Any new ideas/installations of radio upgrades?

My 95 x300 just has the cd changer without the amplifier. I wouldn't mind installing a satnav unit.

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Power-Aco...New/5055269224
One guy has recommended it as nice and cost effective upgrade for older Harleys. So while i was looking for the original radio with fully working display i gave it a try.
Wireless Carplay/Android auto, BT, Radio, Front/Rear Aux, Internal GPS receiver (so no prob with location when your phone is somewhere deep) and two USB for play/update/charge. Looks pretty enough for me. I knew its integrated amp is pretty weak and will not bring proper power even to Rockford Fosgate 40W speakers I've installed before. So, I've found Clarion XC2410 amp pretty cheap on eBay. Idea was the head unit being shorter than original will let place the amp behind it and relatively low output power will not cause an amp overheat.
I've bought the 20-pin Multilok 070 male connector and made an adaptor from OEM harness to head unit and amp outputs. This allows me to rollback to OEM radio at any time (now i have one fully working and serviced but still keep it in dry clean place) should i decide. Power for amp was sent via 8GA wires from the distribution block under rear right seat.

Finally everything fits and looks pretty neat. GPS antenna went to the left corner under the windshield (it's the easiest and non-intrusive way to get its harness to unit and have a stable signal).



Bass anyway is weak. You can't have it a lot with just 6.5 regular speakers. I see an option to put slim subwoofer under the parcel shelf but still can't make myself to do a cut into it. So for now it is what it is. Probably in the future if i find the spare shelf.
Some cons are
- unit has internal microphone which is a joke so need any regular external mic usually come with aftermarket radios (like 5-10 dollars on amazon or ebay). It has a 3.5 jack on the rear for it. I also have an original Jaguar handsfree mic which I'm gonna try later and if it will work then put it on the overhead console OEM way.
- need some tunes on amp and eq to proper setup the gain level and frequency correction. Also need to set the iphone wifi connection with unit to full speed otherwise the audio quality will be low due to strong compression.
- volume control with small buttons needs to get used to as far as the small screen (but it has enough resolution to catch the information)
- main USB input (for music and updates) is rear and needs an extension to take it somewhere outside to have an access (i've put it into glovebox). Front is charging only.

 

gotta be carful with any upgrades to android based units.
generally audio quality is very sub par.
and even when using the RCA outputs to an external amp it is still lackluster as they have very low voltage.
i purchased a joying system that had optical out to get around this shortcoming.
was a bunch of work to install as i moved the cloc unit out so had to rewire the hazard buttons and such elsewhere.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...adunit-261554/

 

Just recently upgrade to a newer unit.
android 12
slimmer screen.
better resolution.

also connected it up to a high quality JL Audio amp, speakers and sub.

 

this one has 4V outputs so i didn't see any lack there. Anyway i wasn't planning a competition grade as i'm looking to keep the car as close to stock as possible.

 

Thats really good if they do.
did you actually test the ports tho?
i have heard that some that claim to have high voltage do not.

if they do then that is a really good seamless easy to install upgrade

 

My goal was an OEM+ approach to keep the original look but adding bluetooth integration so I can use my phone for music streaming, phone calls, and navigation. I had the radio repaired by a local electronics shop in California where I live but there's a guy in the UK who advertises repairing Jaguar radios on ebay for UK customers. I added the bluetooth and hands free phone adaptor from Discount Car Stereo (links below) which plugs into CD port on the back of the radio. The box fits tucked in behind the radio. I ran the hands free microphone up the A pillar attached just forward of the sun visor (no interference). I replaced all four speakers with Kicker brand two way speakers which were direct bolt in replacements. I'm thrilled with the sound, the functionality and the looks and felt it was a minimal investment in cost and time. Hope this helps! (I have no affiliation with the brands, just sharing my experience)

BT Adaptor for cars without factory CD changer (note, showing out of stock): https://www.discountcarstereo.com/bt3-jag97.html
BT Adaptor for cars with factory CD changer: https://www.discountcarstereo.com/bth-jag97cd.html

 

With 1 KHz sine and 70% volume i've seen pretty smooth waveform (at least how my entry level oscilloscope shown it) and voltage was around 2V as i remember. Gain settings on the amp were set pretty low to have 14V at the speakers which gives 50W at 4 Ohms. So i can't say preouts are weak.

 

It didn't work for me with the box connecting instead of changer at any of three 9500 radios i have. I've got "no connt" message on all of them. We've discussed it with Jay and he said they finally reach some engineer who said there were handshake protocol update on later 9500 units so the box won't work. Mine 95 is one of the latest (it has a glovebox and made at June 95) and most likely its original audio (and two other i have found) is of those which work only with newer Jaguar branded changers. I've sent them one of my radios for tests and they have some results so there will be a solution soon.

P. S. The UK guy BTW does repairs not only for UK customers. That radio i've finally found with the fully working display i've sent for service to him (if we are talking about Daniel from eBay) and he did the encoder replacement (as far as some other regular things known to fail) plus the tape player maintenance. So i have fully working stock unit but still haven't put it back.

 

I experience the same "NO CONNECT" but leaned the radios/cd changer protocol had changed. Anything prior to 1995 has no issue, but later years radios (such as the 9500, 9600) do not work. As you stated, the folks at discount stereo seem aware of this and are "re-designing" so to work on pre and post 1995. It's been a few weeks since Jay indicated their engineers were able to get the radios to recognize the adapter (no more "no connt"); but are still working on making the seek button work to change tracks and answer calls.

 

You will definitely need to upgrade the speakers, at least to two-way units with tweeters.....
Stock are 6.25" and no longer available, 6.5" units can be made to fit with some jiggery pokery
Sub in the rear parcel shelf.

 

There are some 6.5 available which fit directly to stock 3-hole pattern

 

All the 6.5 speakers l have seen (Alpine, etc.) are four hole mounting 🙄

 

i used 6" and they fit perfect. just drill some new holes to line up is all.

 

Here’s what I settled on.

 

very elegant looking solution.
much more simple and oem looking than mine.