Hey guys,

I am aware from reading on this site and others that, on the general, there seems to be some consensus around the idea that the Meridian sound system in the F-type is less than stellar. I reviewed some of the past threads today, and the kind of summary statement I take from a lot of it is that the Meridian base system is not great and the upgraded factory "surround sound" version of it may be marginally better? Would this still be a fair characterization of the state affairs?

If the upgraded system is available for MY 2024 (which I'm not totally sure of yet) I'm considering ticking the audio upgrade box if I do end up proceeding with an order. I figure given that I have zero interest in doing anything aftermarket that this could be a reasonable decision.

I know the importance of this issue will vary person to person greatly, both in terms of audio quality perception and how much folks actually care about audio quality issues. That said, anyone care to offer their current thoughts on this "issue"?

I kind of gathered that perhaps some software updates over the years somewhat addressed some of the general concerns? That is the impression I was left with.

Cheers

 

I have the 380W Meridian system and find it perfectly adequate on the rare occasions I use it. The F-Type cabin is no concert hall!

 

lol, I suppose eh? True dat. Not a lot of room for violins in there

 

I think it depends on the kind of music you listen to, how loud you have it, and the source. I also have the 380W Meridian, using Spotify, and usually cranked up more than my wife would like, listening to big beat techno and various derivatives (eg Thomas Vent, Rakoon, Township Rebellion). I find it pretty good played louder (half volume and over), rubbish played soft, as in if it isnt loudish, you are better to turn it off and listen to the engine instead, or wear earbuds and get the noise inside your head without distraction.

 

I love having a good system in a car and been that way since the 80's. I will say I am disappointed in the 770w system in the F Types. I have a knock around Montero that I just changed the head unit and the speakers are stock and blow away the F Type. That being said, I would love to upgrade the Jag but either I am getting older and don't want to spend the stupid money to clean up the sound or I am getting older and realizing it is "good enough" for what it is. Maybe it is a mixture of the two.

 

I have the 770 watt Meridian system and I have never understood the complaints - but my system has absolutely zero vibration issues and excellent sound. The choices for stereo and the surround sound options make the system very flexible (and there is a considerable difference between these choices, depending on the music played).

The constraints of the cabin size and configuration (and thus speaker placement) may factor into the complaints, but I find this upgraded system far more than adequate. And then we have the fact that the best sound comes from the exhaust pipes☺️

 

Same in my coupe.
Agree 100%.

 

I find the Meridian system is adequate, but I can't turn the bass up at all - it just distorts and gets boomy. The subwoofer is obviously a bit poor.

 

I've reached that time in my life where there actually is such a thing as too much bass. I feel like Tom Cruise's dad in Risky Business. I have had to dial it right back in the Mustang which has a very bassy system, the rear view mirror is virtually useless from the vibration.

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/f5aa748...c-513bb8c01990

 

The trouble with real bass is that the notes need a lot of space to "breathe". And the F-Type is rather short of space.

 

The 380W system in my convertible is marginal - with a good quality source, it’s OK. SiriusXM was lousy, so I cancelled that. I upgraded to better OEM speakers, which made a slight improvement.

 

I think DJS is correct in that the sound quality is partly related to the sound quality of the source.
Nobody has a CD player to hear better quality input.
However, for the infrequent times I actually listen to music, the 380W system seems adequate.
While i have no way to compare, I suspect the upgraded system would not sound much better in the convertible.
I agree with SCM that the F-Type is no concert hall, and once you replace the rigid roof with a convertible top that becomes even more true.
Then there is the tire noise and that great exhaust sound!!

 

It was unimpressive from the start. It gets loud enough to drown out my singing. Bee Gees, Chris Montez, Dio, Tony Bennett, etc, I sing it all!

I noticed last night that Rhea Perlman is looking a lot like Dio lately

 

Awhile ago, I visited a local shop specializing in high fidelity sound systems. The owner kindly indulged my curiosity with a demonstration of Vivaldi using their soundproof speaker-selectable hall. Mistake or epiphany, I came away with the realization that you're flat out just not going to get the highest quality music inside a car using any sound system... even if the recording quality is topnotch. And IMHO, digital recordings or broadcasts don't meet that standard.

That being said, I'm more than satisfied with Meridian Surround Sound in my F-type. And if I can't find the right tune (broadcast or on my 64G USB stick), I can easily shut off the system and concentrate on the wonderful sound produced just by driving.

Also, bear in mind that the vehicle software upgrades have addressed a lot of different issues, not just the sound system. Plus, the platform on which the F-Type is built is considered to be fully stable. With the newer platforms focused on EV's, I seriously doubt that we'll see any more updates to Meridian sound.

FWIW, JLR announced last year that they've partnered with NVIDIA for future vehicle controls (i.e. InControl replacement). My guess is that it's a pretty good bet that post-2024 Jaguars will have a NVIDIA sound system.

 

I paid for the upgraded Meridian Surround option in my 2021 F Type. I mostly listen to SiriusXM radio which isn't that great of a source. But I also have a couple of USB sticks loaded with my favorite albums and songs that were burned from CD's using the FLAC method which is supposed to be the closest thing to the original CD as possible. The system sound quality is OK. Not impressive but not bad. I suspect that the standard 380W system wouldn't be very good.

I have found though that most of the time I leave it in Stereo mode and don't use the various surround settings. I think for those to be effective the source needs to be mixed for optimum effect in a surround mode.
I don't know of or have any music that was recorded in Dolby Pro Logic for example nor the DTS Neo 6. Sitting in the car while parked and changing the surround settings does strange things with the vocals localization that I don't care for so once I got the balance and EQ settings where I wanted them I just left the settings alone.

 

I would go with the base system and have an audio shop do an upgrade with the money saved. 780W meridian system in my F-Type sux ***** compared to a stock system in my F-150.

 

I must concur with the other pragmatists here and say I find the sound (770 W Meridian) acceptable... in my case with noise-induced hearing loss and constant tinnitus that means I can hear it, and comprehend voice. When driving, any music tends to fade into the background anyway, as I am much more concerned with dodging myopic grannies, race-me ricers, and lane-blind cellphone addicts than discerning the fine points of a Puccini aria. That pastime is better enjoyed in a chauffeured Roller.

 

I'm one of the complainers that the 770 system just falls flat. My old 2008 Audi S5 had one of the most impressive system on any car I have even owned. The B&O system was sublime. The rental car I had last week had a much better sounding stereo than my 770 system and it was a base RAV4 rental car. I'm also been in other cars with tight spaces and they sounded much, much, much better (AMG GT, Corvette, Aston Martin Vantage, 458, R8, etc.). I deal with it by taking the bass down and moving the bias forward. At some point, I'll go through the effort of upgrading the system somehow. Now and then I enjoy putting on Dire Straights and feeling the music.

As for sources sounding better, Satellite radio is the worst, by far. The sound quality is awful. Normal radio is better, streaming and CDs better, but still not great.

 

This has been my experience as well. Turned well up the system is decent, not so great at more moderate volumes. For me opening the windows lets the system breathe a bit and helps to minimize some of the sound defects that I believe are due to the packaging constraints of the F-Type. I have the upgrade to 770 watts in my R, my father has the base system in his 400.
All but 2 of the speakers are the same between them, and I find there isn't much between them in sound quality, but the 770 system has a slightly nicer sound stage with the 2 speakers in the dash.
I am glad I have it, but wouldn't necessarily miss it too much if I did not.

 

I have the 380W system and it's at least as good at the 550W B&O system in my previous 2010 XKR.