As a car audiophile and lover of all ML systems myself, I really appreciate all your Lexus reviews Charlie! Thanks for being honest and pointing out what most legacy Lexus owners are thinking with the new generation of vehicles.
considering its location in the trunk door? thats a very weird location but id imagine it wont have much ventilation enclosed in there so it probably did overheat given its wattage. Definitley wouldve been better under the floor or in the side to save space
I traded a 2019 GX for a Gx 550 and I have to disagree. The 550 is much smoother and drives far better. The brakes and ride quality are far better. The interior isn’t complicated but far better quality. IMO
Thank you for these videos Charlie, I know there are lot of people like us that really enjoy listening to music in our vehicles. Thanks to your videos we have an idea of what vehicles to pick over others.
The 550 vs 460 comparison at the end is pretty eye opening. Seems like the mid-range woofers are over driven in the 550 vs the 460 which is better balanced.
You did publish a 2022 LX Mark Levinson review. I think you meant to say you haven't published the 2023+ RX Mark Levinson review due to having a pre-production model. Thanks for the thorough review Charlie.
I agree, that really sucks. I was hoping Lexus would stick to their roots and keep things quality and classy. Shame they feel pressured to be more like Tesla, BMW, and Mercedes.
Owned the GX 550+ since July and yes it sounds good and very clean. But definitely missing the chest thumping bass in some songs. But overall a clean and powerful sound
Currently, most new car models, including premium audio systems from Canton, Harman Kardon, Meridian, Burmester, Bang Olufsen, Dynaudio, or Bowers&Wilkins, etc., are very poor sounding from the factory. The speakers used in cars from the factory have nothing to do with the quality speakers and components used by these reputable manufacturers in domestic products. These are speakers that are made in the cheapest way possible - plastic basket castings, small coil diameters, paper diaphragms, foam suspension, minimal xmax deflection are used. Alternatively, if an external amplifier is used, its performance is insufficient and distortion of the sound comes very early. Thus, the presented mark for extra audio is mainly a marketing move to increase profits with extra equipment. Cars are getting heavier all the time due to equipment, meeting safety standards, or switching to electric mobility. As part of the weight reduction, they no longer have almost any acoustic or damping materials, for example on the sheet metal parts of the doors, and this is not just the case for the lower grades, but for all even premium brands. Try knocking on the door sheet metal from the outside on the latest Bmw, Volvo or Mercedes, for example. The car is a very challenging space in terms of acoustics because it is a relatively small, enclosed space and, in addition, it contains very acoustically unsuitable - reflective materials, which are large glass surfaces, large and thin sheet metal parts and, on the other hand, acoustically quite absorbent materials - carpets, seats, upholstery, etc. Such a space is acoustically unsuitable and needs not only the use of the right loudspeakers in terms of parameters, but also a fairly precise tuning of their frequency range.
You make some really valid and true points. I personally work at a dealership with Mazda and Volvo. When you shut the doors on any of them, they seem tinny and cheap. The Mazda's are so bad that you totally see the sheet metal flexing when shutting the doors and they sound cheap as heck. The Volvo's are way better, but not like they used to be. As for the speakers, I do feel that the manufacturers have degraded all the sound systems and it's now just about profits/money. To me, all the Mazda systems sound bad and are really difficult to find good settings. I much prefer the sound of my Chevy Bolt with the Bose over the Mazda Bose systems where all the sound seems to come from in front of me. Lastly, the mightly Bowers and Wilkins systems in Volvo are still nice, but no longer worth $3,200 more!! About 2 years ago, they changed something and they just don't sound the same (not as good). My boss has been driving Volvo's for years and his last 2 have had the B/W system. He really like his first one, but now his 2023 he said sounds ok at best. He told me that he will never pay the price for it again.
