Hi folks, went for the easy path and upgraded to Land Rover speakers on the doors and added a powered under seat sub, along with a good amount of sound deadening.

All combined it’s like going from a beater Corolla to a posh E class, when it wants to??!

I’m noticing it sounds the best with ignition on, engine off, clear highs and mid, thumping bass with minimal rattle and resonance.

When the engine is running, sound quality suffers but not immediately, vocals become a bit muffled and bass stops being thumping and starts introducing extreme panel vibration with certain frequency.


am i crazy or somehow something somewhere is messing with the sound when the engine is running??


I also noticed it with the stock system before, but to a much lesser extent and it was so poor to begin with, i just shrugged it off.

 

Which LR speakers do I need to get, and what's the best source?

 

Credit to the main audio upgrade planning thread, apologize i do not remember exactly who posted this.

You need 2 each, price listed are new and is pretty close to what i paid brand new from jlr dealership(us).

Used parts are about half the price but can be hard to find.

I got mid and mid bass from the list new from jlr, and bought used tweeter AW93-18808-AC from eBay, did not find this list before i ordered them!

Not sure if they are exact counter part but tweeter was never the problem, in fact they are too bright i have the treble set almost all the way to the left.


Lemme know if you need more info, I’m no expert but i have read all the threads😂


Oh if you know someone in a body shop they can order it without tax, which is what i did.

 

Perfect, thanks!

 

Jagbass and I found using Audiocontrol LGD's to be necessary when disconnecting the drivers from the factory amp and taking them into a LOC or Audiocontrol DSP. The jag amp starts throwing crazy square waves. I don't think it it's necessary on channels that are simply disconnected as I have all four sub and the one center channel disconnected with no noticeable affect. This doesn't describe your problem so you might have something else going on but the LGD's are cheap enough to give them a try.

Now that I switched to a Helix DSP the LGD's are not needed. Helix has their ADEP.3 circuitry that handles the problem.

 

Thanks for the input, but I’m ever more confused now, it’s like trying to explain black magic to a muggle 😂

So the amp have no problem with a disconnected speaker, but take it personal when speaker level signal is being manipulated?

Am i understanding it correctly that taking the speaker level wires to a powered sub, is the same as taking them to a loc/aftermarket amp/dsp? And that a lgd should be installed in-line, instead of trying to use it to “patch” the unused wires?

i will see how it pans out, I’m already assuming the problem i have is indeed the amp freaking out, but it might turn out to be something entirely different.

lgd is arriving today, one of the factory subs with the cone pulled is also going back in to verify the situation.

 

Quick update for future reference, did not install lgd as the audio sounded fine on the way to work, instead spent whole day mounting the sub to the center of the car behind the seats.

It returned only briefly after the installation so my guess is, battery ran low during the install and testing without engine running(i think low battery warning came on both times), causing some sort of hiccup in the system.

If it does happen again i will try the lgds, battery is recently changed and healthy.

Also the area behind the armrest is not the best for a single sub, i finally understand why people say “you don’t hear the sub, you feel it”, well, you don’t want to hear it! It’s always ringing my ear AND it’s only ringing my right ear now it’s so close to my driving position.

im going to relocate it to the trunk, I’m sure rattle will be an issue doing that and all my work on the custom mount is wasted, but it’s better than destroying my ear 😂

@Robtrt8 do you remember what frequency goes to the rear fill speakers? I’m finding the set up unable to get a good stereo separation and stage, and head unit setting set to meridian surround produces a rather good experience, and a noticeable louder/cleaner audio at the same volume level compared to stereo setting(i find it weird and no clue why), i might replace the rear fill with something better and see how the system sounds in surround.

i already bought the better front center but haven’t put it in yet.

 

You have a coupe, yes? Just checking.

Good thought on battery state, make sure you've updated the BMS after installing the new battery.

I have not paid attention to the rear fill drivers. I'm an old school stereo guy so my tune is set up for one seat. Jagbass and I have been having a debate about whether or not it's useful to use the center channel or not. We currently agree to disagree.

