Mark Levinson strange sound.
05-20-16, 06:36 AM
#16
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Please keep in mind that sound setting features on your phone, app, and ipod devices will affect how the sound is played out of the speakers of the vehicle. I dont have a RX yet but i have a 2014 GS 350 with ML and for the longest time I thought my stereo was broken until i messed around with my sound settings and turned off all sound enhancement settings on the phone and now my music sounds perfect. With all those sound settings on in my phone made the music sound too front biased and had distortion.
Make sure all sound enhancement features, fade adjustments and equalization settings are properly adjusted on source device before sending music playing through your cars bluetooth or usb.
In the case of my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 i need to turn off these three sound enhancement settings that were on before i realized it. Settings shown at bottom picture.
1. UHD Upscaler OFF
2. SoundAlive+ OFF
3. Tube Amp Pro OFF
Also note that you need to give the ML system HD music files for this system to shine. Regular MP3s will not cut it even music files bought from itunes are not the best quality. You need files downloaded in lossless Flac or equivalent to hear all the sonic detail of the music. I use an music app called Tidal app, it offers you the ability to download all your music in HD CD QUALITY Flac lossless files which sounds great!
Make sure all sound enhancement features, fade adjustments and equalization settings are properly adjusted on source device before sending music playing through your cars bluetooth or usb.
In the case of my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 i need to turn off these three sound enhancement settings that were on before i realized it. Settings shown at bottom picture.
1. UHD Upscaler OFF
2. SoundAlive+ OFF
3. Tube Amp Pro OFF
Also note that you need to give the ML system HD music files for this system to shine. Regular MP3s will not cut it even music files bought from itunes are not the best quality. You need files downloaded in lossless Flac or equivalent to hear all the sonic detail of the music. I use an music app called Tidal app, it offers you the ability to download all your music in HD CD QUALITY Flac lossless files which sounds great!
This is a good point that others may not realize when streaming through bluetooth.
I will say though that the vast majority of people will NOT be able to tell the difference between FLAC and mp3 if the mp3s are of sufficient quality... especially through car audio. With decent headphones you can generally tell the difference between good mp3s and lower quality ones, but from the testing I've done most people can't tell the difference once you hit 192kbps VBR (-V2 through LAME or better). Obviously everyone's ears are different, but the testing I've done with friends who claim to be able to hear a difference with FLAC turns out to mostly be placebo.
05-20-16, 08:36 AM
#17
So I finally have my RX 450h Luxury.
I am kind of disappointed by ML sound system. When set to default location schema (enabled surround, middle from both directions) I can hear music mostly from front like it were no surround. When I move it to cca 65 % to back it sound better, but still it sounds like there is no sound from left or right.
Do you have the same experience?
I am kind of disappointed by ML sound system. When set to default location schema (enabled surround, middle from both directions) I can hear music mostly from front like it were no surround. When I move it to cca 65 % to back it sound better, but still it sounds like there is no sound from left or right.
Do you have the same experience?
05-20-16, 08:42 AM
#18
I have notice the same thing on my ML system. The sound seems front biased and very narrow, like all the sound is coming from the front center speaker. When I sit in the back seat the sound is great.
I have tried turning surround sound on and off on various sources and volumes and equalizer settings. the best i have found is TRE +2, MID +3, BASE +1 and volume 30-35( fairly loud) at lower volumes the sound seems narrow. on some music is sounds best with SS most it does not.
I have tried turning surround sound on and off on various sources and volumes and equalizer settings. the best i have found is TRE +2, MID +3, BASE +1 and volume 30-35( fairly loud) at lower volumes the sound seems narrow. on some music is sounds best with SS most it does not.
05-20-16, 09:25 AM
#19
I had this same thought when i was in the back seat, everything was in surround sound and sounding great! Too bad we dont drive in the back seat. Something is off in the design/config.
As to what others have said about custom systems, I am not really expecting much, I really cant tell the difference, but it was on most the high end packages so I got it, and was expecting at 2k, it would at least be balanced.
As to what others have said about custom systems, I am not really expecting much, I really cant tell the difference, but it was on most the high end packages so I got it, and was expecting at 2k, it would at least be balanced.