sadly, it is probably not the audio brand's fault. many many of those "brand-name" home systems/speakers/amplifiers continue to cost half of or even more than a whole vehicle sometimes. it's all the manufacturers that cut development costs. tbh it's still fine for the average consumer soo... i mean, imagine some grandma that should pay $10k more for the vehicle because some audiophile told the manufacturer so
i can only speak for korean cars. two fun facts: home sound system from krell used in sonata, k5(and more) costs nearly as much as that whole car in the mid trim. also, their 1st gen bose systems used literally the same speakers in all cars - from small Hyundai i20 to the big kia sorento. tweeters, midrangers, woofers all the same, even by part code. only the amps and quantity of the speakers differ
Have checked out the GX550 Overtrail + with the ML and the Premium at the dealer as well as the Land Cruiser with JBL and the base 1958. The ML was powerful, but lacked clarity, the base 10 speaker audio in the Premium sounded very similar to the ML, just without any power to the bass. Overall, I felt the ML underutilizes the tweeters, and given that it is locked the OT+ and Luxury trims, it does not justify an over 10 grand difference in price to access it. The JBL in the Land Cruiser was the best of the lot, it had decent clarity, punchy bass, and with a little treble adjustment the highs came alive. The base 1958 8 speaker sound system was surprisingly good - I would say borderline just as good as the 10 speaker system in the GX.
That was what I was thinking, you end up paying like $12k more to get the ML with very little other amenities for that difference. For that kind of $$ this system should blow you away.
@deanfisher1753 100%. There's not enough equipment in the plus models to justify the extra cost. Overall, I felt the 10 speaker system was better balanced, just not as powerful.
Sad to hear that the audio quality has dropped off. That was going to be one of the reasons I would have chosen this over the LandCruiser. Does the LandCruisers system sound much worse than this? I also wonder how the road noise difference is between them?
The JBL system in the LC is better than ML system in the GX, at least to my ear. Even the 8 speaker system in the 1958 Land Cruiser is quite good. Only downside to the Land Cruiser is the engine gets pretty thrashy when pushed.
That bass drop off at higher volumes must happen in all the ML vehicles - We have a 2023 IS350 with the ML, and after about 5-10 seconds of high volume / high bass music, the bass rolls off to almost nothing, then comes back if you turn down the volume again for a bit.
Another idea for videos to come, maybe test older high end audio systems, such as the old Bang & Olufsen systems in A8 and Q7, or the older BMW individual systems, to see how they hold up today?
Ok side by side with the last one i can hear the difference it has better clarity and instrument separation in comparison the old system makes the new one sound cheap and muddy So is the old system the best you ever heard compared to all the sound systems?
Love the videos!! currently in the market for a new car and looking at getting a 2025 Malibu 2lt with the Bose 9 speaker is there anyway we could get a review
Such a shame that Lexus is going cheap just like all other car companies. The GX 460 was better in every way, even though a lot of people think the design is ugly, I really like it. Functionality over appearance. When I can afford a car this nice, I'm going to go with a previous generation Lexus. This new generation of Lexus is really lacking in terms of class and quality.
Can you please review the base 2024 GX 10-speaker system by Pioneer? Love the detail here and I haven't regretted my decision to not wait/pay up for an OT+ with the Mark Levinson. I'm wondering what you think of the amplifier and if there's room for improvement in the bass/sound power coming from the rear doors.
I got a feeling that all these speakers are manufactured from the same factory and they are all designed and tuned this way. Just brand it differently during the sale.
I don't like the stereo or the interior of this new Lexus. The interior looks flat out cheap!! HK system in the BMW blows this Mark Levinson system to shreds. The Lexus bass, while powerful, sounds like it is focused around 100-200 Hz missing the 50Hz octave completely.
that is the ugliest interior i've ever seen for a lexus. Cramp and ugly styling. The Mauk Levinson crap is horrible. Had a gx470 was roomy felt good the mauk whatever blew even though we barely play music on it
That is one of the most awful looking vehicles I've seen in forever and that dash is terrible. It certainly doesn't look Lexus like let alone luxury. Just awful.
I don't think I've ever heard an ML system that supported discrete 5.1 audio, I've tested many of them over the years and they're all down-mixed. I think companies like Lexus and Acura are putting less effort into their audio systems because 99% of their buyers don't understand the difference. It's very sad for audiophiles.
As a car audiophile and lover of all ML systems myself, I really appreciate all your Lexus reviews Charlie! Thanks for being honest and pointing out what most legacy Lexus owners are thinking with the new generation of vehicles.
That bass section was downright weird. Definitely didn't expect that, especially considering how powerful this system is.
considering its location in the trunk door? thats a very weird location but id imagine it wont have much ventilation enclosed in there so it probably did overheat given its wattage. Definitley wouldve been better under the floor or in the side to save space
Drove the 2024 GX 550 and a 2021 GX 460 back to back. Let's just say the GX 550 feels like stepping into a Toyota.
