ML Simply Speaker speaker refoam part #... (1 Viewer)

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I’ve read about 100 threads regarding the ML speaker system... to replace or not to replace... round and round we go... I have an 02 LX with the mids in the front doors... can anyone in forum land provide part numbers to the refoam kits they used? I need to do what I believe are my 6.5” fronts, 4” rears, and the sub but I might as well do the mids while I’m in there if they need them. Any help?
 
Have you checked your sub yet? It may be the dual sub model.
 
I’ve decided to save my ‘05 LX ML system. Spoke to the head ML guy at United automotive radio and he was super helpful. I just finished refoaming sub and will be doing rest. Got a whole kit from simply speakers online. Perfect fits and working great so far.
1921991
 
I’ve decided to save my ‘05 LX ML system. Spoke to the head ML guy at United automotive radio and he was super helpful. I just finished refoaming sub and will be doing rest. Got a whole kit from simply speakers online. Perfect fits and working great so far.View attachment 1921991

Order my kit today... going to figure it out as I go! Excited to hear what Lexus meant for it to sound like! 😂
 
Yeah, me too! I have 3 speakers and a sub out. The UAR guy who is the ML specialist said this is the first place to start then we’ll set what’s up after that.

What I have learned thus far: LX470 Levinson Subwoofer repair step by step - ClubLexus - Lexus Forum Discussion

This was really helpful. Also, there is a plastic ring on top of the subs speaker foam. You can run a razor blade through the seam and pry it up.

So far it’s about 1 hour of cleaning and gluing per speaker. Then a couple hours drying time. Good luck!
 
What does refoaming the sub do? The bass in my car is super ****ed - like any time a low frequency kicks in it just makes a vibrating/buzzing sound? Is that the foam or the actual speaker?
 
What does refoaming the sub do? The bass in my car is super f***ed - like any time a low frequency kicks in it just makes a vibrating/buzzing sound? Is that the foam or the actual speaker?

Remove the panel and inspect the sub. It will be obvious.
 
Ok but theoretically the foam could be the reason that the sub is acting like that - is that correct? Thanks
 
Ok but theoretically the foam could be the reason that the sub is acting like that - is that correct? Thanks

Yes, you could see and test with the panel off. You could cut any remaining foam away with a razor blade. The noise could be the foam. There could be foreign material stuck in the sub as well. Regardless it will sound horrible or 'blown' with torn foam.
 
I agree there are a lot of threads here. I reached out to simplyspeakers a couple days ago and they created me a custom kit for $60 to repair the sub and the front and rear door speakers. Here's what they sent me for my '02 LX with nav and ML:

3x FS-6BT (6 inch)
2x FS-5s (5 inch)
2x speaker repair adhesive

If they don't fit then i'll know what to send back, but i won't be doing this project until Labor day weekend
 
The ML systems in these trucks are garbage. In fact everything Lexus did in the early 2000s after Nakamichi (which were probably the best factory systems of the time) left the business is trash. It took several years for the systems to become worthwhile again in my opinion. JBL and ML are just different spokes of the Harman empire which is now owned by Samsung. However, if you choose to repair versus replace these ML components, be aware that unless there has been some dramatic improvement in foam technology, if the refoam kits you're receiving are actually just more foam and not butyl rubber surrounds, you're going to be tackling this problem again in another 10 years or so depending on your climate. And you still just have a marginal ML system. I'm usually a VERY ardent "keep the system stock" proponent, to the point that I don't actually mind the old touchscreen Nav radios as much as so many here do, but when it comes to the component parts of the system itself replacement is worth the effort.
 
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The ML systems in these trucks are garbage. In fact everything Lexus did in the early 2000s after Nakamichi (which were probably the best factory systems of the time) left the business is trash. It took several years for the systems to become worthwhile again in my opinion. JBL and ML are just different spokes of the Harman empire which is now owned by Samsung. However, if you choose to repair versus replace these ML components, be aware that if the refoam kits you're receiving are actually just more foam and not butyl rubber surrounds, you're going to be tackling this problem again in another 10 years or so depending on your climate. And you still just have a marginal ML system. I'm usually a VERY ardent "keep the system stock" proponent, to the point that I don't actually mind the old touchscreen Nav radios as much as so many here do, but when it comes to the component parts of the system itself replacement is worth the effort.
So would you recommend just replacing the subs or all the speakers? Instead of refoaming? And if you so , can you point me in the right direction in terms of actual products?
 
So would you recommend just replacing the subs or all the speakers? Instead of refoaming? And if you so , can you point me in the right direction in terms of actual products?

