juliamike

Is this audio upgrade worth the money? I'm in NJ and my dealer is reluctant to order this option. Says that the standard audio system is fine and no one upgrades. I also want crystal white with grey interior and he says thats a special order, also . What's the deal??

lok888

I guess Lexus is underestimated the demand of the Mark Levinson option for the east coast. All I read from this and other Lexus forums that RX with ML package will take a long time (perhaps months) for one. And I don't expect a huge discount on special order.

lexuslover

your dealer is right in one aspect - the factory lexus sound system is very good. out of most car brands, the standard audio in lexuses is above average. i believe they use pioneer on their stock systems.

ML is definitely better for CDs. for radio and satellite i am not sure you can tell the difference, so perhaps you should think of it that way - how much you listen to radio vs. CDs.

ML also comes with nice features like DVD changer (instead of standard CD changer) so you can listen to DVD audios or play DVDs on the nav screen. so that is one add'l perk that is included in the cost.

MJMeucci

If you want it order it. My dealer in Seattle told me the same thing, ML is not much better than factory system etc... He even pulled up a 400h that had ML and let me do a back to back comparison. I eventually decided to go with the standard system and not order a RX with ML. After owning it for a few months I really wish that I would have pushed the dealership a little more, our GX has the ML system and it is absolutely amazing, while I realize that the RX is a different car I do feel like the ML system accentuates the high and low frequencies much better, in addition if the RX setup is like the GX (with more speakers, front and rear center) I feel like the sound is clearer and more evenly distributed through out the cabin.

That is just my 2 cents, I guess that part of my want for the ML system is due to the fact that I settled, I have always believed in never settling when buying a car because of feelings exactly like mine that may come later when there is not much else that can be done!

sharpener

wish i had ML

Seadee456

I don't think the ML in the RX is worth it. It sounds nothing like the system in my mom's LX. Therefore, I decided to forgo it when buying my RX. Saved me some money and time too by taking one off the lot instead of ordering one.

RX350Phil

I'm enjoying my ML everyday. All my CDs sounds better than ever but XM is just ok. Playing DVD in the NAV screen is one of the things I love the most about my RX (I watch movies while waiting for my wife when she's shopping...). Here in Canada, there is no wait for ML.

Lil4X

ML really comes into its own with CD's - otherwise there's not a whole lot of difference on FM & XM. There might be a cheaper approach that would very nearly equal the performance of the Mark Levinson system: upgrade your door speakers and add a sub. Resist the temptation to change out the head unit, unless you are willing to open a industrial-sized can of worms. It can be done, and with very fine results - but it's more than a weekend project.

Check out the Audio Forum for details.

Kango

Hello. I'm new here and I should be picking up a white 05 RX(around 5k miles) with nav ML and RSES pretty soon. I was just reading through this thread... and saw some mentioning about watching DVD on nav screen??? Is this for real? I had no idea about this.

Will you be able to play DVD while the car is in motion? No right?

32kcolors

There was a thread a while ago in which an audio installer said that the factory speakers are of very good quality and "upgrading" to most aftermarket speakers would actually be a downgrade. Besides, doesn't the ML use the same stock speakers but add a few more with more amp power?

TripleDES

You also have DVD-A and SACD (I think) support with ML. These hi definition audio standards haven't taken off, but they are out there.

JorgeGVB

Just DVD-A, not SACD. These formats are very popular among audiophiles though. However, we live in an iPod and "download everything for free" world now, so no one cares about quality anymore. Therefore, the DVD-A and SACD are not very profitable.

jfelbab

I've had both and the ML is, IMO, worth every penny. I listen to CD's 99% of the time and as others have said, there is not so much difference in the FM. I am curious as to why it is difficult to get a ML these days.