Paulg54
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(Score: 1, Normal)
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04-21-2004 13:28 |
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Has anyone replaced the OEM speakers in the 2004 TL. If so with what and how does the stock stereo sound with the new speakers?
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RyanDL
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Paulg54 wrote:
Has anyone replaced the OEM speakers in the 2004 TL. If so with what and how does the stock stereo sound with the new speakers?
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I can't begin to understand why you'd want to replace the OEM speakers in what is touted as one of the finest factory car stereos ever conceived.
Ryan
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thunderbird1100
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The finest factory stereo is still only about as good as a new $200-$300 speaker system...nothing spectacular.
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RyanDL
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thunderbird1100 wrote:
The finest factory stereo is still only about as good as a new $200-$300 speaker system...nothing spectacular.
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I beg to differ. Go listen to the new TL system. It really is quite impressive. And I am an audiophile as well as someone who followed the IASCA scene very closely for many years.
Ryan
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TonyEX
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Nothing spectacular? How can you say that? Obviously you are no audiophile.
The part value of the OEM speakers only be as good as a $300 set... but that's irrelevant. The important parts are (a) that the speakers have been voiced together and (b) the singergy of the total system.
If you were to substitute the speakers with a $5K speaker system, it might not sound as good because the rest of the system -ie: amps (output impedance, damping factor, frequency response, power response) and/or head end (frequency response, choice of tone controls) ect.. - might not be as compatible.
thunderbird1100 wrote:
The finest factory stereo is still only about as good as a new $200-$300 speaker system...nothing spectacular.
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thunderbird1100
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I've listened to the TL's new 'award winning' DVD surround setup...is it the best FACTORY setup i've ever heard..yup..is it better than what i could do for $300 in components...nope.
For $600 i can replace all the factory components in it drive it by an external amp...and not make it only sound better...but make it much louder. Oh, and much crisper/deeper/higher while im at it.
I've been an audiophile for quite some years...been in the SQ and SPL department..used and seen quite the few sound setups...the TL's sound setup is awed at in the factory stereo world...but deffinatley laughed at in the mid-range aftermarket sound world.
If i have one thing to gripe about most though (if i can say i gripe at this)..is the TL needs a better woofer in it (like with most factory sound setups that use an 8" or even two 10" bottom line infinity (infiniti/bmw) subs).
I'm just WAY too used to two 15" subs with good sounding 6.5" components all the way around..all driven by external amps.
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TonyEX
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If you were a true audiophile, by now you would have either scrounged the money to buy a Levinson mobile system -the one that gives you the Lexus for free- OR you would have sworn forever to get a reasonable facsimilie of "the absolute sound" (*) on wheels, using the mobile system only for traffic news and Led Zeppelin.
Now, if somehow I could fit a set of my AE1s on the front dash with the tube amps below... and drive from the back seat.... perhaps I might get good sound. But I can't figure out how to isolate my Linn table. Maybe I ought to go back to work at JPL and see if I can find some other rocket scientist with mechanical expertise.
600 bucks for an amp? Surely you must jest. I paid that much for the used NAD amps in the home theater system, but that's OK there.... but in a serious music system? Even a used tube amp -after being refurbished- will cost you at least 1200.
Besides by "crisp", "deeper" and "higher" you're just talking about frequency aberrations: "turned up mid bass" which leads to "muddy or overripe bass", and "crips and higher" just means "turned up lower to mid treble- around 2.5K and above" which gives the sound an "etched quality".
Real performances, however, do not sound like that. If you to a concert hall or a jazz club -with live unamplified music- the first thing you'll notice that there's not a lot of treble. With the exception of brass instruments and some percussion, it sounds like someone turned down the treble control. Also, the bass you get is really deeper, but much "tighter" and in a huge hall you get truly distortionless "deep" bass at very low loudness levels. Not that BUMP, BUMP, THUMP compression sound that you get in smaller rooms -nevermind cars, more like the sound of distant thunder out in the open.
Perhaps you don't like the sound of the TL (have you heard it?) because it sounds subdued... which means it's a NEUTRAL system, the way it ought to be. And you are accustomed to frequency aberrations. (Think Bose with the treble turned up). OTOH, maybe you haven't heard the TL and you're just passing your opinions.
To be honest, I haven't heard it either, but my wife, who lives with our system, our concert tickets and has a very keen ear, carpools in one. Plus the magazine "The Absolute Sound" reviewed it -as well as the Levinson Lexii- and they were very impressed with it's DVD-A performance, but they felt that the Levinson has better CD sound. Now, this may be second hand opinion, except I know the listening prejudices of my wife and the reviewers at TAS -which I have been reading for almost 20 years.
(*) "the absolute sound" is not to be confused with the magazine "The Absolute Sound".
thunderbird1100 wrote:
I've listened to the TL's new 'award winning' DVD surround setup...is it the best FACTORY setup i've ever heard..yup..is it better than what i could do for $300 in components...nope.
