I know some people in this forum have done more extensive upgrades, but I've been really happy with the results of my install. Replace the factory door component speakers and center dash speakers with the higher end Jag/Land rover ones listed in this thread. Modify the rear brackets for aftermarket shallow subwoofers and pair with an lc2i and class D amplifier. Keep the mids in the rear bracket. The whole install costs about $1,100.00 and a Saturday. As a bonus it still looks completely factory and you won't lose any trunk space.

 

I know some people in this forum have done more extensive upgrades, but I've been really happy with the results of my install. Replace the factory door component speakers and center dash speakers with the higher end Jag/Land rover ones listed in this thread. Modify the rear brackets for aftermarket shallow subwoofers and pair with an lc2i and class D amplifier. Keep the mids in the rear bracket. The whole install costs about $1,100.00 and a Saturday. As a bonus it still looks completely factory and you won't lose any trunk space.

 

I undoubtedly need “adult supervision” for me to install the speakers myself because I’d undoubtedly botch the installation otherwise. Your photos were enough to convince me that I can’t do the job on my own.

How much would professional installation cost?

P.S. Congratulations on the Bills’ win over the Colts. I guess we can all start taking Josh Allen seriously. 😉

 

You can certainly do most of this stuff yourself. You can watch YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4F...TtkJxzRXJY21lQ and read DIYMA https://www.diymobileaudio.com/forums/
But as an amateur, you don't know what you don't know. A 2019 Jag may not be the place to start.

While there are plenty of car stereo shops, you may not want most of them to touch your Jag. And the ones that are legit, aren't going to be cheap.
You want someone who will not damage paint and leather and trim panels. You want someone who will help you define your goals and then do a proper install.
You want to find someone like these guys: https://apicellaautosound.com/ https://musicarnw.com/

 

Thanks for your input.

I purchased the car through a friend in the car business. He has a dealer’s license, and he handles collectable and luxury vehicles. We’ve been working together for many, many years, and he recommended two car audio specialists that he trusts with his customers’ vehicles.

 

what do the audio experts think about moving the oem bass drivers from the mounting bracket and into their own enclosure in the boot. Is 1cuft enclosure the right size and if you mount both drivers into the same enclosure do you just double the volume ?
It would be a cheap hack as only need to extend the wiring and obviously retain using original amp without need to line in converter and new amp
Do able ? Or waste of time ? Obviously not as good as changing to high quality components but should be better than current state and should get rid of rear trim vibration is what I am thinking and should only cost under $50 to do

 

I wouldn't bother trying to use the stock subs. They aren't very good quality and we know nothing about the TS parameters so have no idea what an appropriate enclosure would be. We do know that they are dual 2ohm voice coils for each so what I would suggest along your line of thinking is to pick up a pair of decent 8" subs with dual 2ohm coils and put them in an appropriate small sealed enclosure running off the existing system amp's 4 sub channels. Something like Image Dynamics ID8 D2 V.4 is a good option for small sealed enclosure and modest power. I guarantee they are way better than the stock subs and at $90 each it's not going to break the bank. Building a simple sealed enclosure should be less than $50 in materials.

And if you decide to take the next step with a new amplifier you should consider the Audio Control ACM-1.300. It's essentially a LC2i and a 300w mono class D amp in a very small package. You can run one or two subs depending on the configuration. A single 10" uses about the same space as a par of 8s. I just ordered one of these processor/amps and plan on a 10" ID D2 V.4.

 

My first choice would be to somehow retain subs in the existing locations. Just not the existing drivers. I'm a big fan of sitting on subs.



When I get a chance, I'm going to disassemble the rear and see if I can dampen the plastic bits and modify the bracket and panels to accept AudioFrog GS8D2's.
I do agree with the above ACM and custom enclosure as being a viable alternative. I have never been a fan of ID subs. I believe the Kicker L7T's would allow a smaller enclosure and (once broken in) would kick some butt.
If you were to do a preloaded box, there's dozens of choices from Kicker, Alpine, Focal and JL Audio that would sound better than the busy bees that live in the back. Comes down to what fits and looks good.

 

great, thanks for the advice.

 

Using the stock location will take a lot of work to do well, although you obviously get the benefit of not using any space in the back. You'll need to create a suitable enclosure that is sufficiently dense and dampened for a good sub and not sure what volume you can realistically manage. Those Audio Frogs need a minimum of .25cubes each. At $600 for a pair you'd be relying on an excellent install to even get close to realizing their potential. It's certainly not impossible but if all you are doing is swapping the rest of the system drivers with the better OEM versions then I'd say going high end for the subs is a waste. One thing they do have going for them is the freq response extension into midbass-midrange. SInce we don't know what the crossover points and slopes are for the factory sub channels it would be good to have a driver that doesn't roll of too steep on the top end. You'll still have the issue of that big plastic panel buzzing. You should absolutely get a couple layers of sound deadening on it but with a decent sub in a proper enclosure directly behind it I doubt you'll be able to eliminate all of the resonance.