Last edited by daveylin; 05-20-16 at 09:34 AM. Reason: Spelling
05-20-16, 12:14 PM
#20
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05-20-16, 03:36 PM
#22
From the front seat, it does sound front biased. However I'm getting the impression as if you are sitting in a concert seat and having the performer in the front. I did tweak the settings for mid's and treble to the middle and turn bass up near the high end and sounds much to my liking. If you like a lot less bass, then you can turn it down. I do notice that some stations using bluetooth are a lot lower quality like pandora. When i use spotify it sounds a lot better. And sirius xm radio sounds the best out of all the sources.
05-20-16, 03:41 PM
#23
wow that is pretty loud. I usually set mines at 20 for normal listening and 30 for really loud for xm/sirius. For bluetooth/hd radio then, 35 would be my loud.
05-21-16, 04:35 AM
#24
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just to clarify - i am no audiophile, but I am so disappointed that I did a little 'research'.
I agree with other posters - when I sat back I heard the surround effect, but when sitting as a driver there's nothing like that. So I tried to listen to each speaker separatley by putting my ear near it.
When sitting back I can see one speaker at the botton of the dorr, one speaker below the window and one speaker behind my head. From every of them I can hear both - instruments and voice.
But when I sit front - there is only one speaker in the door - the bottom one and I can't hear any voice from it - just instruments. There is no upper speaker below window like when sitting in the back. So again - no voice coming from left. It looks like this speaker is exchanged by one placed in front left (in the 3rx there is no such speaker, but there is one under windows in door - just like in the backwards both in 4rx and 3rx).
I start to think this is why we dont hear the surround effect
I agree with other posters - when I sat back I heard the surround effect, but when sitting as a driver there's nothing like that. So I tried to listen to each speaker separatley by putting my ear near it.
When sitting back I can see one speaker at the botton of the dorr, one speaker below the window and one speaker behind my head. From every of them I can hear both - instruments and voice.
But when I sit front - there is only one speaker in the door - the bottom one and I can't hear any voice from it - just instruments. There is no upper speaker below window like when sitting in the back. So again - no voice coming from left. It looks like this speaker is exchanged by one placed in front left (in the 3rx there is no such speaker, but there is one under windows in door - just like in the backwards both in 4rx and 3rx).
I start to think this is why we dont hear the surround effect
05-21-16, 05:19 AM
#25
Wow! That's the first time anyone has ever said that. Sirius/XM (via sat) is the most compressed format there is. If you have the ML option, it really shows its short comings. The higher quality sound system you have, the more obvious the compression gets.
Now, I don't have an RX, but currently an ES with ML. I'm planning to test drive an RX in the near future and ML is a must! In my ES, the sound is bad with "Surround" checked. It makes the music sound distorted and out of phase. If you play something that's encoded in 5.1 DD, or multi-channel DVD-A, it plays it in its intended surround format, with the setting "Off". Finding DVD-A's that can play on the ML is somewhat hit or miss, but that's a different subject. Most of my music listening is done through a 128GB flash drive encoded in MP3 at 256k. This seems to be the sweet spot for me. CD's are slightly better, but not worth dragging them around. Pandora and Slacker through the app sound pretty good, as long as you have good cell data service and set their quality to "High". Sirius/XM sounds like garbage, which is why I discontinued my service with them after 10+ years.
Now, I don't have an RX, but currently an ES with ML. I'm planning to test drive an RX in the near future and ML is a must! In my ES, the sound is bad with "Surround" checked. It makes the music sound distorted and out of phase. If you play something that's encoded in 5.1 DD, or multi-channel DVD-A, it plays it in its intended surround format, with the setting "Off". Finding DVD-A's that can play on the ML is somewhat hit or miss, but that's a different subject. Most of my music listening is done through a 128GB flash drive encoded in MP3 at 256k. This seems to be the sweet spot for me. CD's are slightly better, but not worth dragging them around. Pandora and Slacker through the app sound pretty good, as long as you have good cell data service and set their quality to "High". Sirius/XM sounds like garbage, which is why I discontinued my service with them after 10+ years.
05-21-16, 06:17 AM
#26
Instructor
Wow! That's the first time anyone has ever said that. Sirius/XM (via sat) is the most compressed format there is. If you have the ML option, it really shows its short comings. The higher quality sound system you have, the more obvious the compression gets.