The problem you are having with the sub location you tried is it's "localizable"- you can here where it's coming from. It would help to put it squarely behind the seat. Putting it in the way-back will not be time aligned correctly because it's still the existing sub's tune.

In theory, with a good sub assembly, you should both hear and feel the music. In theory, the Jag's sub locations should sound great. I had two Kicker L7t Solo Barics under the seats of my TR8. Boy howdy, did they thump. The problem with the Jag is the tune from the Jag amp is playing mostly 30hz bumps. Also the baffle for the sub drivers is very flimsy so you hear a lot of resonance. I'm using the door's signal run through a DSP so that I can time align the result, amplified by a 1200 watt monoblock and played through a premium 12" sub driver in a sound engineer designed ported enclosure built out of 13 ply Baltic Birch. So I hear and feel it when that bottom note hits at the 48 second mark of "Money For Nothing"

 

I do have a coupe, so mounting location is plentiful, i followed nitro28’s set up, except i tried to be clever and substituted his dual basslink mini mounted behind the seats to a single basslink sm2 in the center, thinking an enclosed coupe wouldn’t need the dual subs all while utilizing the vast unused space behind the armrest and save a few bucks!

i were right the single sub is plentiful for my use but the location is dead wrong, it’s like listening to music while having the fader all the way to the right.

I will try and see if it fits behind my seating position, this is one thing i do not want to compromise so most likely it’s still going to the trunk, tucked away by the trunk post facing side ways, please tell me if this is a bad idea before i beginning 😂

if it doesn’t sound right i can also mount it to the umbrella holder area firing to the rear. This is the closest to the way i tested it initially and liked until the sound issue came up, which is laying flat on the trunk.


as far as center and rear fill goes, i already have the upgraded center so might as well try it, i don’t see a point limiting myself to stereo if the sound stage and imaging is not there (with the limitation of factory amp and speakers), i will also try to connect the original center coaxial to the rear fill wires and see if they work and sound good that way, looks like it has a built in crossover and should fire right up.


oh and the battery was replaced by an indie shop so not sure if programming has been done, but i don’t see anything strange in the past few months.

 

I’d try behind the seat down low first just for giggles and then at the umbrella location pointed back as an alternative.

A good independent that also does BMW’s would have an Autel and know to run the update.

 

Final update: (almost) all is golden now.

Moved the sub to the trunk under the hidden compartment facing up(the tray no longer fits without modification).

The problem initially described no longer exist, the only thing changed was going from 2 sub signals to 1, so i guess that’s the cause.

also tried lgd while rewiring, didn’t read the manual and fried the fuse on the sub, luckily everything still works after replacing the fuse and did not feel like trying it again.

Upgraded the center speaker, felt zero difference to my ear(in surround mode)

Fitted the same center speaker to the 2 rear fill, they don’t work (they do make sound, but it sounded tiny and worse than the original)

Now stereo mode still sounds awful, the volume level is easily a few twists lower than surround mode, the sound feels like they are coming from below my waist, and the balance is heavily biased to the left, i have to dial the balance setting 2 clicks to the right to make it center, not sure what my passenger is hearing though, need to try it another day.

playing stereo test tones, everything works, all speakers work, but it just sounds so wrong playing music.

I’m suspecting my Android head unit has something to do with it, but it sounds good enough in surround mode, I’m more curious to find out why than to actually fix it.

 

You need to understand that by changing your speakers you may have contributed to the way you system now sounds. You see, the factory tune that is embeded in your factory DSP amplifier it setup with the original speakers they installed in the car. Just because you install the higher grade JLR speakers does not mean you going to get better quality sound. It will sound different and most people will equate that to better when it actually may not be at all if you were to compare the RTA response curves of each speaker.

The only way to do it right is to delete the factory DSP amp all together. You would then use a OEM interface like the Mobridge MOST for older Ftypes or the Digital Ethernet Decoder for newer 2018 up ftypes in place of the factory DSP amplifier. It will receive the pure unprocessed digital signal form the IMC and then you feed that signal into your aftermarket DSP or DSP amplifier and the speakers of your choice, non oem. The aftermarket DSP will allow tou to tune the response of each speaker to the curve of your liking as will as other more advanced capabilities like time alignment, phase adjustment, all-pass filters.

