Like for so many other forum members, my Meridian door speakers are now developing an irritating rattle. My Jaguar dealer has asked me to document/show the problem with specific songs and burn these to a CD. So I ran through some songs and quickly found some listed below. My rattle is easy to hear at half volume within the first 30 seconds of each song. Do you know any songs that exhibit the rattle in the first 30-60 seconds that I could test and add to my list?

João Gilberto/Stan Getz: The Girl from Ipanema
Parov Stelar Trio: At the Flamingo Bar
Miles Davis: So What
Parov Stelar Trio: Ménage À Trois

I can also use a tone generator, where my rattle shows up different places between 80Hz and 145Hz, but my Jaguar dealer insists on "actual songs"

 

Blur - Song 2 will get any loose bits of trim buzzing, but I suspect the problem with the higher output systems lies in what the head unit is sending to the speakers...

 

OK, get an old song by "Billy Myers", called "Kiss the Rain".....the hits of the base just make those rattles hit you in the old ear canal. After you get it fixed, go to the same list of songs that you had pre, and test that way. Like to like!

Note, you don't need to burn a CD, just grab a memory stick and put it into the USB slot. That simple. Very straight forward test.

 

Virtually any song with notes in that mad-bass region exhibit distortion for me. I wouldn't call it "rattle" since there are no vibrations that I can hear. Rather, it's truly distortion coming directly from the speakers.

It's mostly listenable, but truly sad for a supposedly "high-end" audio brand.

 

My problem is more of an obvious rattle, if I hold various places on the door and the outside of the speaker grilles the rattle stops or reduces significantly. If I want mad bass I use songs like Madonna: Rain, Eminem: Without Me, 50 Cent: In da Club, Nappy Roots: Awnaw - but these actually produce a decent result and I can hear the subwoofer just fine on these. I think my specific problem is a "simpler" one and might be more of a dynamat/door related. Now, I might also have a more fundamental distortion problem from the audio system itself - but I suspect that is a harder battle to fight for all of us. Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

 

Yes, all of these things are identical to what I had. If I held the door handles around the speaker, the rattle would stop, if a base note that was decent, not even strong hit I would hear a sustained vibration that was very annoying. The back "sub's" which is what I think they call these things (LOL) would also make a blown speaker sound, and they fixed that as well. DYNOMAT is the secret and they wrapped a lot of it in the panels, which fixed the vibrating annoying rattle, and they replaced the grills in the back which weren't placed right. Exactly what you guys describe, and it is fixed with a smile on my face!!!

 

Thanks slojotaa, I found your original post on how Jaguar took care of you – good stuff! I think we have two problems with the audio system. One problem is more fundamental and mostly for the true audiophiles: the system and components are just not good enough, even when all works as intended and is "rattle free". The other problem is "just lots of rattles" - things that can actually be corrected with dynamat, grilles, and good work. I will be more than happy to get to the rattle-free situation and then let the audiophiles take the charge for a real solution, or sadly more likely: install a real system on own dime. Thanks again, I will use your great post as an example of what a good dealer and Jag NA together can accomplish to make us non-audiophiles happy troupers. I also feel Jag should publish a service bulletin to make it easier for many of us to just git er done to that level, I am confident that I am not the last owner that will suffer from rattling.

 

I think the first problem might be that true audiophiles wouldn't consider an open-topped sports car as a suitable place to listen to music.

HTH

 

Yes, you could describe the subs as having a "blown speaker" sound, but it only occurs in the mid-bass region. Deeper tones and notes do not cause an issue. Rather, drum hits (thumps, etc.) in that range create distortion. I think this could be called a lack of "tight bass" response.

I played around with the settings a bit during lunch today. I noticed that using Meridian instead of DTS produces a similar distortion but it's not as pronounced. That said, the Meridian setting has as a smaller soundstage, albeit less artificial. I may give keep it here for a little bit to see how it fares. Compared to DTS, it appears to sound best for me with Bass, Treble, and Sub all set in the default middle position. Again, it suggests that it's an issue with the headunit, amps, or crossovers sending the wrong frequencies or bleeding into the wrong speakers somehow.

