mrchoopa2u

i'd much rather have the sound system that came in my 02 Type S.

i work in music, have it eq'd properly and the subwoofer still cannot handle bass ....

cM3go

You are only a handful of people.... the sound system won multiple awards, and in a review last year beat out the sound system in the LS430 (Mark Levinson) and E320 (Bose)....both 50K+ cars

mrchoopa2u

i dunno ... i don't like it .....

clewttu

how much bass do you reallly need, mine has plenty, i cant imagine wanting a ghetto blaster, with as much bass as you must be wanting how could you enjoy the rest of the music???

rontatuaf

Unless you have a defective system or have the settings all wrong I don't see how anyone cannot like the ELS system we have. As stated before it has won multiple awards and has been the peoples choice in comparo test with every high end OE car system in the market. I had an 01 CL w/ Bose unit and the ELS is light years better. Try going through your set up again. If it still doesn't sound right go to the dealer and compare with other new TL units. If yours is different get it fixed.
I've never had anyone fail to be impressed when demo'ing this sound system.

caball88

usually when someone complains about not enough bass they are not the audiophiles you typically hear about that are more concerned with quality of highs and lows coming from the speakers. people who want the heart thumping bass are concerned with just one thing loud noise. so there are 2 types of people when it comes to car audio, quality vs quantity(this is meaured in volume). the stock TL audio system is not the type you will see on mtv's pimp my ride. its a stock system and is suppose to be well balanced for most listeners. for a stock system i think it is a great package out of the box. also when trying to listen to the quality of the system it is important to get a good audio source. typically those hip hop cd's will not have the greatest sound source to display the systems all around potential. they will just maximize the bass so you can bounce your head to. but if heart pounding bass is what is important to you then this system probably not gonna meet your needs.

missmyprelude

The only problem that I have had with the system is that it's not quite loud enough when on the highway with all windows and sunroof open. I'd like it to be a bit louder. Other than that, it's the best factory system I've ever heard by far.

MR1

Sorry you don't like it, works for me. My son is a professional musician, he was very impressed with the sound, highs, lows, clarity and he's a picky someone.

1995hoo

I'm white, so I imagine it's probably a federal offense for me to have any more bass than the TL's stereo has

In all seriousness, I think it sounds great as it is.

NFLblitze1

What kind of Music do you generally listen to?

TL-Mike

I'd agree with this comment fully.

oblio98

I also had an 02 TL Type S, and I can say from experience that the 04 TL Audio system blows that one away. I spent over $2000 to have StreetEffectz "upgrade" the 02 TL-S system because it was so unlistenable. When he removed the speakers from the doors, and I saw the cheap, paper cones that were in there, I was shocked.

The system in my former 87 Maxima was much LOUDER than the 02 TL-S, so I was very unhappy with that system. However, once I replaced the 02 TL (Thanks to the tranny issues) with the 04 TL, I was hoping that the audio had been improved.

Hell Yes!

I agree about the volume issue. With the windows down, roof open, it's not loud enough, but the same applied to my 02.

As someone who has owned a lot of cars, and installed quite a few aftermarket audio equipment, I can say that I am VERY pleased with the ELS system!

caball88

paper cones huh?

mrchoopa2u

House music

JetJock

I also had a 2002TLS. The difference in sound quality with the "04TL is quite obvious. If you think the '02 sounds better, you either have tin ears or your "04TL has a devective audio system. BTW...I also had a 2001TL, and it sounded the same as the '02...TERRIBLE!!
The only people who won't like the sound system on the 3Gen TL are those who think BASS is all there is to music.

PoochaKannInc

Hilarous...

Xs05TL

Listening to all that pounding bass over the years has obviously taken its toll.

No OEM car system does or should be "tuned" to optimize House Music.

REAL music reflects more of a balanced frequency spectrum that would be totally skewed with a bass-heavy system bias.

If you want heavy pounding bass, go aftermarket.

caball88

house music is no where near the definition of quality music when it comes to displaying the whole frequency of sound. you cannot appreciate the quality that a system puts out if all you care about is bass. when you said you work in music, i assume you mean a stereo shop where you put amps and subs into cars to maximize bass right?

quake97

I do agree with the bass concerns, it seems to suck in my opinion. I have to continually adjust the bass levels depending on what I'm listening too. Anything with a lot of bass causes serious noise and rattling in the back of the car. Its not all that bad, but it's an annoyance.

Joe

avddreamr

Uhm to be quite honest, the system only really shines when listening to jazz and DVD AUDIO, for a stock system its incredible. But I prefered the sound system in my c70 considerably for most music. Compared to a well installed high dollar aftermarket system its not very impressive.

The bass is anything but accurate, its very sloppy. Most IB sub installations share this trait. Numberone the trunk is not completely sealed off from the cabin so thats part of the problem.

And what music has me complaing about the sloppy bass, mostly classical if you can believe that. The highs are shrill and over extended, and peaky.. but hey its bouncing of the windshield, so you really can't expect much.

But unless you have a 2000+ to spend, live with it and enjoy it. B/c it will take atleast that much money to begin to improve on it.


Nes

mattymatt79

I too agree, the system for a stock system is amazing. I just wish it got a tad bit louder at highway speeds with windows down, i wish it got a "tad" bit louder. I'm happy with it, with the tape in using as my IPod and Sirrius player, it works great

chill_dog

Are you nuts? I've had it turned up so loud my ears are slightly ringing when I get out of the car, and it still wasn't turned all the way up. On a daily basis I drive on an interstate, usually with the windows down and sunroof open at about 70, but have done up to 110...even with it turned up at a reasonable level (no where near what I mentioned before) I can hear it.