What alot of people dont know is the factory has very high end equipment to setup and tune these vehicles, stuff that audioshops could only dream of. Unfortunately they didn't invest much in the F-type Meridian System for whatever reason. A far departure from some of the Meridian systems in other JLR products.

 

What “android head unit “ are you referring to ? Is it an adaptor module for CarPlay and android auto ?
your very original post said it was worse when your turned on the engine. Suggests more of a ground loop issue to me. Did you also install a ground loop isolator. Make sure either your head unit or the car fader/ balance is set to default and only adjust the other as you now have two seperate links in the chain to adjust the same thing. Also make sure you are not connecting through Bluetooth but Wifi instead if possible

 

thanks for the input, i couldn’t have said better!

I’m one of those “most people”, it sounds different, sounds better to my untrained ear, but not necessarily better and far from perfect all things considered.

honestly the sound deadening i added to the doors and the removal of factory subs probably helped more than anything else.

Going full custom is definitely the best solution, but I’m not ready to shell out 8k+ nor do i possess the expertise to carry it out myself!

it’s one of those merryway Android based head units which replaces your factory screen and adds Android interface and CarPlay/Android auto.

i have a detailed write up here
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...review-272327/
but i don’t plan to update it since the system is very finicky and seller/manufacturer support is non existent.

i don’t have a ground loop isolators installed, I’m assuming we are talking about the thing that goes between the source and the cars aux jack, my head unit connects directly to the cars mcu(the unit behind the armrest).


there’s no balance/fade setting in the head unit, i usually play music directly from the YouTube music app, no Bluetooth, WiFi or phone connection is used, and it produces a distinctly cleaner and better sound than using the wireless CarPlay or the cars original Bluetooth. Also no balance/fade found in the YouTube music app.

 

I will post my full build log soon. I eliminated my factory DSP amp and now use the Digital Ethernet Decoder from Resonix.

 

looking forward to it!

 

I might have figured out what’s wrong, the tweeters.

Everything linked together after watching a random YouTube video showing the difference between a good and a blown tweeter on a otherwise good bookshelf system.

Thinking of it, the tweeters are the only pieces i got used on the doors.

center channel was also a used part, and at least 1 out of the 3 i bought was bad.

There was (or still is) a issue with the f type coupe sending bass to tweeters and blowing them in the process, my car might not have this addressed.

Lastly in stereo mode, i put my ear right next to the tweeter, they are working but sounds tiny, in contrast to the surround mode, the sound immediately brightens up and sounds “normal”, i haven’t tried putting my ear on the center channel, it’s probably not gonna fit ;p

it also conveniently explains why i feel the sounds are coming from waist level in stereo mode, the tweeters aren’t doing much!



so.. is there any way to check if the problem is software or hardware, or both, before i order new parts?

i just finished insulating and felt tapping the whole car, and the new founded quietness makes the flaw in the system ever more prominent.

tl;dr

how do you check if the tweeters are blown?
How do you check if the bass to tweeter tsb has been applied?


excited and l ooking forward to get this addressed, thanks!

 

Some folks have used an audio frequency generator app on their phones, connect via Bluetooth, then sweep the frequency.

 

something like this? What an i looking for though, missing frequency on the high end?




wait no, that’s a scanner, lemme google it. Thanks!

Is the generator any different than playing a sine sweep on YouTube?

 

Unless you removed the factory protection capacitors, all of the tweeters have them, from your tweeters chances are small that the are blown. They are probably crossed over high in excess of 3000k which would tend to sound tinny by themselves or if you were to place your ear next to them when they play. Also surround mode may absolutely change the levels and sound
characteristics completely on the L&R tweeters, all depends on the processing that is occurring in the factory amplifiers dsp, not uncommon. Only JLR and Meridian knows what's really going on in their factoy DSP amp, this is why i got rid of it.