Lexicon Sound System Review 2012 V8 Genesis

[Crusty Old Shellback]

So did you ever check to see if the surround sound was selected on each band that you are listning to? As stated there is an issue of it unselecting when you turn the car off.

 

[mtrot]

So did you ever check to see if the surround sound was selected on each band that you are listning to? As stated there is an issue of it unselecting when you turn the car off.

I don't like surround on stereo sources; sounds too artificial for me. Surround was not selected, but I did try it, and again did not like the effect.

 

[mtrot]

OK, just picked up my new 2012 Genesis 4.6 yesterday and here are my observations so far on the audio system. First, I have not yet played any of my DVD-Audio discs or any CDs, so these observations are strictly about AM/FM radio.

I am very underwhelmed with the sound quality on both AM and FM. On AM, even strong, local stations are producing this distorted, "garbled" effect. If you happen to remember the DBX noise reduction technology used in VHS Hi-Fi tapes, you may be aware of "pumping" distortion. What I am hearing on the AM radio is not exactly the same, but it is a very short time interval distortion.

On FM, the sound quality is just not that good. My wife has a 2004 Buick Rainier CXL with the navigation Bose system, and it is amazing on FM and XM radio. Heck, even the 2000 Buick Century with "Concert Sound III" that I traded in on the Genesis sounds better.

With the Genesis, on FM there seems to be very little stereo separation to the music. Most of the sound I hear seems to emanate from the big speaker in the middle of the front dash area. Also the high frequencies seem a bit edgy(I have the treble and mid frequency control sliders set the the middle, default setting, and I turned the bass down a few notches because of boominess). I do not hear a lot of definition of the various instruments in the recording, and the sound overall is just not very dynamic.

As to my audio analysis credentials, I am an experienced audiophile of several decades, and own high power amps and good speakers, and I have collections of SACDs and DVD-Audio discs. All I'm saying is that I know what I am listening for when evaluating a system.

My main concern at this point is what is wrong with the AM reception. Not that I listen to anything other than speaking voices on AM; I just want it to work right.

Most of my listening will be XM, CDs, and DVD-Audio, so as soon as I get my XM service switched over and play with some DVD-Audio discs, I'll get a handle on how happy I am with the system.

Update:

XM Radio--After getting my XM service switched over, it was immediately obvious that XM reproduction is far superior to FM, at least in my car(As I live in a small market area, perhaps I have yet to tune in many high quality FM stations). I rate the XM sound as very good.

DVD-Audio--The only DVD-Audio disc I've played so far is the Wal-mart exclusive Lynyrd Skynyrd, Southern Surroundings. If you are a fan of Skynyrd or classic southern rock, you need this disc! Apparently, for proper DVD-Audio playback you do have to check the "Surround" check box in the settings in order to get discrete high resolution surround audio. I had assumed that when you play a DVD-Audio disc the system would default to discrete surround sound, but with the Surround box unchecked the sound loses fidelity and the discrete sound. With the box checked, there is great clarity, frequency response, and channel separation. I would rate the DVD-Audio sound as very good.

http://theseconddisc.com/2012/08/22...offers-new-5-1-surround-dvd-audio/#more-16155

 

[Ruissimo]

DVD-Audio--The only DVD-Audio disc I've played so far is the Wal-mart exclusive Lynyrd Skynyrd, Southern Surroundings.

Good call, brother!

I'm going to my local Walmart and picking up a couple of copies; who knows, based on the average amazon price of DVD-A's... it might be a wise investment to have an extra copy! Appreciate the heads-up!

 

[mtrot]

Good call, brother!

I'm going to my local Walmart and picking up a couple of copies; who knows, based on the average amazon price of DVD-A's... it might be a wise investment to have an extra copy! Appreciate the heads-up!

Well, this disc was released some time back, and you may have some trouble finding one. I don't know the current stocking situation. Perhaps if you can't find it at a Wal-mart, maybe it is available online from Wal-mart.

 

[Ruissimo]

Well, this disc was released some time back, and you may have some trouble finding one. I don't know the current stocking situation. Perhaps if you can't find it at a Wal-mart, maybe it is available online from Wal-mart.

