So CanadianRockyCruiser are you running the Alpine PDX-5 and the OEM Mark levinson amp at the same time? My understanding was that the factory amp was used for some of the NAV and climate controls so removing it completely was not an option. If you are running both how did you wire the Alpine amp and/or identify the wires that are the "inputs" from the head unit?
2006 Mark Levinson Subwoofer
- Thread starter Lx470iH8Mud
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CRC,
Mine is a 2k LC, the wiring is 15 years old, not ML. subs(2) are puny. Wiring is pretty cheap throughout. Stock Amp ain't much.
I have Panasonic AVH head unit and Alpine speakers already, but I'm not putting a lot of power to them because the sub is a limiting factor.
I'm upgrading the 2 rear subs and that's the battle. Anything worth doing isn't going to fit in the enclosure, therein lies the entire problem.
Mine is a 2k LC, the wiring is 15 years old, not ML. subs(2) are puny. Wiring is pretty cheap throughout. Stock Amp ain't much.
I have Panasonic AVH head unit and Alpine speakers already, but I'm not putting a lot of power to them because the sub is a limiting factor.
I'm upgrading the 2 rear subs and that's the battle. Anything worth doing isn't going to fit in the enclosure, therein lies the entire problem.
My goal was to prove that you could replace the ML sub with some aftermarket sub. Goal accomplished and turns out the system doesn’t SUCK if it has a working subwoofer. Granted I am no audiophile, so YMMV.
I knew the sub had arrived as the “Magnet Inside” on the outside of the box alerted me to the fun to be had today.
First assemble equipment:
Interior removal kit (I am new to these and unlike previously now I have not broken one clip or panel item since using them) recommended!
T20 for floor panel and speaker removal (1 floor T20 & 4 speaker T20s)
Phillips screwdriver. (drill)
15mm to release seatbelts 2 bolts.
10mm to release ML sub enclosure ) 4 bolts.
Dremel & Gluegun.
Panel taken down.
Remove speaker (4 T20s hidden behind foam which is easily peeled back).
Comparison of ML sub to kicker sub.
Dremeled down the back of the hundy panel where it has a crate over the speaker. Left some crate but just thinned it out a little (just in case).
Cont'd
I knew the sub had arrived as the “Magnet Inside” on the outside of the box alerted me to the fun to be had today.
First assemble equipment:
Interior removal kit (I am new to these and unlike previously now I have not broken one clip or panel item since using them) recommended!
T20 for floor panel and speaker removal (1 floor T20 & 4 speaker T20s)
Phillips screwdriver. (drill)
15mm to release seatbelts 2 bolts.
10mm to release ML sub enclosure ) 4 bolts.
Dremel & Gluegun.
Panel taken down.
Remove speaker (4 T20s hidden behind foam which is easily peeled back).
Comparison of ML sub to kicker sub.
Dremeled down the back of the hundy panel where it has a crate over the speaker. Left some crate but just thinned it out a little (just in case).
Cont'd
Dremeled down the back of the hundy panel where it has a crate over the speaker. Left some crate but just thinned it out a little (just in case).
Then on to the big one.
Dremeled out the ML enclosure by placing the speaker on top of the hole and finding what areas needed to be removed. My goal was to keep the clip point where the enclosure mounts to the hundy intact. Everywhere else I just “went crazy” and dremeled with little restraint. I did try to keep the integrity of the enclosure together so I kept my cuts shallow as possible, but deep enough to get the speaker as flat as possible.
It is important to VACUUM out the enclosure after doing this. You may have a rattle if you do not.
Then to try to keep the enclosure as air tight as possible I glue gunned everywhere that air could leak out. No pictures as I was moving fast, hot glue in cold weather means I didn’t have time to photograph.
Here is the sub after sealing the areas and placing it back into the hole. I decided to fill the areas around the subwoofer with hot glue as well since I was only able to line up one of the holes to a good screw spot.
Then on to the big one.
Dremeled out the ML enclosure by placing the speaker on top of the hole and finding what areas needed to be removed. My goal was to keep the clip point where the enclosure mounts to the hundy intact. Everywhere else I just “went crazy” and dremeled with little restraint. I did try to keep the integrity of the enclosure together so I kept my cuts shallow as possible, but deep enough to get the speaker as flat as possible.
It is important to VACUUM out the enclosure after doing this. You may have a rattle if you do not.
Then to try to keep the enclosure as air tight as possible I glue gunned everywhere that air could leak out. No pictures as I was moving fast, hot glue in cold weather means I didn’t have time to photograph.
Here is the sub after sealing the areas and placing it back into the hole. I decided to fill the areas around the subwoofer with hot glue as well since I was only able to line up one of the holes to a good screw spot.
Sound tests done while the enclosure was sitting in the truck were very dismal, I was very unhappy with the sound initially. However, after getting it all bolted back in the sound was EXACTLY what I was hoping for, it sounds great. So I recommend if you do this to really crank down on the enclosure bolts when putting it back in.
I was very happy to place the ML sub where it belongs.
So conclusion: It is possible to replace the ML sub into the ML enclosure without spending a dookie load of money. I did it, see above.
