so that the dash are putting out the highs, the doors are doing fine for mid, and sub doing the bottom end.
Factory EQ has the highs above the midpoint 1 notch, and the mid and low is now at the center point (0).
I'm no longer envious about the Mark Levinson system.. this sounds great and is all I need.
The system is completely stealth, you cannot tell that anything had been changed out.

Thanks to this community for posting all the great ideas and reference documentation. It sure makes doing mods a lot easier.
I've had my 450h+ for 6 days now and have done:
- dash speaker upgrade
- subwoofer upgrade
- dash cam wired to mirror
- 14" touchpanel glass screen protector
- center console storage tray (they should include this from factory)

On the way is:
- black matte woodgrain covers for the center shifter area to help with the piano black
- Puddle lights


NX450h+ w/ Hertz CBA250 Powered Subwoofer

MP3 recorded using just my phone, held just above the center console. listen w/ headphones or something that can produce the bass.

Updated 3/10/2024 - added straps for safety


-

tdlnfm

Congratulations on your project, ingenious solution! At high volume, doesn't the unloaded luggage tray rattle? I would prefer downward radiation.

Perc

No rattling for now but I might try this for a week and then flip it over to see if there's a difference. So far pretty happy with the results.

tdlnfm

Hertz is good brand
Other: don't forget to fasten the box to the car body, because in the event of an accident it could fly forward and cause serious injury!

tdlnfm

As I already wrote don't think the 8" sub is enough for this car, so I made a customized closed box with a 10" driver instead of the factory storage, under the trunk see pics).Choiced JL Audio 10w3v3-2 driver: great specs, very good customer feedback, dynamic sound, big displacement. (I was even thinking about the JL 10w1v3-2 and the Rockford Fosgate P3D410 too). The factory recommendation is 17.7 L (0.625 ft3), which I thought was small because the qtc would be very high. At 24L (0.85ft3) box I designed the qtc is almost ideal: 0.75 and the fb is 48Hz. After a long break in, I adjusted the subsonic filter and bass boost, so the attached graph shows the measurement results (two Iphones with free apps: Subwoofer Frequency Test and Sound Meter).
Subjective review: the speaker moves a lot of air, it has brutal power, and even makes your hair flutter at full power... At normal volume, the bass hits even on the highway. The bass moves forward and back in the cabin as it fades. It was my 12th sub-project, but so great none of them sounded. Amplifier: Hufonics Pluto I (375W RMS).

Principle

Measurements. Response (-3dB): 40-100Hz

The MDF box is being prepared. Extra cavity, fixing hardware, etc.

It's almost done. (Self-adhesive fabric).

99% ready. Right the original OEM container.

Already on place. Recess for the tray, with logo, 3 points hardware fixing to body.

msmetz

Thanks to everyone for the great information. I put the Infinity in the front dash and will probably do the fosi sub amp. With all the stuff that's covering the sub i can't even hear it. Since i may change the center dash speaker i'm thing about going with either the focal or JL 4 inch for the front dash. It looks like they will fit. With having the gas version if there was an easy connection point for power i would replace the entire sub. I don't know how long i will keep the car so i don't want to get to involved. I like the infinity but they tend to be very strong on the high end. i may give it a few weeks for my ears to adjust. Like AL said this was for a low cost upgrade.

Lexus450MD

I want to thank everybody on this forum for their work and comments. I recently completed my speaker upgrade on my NX450h+ and wanted to share, in case it helps the next person out.

I like good audio - I’m not an audiophile, but I want my music to sound good, clear, and full. For reference, I have Sonos speakers and soundbars in my home, and my earbuds are Jaybird Vista with Comply foam tips. I mostly listen to rock and metal, with a smattering of pop and synthwave. This isn’t the first time I’ve upgraded my car speakers, but I’m definitely not an expert and have no background in car or home audio. I thought the stock system was OK, but not as good as my previous car. I can’t believe Lexus doesn’t offer the ML system on the plug-in hybrid - you would think if we’re buying the most expensive trim that runs near silent, we might want the premium sound system to go with it.

I put 3 Infinity REF-3032cfx speakers in the dash (including the center speaker) with the bass-blockers, and then the Taramps Bas 400 amp for the factory sub. The dash speakers were super easy. Soldering the capacitors took a little time, but otherwise, it was very quick and easy. If I didn’t have a soldering iron from a previous upgrade, I wouldn't have bothered with the caps. Definitely get some Metra 72-8109 adapters. I found the clarity improved, but it wasn’t a huge change. I was worried about some comments about exaggerated highs from these speakers, but I didn’t find that to be the case. I'm happy with my choice of speakers here.

I did the Taramps Bass 400 amp next. I like a full, punchy bass, but didn’t want anything excessive, so based on the comments here, I chose to add the amp and leave the factor sub. I used the high level inputs so it would turn on and off automatically, and wired the power directly from the battery, including a fuse. I used a Metra 72-8109 adapter on the incoming signal and then butt connectors with friction tape to speaker wire, then more butt connectors to the high level adapter to the amp (which came with the amp). The only “damage” I did to the factory wiring was cut off the adapter at the sub so I could connect the output speaker wire from the amp. I also used butt connectors here, which was convenient since there was limited space. I could have found an adapter to use here, but already had the butt connectors. I also drilled 2 tiny holes in the foam in the trunk to run a cable tie around the amp. I didn’t think to get any photos during the process, but as you can see on my completion photos, it all hides well, and is accessible if I want to change settings on the amp.

I found the amp upgrade to make a big difference. I have the amp set on 50% power and the bass boost turned off. I definitely get more low end and the bass drums sound good. If I want more bass, I’ll just turn up the amp and not use the head unit EQ to avoid getting the muddy bass from the door speakers.

For those with the hybrid or plug-in hybrid, your amazon shopping list should include:

-2 packs Infinity REF-3032cfx (about $100, or $50 each)

-2 packs Metra 72-8109 adapters (about $22, or each)

-Taramps Bass 400 amp (about $80)

-10 gauge sub wiring kit (about $18)

-butt connectors with crimping tool, heat shrink tubing, friction electric tape (already had)

Overall, I’m very happy with the improvement. If I do any more upgrades (which I’m not planning right now), it would be to the back doors. In part, a better speaker may fill out the sound in the car. Moreso, I don’t get a convincing “thud” when I close the back doors, so it would also be an opportunity to add sound dampening or mass to the doors. I'll be following the forums...

Again, I want to thank everyone for their work and comments. It made this a much easier process.

Finished, before battery cover and trunk bin

Finished, with trunk cover open