The Funny thing is that is made by Toyota lol
I traded a 2019 GX for a Gx 550 and I have to disagree. The 550 is much smoother and drives far better. The brakes and ride quality are far better.
The interior isn’t complicated but far better quality. IMO
Thank you for these videos Charlie, I know there are lot of people like us that really enjoy listening to music in our vehicles. Thanks to your videos we have an idea of what vehicles to pick over others.
The 550 vs 460 comparison at the end is pretty eye opening. Seems like the mid-range woofers are over driven in the 550 vs the 460 which is better balanced.
You did publish a 2022 LX Mark Levinson review. I think you meant to say you haven't published the 2023+ RX Mark Levinson review due to having a pre-production model.
Thanks for the thorough review Charlie.
Happy Thanksgiving Charlie - You rock!!!
Thank you so much for this excellent walk through.
Many things are downgrading in quality :,( Not just in the car world
I agree, that really sucks. I was hoping Lexus would stick to their roots and keep things quality and classy. Shame they feel pressured to be more like Tesla, BMW, and Mercedes.
Owned the GX 550+ since July and yes it sounds good and very clean. But definitely missing the chest thumping bass in some songs. But overall a clean and powerful sound
Currently, most new car models, including premium audio systems from Canton, Harman Kardon, Meridian, Burmester, Bang Olufsen, Dynaudio, or Bowers&Wilkins, etc., are very poor sounding from the factory.
The speakers used in cars from the factory have nothing to do with the quality speakers and components used by these reputable manufacturers in domestic products.
These are speakers that are made in the cheapest way possible - plastic basket castings, small coil diameters, paper diaphragms, foam suspension, minimal xmax deflection are used. Alternatively, if an external amplifier is used, its performance is insufficient and distortion of the sound comes very early. Thus, the presented mark for extra audio is mainly a marketing move to increase profits with extra equipment.
Cars are getting heavier all the time due to equipment, meeting safety standards, or switching to electric mobility. As part of the weight reduction, they no longer have almost any acoustic or damping materials, for example on the sheet metal parts of the doors, and this is not just the case for the lower grades, but for all even premium brands. Try knocking on the door sheet metal from the outside on the latest Bmw, Volvo or Mercedes, for example.
The car is a very challenging space in terms of acoustics because it is a relatively small, enclosed space and, in addition, it contains very acoustically unsuitable - reflective materials, which are large glass surfaces, large and thin sheet metal parts and, on the other hand, acoustically quite absorbent materials - carpets, seats, upholstery, etc. Such a space is acoustically unsuitable and needs not only the use of the right loudspeakers in terms of parameters, but also a fairly precise tuning of their frequency range.
You make some really valid and true points. I personally work at a dealership with Mazda and Volvo. When you shut the doors on any of them, they seem tinny and cheap. The Mazda's are so bad that you totally see the sheet metal flexing when shutting the doors and they sound cheap as heck. The Volvo's are way better, but not like they used to be. As for the speakers, I do feel that the manufacturers have degraded all the sound systems and it's now just about profits/money. To me, all the Mazda systems sound bad and are really difficult to find good settings. I much prefer the sound of my Chevy Bolt with the Bose over the Mazda Bose systems where all the sound seems to come from in front of me. Lastly, the mightly Bowers and Wilkins systems in Volvo are still nice, but no longer worth $3,200 more!! About 2 years ago, they changed something and they just don't sound the same (not as good). My boss has been driving Volvo's for years and his last 2 have had the B/W system. He really like his first one, but now his 2023 he said sounds ok at best. He told me that he will never pay the price for it again.
I really wish someone confront Mark Levinson team in some event or wherever about this downgrades left and right.
sadly, it is probably not the audio brand's fault. many many of those "brand-name" home systems/speakers/amplifiers continue to cost half of or even more than a whole vehicle sometimes. it's all the manufacturers that cut development costs. tbh it's still fine for the average consumer soo...
i mean, imagine some grandma that should pay $10k more for the vehicle because some audiophile told the manufacturer so
i can only speak for korean cars. two fun facts: home sound system from krell used in sonata, k5(and more) costs nearly as much as that whole car in the mid trim.
also, their 1st gen bose systems used literally the same speakers in all cars - from small Hyundai i20 to the big kia sorento. tweeters, midrangers, woofers all the same, even by part code. only the amps and quantity of the speakers differ
Have checked out the GX550 Overtrail + with the ML and the Premium at the dealer as well as the Land Cruiser with JBL and the base 1958. The ML was powerful, but lacked clarity, the base 10 speaker audio in the Premium sounded very similar to the ML, just without any power to the bass. Overall, I felt the ML underutilizes the tweeters, and given that it is locked the OT+ and Luxury trims, it does not justify an over 10 grand difference in price to access it.
