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The short version
Dial in the factory head unit's EQ to get the most out of the stock 2010 RX350 system and the upgraded 2016 system — the exact treble, mid, and bass settings used for each.
The 2010 RX350’s stock stereo is good on its own — no speaker changes needed, just the right EQ settings. The 2016 sounds even better once you factor in its speaker upgrade (see the dash speaker upgrade guide). Here are the settings used for each.
2016 Model (After the Speaker Upgrade)
- Fade/balance: left in the middle
- Bass: up two clicks
- Mid: up one click
- Treble: up five clicks (one click short of maximum)
That balance is tuned to make the most of the upgraded speakers’ highs without pushing treble all the way to max, which the creator felt was slightly too much.
2010 Model (Stock Speakers)
- Treble: all the way up
- Mid: up two clicks
- Bass: up two clicks
- Fade/balance: left untouched (centered)
That’s It
Two different tunings for two different setups: the 2016 pulls treble back slightly to avoid overdoing the upgraded speakers’ highs, while the 2010 pushes treble to maximum to get the most from its stock hardware. If you’ve done the 2016 speaker upgrade, start from the 2016 settings above rather than the 2010 ones.
Questions people ask about this job
Do the same EQ settings work for both the 2010 and 2016 RX350?
No — they're tuned differently in this video because the two systems are different. The 2010 is run on its stock speakers; the 2016 was already upgraded to JL Audio speakers in a separate video, and its EQ is tuned around that upgrade.
Keep going
More RX350 guides
2010–2015 8 min 2010 Lexus RX350 Sound System Upgrade (Door Speaker Swap)
The 2010 RX350's factory 6x9 door speakers pull too much bass forward, muddying the mids. Swap them for 6.5-inch coaxials to balance the sound and bring back clean mids and highs.
2016–2022 21 min 2016 Lexus RX350 Dash Speaker Upgrade (Get the Missing Tweeter Highs Back)
Lexus dropped the front-door tweeter on the 2016 RX350, dulling the highs versus the 2010. Swap just the two dash speakers for a 4-inch coaxial set with a built-in tweeter to bring the crisp top end back — here's the full DIY install.
2010–2015 · 2016–2022 6 min Lexus RX350 Bluetooth Setup Tips (2010–2015 vs 2016+)
The 2010-2015 RX350 needs phone pairing and audio Bluetooth registered separately, in a specific order, or the connection fights itself. The 2016+ head unit does both in one step.
2010–2015 5 min 2010 Lexus RX350 Cabin & Engine Air Filter Replacement (5 Minutes, $16)
Replace both the cabin air filter and engine air filter on a 2010 Lexus RX350 yourself in about 5 minutes for ~$16 in parts. Full step-by-step with the exact filters.
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