Oh I didn't realize that. It is definitely available online (for like $11 bucks).

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

I don't like surround on stereo sources; sounds too artificial for me. Surround was not selected, but I did try it, and again did not like the effect.

Interesting. To me, the suround sounds so much better than the basic stereo. I leave mine on all the time. But to each his own I guess.

 

[Seattle Genesis]

Yikes. I just bought something from Walmart and I wasn't wearing my pink spandex and my hair wasn't braided..

 

[Ruissimo]

Yikes. I just bought something from Walmart and I wasn't wearing my pink spandex and my hair wasn't braided..

Oh... I've seen so much worse. SO. MUCH. WORSE.

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/photos/

 

[Ruissimo]

Yikes. I just bought something from Walmart and I wasn't wearing my pink spandex and my hair wasn't braided..

Oh... I've seen so much worse. SO. MUCH. WORSE.

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/photos/

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[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

Yikes. I just bought something from Walmart and I wasn't wearing my pink spandex and my hair wasn't braided..

It's all good as long as you were wearing a Garfield sweatshirt.

And I've had the disc for almost a year now. It's fun, beautiful sound, but the mix might have been a bit more aggressive for my tastes.

One more to check out, released a month ago, is Better Than Ezra, "How Does Your Garden Grow". It's a surround disc done perfectly.
Don't know if its on Amazon yet, but is definitely available from musicvalet.com

 

[Ruissimo]

Well, this disc was released some time back, and you may have some trouble finding one. I don't know the current stocking situation. Perhaps if you can't find it at a Wal-mart, maybe it is available online from Wal-mart.

I looked in the Lynyrd Skynyrd section of my local Walmart yesterday... no luck.

THEN I glanced around that spot... and found ONE copy!

Sounds great in the Genny... even though the surround is a bit more "toned down" than say, my Styx DVD-A. Still, really sharp, crisp, clear, beautiful sound, and a great album in general. I haven't even looked at the first 2 cd's; i just popped the DVD-A in my car. Is there any more surround content on the first two discs, or are they CD-only?

LOL

 

[mtrot]

I looked in the Lynyrd Skynyrd section of my local Walmart yesterday... no luck.

THEN I glanced around that spot... and found ONE copy!

Sounds great in the Genny... even though the surround is a bit more "toned down" than say, my Styx DVD-A. Still, really sharp, crisp, clear, beautiful sound, and a great album in general. I haven't even looked at the first 2 cd's; i just popped the DVD-A in my car. Is there any more surround content on the first two discs, or are they CD-only?

LOL

No, the first disc is a CD, and the second disc is a DVD containing a video that was recorded in England shortly before the plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant and some of the others. The audio quality on the video is very poor, but it was interesting to watch them perform back in the day.

As to the CD, it is a remastered version of one of their older albums and it sounds good for a CD of such an old album.(Sadly, Sweet Home Alabama is not included on the DVD-Audio.) But most of the other songs on the CD ARE included on the DVD-Audio and you must take a listen and compare the CD to the DVD-Audio. There is just no comparison.

If you go to that link I posted above in this thread, it tells you all about it.

 

[Ruissimo]

No, the first disc is a CD, and the second disc is a DVD containing a video that was recorded in England shortly before the plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant and some of the others. The audio quality on the video is very poor, but it was interesting to watch them perform back in the day.

As to the CD, it is a remastered version of one of their older albums and it sounds good for a CD of such an old album.(Sadly, Sweet Home Alabama is not included on the DVD-Audio.) But most of the other songs on the CD ARE included on the DVD-Audio and you must take a listen and compare the CD to the DVD-Audio. There is just no comparison.

If you go to that link I posted above in this thread, it tells you all about it.

I listened to all three yesterday, finally. The CD sounds really good (like you said, no comparison with the DVD-A, but great for a CD).

The DVD video sound is really bad, but it's great to watch nonetheless.

The first time I put the DVD-A into my Lexicon, the first thing I did was to skip all the songs until I found Sweet Home Alabama; not because I like the song, but because I've heard it so much... the logical thing to do is to listen in glorious surround!