Maybe you should have your hearing checked...

That being said, I think it needs more bass...looking into new amp/sub/something.

oppnyc

No it is not loud at all.
Maxima 2000 with OEM Bose has much more quantity of sound out of speakers.
Acura TL system produces clear sound, but it is not loud.

<<Maybe you should have your hearing checked...>>
I tested music in Maxima and TL with several people.
All of them said what I wrote above.

chill_dog

To each their own...if I can go 110 with the windows down and sunroof open and the stereo is at a level that is well beyond what is needed to just hear it over the wind noise (and still has a way to go until MAX) then I would consider it loud. In fact, anything that leaves your ears ringing afterwards is loud. Still clear at that point? Yes. Bass at any point? No.

Adobeman

04 TL sound system is garbage .......
Simply put,
WRONG !

bluenoise

I don't think he meant the system is garbage. I think he meant, "The system can't shatter kidney stones with the garbage I listen to."



I enjoy some house music and find that the system does just fine. If I want to feel it, I'd install a bigger sub in the trunk, but I don't blame Acura for realizing that only a small percentage of their target market would want the added expense and reduced trunk space.

Hugh9269

I much prefer the TL system over my old 2002 Type S; "No highs, no lows, must be Bose!" I think it is much more well rounded system and copes with bass better than the old RSX, imo. The music I listen to Wilco, Radiohead, Joy Division etc.. has been much improved in my book. A little more bass can always be nice in most stock premium systems, but happy so far!

TLTrance

Okay, I listen to all sorts of electronic music and I have to say that this system still does very well with the basslines. One of the things that I found is that turning *down* the bass and increasing the sub output by 1 unit helps a great deal! The idea here is that if you decrease those, and then increase overall output by upping the volume, you will have a much better shaped EQ'd sound curve. (That's the same reason why I have my EQ in Winamp at -2.2db overall, with a damper at the mid frequencies.. I can always turn UP the volume on something that's NOT distorted, but turning DOWN the volume on something that is distorted will always still result in distortion)

The sub definitely can be a bit louder, but its still damn loud enough as long as you "balance" the frequencies downwards, not upwards!

SweetJazz

While I agree the TL system is above average for a STOCK stereo system it is light years behind a championship quality system! Awards? what awards? Motor Trend, Road and Track, etc. don't have a clue about what sounds good. What does Mark Levison, Bose, etc. know about CAR AUDIO? Great sound in a car is very difficult due to the harsh acoustic environment. If I were building a HOME system I would love to know what Mark knows. The three most important keys to great car audio sound is Speaker Placement, Speaker Placement, and Speaker Placement. Putting tweeters on top of the dash firing into the windshield? Putting speakers in the doors? Anyone heard of direct versus reflected sound? What about speaker pathlength differences? All this adds up to serious issues for the TL system. 99% of TL owners don't know the difference but for those who have a passion for quality music reproduction we will be making changes.

Oh yeah......I can't wait to pick up my TL in August!

bluenoise

That does not make it garbage, though. Regarding good press outside the automobile press, check out Absolute Sound's review.

SweetJazz

Ok, I agree it's not garbage but its still needs help. I have been listening to my high end car stereo system for the past 7 years. Its like going from a Honda Civic to an Acura RL. You can tell the difference right away. I'll check out the article but your ears are the best review.

bluenoise

I agree with this. My ears are impressed, considering it's a stock car system. If I want to hear a really clear presentation of music, I work where we have sound studios in which I can sit and listen. But, my car's system suits me fine while commuting as I accept the fact that the background noise is a bigger detriment to the listening experience than any of the system's shortcomings. I think, as far as stock systems go, the TL's is probably in the top percentile. If you think it falls short, address it yourself with some upgrades.

Again, Acura chose a good balance between quality, features, cost, and size when they put this system in. Sure, I'd like a little more bass sometimes, but I also really appreciate the large, unobstructed trunk. My previous car had more bass, but that came at the expense of several cubic feet of cargo space.

Speaking of bass: I have heard very few car systems with bass as linear as that in the TL. Mine suffers none of the one-note-bass typical of many car installations. I got to listen to a high-end custom installation at a tradeshow and found it was not very smooth in the frequency response. There were very noticeable dips in the response resulting in some notes booming out more than others. The installation was certainly beautiful, but it didn't sound like something worth spending $$$ on.

Russdaddy

SweetJazz

california-usa

If I really hated the stock subwoofer even if I had to cut up a larger hole in the middle of the rear speaker panel...I would just replace the stock subwoofer for one that is twice as large/strong.

zexi

The system is great although , I would prefer the tweeter be brighter for enhanced highs.

Tuetatesu

Well... I think it may not be loud, but I'd take clear clean sound over loud anyday. And considering the poster listens to House the bass may not be enough. I like house and many others, but for me there is just enough bass. A little more would be nice for those who like thump, but I have never been in a car with a stock system that thumps more then this TL.

I also noticed that if you use DVD Audio disks it sounds a lot better when you have the bass and treb. cranked up because the sounds are separated and you won't get the full impact of the instrument if you don't. This even applies to most CD's or XM radio stations.

Bar none... this is the best STOCK sound system I have ever heard. If you need more fidelity then this you need a custom system.