Is250 Satellite Navigation Volume

Whoosh · January 8, 2006

I have the MM system fitted in my IS250 but find it extremely hard to hear the Sat Nav announcements if I have music playing at any volume above 20-25 when travelling on motorways. It only seems to come out of the front right speaker and does not lower the volume of any music that is playing at the time of announcement as my previous car did.

I have set the volume to 7 (max) and the adaptive volume is also on.

Does anyone else have this problem? I’m sure it can’t be right to have such a nice sound system but have to keep turning it down to hear announcements.

spclements · January 8, 2006

Same here... would be nice if the music could go lower... or the announcements be louder!

Guess you have to have music quiet if you are relying on the Sat Nav!

Steve.

Scarlet Pimpernell · January 10, 2006

Not done this on the test drive so not sure, but...

On some Nav systems (like my Sony), you can adjust the volume further by making "her" talk, and whilst she speaks simultaneously increase the volume using the general volume control on the stereo...

This makes "her" voice go up, but the stereo stays the same.

So the two volume controls are independant...and this also allows you to just completely lower the radio/CD/MP3 volume to zero but still hear the Nav if you want.

Apologies in advance if

Let me know if it works - I too have ordered MM with mine and it was be "BAD" not to be able to keep Mark Levinson at 300 watts all the time...

Whoosh · January 10, 2006

I have discussed this with my Lexus dealers (Exeter, who I must say are excellent) and the service manager who also runs a IS250 says that mine is set as high as it will go and that he suffers from the same problem. He has put in a report to Lexus about this ( I can’t remember the official term used) and if there is a software update in future that I will get it ASAP. I won’t hold my breath though.

Scarlet Pimpernell · January 10, 2006

So I take it that what I suggested does not work...

Whoosh · January 10, 2006

So I take it that what I suggested does not work...

Not that I can see.

An engineer is calling around tomorrow to make a couple of minor adjustments so I will ask him again.

Gillo · January 12, 2006

I have the MM system fitted in my IS250 but find it extremely hard to hear the Sat Nav announcements if I have music playing at any volume above 20-25 when travelling on motorways. It only seems to come out of the front right speaker and does not lower the volume of any music that is playing at the time of announcement as my previous car did.
I have set the volume to 7 (max) and the adaptive volume is also on.

Does anyone else have this problem? I’m sure it can’t be right to have such a nice sound system but have to keep turning it down to hear announcements.

Please keep us posted. In my last car (2003 RX300) the music volume lowered when the Sat Nav voice kicked in - worked really well. I can't believe this system doesn't do the same (or at least doesn't do it as well). That said, it's streets ahead in other ways :)

Whoosh · January 12, 2006

A quick update. A Lexus engineer called to make a couple of minor adjustments to my IS250. Auto light sensitivity etc and he confirmed that I had done all that could be done to get the volume as high as it could go.

As stated before his manager who also runs an IS250 is putting in a report to Lexus about this as they feel it is not satisfactory. They have apparently included my phone number with this report so I will keep you posted “IF” Lexus do contact me.

matt midlands · February 6, 2006

I have the MM system fitted in my IS250 but find it extremely hard to hear the Sat Nav announcements if I have music playing at any volume above 20-25 when travelling on motorways. It only seems to come out of the front right speaker and does not lower the volume of any music that is playing at the time of announcement as my previous car did.
I have set the volume to 7 (max) and the adaptive volume is also on.

Does anyone else have this problem? I’m sure it can’t be right to have such a nice sound system but have to keep turning it down to hear announcements.

I too have raised this issue with Lexus Birmingham, and I have received a letter from Lexus GB mentioning that they will pass my feedback on this issue back to 'Lexus' (not sure where!). I find the issue very annoying; having spent 2.5k (or whatever it was) on the ML system, you'd wouldn't expect to have this issue. Apart from this, great car! I'll let you know if I hear anymore...