2006 Mark Levinson Subwoofer (1 Viewer)

[Lx470iH8Mud]

I did try search before posting but I didn't find what I was looking for. My subwoofer in my 06 LX just stopped working today. Is there a breaker or reset or is it toast? If it's done I plan on pulling it out and adding a decent sub and amp. Any info or suggestions for my particular system would be much appreciated. I don't really need crazy bass but a little more wouldn't hurt.

 

[Wilsil]

What I saw on the wiring diagram of my 2002 Ozzie LX, there is no fuse for the sub. It is coming and controlled directly by the main amplifier and your factory head unit.
I changed the head unit and kept the amplifier but I lost the sub.
Most likely I will change the amp.

 

[FlammableFishie]

What I saw on the wiring diagram of my 2002 Ozzie LX, there is no fuse for the sub. It is coming and controlled directly by the main amplifier and your factory head unit.
I changed the head unit and kept the amplifier but I lost the sub.
Most likely I will change the amp.

Can confirm. Factory sub is powered by the factory amp. I don't suggest asking me for aftermarket advice though cause I went with heavy duty (500Watt and 10"W3v3). It pounds but unless you like bass you're not going to like it, and if you go with an aftermarket sub I highly recommend getting a remote control for the power level (basically a knob that mounts on the dash).

 

[2000UZJ]

. It pounds but unless you like bass you're not going to like it

It's great for when you get lost in the ghetto...I'm sure the guy in front of you loves when his car shakes so bad the hidden compartments pop open.

Mark Levinson is a picky system. It's not uncommon to have the sub go out, much less door speakers. Replace the entire system and never look back.

 

[FlammableFishie]

It's great for when you get lost in the ghetto...I'm sure the guy in front of you loves when his car shakes so bad the hidden compartments pop open.

I respectfully turn down all music at stop lights and signs, but I've had standing ovations when driving through the ghetto. Lots of loud clapping for some reason.

Replace the entire system and never look back.

Agreed.

 

[Wilsil]

What amplifier did you guys use?

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

I put an Alpine PDX - 5 under the passenger seat. It fits without taking the Mark Levinson Amp out (if you don't want to go through that.

Rewiring was a real pain, but well worth it. I put in new Alpine speakers in the doors, new tweeters, and a 10" sub in the back. I've pulled all of the old stuff, and should really get around to selling it on ebay one of these days.

 

[Wilsil]

Why is rewiring suxh a big job?
Isn't it just swapping over the speaker wires, add power, negative and remote on to the new amplifier?
I could use the existing power and remote on wiring from my aftermarket head unit.

 

[sjfj80]

Hey guys... I'm interested in adding another amp (next to the OEM ML amp) so I can replace all my speakers. Is there another thread with more specific information? Thanks!

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

Why is rewiring suxh a big job?
Isn't it just swapping over the speaker wires, add power, negative and remote on to the new amplifier?
I could use the existing power and remote on wiring from my aftermarket head unit.

Rewiring doesn't need to be a big job, but I put in 4 guage wires for power, which requires some routing, thicker guage speaker wires were a bit of work to run through the doors, and I had to fabricate some boxes to mount to the door panels too. Thus it was a pain. Still sounds great and was totally worth the 6-8 hours of work.

 

[sjfj80]

So is it worth trying to replace the stock amp or go your route and get all new? The guys at Crutchfield have told me that because of the stock setup it's better to try and find used ML speakers then go aftermarket with the stock amp. I'd like to replace the lot. Any advice particularly regarding keeping the stock amp and adding an aftermarket for just the speakers?

 

[drwapenshaw]

I have a blown ML sub. From my research on ih8mud it looks like the ML sub is 2 ohm. I have ordered a 2 ohm kicker 6 3/4" sub to replace the stock one. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[sjfj80]

I have a blown ML sub. From my research on ih8mud it looks like the ML sub is 2 ohm. I have ordered a 2 ohm kicker 6 3/4" sub to replace the stock one. I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks man... that should work from what I've been reading. I've also been having some issue with my touchscreen (MTD = multitouch display?) not working quite right which potentially is an amp issue also.

 

[Bretthn]

I am really interested in hearing more about this 2ohm 6 3/4 Kicker as well.

 

[drwapenshaw]

Kicker 40CWRT672 CompRT 6-3/4" Car Subwoofer - Each (Black) available through Crutchfield or Amazon.

