Lexus LS 460 L Mark Levinson Reference Surround Sound:
Lexus did a praiseworthy job in regards to the ergonomics of this car, especially considering the amount of technology involved. With everything in easy reach and of a large format, concentration can be focused on the road. And then there's the audio system. It's the best performing OEM offering I've heard to date and is worth much more than its asking price. One thing's for sure, with Mark Levinson in your Lexus, you won't mind being stuck in traffic.
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Average score
Audio: 8
Ergonomics: 9
Navigation: 9
Audi S8 Bang & Olufsen Advance Audio System:
For an S8 buyer the $6,300 ($500 more for the optional Sirius satellite radio) for the B&O system probably won't seem like a lot of money. At less than 10% of the car's purchase price, it's reasonable - proportionally speaking, of course. Perhaps some owners might want DVD playback at that price instead of the iPod tray with the USB connection. Frankly, I'd take the latter and perhaps add some all-in-one DVDs for the headrests for the little one. That would probably about do it. All in all, this is a dream car for most and definitely a vehicle worth dreaming about.
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Average score
Audio: 6.7
Ergonomics: 7.2
Navigation: 7.5
Acura ELS Surround Premium Sound System:
The daring Acura showed by including DVD-A playback and using more optimal speaker placement is counteracted to some degree by the sound quality of the system. It lacks power and dynamics. In other words: It's a bit bland or "safe," as though Acura/Panasonic didn't want to offend anyone. The system sounds better when listening to DVD-As than when playing regular CDs, but considering that many of us still have most of our music collections in the latter form, we would want an audio system that excelled with both formats. [...] Still, the wealth of features in the MDX is not something to easily dismiss. When you consider what you get for the price, this has to be the best vehicle in its class overall.
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Average score
Audio: 6.7
Ergonomics: 6.5
Navigation: 7.8
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