The JBL in the Land Cruiser was the best of the lot, it had decent clarity, punchy bass, and with a little treble adjustment the highs came alive. The base 1958 8 speaker sound system was surprisingly good - I would say borderline just as good as the 10 speaker system in the GX.
That was what I was thinking, you end up paying like $12k more to get the ML with very little other amenities for that difference. For that kind of $$ this system should blow you away.
@deanfisher1753 100%. There's not enough equipment in the plus models to justify the extra cost. Overall, I felt the 10 speaker system was better balanced, just not as powerful.
Have you tested the Land Cruiser audio yet?
Sad to hear that the audio quality has dropped off. That was going to be one of the reasons I would have chosen this over the LandCruiser. Does the LandCruisers system sound much worse than this? I also wonder how the road noise difference is between them?
The JBL system in the LC is better than ML system in the GX, at least to my ear. Even the 8 speaker system in the 1958 Land Cruiser is quite good.
Only downside to the Land Cruiser is the engine gets pretty thrashy when pushed.
That bass drop off at higher volumes must happen in all the ML vehicles - We have a 2023 IS350 with the ML, and after about 5-10 seconds of high volume / high bass music, the bass rolls off to almost nothing, then comes back if you turn down the volume again for a bit.
Another idea for videos to come, maybe test older high end audio systems, such as the old Bang & Olufsen systems in A8 and Q7, or the older BMW individual systems, to see how they hold up today?
Ok side by side with the last one i can hear the difference it has better clarity and instrument separation in comparison the old system makes the new one sound cheap and muddy
So is the old system the best you ever heard compared to all the sound systems?
Love the videos!! currently in the market for a new car and looking at getting a 2025 Malibu 2lt with the Bose 9 speaker is there anyway we could get a review
Such a shame that Lexus is going cheap just like all other car companies. The GX 460 was better in every way, even though a lot of people think the design is ugly, I really like it. Functionality over appearance. When I can afford a car this nice, I'm going to go with a previous generation Lexus. This new generation of Lexus is really lacking in terms of class and quality.
Thank you for video , in my opinion , is much better to rate sound system , never mind in which car is it , and how expensive is it :)
Can you please review the base 2024 GX 10-speaker system by Pioneer? Love the detail here and I haven't regretted my decision to not wait/pay up for an OT+ with the Mark Levinson. I'm wondering what you think of the amplifier and if there's room for improvement in the bass/sound power coming from the rear doors.
I this the lexus Sound system is excellent 👌
Same issue with the base comes and goes on my 2011 GS450h Mark Levinson as well...
I got a feeling that all these speakers are manufactured from the same factory and they are all designed and tuned this way. Just brand it differently during the sale.
Cutting cost is the new way.
😥
ok friends, GX owner here. how can i fix this problem/? any suggestions?
vs jeep grand Wagoneer Mark Levinson with one better？
Can you do cybertruck?
Sound like the music is not elevated enough.... LOL
I don't like the stereo or the interior of this new Lexus. The interior looks flat out cheap!! HK system in the BMW blows this Mark Levinson system to shreds. The Lexus bass, while powerful, sounds like it is focused around 100-200 Hz missing the 50Hz octave completely.
That interior certainly looks like a fantastic plastic situation. Doesn't give Lexus at all besides the badge on the steering wheel.
that is the ugliest interior i've ever seen for a lexus. Cramp and ugly styling. The Mauk Levinson crap is horrible. Had a gx470 was roomy felt good the mauk whatever blew even though we barely play music on it
The interior in this Lexus looks like it belongs in a 4Runner, but that’s unfair to the 4Runner, which has a better interior than this now.
GX460 is better in every way
That is one of the most awful looking vehicles I've seen in forever and that dash is terrible. It certainly doesn't look Lexus like let alone luxury. Just awful.
I don't think I've ever heard an ML system that supported discrete 5.1 audio, I've tested many of them over the years and they're all down-mixed. I think companies like Lexus and Acura are putting less effort into their audio systems because 99% of their buyers don't understand the difference. It's very sad for audiophiles.
Overtrail 🫶 best choice congrats