I actually have this slated as my next project so I'm still researching options myself. All I knew after tearing apart my doors and rear compartment to check out the condition of the drivers was that I did not want to put the stock speakers back in their place (had not considered refoaming so it's nice that that option exists but again, I want to do away with the stock components entirely).
 
I actually have this slated as my next project so I'm still researching options myself. All I knew after tearing apart my doors and rear compartment to check out the condition of the drivers was that I did not want to put the stock speakers back in their place (had not considered refoaming so it's nice that that option exists but again, I want to do away with the stock components entirely).
Cool thanks. Just out of curiousity what is your budget for this or what is a reasonable budget for this.
 
The ML systems in these trucks are garbage. In fact everything Lexus did in the early 2000s after Nakamichi (which were probably the best factory systems of the time) left the business is trash. It took several years for the systems to become worthwhile again in my opinion. JBL and ML are just different spokes of the Harman empire which is now owned by Samsung. However, if you choose to repair versus replace these ML components, be aware that unless there has been some dramatic improvement in foam technology, if the refoam kits you're receiving are actually just more foam and not butyl rubber surrounds, you're going to be tackling this problem again in another 10 years or so depending on your climate. And you still just have a marginal ML system. I'm usually a VERY ardent "keep the system stock" proponent, to the point that I don't actually mind the old touchscreen Nav radios as much as so many here do, but when it comes to the component parts of the system itself replacement is worth the effort.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but for anyone reading this thread, please don't immediately take the post I quoted as fact. The Simply Speaker replacement surrounds are NOT foam, and will last a very long time.

To an earlier poster re/ disintegrating foam being a cause of poor sound.. The foam surround's two main purposes are to keep the voice coil centered so that it moves freely around the speaker magnet, which in turn moves the cone, which is what moves the air and creates sound. The foam also acts like a damping mechanism, similar to a shock absorber. It doesn't have anything directly to do w/ sound quality, but when it disintegrates the voice coil rubs against the magnet impeding motion, and the speaker also goes past it's design excursion parameters... like bottoming out when your shocks completely give up the ghost. Both of these things cause the buzzing and distortion you're hearing. Replacing that surround foam is a simple, easy process and will return your speakers to as-new performance, provided the voice coils aren't burnt out (and they probably are NOT... they're most likely fine).

Now, regarding the opinion stated above about the "garbage" status of the ML system. I could not disagree more strongly. If you're looking for body-shaking, mind-numbing bass that'll shake the other cars off the road, or ear-bleed-inducing screechy treble like most of the car audio systems I've heard, then yes, you may not like the ML system. However, if you listen to acoustic music, or any type of music where fidelity to the source is important to you, then the ML system is one of the best out there. My wife and I are both professional musicians, and her ONLY criteria for her next car is that it, too, has the ML system in it.

Sooo... like I said, everyone has opinions, and are definitely entitled to them. Form your own... fix your ML system and decide for yourself. I doubt VERY much that you'll consider it garbage, and I'm fairly sure you will appreciate it a great deal... and increasingly the more you listen.

Edit.. To be honest, the more I think about the post I quoted above, the more bugged I get. Audio (not specifically car audio, but speaker design, recording, sound reproduction, etc) is one of my areas of a certain amount of expertise, and when I see something as blatantly wrong posted like that in what seems to be a helpful, well-meaning, articulate manner, I become concerned about the things that I DON'T know anything about but come here asking for help. Suppose I asked for some hints as to what gas to use in my LX470 and some articulate, very confident person advised me to use E85 or diesel only, that regular Sunoco gas would ruin my engine, and I should stick with 20w50 in the engine. Obviously, that's an extreme example, but seriously... I'm all for people having opinions, likes/dislikes, and even being proud and defensive of their choices, but if you're going to make a statement that the ML system is garbage and that you're going to improve it by swapping out the speakers, at LEAST say "I think the system sounds awful and here's why" rather than label it as garbage. Yours might sound awful because there's something very wrong with it, not because it's garbage. Or.. it might sound awful simply because you don't like accurate audio reproduction. That is your right. BUT... to advise others to blindly follow you is just not a kind thing to do. Of course, it's the internet... reader beware, caveat emptor, and all that stuff. No one should ever blindly follow ANYONE on the internet, and should read and research enough to be able to tell the wheat from the chaff.
 
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So would you recommend just replacing the subs or all the speakers? Instead of refoaming? And if you so , can you point me in the right direction in terms of actual products?

@Smapty Do the refoam first... it's cheap, and fun. I f you hate the sound of the ML system, ship it to me (I'll pay shipping) and replace the whole thing including the amps and start from scratch. If you just replace the drivers with aftermarket stuff but keep the amps, which are designed and eq'd specifically for the original ML drivers, you'll end up very unhappy in all likelihood.
 

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