[pcontos]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post as I just joined the TLX Forums. I just purchased a 2019 TLX V6 Advance package after owning a 2008 TL for nearly 15 years. I loved that car and hated to have to give it up but it was really costing me a lot of maintenance for a car with only 115k miles.

I absolutely loved the ELS sound system in the TL as many here do. The sound was so balanced between the treble, bass, midrange, etc. The subwoofer was very powerful and didn’t rattle at all and I would listen at nearly Max volume often. I used the DVD audio as much as I could since a lot of the bands I follow in the progressive/classic rock genre had many releases during the mid 2000’s and 2010’s. The Dolby pro logic II fake surround also sounded great. The only thing that drove me crazy is that the 6 disc cd changer got the discs stuck and I had to replace the radio four times. Needless to say, I knew I had to change with the times and accept the move to more lossy sound quality in the new TLX‘s with the removal of the DVD audio system and the convenience of features such as Apple Car play, HDD drive, etc. I bought the 2019 because it only had 21k miles and it was 34k but also because it was the next to last year to have a CD player in dash. The new TLX’s and new cars in general are so ridiculously expensive. In general, I love the car and it is going to take me all year to really get ahold of all of the technology.

The main reason for my post is that I am really surprised how different the sound is compared to the old TL. I had the car for a week and I blew the center speaker with that DTS Neural surround mode. The bass is really week and raising the subwoofer level really does nothing. The sound is very clear and I am getting used to it. I have adjusted the levels to a more pleasant balance but it is still harsh on my ears when raising the volume which is noticeably louder than the old TL system. One difference in sound is the additional tweeters on the dash which seem very dominant. The treble and bass levels are very difficult to get a good overall balance that will hold when raising the volume. I have read in this forum about similar reviews dating back to 2014 when the first TLX was release. I also read about how maybe the ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) featur is affected the low frequencies when driving. None of the comments on that subject seem consistent and definitive so I really don’t know what to think there. I am trying to be positive and get used to the sound which I am but I still curious to hear if anyone has any updated opinions on this topic.

 

[rickso234]

I hear you! I just bought a 2020 and have many of the same complaints about the ELS System. With the sub level at 1 less than max and the bass set 2 down from max. and the volume above 10, the bass is sufficient. Really wish there was a loudness contour so the bass was automatically increased at low volume since anything below 10 sounds tinny. My girlfriend's Altima w/Bose audio does seem to have a loudness contour and sounds better than the ELS at low volumes. It's a bass-heavy system anyway and other than the loudness feature, I don't like it as much as the ELS.

On the ELS I have treble at 1 or 2 above middle and center and balance/fader to center. The tweeters are on the pillars, aren't they? They do sound a bit harsh at times. One thing that made a noticeable difference was the center level. Reducing the level removes some of the harshness, but then you lose the center channel effect which I like better than just left and right.

I did defeat the ANC by unplugging the module but didn't notice any difference in sound. Then I read that ANC isn't active in Sport (my default) or Sport+.
The search continues...

 

[pcontos]

I have tried many of the same changes in the levels and have generally improved the sound. It is really difficult to find the best configuration which is odd because I have had many cars with less quality systems that were very easy to balance and get a consistent sound. CD's seem to sound the best but it really is hit or miss to depending on the recording. If a recording is thin to begin with, it is really hard to beef it up. I too was wondering if the ANC is causing the low frequencies to be cancelled out but I really don't want to unplug anything as I just bought the car last month. When I go into Sports mode or am parked, I really don't notice any difference in sound. Maybe the ANC isn't as much of a factor as what some here have speculated. I have also seen posts here which suggest changing the speakers to better ones which I'm sure would improve to some degree. I'm just really surprised that Acura didn't address this over the years since the first posts on this started in 2014 when the TLX was released. I assumed nothing really changed up until the 2020 model.

 

[rickso234]

Evidently ANC isn't much of a factor for me since I'm always in Sport mode. I'm going to try changing driving mode to Normal to see if any change to the audio quality, or on a rough road, or when a big truck goes by, to see how much ANC is doing to reduce cabin noise.

I'd like to disable ASC (Active Sound Control) to get rid of the piped-in engine noise. I didn't think the V6 used ASC, but when I disconnected the ANC module, the throaty engine sound went away, so evidently it does, plus the service manager told me that all Acuras (I'd think at least recent ones) have ANC.

Do you have the 4 or 6-cylinder engine?

 

[pcontos]

Evidently ANC isn't much of a factor for me since I'm always in Sport mode. I'm going to try changing driving mode to Normal to see if any change to the audio quality, or on a rough road, or when a big truck goes by, to see how much ANC is doing to reduce cabin noise.

I'd like to disable ASC (Active Sound Control) to get rid of the piped-in engine noise. I didn't think the V6 used ASC, but when I disconnected the ANC module, the throaty engine sound went away, so evidently it does, plus the service manager told me that all Acuras (I'd think at least recent ones) have ANC.

Do you have the 4 or 6-cylinder engine?

I have the V6 Advanced model. So they cancel out the outside truck noise (ANC) as well as pipe in fake engine noise (ASC)? Sounds counterintuitive. Plus there also is the (SVC) control which adjusts the volume based on the speed of the vehicle. There are a lot of Acronyms to basically ruin a stereo AMP that ELS designed to be top of the line. Strange.

 

[rickso234]

Oops, I missed the "I just purchased a 2019 TLX V6 Advance...". I'll always take a V6 over a turbo 4 for the the power, smoothness, and sound. The six is surprisingly good on gas. Read where someone suggested locking Sport+ into 9th gear on the highway to prevent shifting and maximize mileage. Tried it and got 31.5MPG!

ASC only seems to come on when accelerating/decelerating, but I agree it's counterintuitive... subtracting one noise and adding another. SVC on Low setting seems about right to me. There's so much you can customize in this car, but unfortunately some that you'd want to but can't.