The L7T needs the same size enclosure as the IDs - no significant space saving there.

 

Serious question: I’ve now had my MY2019 F-Type R for a few days, and the Meridian surround sound system seems to be great, especially when I modify the fader settings. It sounds much, much better than the sound system in my girlfriends MY2018 BMW 330i (neither of us recalls whether she has an upgraded Harmon Kardon system). The subwoofer sounds terrific and the overall sound is quite immersive.

How much would it cost for me to substantially upgrade the quality of this OEM system, assuming professional installation? I need to figure out whether it’s really worth spending the money on something greater than marginal improvements to the sound quality.

 

If you're satisfied with what you got, don't mess with it. Spend your money on performance upgrades.

 

This is the very definition of diminishing marginal returns. It’s going to cost a bunch. Might want to try the program the OP is suggesting first.

But I feel it’s a go big or go home situation.
What the existing system is missing is dynamics, details and time alignment.
To get these things you’ll need a DSP. I’m probably going with an AudioControl DM-810. $700 retail.
A DSP gets you time alignment plus crossovers and EQ.
I’ll need a four channel amp to run the tweets and mids. I plan to reuse the PDX-F4 from my Volvo. Comparable is LC-4.800 $550.
I’ll need another four channel amp, bridged to power the bass drivers in the doors. Ditto PDX-F4. LC-4.800 $550.
I’ll need a sub amp to power the subs. Reuse PDX-M12. Comparable LC-1.1500. $770.
New amps provide the dynamic range.
Then there’s the new drivers.
I’ll reuse the GB10’s, GB25’s (I think), and the GB60’s. Those are $350, $450 and $900 a pair.
Then subs. I plan to try and use GS8D2’s because as I said before, they fit, they’re 2 Ohm DVC and can be installed IB. $600 a pair.
Drivers like AudioFrog, Dynaudio and Scan-Speak can handle the power and provide much more detail.
I would guesstimate professional install with new 1/0 gauge OFC, fuse and ground blocks, 4 gauge OFC, and labor at $2500-$3500.

So $7,500. If I was paying retail and not doing it myself.

 

Thanks., That’s way more than I want to spend. Frankly, I’d rather spend that money on an upgraded home audio system about which I’d be more discerning. I’m still taking my car to an audio pro for an evaluation.

 

It's very perplexing how some people find the Meridian system to be quite good and others, myself included, think it's poor. I think it probably has a lot to do with your past experience. Have you ever heard an aftermarket audio system in a car? Even a very modest system can sound significantly better than most anything that comes stock. The installation and tuning are a major factor here - sound deadening, imaging, etc.

Anyway, if you like what you have then I'd say just stick with it. But you could easily improve it for $2,500 and then the sky is the limit from there. You could go all out with lots of custom install work but a couple amps a decent 3-way set and a single 8 or 10" sub will outshone the stock system, particularly if you take the time to do the install well. If you aren't handy and need to have the work done professionally then that's where the cost will start to climb.

 

In my city, I mostly associate major aftermarket systems with huge subwoofers and massive mid ranges crammed into customized cars (e.g. ‘64 Impalas) rather than performances or luxury vehicles!

 

Also, pounding from those massive sub-woofers would probably loosen the chassis adhesives leaving, one day, the fore and aft sections of the car heading into diverging directions while navingating through a high speed turn.

 

I went to a high-end car audio shop that a friend in the business recommended to me. The guy I spoke with told me that a substantive upgrade would cost me at least $8,000 and a first class upgrade using top-of-the-line Focal speakers would cost over $10,000. He also said that the OEM Meridian system was OK and no worse than OEM systems from B&O, Harmon Kardon, Bose and Burmester.

Given the substantive costs of a more-than-marginal upgrade, I’ve decided to stick with the OEM sound system.

 

My


My old daily diver, Audi had a Bang and Olufeson system and was a pretty amazing system. I had heard that if it was cleaned up a bit by a shop it made the world of difference. The local shop wanted $5k to simply tighten up the OEM system and add a subwoofer. I stuck with it stock as it was good enough for me. If it was around $2k maybe but $5k it wasn't worth it. I am a bit underwhelmed by the 770 watt Meridian system in the F Types but honestly for me it sounds pretty decent and most of the time I prefer to listen to the motor. I think I will dump a few grand into a tune, pulley and intake and leave the car alone.

 

Keep in mind they aren't going to offer up an economical solution. Though, think of it like the JLR dealer charging $450 for an oil change. If you know better then you realize it's about $125 for oil+filter and 30min of time. I have no idea what their definition of "substantive" is but $8-10k should get you an absolutely fantastic system. The relatively simple DIY upgrade option is maybe $1500 and will absolutely be a worthwhile upgrade. Even if you don't feel comfortable doing the work yourself, it's very basic for an experienced shop to easily knock out in a day. So ask yourself what a decent hourly labor rate is and use that as your reality check.