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It could the the amp or even the head unit, but it's most likely the electronics. I'd get rid of both, I have on two different Jags and LOVED the results. The old audio components were not very good; neither were the speakers. I put in all new components and upgraded every speaker and the sound is amazing.
Here's a few pics. Since the sub boxes were poorly designed and undersized, I fabricated my own to fit the spaces behind the panel (this is why the odd shape) and they sound great. New tweeters front and rear, mids in the dash, and new woofers in the doors. On the rear speaker grills, I made new ones out of 1/4" MDF and covered in speaker fabric. For the fascia, check out this thread: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...lution-248648/
Hi Ed K,
How did you determine the rears were no good? I'm asking because mine only had terrible, muddy non musical sounds coming from both. I took them both out and they looked new. I hooked them to my home stereo and they played fine.
I hooked them back to the car, same muddy non musical noise. Is it fair to assume it's the amplifier rear channel? Should go ahead and replace the amp? Is there another test?
thank you
Mark
Note this is a very old thread and Ed K first posted on this 11 years ago and last posted 4 years ago. However, there are several different configurations here, not the same across model year. I believe the model years you are interested in are 2000-2002 at least.
Bob (motorcarman) already posted this explanation, but again, see attached. I quote "The concern is, if the fader is set to full rear the midrange sound is lost. This is not a fault with the system but, rather, a design change from previous model years, please refer to the explanation below. The Alpine System used in the convertible is designed to create a precise reproduction in front of the driver by utilizing the 6 front speakers. This system sets what is known as a sound stage which creates a reproduction of a concert stage in front of the driver. This is then supported with the two rear speakers which now function as sub-woofers to create a warm ambiance to support the music being played. Therefore a customer should not adjust the fader to the rear only..."
So, the video/audio I posted in the other thread, the explanation in this TSB, and the sound coming from your speakers appear to be consistent with the stated design (it's a subwoofer only, you will not hear anything like midrange in it). And, note, this behavior is new for the 2000 MY.
It could the the amp or even the head unit, but it's most likely the electronics. I'd get rid of both, I have on two different Jags and LOVED the results. The old audio components were not very good; neither were the speakers. I put in all new components and upgraded every speaker and the sound is amazing.
Not to beat a dead horse (okay, I'm beating a dead horse), but the systems in the 1997/1998 and 2001 are different. The very low frequency response is by design, so the third option is 3) nothing is broken...
Not to beat a dead horse (okay, I'm beating a dead horse), but the systems in the 1997/1998 and 2001 are different. The very low frequency response is by design, so the third option is 3) nothing is broken...
I took an audio video sound but this forum would not accept the mp3 file. As I fade to back with both speakers back in, all I hear is distorted dead thumping if there is a lot of base. What I hear is not music just distorted vibrating thump. The vibrating may be because everything is torn out.
I took an audio video sound but this forum would not accept the mp3 file. As I fade to back with both speakers back in, all I hear is distorted dead thumping if there is a lot of base. What I hear is not music just distorted vibrating thump. The vibrating may be because everything is torn out.
If you tell me an example song you are using to test (I used one version of Walter Trout's Not Fade Away to emphasize the bass, and to make a small joke), I can filter it to what the rear speakers should sound like and send back to you to see if you are hearing what you should by design (some dependence on what you play it back on). What you are describing appears to be lowpassed ~20-100 Hz sound, as it should. But perhaps that is not what you are hearing.
If you tell me an example song you are using to test (I used one version of Walter Trout's Not Fade Away to emphasize the bass, and to make a small joke), I can filter it to what the rear speakers should sound like and send back to you to see if you are hearing what you should by design (some dependence on what you play it back on). What you are describing appears to be lowpassed ~20-100 Hz sound, as it should. But perhaps that is not what you are hearing.
Assume this is "Cheap Sunglasses"? If so, this is something like what it should sound like from your rear speakers at full rear fade.
I've loaded it 4 times and it will not play. It does not open anything to play. I bought new speakers, hooked them up and they sound exactly the same as the old ones, which is occasional thump of non musical mush.
It should open up windows media player on the PC or itunes on the Mac. You can also copy it to your drive, use windows media player or itunes to open it. You need to turn up the volume all the way, midrange is completely eliminated.
To all who have contributed to this thread.. Look what I just found for the 2001 convertible: IT talks about fade disable on the 2001 convertible XK8. I sent it as an attachment.
What do you all think about this?
Maybe that is why the rear speakers don't work? In the 2001 XK8? I'll check out the procedure to turn it on later after dinner.