NOPE.

Sadness. Great DVD-A though.

Went to a different Walmart last night, and found their only copy That bad boy is going on Ebay or Amazon one of these days.

 

[mtrot]

I listened to all three yesterday, finally. The CD sounds really good (like you said, no comparison with the DVD-A, but great for a CD).

The DVD video sound is really bad, but it's great to watch nonetheless.

The first time I put the DVD-A into my Lexicon, the first thing I did was to skip all the songs until I found Sweet Home Alabama; not because I like the song, but because I've heard it so much... the logical thing to do is to listen in glorious surround!

NOPE.

Sadness. Great DVD-A though.

Went to a different Walmart last night, and found their only copy That bad boy is going on Ebay or Amazon one of these days.

Hmmm...that's not a bad idea. I may do likewise.

 

[nfetterly]

Bought my 2012 Genesis w tech & prem package (17 speaker Lexicon) less than two weeks ago, had read (not here) how great the stereo was. I listened to XM and also my ipod and thought "it's okay".

Yesterday I joined this forum
Read some of this discussion yesterday
Paid to support forum today
Ordered ~10 Audio DVDs from Amazon

Now I'll drive over to Walmart & see what they have.

 

[Ruissimo]

There is only one way to do it "right":

DIVE RIGHT IN!

(I like this new guy)

Congrats on your purchase(s).

 

[nfetterly]

Congrats on your purchase(s).

Thanks !

Hmm, no way to edit my last post - once someone else has posted (I can in some other forums I am member of). Anyway picked up the Door DVD-A at Walmart & also Pink Floyd's "Making of" (I think) "Wish you were here" - lots of interesting discussion and when it goes to music it is phenomenal.

Currently copying my ~400 CDs onto itunes in "lossless" format. My 160gb itouch only has about 10gb on it. Starting with my Jazz stuff from ~15 to 20 years ago.


Reading through the previous posts - maybe I have to stop back at Walmart today - they had the Lynard Skynard DVD-A there....

 

[landtuna]

Bought my 2012 Genesis w tech & prem package (17 speaker Lexicon) less than two weeks ago, had read (not here) how great the stereo was. I listened to XM and also my ipod and thought "it's okay".

The Lexicon isn't going to make gold out of lead and can only replicate the quality of the original recording. Not all CD/DVD are works of art. For instance:

I have an older CD featuring Cat Stevens Greatest Hits which sounds like a concert hall in the Genny. And I have Enya's "Orinoco Flow" CD which sounds like crap (very over modulated).

Your Ipod recordings are going to sound like other compressed music. If you have uncompressed originals you can burn uncompressed CD/DVD and play those in the Genny. They will sound better.

 

[Aquineas]

Sure? No. I don't think anyone's done a tear down of the head unit to see what D/A chip is inside. But mine sounds better with DVD-Audio vs. CD (call it audiophile's-ear ... akin to butt-dyno). Can't really tell if that's just the quality of the mix or actual bit-depth of the D/A. Mix matters, since any particular DVDA disc may be encoded in CD-quality bit rate/depth. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD-Audio. MP3 vs. CD I can discern easily. The Amp and speaker quality of the Lexicon is the best I've ever heard in a car, and maybe some of the best sound I've ever heard period. The difference 5.1 vs. 2.0 is obvious. But I'm not really sure if I could be able to discern CD vs. the higher bit-rate/depth DVD-Audio in a blind A/B test in a 2.0 vs 2.0 config while driving down the highway with all the environmental noise.

Bells and Rui:
I bought one of these off Ebay for <$30: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2009-2013-A...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item35c594baaf

If you haven't played a high-quality 5.1 DVD-Audio in your Lexicon 17, you're missing one of the really special features of the Genesis.

With good source material the Lexicon really shines. Certainly worth the price of DVD-Audio discs. See also this thread for discussions on DVD-Audio music on the Lexicon: http://www.genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showthread.php?t=1300

Damn, I just threw out my Acura DVD-Audio from my old TL. Who knew I could have sold that bad-boy?