california-usa

I know the quality of a sound system isnt sowly based on watts but after taking a spin in a co-workers TSX today all I have to say is that standard audio system is awesome! By all means im not knocking the TL's system as it has its +'s too. I do belive that when Acura redesigns these two fine cars again there wont be such a big gab when it comes to the watt output. I know the TL's is more technologically advanced but when you read and feel those 360 watts some people would rather give up a little clarity for that extra "bass bump" feeling similar to that of Bose.

ndx2

i know where you're coming from. the TSX does have a lot more bass & gets a lot louder.

you gotta remember though, tsx is targeted towards younger crowd who prefer loudness/morse bass over quality & clarity (not that tsx sound system is bad).

03CoupeV6

Eh? The TSX system is awful!

You can adjust it three ways: No bass, too much bass, all bass. It's muddy and bass is sloppy. I really hated the system when I had TSX loaners for 3 weeks.

TLover

I had a TSX as a loaner. It may have more power, but doesn't not sound as good as the TL's system. The bass was muddy and overwhelmed the mids and highs, even after adjusting the settings.

Republican TL

after messing with the audio controls since I got the car (which is almost a year) and testing different combos of bass, treble, fade, center and subwoofer, I actually have come to grips that the best sound is with all the settings in neutral.

JetJock

Bass and volume don't make quality sound. Bose???...give me a break!!!

fishacura

I listened to an 80 watt per channel Denon system and a 100 watt per channel Sony system. Take a guess which one sounded better???

Watts don't tell nearly the entire story...

http://www.audio-forum.net/

Oh.....Bose

vp911

I didn't have a problem with the TSX sound system when I owned it for a year, but after going to the TL, I would MUCH rather have the sounds system of the TL than the TSX.

rickneuropa

The Denon probably kicked the Sony's butt in clearity and actual RMS output I'm guessing. No highs, no lows, must be Blose systems for the majority have dissapointed. They are so geared towards the midrange for older folks who's hearing in the extreme registers are lacking, that they miss half the music!!! Overrated systems. They are living off thier name, and overcharging for the quality you get....ever take apart a bose speaker, or take one out of a car? My infinit G35 had a bose system, they are cheap paper cones. I don't know how they could last very long in the car. They also use unusual ohm values to keep the cost of making "power" down. Smart, but you don't get what you pay for a lot of the times. My amp for the big powered system in the G looked like a couple of CD cases stacked on top of each other.

gt1

People perception of volume is logarithmic, it looks something like this:

In layman terms it means, that there is a big difference in loudness between 0.1 and 0.2 Watts, but 100 and 200 Watts are alomst indistinguishable. 200 Watts will be heard better from a distance, but it hardly matters inside a car.

AMIC

I thought the TSX's system was terrible when I test drove it. I had the volume at the max the entire time. I also find the TL's system to be lacking. I find that the more I turn up the volume all I get is more bass and not a lot of volume. I turned the bass down considerably. I think sometimes the makers of these systems think that more bass=good. A good balance of the high and low is much better. I consistiently have the volume almost all the way up. For a few CDs I do have it at the max. While the TL's sound is a lot fuller than the aftermarket stuff I put in my previous car 6 years ago, I need the volume.

I don't consider myself an audiophile or any kind of expert, I just know when I hear something that I like.

TLTrance

In my opinion the TL has a good factory system, but for me, its not the sub that's the biggest problem (the stock sub still leaves a bit to be desired). Instead, I think the mids/highs are not as "rich".. I'm not sure how to best describe it, but it just doesn't sound as "colorful" as some other systems. Nevertheless, its still better than many factory systems.

fishacura

I don't know. I mean I know this is "subjective" and your opinion is right from your perspective. But when I listen to the demo DVD-A and the 5.1 version of the Doobie Brothers I think the sound is very rich...

jpswanberg

actual tsx power stock is 18 watts times 8. neither the tl or the tsx sounds very good. no staging or imaging to speak of. all the music is veiled. no real bass to speak of. and don't get me started on surround sound...

toynaround

As gt1 mentions wattage converted to SPL is logrithmic, in simpler terms a 3 decibel change requires a doubling of power/wattage. If the TL had 360 watts it would be around 2db louder than the current 220watt system. (1db is the smallest amount of sound a human ear can hear in an anechoic chamber, so 3db in the real world noisy car environment translates to very little change)

All things being equal the real advantage of more power is better dynamics, music sound levels are constantly changing. When the music source demands power to create the loudest parts of a song you want your amplifier to be able to produce that peak without distortion. If your amplifier cannot reproduce that peak you will "clip" the tops and bottoms of the wave form (known as stereo clipping). Many peoples perception of "louder" means more distortion or simply more bass. I had a TSX as a loaner and was not impressed. When playing a great recorded disc like the demo, the TL it is a very well balanced sound system.

peter

fishacura

????? Do share. Do you seriously not like it?

Elephantman_nosefacehead

you better get your hearing checked listening to music at that level for long periods of time...I'm serious.

jtow

on the DVD-A demo disc, there is a song by Tom Petty that really shows off the TL's system. It gave me chills the first time I heard it because I don't think I had ever heard anything so clear and crisp. If you want to get the most out of your TL's sound system, get DVD-A discs.

