Now Bose is quite an interesting animal indeed. I have heard many Bose systems that really DO sound fantastic in many cars. There are a select few that I can remember being abysmally poor, like the QX4, but on the balance they are great.

What is funny about that is it seems to be the reverse case when it comes to Bose. They build and truly engineer amazing audio systems for CARS, but their home stuff is typically scoffed at among true audiophiles. The system in my room is a little hodge podge of stuff that I got to sound JUST the way I wanted it and includes an inline passive Bose subwoofer (from their three piece audio system, I did not use the satellites though), combined with two very high quality speakers that I kid you not, came from a 1990s Technics shelf system. The amp is a Pioneer from the mid '90s as well. I know it sounds absolutely ridiculous that any of that could not sound just good, but sound GREAT, but it really does have just the tone and power I want.

Ironically this all happened when I sold my HIGHLY regarded pre-Harmon era 1990 JBL XPL-140s to my friend, and found these Technics speakers in his closet. I thought "meh, I'll just hook this up for now until I get something better, there's no way a cheap set of mini system speakers can approach good sound". I was absolutely blown away when I hooked them up. They had extremely tight bass, truly crisp highs and pronounced mids. *Shrug*.

 

The Mark Levinson comments are interesting.
I don't recall reading about too many door speaker issues on the LS430 forum ... just blown ML subwoofers. Does the LS460 cabin present a friendlier environment?

On my 2004 ML, I had to put my ear right on the sub to hear any bass response.
Just terrible, crystal clear on jazz tunes, but pathetic bass response. The sub wasn't broken, it just provided weak low end response on anything other than heavy rock music.

The Nak system in my 2000 LS was superb on cd material, but weak on FM broadcasts.
Lots of bass response, nice, true high's.

I had five different Cadillacs with their factory Bose 480watt system.
I'd rate those systems just behind the Nak, but ahead of the ML.

 

I've had Bose wavelength in my Rx-7 and just was blown away with the sound! Bose in my infinitis (FX35's) has been awesome and the bose system in my 1991 300Z Twin Turbo was amazing too, especially considering they had just 6x9's in them!

Most audiophiles will tell you Bose sucks. There is a saying from audio gurus that goes something like this..."if it's all lows, it must be bose". LOL

I like the lows and don't mind the lack of the highs that ML offers. That's why Nakamichi was a nice blend of the two perhaps.

The Logic 7 system in the RR current body is really good...you just have to turn DOWN the bass...it's too much.

I think the stock system in the GX470 is better than the ML system!!! I have two friends that I ride in their GX's regularly and one has the ML the other doesn't and I honestly cannot say the extra money for the ML is worth it! The only problem with for some time the GX only offered the Nav system with the ML so you were screwed if you wanted Nav. They might have changed that by now.

 

I'd offer that the unbranded system in my '06 ES is more listenable than the ML in my '02 SC as well. That said, when I check the SC's audio with a test CD (below) and SPL meter, response is good from a little under 30Hz to about10KHz. Subwoofer response is best experienced by the middle passenger in the rear seat though.

http://binkster.net/extras.shtml#cd

 

It is so funny you mention the GX... My friend's Mom has a GX470 with the Nav and ML system and one day he actually called me to ask if there was something he was doing wrong because the system had so little power, that even at near max volumes it sounded like garbage. Nothing was broken or blown, it just had very little "oomph". I have no doubt the base system sounds as good.

I remember years ago reading reviews of the GS300/430 that touted the "stock sound system" as one of the best they have ever heard, and they advised no reason to switch up to ML.

It would not surprise me if Toyota is already working with Harmon on development of either Logic 7 systems for the Lexus line (keep in mind the Hyundai Genesis sedan has already jumped the gun there), OR all new Mark Levinson systems that utilize Logic 7 technologies.

 

By FAR the weakest link in the ML chain (and I do not know about the system in the LS460 or new LX570 so I will not condemn those) is the extremely anemic amplifiers. Now before the audio purists jump in and tell me that power does not equal sound, the relatively lossy low end components in factory car audio need all the juice they can get. I can understand why the SC maybe did not get a ton of audio engineering as its a drop top and designed to be enjoyed as such...

However, 240w in the LS430 ML system is just laughable for such a big car. The Cadillac Sevilles that Ted mentioned above, introduced an amazing 450W Bose "4.1" audio system that must be heard to be believed, WAY back in 1998. A healthy dose of power goes to the 11 inch Subwoofer unit in the rear deck, and its NOT a system that sacrifices sound quality for sheer "bass". Very well put together system.

Other noteworthy systems... Ford Mach 460 in EB Expedition, Mach 1000 in the Ford Mustang, 600w Logic 7 in the 2007 S550 (STANDARD equipment btw!) and 750w Logic 7 in the current RR, which I believe is also standard. I believe the Fords were JBL sourced, but I could be wrong.

 

Paydrv4me-yeah, and the 2010 Mustang GT with the "Shaker" system has like 1,000 watts lol.

 

That thing is incredible.