[SAAB95Aero]

I have just ordered a new I-Pace SE with the Meridian Sound System, through a local JLR dealer.

How much am I missing out by not having the Meridian Surround system? I am mostly into jazz, classical and rock music, and have no interest in playing Dolby 5.1, film soundtracks or music originally mixed for surround playback.

 

[fa147]

for me it’s like comparing cloth seats to leather/faux leather seats. The cloth seats will always do the trick and there is nothing intrinsically missing from them, but the leather faux seats are just more refined, comfortable and premium.

The full Meridian sound system is just more refined, premium and immersive and it doesn’t matter what you playback, radio, pop, drum’n’bass, jazz rock, it’s just a better sound system.
Would cloth seats be fine, yes they would. Are leather seats just nicer and more premium, you bet.

i would say it is a worth while upgrade as the sound systems is something you interact with nearly all the time while you drive the car.

 

[SAAB95Aero]

Thank you for commenting fa147! I seems the Surround system is a great upgrade. The thing is that I have already ordered an I-Pace SE, with important extras, but not the Surround system. I am just trying to understand what I will be missing…

Here in Norway there will be implemented new VAT regulations for BEVs 1. January 2023, making the I-Pace much more expensive. I am lucky to have been able to purchase a new car now, before 2023. My only gripe is the Meridian Sound System.

 

[norfrode]

I think I can safely say the Meridian sound system in the I-Pace is the best sound I have had in a car. Not sure if that says something about my previous cars..

But electric cars are also more quiet than ICE cars - you get a little bit more out of your speakers when you can´t hear the engine noise. Depending on wheel size you may instead be fussing over tire noise in an EV though.

I also own a convertible sports car and I will never be able to get the same sound quality in that as in the I-Pace, the standard stereo setup in the I-Pace would still win hands down.

 

[ICDP_EV]

The standard SE sound system is perfectly good and the surround on the advanced system is only beneficial if the sound source is good. My previous car had normal sound system and the HSE with meridian surround is not going to transform your basic mp3 into anything special.

 

[SAAB95Aero]

Thank you for sharing your views on the Meridian Sound System norfrode!

My 2002 SAAB 9-5 has a high end Harman Kardon 200w audio system, which is remarkably good IMO. But the Meridian Sound System will surely be a big upgrade.

 

[SAAB95Aero]

The standard SE sound system is perfectly good and surround one the advanced system is only beneficial if the sound source is good. So classic jazz My previous car had normal sound system and the HSE with meridian surround is not going to transform your basic mp3 into anything special.

I have a Tidal HiFI subscription and will probably use this as my source for playback in the I-Pace.

 

[ICDP_EV]

Remember that the same sound systems are used in other JLR cars. Check out other forums for some more input.

 

[SAAB95Aero]

I found this review of the Meridian Sound System in the Jaguar XE quite enlightening:

https://www.whathifi.com/us/features/meridian-sound-system-jaguar-xe-hands-review

I am sure I will be happy with the Meridian Sound System when I get my new I-Pace SE in a few months.

 

[SteveReeves]

The standard SE sound system is perfectly good and the surround on the advanced system is only beneficial if the sound source is good. My previous car had normal sound system and the HSE with meridian surround is not going to transform your basic mp3 into anything special.

This is so very true. mp3's via a flash drive are a little underwhelming even in the HSE. Amazon HD music via Android Auto though is night and day.

Not sure but It might also help by having the phone wired to the car and sending a digital stream to the car's internal DAC, which bypasses the mobile phone DAC hence the better sound.

 

[ICDP_EV]

This is so very true. mp3's via a flash drive are a little underwhelming even in the HSE. Amazon HD music via Android Auto though is night and day.

Not sure but It might also help by having the phone wired to the car sending a digital stream to the car's internal DAC which bypasses the mobile phone DAC hence the better sound.

