Hi guys, new to the forum. I'm thinking about ordering an F-Type R but wanted to check a few things before.

I've read that the sound system is crap (both 350W and 770W). I'm assuming this goes for both the convertible and the coupe. If so I see no reason to pay for the "upgraded" system. I think I would replace all the speakers with some other brand. Any comments or suggestions?

I'm also thinking about suedecloth interior but I'm not sure about the steering wheel. Anyone has such a wheel and care to give some input on feel and comfort? Also I've seen a few videos with the paddle shifters in aluminium which I think looks much better. Is that a special option? Can't find anything about that on Jaguar's Web page.

 

Doesn't the R already come with the upgraded sound system standard?

I have suedecloth interior on my current car. I really like it. Never had it on the steering wheel but I understand it is quite comfortable and adds a bit of exoticness.

 

Jaguar won't say what the speaker sizes are, but they say they use active crossovers, which might make speaker replacement problematic. I have some high-end speakers (with crossovers) I took out of my last car, but I'm wary of the wiring if there are crossovers hidden somewhere.


I have the base Meridian - bass distorts badly at the default level. Isn't too bad once you turn the bass down.

 

I have the upgraded system and it's one of the short comings of the car - albeit not a complete downer. To get it loud enough when traveling with the top down, the bass has to be much lower I'm used to have it set at - otherwise it gives a lot of feedback/vibrations.

 

The XK had a Bowers and Wilken's sound system and everyone who did an official review of the car literally said it was the best system they ever heard.... ARE THEY NUTS!?!? There is a thread on the XK current forums about the B&W system... its OK for certain types of music (dance and electronic) and for HD radio stations...about it. The bose system radio with clarion speakers in my 2009 nissan maxima is MUCH BETTER!!! LOL!!!

Loth

 

Granted it isn't quite as good as the beast of a sound system in my XK-R but I have about $5K in that puppy. I went the 770 route and I'm actually very happy. Maybe I got lucky?

 

I agree; not a sensational system, but pretty darn good when set up properly. Then again, I'm no audiophile.

 

I hate the system and keep secretly hoping someone finds a fault in the way it was assembled and that after a simple fix it sounds ten times better...

...because right now it sounds like crap.

 

I'd really be interested in tips on how to set it up properly from anyone who's happy.

 

Im happy with mine. I have the 770, and had to turn the sub and bass down below mid point. I still get the thump in the seat, and vibrating body but no distortion. Not sure why the bass and sub are both so high by default.

 

Next time there is an F meetup. Someone needs to bring an SPL meter and test each car and compare. Unless some of you have never experienced good quality sound before and think the stock system as I hear it is legit, there is something wrong. Distortion. Rattling. Crackling. All common in my car (Have the 770 as well). There are one or two songs that actually sound good, but that's it. I have a wide selection of music taste, so it's not like Im stuck on one genre.

 

I might be going deaf but the base sound system on my V8S is very nice (with top up). Top down, I hit dynamic mode and drive fast and exhaust sound takes over the sound system.

 

Sound like there must be a very common problem, or the good sounding systems are rare. The only problem I've got is buzzing on talk radio when the vol is around 35 (top down). This is after choosing the dts or Meridian surround, taking the sub down 10% (its at about 45% ), and the bass just below center. Treble is 70% and mid around 60%.

I wonder if there is a problem with the speaker mounts in the doors?

Music sounds great, clear distinction between the frequencies, great clarity at high and low volume. Beats the bejeezus oyt of the system in my old slk, but not quite as good as the lexicon in my other car. That one is hard to beat though... 900w, 19 speakers...

 

I have mine set to the DTS surround option, with bass, treble, and subwoofer levels all slightly greater than default. Balance/fade to taste (slightly right/front bias.)

I think sound quality is also very dependent on source. For me, that's primarily an iPod with about 75% of the tracks having been purchased off iTunes. One thing I've noticed is that the equalization setting on my iPod greatly effects the sound coming out. Mine is set to "Pop," which I have found is the best compromise (to my taste) of my somewhat eclectic collection of songs

Again, I'm no audiophile and it's been a good twenty years since I messed around with aftermarket equipment, but here are some recent frames of reference to which I compare the Jag's 770 watt Meridian system (all of these were the optional upgraded sound systems):

Bang & Olufsen in my old Audi S5 and A7: Outstanding clarity
Hartman Kardon in my Range Rover: uninspiring across the entire frequency range
Bose in my Ferrari 599: Crap. When ordered with the Bose system, the head unit locks out bass/treble and all equalization controls. A high end audio installer figured out how to bypass that stupidity which improved things somewhat, but overall not very good.
Bose in Ferrari 430: Junk, although when I replaced the stock Becker head unit with an Alpine pop-out nav one it improved things a little.
Alpine in two different Aston Martins: awful at factory defaults but once I got advice on proper settings, not bad.

I set up the sound system every time I get a car by playing the live version of Talking Heads' Once in a Lifetime (the one from Stop Making Sense.) In any event, an old friend owns MB Quart, so presuming his ownership of that company implies at least a basic understanding of car audio I'll seek out his opinion.