Thanks
Mark
After some searching I found a subwoofer to replace the blown rear units without breaking the bank or the need for major surgery to get them to fit. The replacement speakers are the Kicker 10 CVT65, 4-Ohm, CompVT Subwoofer. Nice sound.
The mounting holes match and the required depth is less tham the original equipment. Retail they would have been $100 a piece. On the Internet, I found them for $66 each.
Another alternative, the JL Audio 6w3v3 would have been about $120 over the net and may have needed modification to interior of the subwoofer boxes to accomodate their mounting depth.
Installation on the Kickers only required removal of the speaker grills and then trimming of the plastic rim that surrounded the original speakers. Dremel makes a neat attachment to cut or form things like plastic (cost $16.00). The removal, modification and installation took maybe 40 minutes or so. FYI, the solid black wire is the positive & black with white stripe is negative.
Not the audio system sounds better than the day I drove her home the first time.
Later
Ed K
Hi Ed, when I first read your post I had just started trying to find out what's wrong with my rears in my 2001 XK8. I have read a blinding amount of comments, some on this side, some on another side...some seeming to be conflicting, some not year specific but there are differences. I have since found along the years Jaguar made changes to the systems and those to the 2001 convertible are important to understand. One, I found a 2 page audio supplement that describes the front rear fader is disabled by the factory due to system changes and they suggest it stay disabled although you can enable it. Two, I understand the rear speakers in my car are indeed not really sub woofers although in some other XK8 years or non convertibles, there was 1 sub woofer which would be a normal set up, I am familiar with. Three, the system Alpine and Amplifier remained the same in 2001 XK8 convertible, but the 1 sub, does not exist (with the same system) but in this model they installed 2 rear speakers with no rear tweeters.
I can assure you having torn the back apart and removed my 2 rear speakers they are original install 2 ohm woofers, installed in sub woofer type boxes. Four, I understand the system amplifier, is designed to send subwoofer only signals to these woofers, as it was designed to send to the actual sub woofer. Of itself that sounds like a problem and it seems like this is the reason the factory disabled the fade switch, instead of changing the system/amplifier to accommodate the elimination of the real Sub.
Are all these things I've said about my understanding of the total system in my 2001 XK8 convertible, correct?
Depending on your answer, I'll go forward. My assumption is I have a mucky muddy dull non musical thud coming from my rear speakers on occasion, potentially because my fade had been enabled against factory warnings, and something happened to ruin or overdrive the raw sub woofer frequency out ports on the amplifier going into standard woofers, that play fine, outside my vehicle.
To all who have contributed to this thread.. Look what I just found for the 2001 convertible: IT talks about fade disable on the 2001 convertible XK8. I sent it as an attachment.
What do you all think about this?
Maybe that is why the rear speakers don't work? In the 2001 XK8? I'll check out the procedure to turn it on later after dinner.
Thanks
Mark
To be as clear as possible in case others read this later, fade disable just centers fade (i.e. fade is set to zero). This is the same as setting fade to zero with fade enabled. The speakers work the same with fade set to zero and fade disabled.
The manual makes clear if you use the fade, and switch it all the way to the rear, all you will hear is the low rumbling like you are hearing.
To be as clear as possible in case others read this later, fade disable just centers fade (i.e. fade is set to zero). This is the same as setting fade to zero with fade enabled. The speakers work the same with fade set to zero and fade disabled.
The manual makes clear if you use the fade, and switch it all the way to the rear, all you will hear is the low rumbling like you are hearing.
No manual. But the sound is the same from back speakers at center. Non musical, horribly muddy rumble or vibrating sound. Could not have been designed this way. It detracts from front sound. Better off disconnected.
No manual. But the sound is the same from back speakers at center. Non musical, horribly muddy rumble or vibrating sound. Could not have been designed this way. It detracts from front sound. Better off disconnected.
To be clear again, you posted a copy of a page from the Audio Handbook, which is a kind of manual for the car that describes how the audio system works.
To be clear again, you posted a copy of a page from the Audio Handbook, which is a kind of manual for the car that describes how the audio system works.
that's a 1 page supplement which is the only audio I could find for 2001 XK8 in the listings for manuals on this site. Thsts all I have.
After some searching I found a subwoofer to replace the blown rear units without breaking the bank or the need for major surgery to get them to fit. The replacement speakers are the Kicker 10 CVT65, 4-Ohm, CompVT Subwoofer. Nice sound.
The mounting holes match and the required depth is less tham the original equipment.
Later
Ed K
Ed, you used the original amp that came with the car? I've been told the specs aren't good enough to get much out of the kickers. Thoughts?
Thank you,
Mark
09-09-2021, 12:02 PM