TLover

AMIC

As of now I have excellent hearing. 10-15 years from now who knows. I just like music loud.

crazymjb

Ihave a wave radio, sound really f-ckin good.

03CoupeV6

This is 3rd Gen TL forum, where does the "Bose" come into play? Neither the TL or the TSX has Bose. If I'm not mistaken, the TL system was developed by Elliot someone but has Panasonic components, and the TSX speakers are Pioneer.

But that said, my 2nd gen TL has a Bose system I think sounds great and far, far, far superior to the sloppy TSX system. That system is truly one of the worst I've heard.

JoeGopher

I am a bit of an audio-enthusiast and have always invested money in car audio. This is the first car I think I'll leave stock.

Do I wish the sub had a bit more clarity and volume? Yes. But, it serves its purpose well for the majority of the music I listen to.

The DVD-A discs I have come across have really varied in the quality of the mix. I recently purchased Santana - Supernatural, and the mix is horrible. The engineer focused on getting five channel distinction rather than creating a natural sound.

One of the best I've found was a remix of ELP's Brain Salad Surgery. Really good work on a 30+ year old album!!!

Where have people found good resources for DVD-A or DTS discs?

revkelley

I think the TL's System is by far the best sounding "stock" system I have ever heard. I come from a strong Audio/Video background (owned, and worked in audio/video establishments) and there is no way that anyone would ever say that the TSX's system sounds better than the TL's. That's just plain crazy. LOL....Now with that said, yes it's not perfect but it sounds pretty damn good. That's just what I think.....

Zeuser

I'll take quality over quantity thank you very much.

I once went to an Acura meet and "demoed" the TL's sound system. I played tublar bells track 11 and turned up the volume to 30. When the end part of that track played, the tublar bells, the guys siting in my car (previous gen TL owners and TSX, EL and RSX owners) were blown away.

Though many of them had far more powerful systems, it's just amazing to see their reactions to a high quality stock stereo.

In laymans terms, the TL is like listening to a symphony at a catherdral whereas the TSX is like the local disco club.

I'm not a big fan of classical music but after hearing a live concert of a lady with a stradavarius violin last summer I know understand what the fuss is all about concerning the strads.

BTW... it's no coeincidence the TL commerical "satelite" features classical music. They're clearly trying to tell consumers about the quality of xm radio and the DVD-A.

sufall96

I know what you are saying, but having a system with color is a matter of preference. A friend of mind hates a system with color and he hates 5.1. He thinks a system should have as less color as possible and it should be more natural. He loves stereo. I on the other hand like a little color in my system it enhances the system and adds to the experience. Maybe the engineers that designed the system wanted a more natural sound on the the stereo but I think the 5.1 does add alot of color and a more rich sound. Just my

ChRiS_nYc

agreed...however i enjoy bass but i couldnt hear a difference in loudness between the TSX loaner and my TL besides clarity

JetJock

5.1 surround is probably not "accurate" in audiophile terms because it doesn't image correctly, but it works in a car. I consider myself an audiophile and love good analogue 2 channel sound, but I still enjoy driving around in my TL and listening to a good 5.1 mix. It's a gimic but it works well in the car environment. Hey...it's not "correct" but it's fun!!

revkelley

I Agree JetJock.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

The TL's sound system is plenty loud enough for me... Clear as hell, and the DVD_A's sound fricken incredible. You guys are asking for a lot out of a $35k car.

VTECHTL00

the TLs system is one of the clearest, if not the best stock system iv ever heard. My dad just got the 05 TL, incredible sound.

Tintin

so even though the TL has 220watts and the TSX has 360, that doesnt mean anything compared to which system is "better"?
i really know nothing about audio, and i just figured the more watt in the system, the better it is.
To what i understood after reading the forums, is that the TSX is LOUDER, but the TL is clearer?!

Atrain

I purchased the Metallic Black Album on DVD-A. I think the mixing could have been better, but Enter Sandman still kicks ass. There are some subtle changes to the music as well, like the into to "The Struggle Within". I digress though.

The TL's sound system isn't nearly as good as my '95 T-Bird's with the JBL Premium Sound system. I'm serious, that old cassette tape only radio kicks the bass very clear and crisp. You can't go extremely loud with it, but right over the half way mark, the bass makes it sound like you are sitting in the bass drum itself. Nice for songs like AC/DC's "Back In Black" and AeroSmith's "Walk This Way".

The TL has a nice system, but I've heard better on stock set-ups. Worst I've heard was an '05 Chevy Avalanche...terrible...just plain junk. Also made by Bose.

Of course this is all my opinion!

A-Train

skyy406

You need to spend some time in a new RL

I'm not sure on wattage or speaker brands and what-not, but the sound in the RL is so much "fuller". There is more bass and the highs are significantly more distinct.

meathead

when i had a TSX loaner i would have the volume at 50% at times, it seemed to get distorted after that and wasn't that loud.
the TL's system at 50% is LOUD, and it doesn't get distorted. TL's is better imo.

05TLTony

Do you guys think that replacing the factory speakers with aftermarket ones (pioneer, jbl, etc.) would make a difference without changing the amp?