Depth may be an issue, lining up with holes might be an issue. So I will report back after I put it in (or Jam it in, or Dremel it in!! LOL ).

 

[El Cid]

Kicker 40CWRT672 CompRT 6-3/4" Car Subwoofer - Each (Black) available through Crutchfield or Amazon. Depth may be an issue, lining up with holes might be an issue. So I will report back after I put it in (or Jam it in, or Dremel it in!! LOL ).

Drwapenshaw,

Some advice from a similar sufferee. The problem is the weight of the new sub. Depth is part of the problem, too, but the weight of a new sub far outweighs the old and this is the greater issue. You'll need the sub to not only fit but to be secure when the vehicle back end is bouncing around. No small task. The plastic in the subwoofer is outstanding, do whatever you can to keep it, particularly if you can make the new Kicker sub fit within the limited space with minimal modification. What's working for me is 3/4 inch MDF board, but I'm evaluating the best method to secure that to the enclosure. In about 24 months, this won't be a problem, we'll be able to use a 3D printer to copy the sub and just make the enclosure deeper and the openings fit new subwoofers. The fact that its' a durable plastic means it absorbs some force when it's tossed around.

I am upgrading the wiring a bit while I'm back there with the assumption that I'll be yanking out my factory amplifier in the near future.

Here is also what helped me quite a bit: Three materials: Speaker Foam, Speaker grate(ebay), mesh cloth(beige, ebay). You'll likely end up cutting into that speaker grate that's attached to the plastic and just making it deeper to accommodate the new sub depth. That will forgive virtually all aesthetic sins, so long as the sub is properly secured. If you cover it with new foam, grate and mesh, it will look fine and very true to stock form.

Getting one sub into the enclosure is tricky but not impossible, two has turned out to be almost insurmountable a task and I will likely move one of the two subs to the rearmost location where the jack was located.

Regardless, just take your time and remember that the vast majority of speaker places would just toss the enclosure and bill you for an enclosure you'd have hated that would have killed the look..

 

[El Cid]

Also, what are you using to cut the plastic in the enclosure? I'm very hesitate to tear it up as it's nutty strong..

 

[drwapenshaw]

El cid
I "plan" to alter the plastic as least as possible. It will be a couple days until it arrives, so we will see. But, I am known for tearing stuff up. I took a dremel to a Land Rover dash without hesitation in the past, so there is always that.
On a serious note, I learned from watching a Best Buy install that hot glue guns when done properly can hold interior pieces together pretty well. We will see.

 

[El Cid]

I am contemplating using a hot knife. Gotta think that will do the cutting nicely, so long as the fumes don't get me.
My biggest suggestion is....don't do two subs, but you've avoided that already I have two and I realize that the enclosure won't handle the weight of two subs easily. It will fit, but over time it's bound to pop loose from steady vibration. You really just need to make one fit, get it secured and then adjust that grate outward. When I had two and was concerned about securing MDF board to the top of the enclosure, I had contemplated drilling a hole into the enclosure to insert a bolt. That should still work...

What caught me unprepared was that I needed to replace the wiring as well to eventually handle a new amplifier.
I strongly recommend 16 gauge wiring and 4 pin molex connectors.

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

You Could probably work with the factory speaker wires. I put in some alpine SPR-60C's up front and SPR-60's in the back. I wanted to make sure I didn't under-power them.

My amp isn't the most powerful, but way better than the factor ML setup. I put in an Alpine PDX-5, which fits nicely under the passenger seat without any modification. I might upgrade to a PDX-V9 in the future, but the stereo is plenty loud right now. I took out the ML sub completely and run a pioneer 10" shallow mount in the back. It's low profile and the box allows me to throw stuff on top of it without worrying about damage. A pioneer X930BT head unit completes the removal of the ML system. I've been running this system for a few years now and I'm still impressed by it.

If you want to go my root, be prepared to spend a few bucks, but I personally did not like the ML stuff, and sold most of it on ebay. It paid for about half of my new set up with the proceeds, because some people prefer factory "premium"/ML gear or just need to replace one part.

It warrants mentioning that all of this hassle is a luxury of the LX470 with ML. LC100 owners may not have to gripe with.

There is a pretty good summary of original systems here:

http://tlcfaq.com/main/2012/10/replacing-your-audio-system-overview/

Basically, your options are:

-repair the sub ($)
-replace the sub ($$)
-tear out all the trash and get a decent new setup ($$$)