Hey Guys,

I have 2011 XF. I recently put my vehicle in for service and they were kind enough to give me a 2013 XF loaner. I was amazed with the HD Radio and was wondering if there's anything I can do to upgrade my system to have HD Radio.

Thanks

 

I believe it's all part of the software. Just ask them if it's possible to load the new software into your car for a fee.

 

Is this something that they have to do, or can i get a disc that would update it?

Thanks

 

Since HD radio is digital vs the analog signal of standard radio transmissions, it is unlikely that the head unit you have is capable of being modified. There also may be antenna issues to consider. However, I could be wrong, LOL. There are aftermarket digital radio receivers that could be used and then plug into your AUX input, but I know that's not what you're looking for.

 

In model year 2011 the standard system has 320 watts, satellite radio, single disk CD, and input jacks. The only option in this regard is the Bowers and Wilkins system for an extra $2200 which adds a 14 driver 7.1 channel Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound with 440 watts and 6 disc CD in dash changer, HD radio, Ipod connector, etc. The B & W system has a much more natural and accurate sound along with all its "bells and whistles." The XF is the first automobile anywhere to have the cabin interior designed and fine tuned for acoustic performance around the sound system. This was done by B & W engineers working with the Jaguar design team. It is not possible to upgrade from one system to the other once the car is built.

 

I didn't think the 09-11 had the option for HD radio. I have B&W sound and I do not have an option for HD radio. Was that added later?

 

Good info on the systems available, and while I agree that it is highly impractical, it is possible to swap out the standard for the B&W system - just takes a lot of money! Also, while Jaguar may be the first car to be designed with the B&W capabilities in mind, it is far from the first vehicle that has been measured and optimized - Jaguar was pretty late to this party, but arrived very fashionably with B&W.

 

While for 30 years beginning with the Delco/Bose system in the early '80's Corvette many cars have been available with electronics custom equalized for optimum performance in a certain car's interior, Jaguar claims that the XF is the first car with the speakers specified first and then the car interior designed around that. B & W engineers dictated speaker placement throughout the interior, especially the doors, then specified shapes and materials of the entire interior in order to maximize acoustic performance. The new XJ was similarly designed. The XK was not, and its B & W system is clearly inferior in sound.

I can't say what comes with the B & W system in '09 models, but my '11 has HD radio. This is not a separate setting as with satellite radio, it is within the normal AM and FM bands. Any station in those bands broadcasting in HD (about a quarter of them in my area, mostly FM) will show HD on the screen, and most of these stations will broadcast a second and sometimes third HD channel on the same frequency. These additional channels usually have no advertising.

 

I have absolutely no doubt of what you say Jaguar was claiming - but it's hyperbole. Here's a snippet from an article describing what Harman/Mark Levinson did with the current Lexus LS, beginning with discussions back in 2002:

Lexus and Mark Levinson: An Alliance in Audio Excellence

Early in the development of the all-new Lexus LS 460, the luxury sedan's executive chief engineer, Takeshi Yoshida, met with Mark Levinson's Phil Muzio in Japan. In preparation for this key meeting, Muzio and his team had prepared volumes of research for Yoshida-san and his staff of engineers.

Muzio knew that the launch of the next-generation LS, the brand's flagship luxury sedan, would be Lexus' most important launch since its birth in 1989. The reinvented LS was a vehicle that would require the most advanced car audio system for any sedan on the market. The 450-watt surround-sound system Mark Levinson was proposing included 19 speakers, a figure that caused Yoshida-san to hesitate, knowing the additional challenges it would present when shaping the sedan's interior – down to the last detail. Nineteen speakers was unprecedented, and an unlikely number to accommodate. Even this, the largest of Lexus sedans, simply did not have the necessary space. Muzio, however, was intent on introducing a new level of automotive audio to go hand in hand with the LS 460.

This significant meeting, which took place in 2002 – four years prior to the LS 460's launch – typifies the strategic partnership Lexus and Mark Levinson have forged since the beginning of their relationship. It was, and continues to be, a partnership that moved both companies to push boundaries in search of the definitive automotive-acoustic experience.
"There are specific Mark Levinson product launches that represent a level of technical and artistic achievement of which I am most proud. The debut of Mark Levinson® Reference Surround, designed for the exciting, all-new Lexus LS 460, ranks high among that elite group,” said Phil Muzio, director of acoustic systems for Mark Levinson. "Few words are required to communicate the excellence of these products, as the emotions that they convey when listening to our favorite music and movies say it all."

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Anyway, the B&W effort was really well done, and I'm sure Meridian is doing a nice job currently.