I'm not an audiophile but sticking a USB key with some 128bit MP3 rips into your HSE is not the way to test how good it is. I prefer silence but when I do listen to music, I do it through my Amazon Prime Music account on Apple carplay. Interestingly I don't find any perceptible difference between wired or wireless for quality, but that's not to say there isn't one.

When it comes to the stock Meridian sound the setup is perfectly fine and will give a good experience. The updated option does improve it but that does not make the stock version bad. I think this is where a lot of people (none in this thread to be fair) tend to oversell features, as if they can't be lived without. Earlier in the thread, fa147 put it perfectly with his analogy.

 

[scm]

I'm not an audiophile but sticking a USB key with some 128bit MP3 rips into your HSE is not the way to test how good it is.

Who rips 128kb MP3s? Use the highest quality you can!

 

[SAAB95Aero]

Some more questions about the two Meridian systems:

1. Is the 825w Surround system much louder than the 400w Sound System, or is the 825w power used to drive more channels in the complex surround system?

2. Are the loudspeakers in the doors (1,2,3), centre dash (5) and sub (4) identical between the 400w and 825w systems? Or are all the loudspeakers in 825w Meridian Surround system unique/upgraded?

 

[ICDP_EV]

Who rips 128kb MP3s? Use the highest quality you can!

You would be surprised how many people have a massive collection of MP3s dating back to the dawn of home internet. Even some of my earliest MP3s hale from an era where dial up was the norm and 2Gb HDs were considered overkill. So downloading a single MP3 took 5 minutes and you would inevitably have to compromise on size and space.

 

[dernotte]

I ripped again my entire CD collection with loseless quality, on an USB stick, when I got the iPace. Really enjoy the quality of the 825w meridian system.

 

[scm]

You would be surprised how many people have a massive collection of MP3s dating back to the dawn of home internet. Even some of my earliest MP3s hale from an era where dial up was the norm and 2Gb HDs were considered overkill. So downloading a single MP3 took 5 minutes and you would inevitably have to compromise on size and space.

Ah, I only rip from my own CDs, the only audio downloads I take are from the BBC, and only a few of those because their "highest quality" is still only 128kb! I usually prefer to record off the live broadcast and convert to MP3 myself.

 

[scm]

I ripped again my entire CD collection with lossless quality, on an USB stick, when I got the iPace. Really enjoy the quality of the 825w meridian system.

My ancient ears can't really tell much difference between highest quality MP3 and FLAC rips (this is on my home audio gear), so I use the smaller format.

 

[Jim55]

Beyond a certain age the music source becomes a bit academic, the fact I can hear anything is a bonus.

 

[norfrode]

Some more questions about the two Meridian systems:

1. Is the 825w Surround system much louder than the 400w Sound System, or is the 825w power used to drive more channels in the complex surround system?

2. Are the loudspeakers in the doors (1,2,3), centre dash (5) and sub (4) identical between the 400w and 825w systems? Or are all the loudspeakers in 825w Meridian Surround system unique/upgraded?

I have the 825w option.

1. The system is certainly capable of loudness, I have not been able to compare with a 400w one. As the PDF you linked to says it also drives 4 additional speakers. Passengers have commented on the sound quality in the back seat.

2. Don't know but here's a guy who upgraded a different Jag to what appears to be the same system.

Meridian 825W surround sound retrofit 2012MY

After two years of putting up with the standard 400W sound system in my 2012 XF (and messing with various aftermarket amps/subwoofers/changes of speakers to try and improve the sound quality) - I decided to bite the bullet and upgrade to the top of the range 825W Meridian Surround System. I...

www.jaginfo.org

 

[SAAB95Aero]

Thank you norfrode! I guess being able to compare the two Meridian systems in the I-Pace would bring clarity (!) to my quest. So, I will try to talk to my dealer if they have cars with these systems for me to sound-check/demo.

I have read the first part of the thread you linked, very interesting, although I am not sure I would want to cut out pieces of the dash in order to retrofit speakers... I guess anything can be done if one has lots of time and unlimited funds.