micellison71

jhb31

The ELS system in the TLX is nothing special. Very little base and volume overall is weak. Unless you want other features of the tech package IMO its not worth any additional cost. My old 3rd gen system was WAY better than the ELS system and my daughters mid level civic '16 sounds better as well.

Maybeex

I think it is tuned very well compared to similar cars and a notch above else.
TLX is a very quite car and it works perfectly for me. Stereo separation is very accurate and it is not bright. It was one of the reasons I choose this car. I have a long commute and I listen music. Hope it helps.

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F23A4

I have a base 16 TLX V6 and a 17 MDX SH-AWD Tech. As I used to have a 14 Accord Sport as well, all I can say is that the audio system in my TLX is far better than my old Accord Sport but well short of the audio experience I get with the ELS in my MDX.

Caveat: I'm not an audiophile and my TLX is really only used for local duty. So, I can live with it as is. But as I use my MDX many times for long road trips (just did a round tripper between Cincy/Detroit and NYC area), I wanted a more premium listening experience.

DLM1213

Second that.

micellison71

Saintor

The base audio on my 2016 is terrible, sounds even worse than our Civic 2012.

theredia92

Ive never been impressed by the base audio system in my TLX. The base system in my TSX that I had few years back sounded better IMO. Both of the systems sucked compared to the 2005 CRV EX we have in my household. Every time I drive the CRV the radio just sound clearer, fuller, and produces a better sound stage effect then any of the base systems in my Acuras.

ZipSpeed

I had a 16 speaker system in my X3 which sounded absolutely superb, and coming from that, I was supremely disappointed in the ELS system in my TLX. But after fiddling with a few settings and enabling DTS Neural sound, the system sounded much better. The ELS system is really good with classical music, not so good with bass heavy audio. But at least the bass is clean. Whether you believe in speaker "break in" or not, the ELS system sounded much better after having logged in a few hundred hours of music.

It's too bad Acura won't offer the Krell system in other models. I had a chance to demo it and it's really, really good. I haven't had the chance to demo the ELS 3D 16 speaker system yet in the RDX but people seem to like it so far from what I've been reading.

aggybong

I've owned 4 Acuras, and the newer ELS system in the TLX is inferior to the old system for midbass (much less 'punch' - hurts certain music), but it's better for deep bass (less muddled, but also less noticeable). I've read the difference is due to the noise cancelling system (questionable), as well as the speaker phase being inverted from previous models (likely). A friend who went from a TSX/TL to a TLX also thinks the same.

Anyone know how the new RDX sound system compares?

GrizzGrazz

Just got 2019 TLX and I wish I had pumped the radio before I left the lot. I’m an idiot. Would have gotten another car, sound volume is extremely low.

someguy11

GrizzGrazz, you exceeded your private message storage quota. It won’t let me respond. What I typed you was:

No, if it were working right, you wouldn’t be able to hear yourself think. I pound my as loud as I can take it, ear piercing, sometimes up to 30.

My volume issue stemmed from the rear deck rattling, which is a common TLX problem for all years. It distorted sound terribly and reduced volume. Turn up your favorite song, open your trunk and stick you head in. Do you hear rattling or bass?

Are you streaming through a device? Make sure the volume on your phone is maxed out. Otherwise the car head unit will never make up for the loss of Bluetooth volume.

You can try to adjust the SVC speed volume compensation. That will make the audio louder automatically as the car speed increases. I have mine set to High which is maximum boost from 0 to 80 mph. Otherwise I always find myself increasing the volume manually when I get on the expressway.

Good luck. If nothing else, take it back to the dealer and be like “wtf?”

technocrat

I have a 2011 MDX with Tech & RES and 2015 TLX Elite. The MDX ELS is more punchy (specially the mid bass) than the TLX ELS