Guys,
I'm no expert but ... How can a software update correct the audio system if its a hardware problem. I've read on this thread, the problem with the crappy sound is due to the crossovers being wrong / not the right ones.
Your thoughts please. My car will be here at end of June.

 

I had a 2015 F Type R coupe and the vibrations were fixed in two attempts. I now have a 2016 F Type R and the first attempt is comparable to your results. I am taking her back in this Friday for another attempt to fix the medium sound level vibration of the rear package tray and drivers door.

 

First time, they found rattling speaker covers in the doors. Second time, they found a faulty amp. Third time, they filled the doors with "about $100 of Dynamat." Fourth time is tomorrow, which is great, because the rattling, distortion, vibration, and general poor quality is back -- perhaps more pronounced than before. This system is garbage. Utter garbage.

 

Based on Smokems after market installer, apparently they were able to tweak the processor somehow to achieve better results. The crossovers I think we're a guess. It seems their are mechanical problems and processing issues. Best info seems to be from Smokem with regard to processing. We need a stereo tech.

 

Haha. To answer your question, this is supposed to be a software fix.

I agree, it won't fix the loose interior components/hardware, but if it stops sending the wrong frequencies to the speakers, then it could get rid off the rumbling from the tweeters and the crackling of the center-front speaker (which are the 2 main issues that I'm experiencing).

P.S.

I really really wish I had the Mark Levinson from my dad's car.

 

I'd take the Bowers and Wilkins system from my XF in a heartbeat. Although the Meridian system in our LR4 has no issues, I prefer the sound of the B&W system.

 

Funny you mention B&W because I have a pair of the P5's BT and P7 headphones, and I love them.

 

They make excellent sounding speakers. Not sure why Jaguar switched to Meridan. Today I was streaming music from my Samsung phone (called Milk music for some reason I don't get) I thought I found some good sound, then the song changed from Beatles to Led Zepplin, and down hill it went. You wouldn't believe you were listening to the same system. I turned up the bass on the Beatles song, and volume with little distortion. Couldn't handle Led Zepplin on same settings. Maddening. On one of my home systems (Musical Fidelity Cd&Amp/Anthony Gallo speakers) sometimes a poorly produced cd will sound subpar, but nothing as drastic as what this system does to music. I would think Samsung is streaming MP3 quality, so I don't know if recording quality would make that significant a difference. Maybe it goes south after 1 song. Maddening.

 

my 2015 R is currently in for the second pass on the stereo improvement. the first visit resulted in zero improvement (posted previously). they claimed to do the tsb, but the notes seem to indicate to only one door (??). either way, didn't work.

this time they have not had it for a week and last i heard, they had ordered new speakers and are installing those. my service manager is a very poor communicator, so i don't always know what they are actually doing. i will insist on speaking with the tech, when i go to pick it up (have not heard when yet), to understand what he found and what he did.

i'll keep everyone updated.

(mine, by the way, is the 380w system). same rattling symptoms everyone talks about (primarily mid-range bass).

i absolutely LOVE the car. the stereo is horrible, but the car rocks. too bad they can't seem to step up to solve this. i totally get that the system will not sound like a sedan (more room, more speakers). i've had small sports coupes in the past (3 911's, 1 cayman) and the small cabin is not an excuse... it's just plan a poor design. i doubt there is a quick (or economical) fix for this, but they are selling a premium brand and service/quality is everything when you are spending over $100k on a car.

this is my first jag and i am unimpressed with my local jag dealer from a service standpoint. they never, proactively, provide me an update. they often don't know what the service techs are doing to the car. i get 100x's better service interaction on our toyota...go figure.

 

Keep in mind that the highest bit rate that Milk can stream is 96 kbps. With a good sound system/headphones you'd notice the lower sound quality, however, that bit rate wouldn't the speakers to that extent.

 

FtypeRRR: sorry to hear about the poor service. My dealer has been good. I am on my 3rd vehicle with them.Has JLR contacted you with a post service survey? If so, you can speak your mind there, but being in a service business myself I would discuss that you would like better communication directly with your dealer if you haven't already.I did check the box on the survey for JLR to contact me about the stereo. Spoke to that rep directly. Please do this if you haven't already as we need to beat the drum. My dealer says they need guidance from Jag to solve this. Thanks for your post.

 

thanks jaguny.

I was never sent a survey from my first service appointment by JLR.

Latest status: speakers were replaced (tweeters) and the service tech still notices the vibration/rattling, so that was not it. they are stumped and have reached out to JLR for assistance on what to try next. car has been in for over a week now (first visit was a week)...no estimated completion date.

interestingly: they gave me a f-type convertible (6 cyl) as a loaner...that stereo is even worse (serious vibration between the seats...i think it is that plastic pass-through door to the trunk area, or whatever that door is. does not exist in the coupe). rattles like crazy.

by the way, man, coming from the R...it feels like i am driving around with the parking brake on!

 

Ok, I just watched "Making of the F type" on Velocity network. It features the vert. The say they spent 300 hours (yes 300!) tuning this Meridian system. That's 7 weeks! It's apparent that they couldn't get it to sound right either, if it took 300 hours and it sounds as it does. The settings they show are at half way or better. I can't figure how this thing could be botched so badly. Maybe the time was spent before it went in the car. I also learned that my streaming from phone requires volume to be well over 35. That may be due to compressed digital music files streamed. Not pretty.

For you guys using FIIO X3 with flac files, is volume setting need to be higher than cd mode?

 

Turn the volume of your phone all the way up while playing a track. It's effectively a pre-amp when streaming.

 

+1

That's always produced the best sound in any vehicle audio system I've had since the advent of Bluetooth.

 

FIIO X3 has a line out, so volume has no effect, and yes, always when using any player, volume to the max gives you best results, even with home stereos.

 

Didn't know that. No clipping?

 

None at all at least on Apple products. I've used virtually every generation of iPhone that way.

 

Thanks for the tips on phone volume. Should've figured that one out as my Auralic mini is controlled same way by ipad.

 

I'm sure you know this, but just for the sake of others who may be reading, it's not the phone speaker volume, but the volume control within the music app.