Now, I don't have an RX, but currently an ES with ML. I'm planning to test drive an RX in the near future and ML is a must! In my ES, the sound is bad with "Surround" checked. It makes the music sound distorted and out of phase. If you play something that's encoded in 5.1 DD, or multi-channel DVD-A, it plays it in its intended surround format, with the setting "Off". Finding DVD-A's that can play on the ML is somewhat hit or miss, but that's a different subject. Most of my music listening is done through a 128GB flash drive encoded in MP3 at 256k. This seems to be the sweet spot for me. CD's are slightly better, but not worth dragging them around. Pandora and Slacker through the app sound pretty good, as long as you have good cell data service and set their quality to "High". Sirius/XM sounds like garbage, which is why I discontinued my service with them after 10+ years.
Now, I don't have an RX, but currently an ES with ML. I'm planning to test drive an RX in the near future and ML is a must! In my ES, the sound is bad with "Surround" checked. It makes the music sound distorted and out of phase. If you play something that's encoded in 5.1 DD, or multi-channel DVD-A, it plays it in its intended surround format, with the setting "Off". Finding DVD-A's that can play on the ML is somewhat hit or miss, but that's a different subject. Most of my music listening is done through a 128GB flash drive encoded in MP3 at 256k. This seems to be the sweet spot for me. CD's are slightly better, but not worth dragging them around. Pandora and Slacker through the app sound pretty good, as long as you have good cell data service and set their quality to "High". Sirius/XM sounds like garbage, which is why I discontinued my service with them after 10+ years.
05-21-16, 07:23 AM
#27
Lexus Test Driver
DYNAMAT the front 2 doors
The sound should feel like it is coming from in front of you. Maybe try it with the surround option off?
When you listen to a concerto at a live concert, the sound comes directly from in front with the illusion that it is surround sound. That's what my sound guy told me.
I will be adding a sub, dynamat, and a mono amp at a later date.
The sound should feel like it is coming from in front of you. Maybe try it with the surround option off?
When you listen to a concerto at a live concert, the sound comes directly from in front with the illusion that it is surround sound. That's what my sound guy told me.
I will be adding a sub, dynamat, and a mono amp at a later date.
05-21-16, 08:03 AM
#28
Wow! That's the first time anyone has ever said that. Sirius/XM (via sat) is the most compressed format there is. If you have the ML option, it really shows its short comings. The higher quality sound system you have, the more obvious the compression gets.
Now, I don't have an RX, but currently an ES with ML. I'm planning to test drive an RX in the near future and ML is a must! In my ES, the sound is bad with "Surround" checked. It makes the music sound distorted and out of phase. If you play something that's encoded in 5.1 DD, or multi-channel DVD-A, it plays it in its intended surround format, with the setting "Off". Finding DVD-A's that can play on the ML is somewhat hit or miss, but that's a different subject. Most of my music listening is done through a 128GB flash drive encoded in MP3 at 256k. This seems to be the sweet spot for me. CD's are slightly better, but not worth dragging them around. Pandora and Slacker through the app sound pretty good, as long as you have good cell data service and set their quality to "High". Sirius/XM sounds like garbage, which is why I discontinued my service with them after 10+ years.
Now, I don't have an RX, but currently an ES with ML. I'm planning to test drive an RX in the near future and ML is a must! In my ES, the sound is bad with "Surround" checked. It makes the music sound distorted and out of phase. If you play something that's encoded in 5.1 DD, or multi-channel DVD-A, it plays it in its intended surround format, with the setting "Off". Finding DVD-A's that can play on the ML is somewhat hit or miss, but that's a different subject. Most of my music listening is done through a 128GB flash drive encoded in MP3 at 256k. This seems to be the sweet spot for me. CD's are slightly better, but not worth dragging them around. Pandora and Slacker through the app sound pretty good, as long as you have good cell data service and set their quality to "High". Sirius/XM sounds like garbage, which is why I discontinued my service with them after 10+ years.
05-21-16, 08:19 AM
#29
Instructor
Good sound can be achieved because i just test drove a new 2016 Audi Q7 and it has the Bang Olufsen sound and it sounds fantastic. I know lexus can do better. I hope Lexus will fix this in the 2017 year model.
05-21-16, 05:56 PM
#30
.but i notice the volume level is very source dependent. I usually listen to an iPod touch over USB.