Let's hope the TSB Kit fix mentioned by WhiteTardis in another thread will actually solve this issue.

 

Or a coupe. (says the man with a coupe, listening to his superb system at home even as I write).

That said, I wish all those with shakes, rattles, and rolls a speedy and painless (and I realize that it's been anything but for several here) resolution.

Good luck.

 

Hi RickyJay52, how are you?

There is one interesting point on all of my posts surrounding this topic that I forgot to state. As you all stated so correctly, what resolution you get is for a coupe/convertible. I did not state my scaled back expectations for a convertible, as you guys rightfully mentioned above. Not doing so, although unintentional is a key point. Seeking a resolution that is set to a standard that is to high is the "impossible dream". I'm totally happy now with the sound system, after Madison Jaguar and JLR stepped in, bringing it to excellent sound for a 380W system, which is plenty good for the cab size. Akin to the speed in the "S", I will never max out, and don't need more, and like the 380W system, I will never max out, and at 40 in open road driving top down, there is no distortion or displeasing sound coming from 99% of my songs, which beats the expectations that I had in mind for the ultimate fix.

 

Interesting thread and made me curious so here are my two songs on my list that have a rattle.

- Metallica - Enter Sandman.
- Blur - Song 2 (mentioned earlier).

 

I'm fantastic and thank you for asking. Look for PM shortly after I eat this splendid sushi lunch.

 

I'm actually going home from work today and adding the following songs to my playlist and see how they sound in the F-Type...

http://www.carsdirect.com/automotive...test-car-audio

 

Interesting.

I was going to suggest the Eagles' "Hotel California" (the "Hell Freezes Over" live version) to test for bass rattle. I figure if that booming bass drum opening doesn't do it on mine, and it doesn't, nothing else will.

Norah Jones' "Don't know why" is superb for assessing vocal clarity.

 

Out of curiosity, what Bit rate/quality are you burning your CD's at?

I've noticed hell of a difference (as can be expected) on a USB stick at different sampling rates, with the reproduction quality, but thankfully (on my 2016 vert at least) there is not a slightest hint of any issues (buzzes, vibrations et al) with the Meridian 770W system...???

 

Yes, mine is the 770W Meridian system. I honestly don't know the bit-rate, I just burn an audio CD using iTunes. But the quality of the CD is fine, all songs on the CD sound perfect using headphones, or quality home system, but not in car. I get the same rattle in car whether I play the CD or songs straight from iPhone (Bluetooth). But the dealer prefers to get a CD, so he'll get a CD

 

Fair do's...I'm merely playing Devils Advocate here, as when music is digitised and formats converted, some interesting things happen to the characteristics of the sound.

Can you 'isolate' the frequency by running a Sound Generator app from your phone into the sound system (hard wired) and seeing at what frequency the rattle occurs?

 

One word of advice, after going through this agony for months. If any slight suggestion to you that a) - Settings are off, i.e. your base is above 50, and causing the problem or b) - the bit rate or c) the medium, i.e. stick, CD, or whatever is given back to you....cut it off at the pass. As JLR executive offices agreed with me, as did the engineer finally.....a rattle is a rattle, a vibration is a vibration, and all of this is rubbish excuses for something being wrong. Continue to assertively persist on the fact that there is a solution, and if they continue to balk at this, have them contact Al at Jaguar of Morris County NJ (former Madison Jaguar). They know exactly what was done, and they did it well.

You will save a huge amount of back and forth cycles on this one following the above.

Good Luck! Can't wait to hear how things turn out. You will be happy if dynomatted right and well. Want it done while still able to tool around with it in the nice weather :-)!:ic on_speaker1:

 

Hey Joe! (A great Hendrix cut if ever there was one).

I would like to suggest that you can - and should in my opinion - still tool around even when the weather isn't nice. Just an idea.

Best regards and always enjoy reading your posts.
Jay