Full disclosure, the sound is great. However, if I “crank” it to the level the system used to sound like it was tearing itself out of the truck, it now shuts off. I firmly believe this is the amp not being able to feed the subwoofer. I could be wrong, but it doesn’t matter, I would never listen to it that loud anyway.
I am very happy with this fix.
I was very happy to place the ML sub where it belongs.
So conclusion: It is possible to replace the ML sub into the ML enclosure without spending a dookie load of money. I did it, see above.
Full disclosure, the sound is great. However, if I “crank” it to the level the system used to sound like it was tearing itself out of the truck, it now shuts off. I firmly believe this is the amp not being able to feed the subwoofer. I could be wrong, but it doesn’t matter, I would never listen to it that loud anyway.
I am very happy with this fix.
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Glad you found a decent replacement! Thanks for the post!
For clarification, I'm running the Alpine amp and NOT the ML amp. I took out all of the ML stuff. I also don't have the NAV setup, so I avoided all that difficulty.
For clarification, I'm running the Alpine amp and NOT the ML amp. I took out all of the ML stuff. I also don't have the NAV setup, so I avoided all that difficulty.
That is a great point! I have the navigation and climate control integrated to my system. So, I really don't have too many options when it comes to messing with my system. As crazy as dremeling out my interior is, it is a good option since I have the wacky navigation and climate control.
STATUS:
Took the family out to dinner and they said the sound was really good (i didnt ask).
I turned the bass down to 1/3 and it prevents the system from going mute when cranked but still sounds good at all volumes.
Took the family out to dinner and they said the sound was really good (i didnt ask).
I turned the bass down to 1/3 and it prevents the system from going mute when cranked but still sounds good at all volumes.
No I haven't messed with any of the other speakers and do not intend to. I just wanted the sub to not be broken, but knew that it would be a big deal at the radio store to fix it.
I imagine other speakers without the enclosure would be cheap to replace.
I am no audiophile, so it sounds great to me as is......
I imagine other speakers without the enclosure would be cheap to replace.
I am no audiophile, so it sounds great to me as is......
drwapenshaw... after doing some more research this may interest you. In the event that you do not want your sub to cut out at higher volumes and/or want to replace your other speakers you can go this route http://www.crutchfield.com/p_142LOC80/Scosche-LOC80.html for the sub specifically. This line output converter takes the factory signal and changes it to RCA outputs that then can go into an aftermarket amp. That aftermarket amp then powers your sub. There are also other line output converters that will handle all the speakers and sub so you can keep all the stock nav and climate controls of the ML system and completely upgrade the audio amp, speakers, and sub.
This appears to be the only option I've been able to find that allows for the factory controls and an entirely new audio system when dealing with the ML package.
This appears to be the only option I've been able to find that allows for the factory controls and an entirely new audio system when dealing with the ML package.
Thanks.
I need to finish getting her tow ready first. However, now that the radio sounds good I have tried to crank it a couple times and was reminded about my aftermarket sub. Hopefully this will be the solution! I will update after I work on her again.
I need to finish getting her tow ready first. However, now that the radio sounds good I have tried to crank it a couple times and was reminded about my aftermarket sub. Hopefully this will be the solution! I will update after I work on her again.
Great Write-up, drwapenshaw! Thank you. I just picked up a new 2006 LX470 and the sub sounded like total J**P at all volumes - probably why the PO sold it. Using your pictures, I pulled my ML sub out. It looked pristine with no missing foam or loose cones like happened in my FJ80. I connected it back outside the enclosure and saw that all of the rattle/buzz came from the little droopy connector wires contacting the cone. I repositioned them, buttoned everything up, and now the system sounds new for zero $$$. Thanks again!
Nice work!
The shutting off of the amp is probably just due to the new speaker having a lower ohm load than the factory speaker. Most aftermarket speakers are 4 ohms.... But sometimes factory stuff is a lot higher (8 or 16ohms) which is an easier load for the amp to handle.
You could experiment with using a large wattage resistor that adds a few ohms of extra resistance to try to duplicate the load of the original speaker (sometimes the ohms are printed on the speaker magnet if you can still find it in the garbage bin!). Overall, the output of the sub will be a bit lower but it won't keep shutting off the amp at higher volumes.
It's a cheap experiment to try anyway.
-G
Weird behavior. I took the enclosure out of my 2005 LX and tossed it in the garage. I tapped into the factory subwoofer wiring and run my JL Audio 10" sub in a sealed Probox enclosure that sits behind the rear seats. I have to turn the bass down because it is overpowering and have never had any clipping issues - I turn it up pretty loud. I think it has allot to do with the efficiency of the speaker.
Hi drwapenshaw!
About to enter a subwoofer replacement, and was curious to follow up on your project.
How are the subwoofers doing now? Did you end up modifying it any further?
Thank you for the write up, I'll likely follow this in the coming weeks.
Many thanks.
Hey @jumptrader, did you ever go through with your replacement?
So glad I ran across this post. I had rebuilt my sub 5 years ago with a SimplySpeakers foam kit, and it sounded like it failed again. Couldn't figure out where it was torn, saw this post, and realized it was the wire, bent it a bit, coated it in RTV to stiffen it up a bit, and good to go! The crap factory sub is working again.