For $600 i can replace all the factory components in it drive it by an external amp...and not make it only sound better...but make it much louder. Oh, and much crisper/deeper/higher while im at it.
I've been an audiophile for quite some years...been in the SQ and SPL department..used and seen quite the few sound setups...the TL's sound setup is awed at in the factory stereo world...but deffinatley laughed at in the mid-range aftermarket sound world.
If i have one thing to gripe about most though (if i can say i gripe at this)..is the TL needs a better woofer in it (like with most factory sound setups that use an 8" or even two 10" bottom line infinity (infiniti/bmw) subs).
I'm just WAY too used to two 15" subs with good sounding 6.5" components all the way around..all driven by external amps.
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QUELUDE
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So let's say that someone was in fact a true audiophile and thought they could upgrade this system.... What exactly would you do to it? What would you use?
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constructicon
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I may be blindly jumping in here, but how many potential TL owners care to be bothered by upgrading the audio system? I've got to think the average buyer just wants something that sounds good for factory out of the box. The only way I can see luxo systems being ripped out is if your car is powered by Mommy and Daddy's plastic, and/or you've got a ton of excess cash.
I tend to agree that aftermarket is likely going to be better, but that is not always. I'm a DIY type, and I'd be hesitant to rip apart that nice interior for what could be marginally better sound. I had no problem doing it with my Civic, though.
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thunderbird1100
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I guess it all depends on what you like..the neutrality of the TL's system isnt appealing to me..i like something that can hold a good clean low deep bass-line (Jazz in particular)..and i just didn't 'feel' it with the TL's setup. Also I like heart pounding kick-your-ass type of bass.. something only you can get with some decent sized subs (12"-18"). I also didn't 'feel' the highs as much as i would have liked too with the TL's system. Lastly..the TL just cant get loud...probably due to its lack of power (only 225 watts..and thats max i assume..like all manufacturers rate their systems now)...hell...my aftermarket head unit it rated at that nearly...(of course it probably doesnt ever hit that high..but then again iuse entirely external amps)...right now i am running a 50x4 (rms 4ohm) amp on the components i am using now and two 600x1 rms for the subs....now you know what kind of SPL im dealing with :)
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thunderbird1100
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With every car i've ever owned and ever will own (so far just the two 90 accords and 92 300zxtt)..that's the first thing im doing/did..rip out the audio system..there is ALWAYS something better than factory parts for anything. I'll do it to my NSX when i get the money for it..i'll certainly put a nice system into the old Buick GSX and definatley going to put a nice set of components in the 911 :)
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TonyEX
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I'd say that an audiophile just wouldn't mess around with the system at all. It's is my point that an audiophile would realize that the system realistically couldn't be improved unless he/she had a six figure budget to engineer, manufacture, install, test and redo from scratch the likelyhood of success would be nil.
Hence, an audiophile/music lover in this case would rather spend the money on more records, more CD (yuck!), more DVD-As, more SACDs, seats at concerts and better stuff for the home rig(s) instead.
And if an audiophile/music lover had a six figure budget to redo a car's stereo... I doubt it'd be a TL... most likely a LWB Maybach or something like Shack's "limo bus", huh?
QUELUDE wrote:
So let's say that someone was in fact a true audiophile and thought they could upgrade this system.... What exactly would you do to it? What would you use?
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constructicon
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I completely understand you there. The thing is, the cars you described are not exactly 'luxury' (let's not debate the 'luxury' or 'up-market' thing), and they aren't brand new. In the cars you described, I've no doubt that whatever is currently in there is far inferior to anything available aftermarket.
I'm with you on the Porsche. I'll be getting an 84 911 Targa from my father-in-law eventually, and you can be damn sure I'll be putting in new stereo equipment. The dash has already been cut for various gadgets, so it's not like I'll be defiling it.
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Zodiacfish
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Asked a simple question and has yet to receive an answer... It would seem that your answer lies on another forum as those who have replaced their speakers are not coming out of the woodworks.
Since you have asked, there is obviously some motivation for replacing your speakers. I took my 2002 TLS for service and got a 2004 as a loaner. Yes, the sound system is impressive. With the loss of my sub and front/left speaker I am now motivated to upgrade my audio to a 5.1 setup.
Are you just entertaining the thought, or ready to do the deed? Without knowing what your motivation is, we can't help you. System performance aside, I do not believe that just replacing the speakers will provide a compelling value for this car. That being said, there are replacement speakers out there that can and will give you a better and flatter frequency response over the stocks.
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Zodiacfish
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Here's testimony from someone who has upgraded their 04TL audio system
http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83807
He used some high end components and dropped some $$$, but is pleased with the results. Definitely more than speaker replacement. It may be worth it to you, though....
Hope this helps.
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