The 2013 Model Year XF and XJ mark the start of a new partnership – previewed in the flagship XJ Ultimate – for Jaguar with British audio experts Meridian. The company has been creating ultra-premium home sound systems for more than 35 years and worked closely with Jaguar’s engineers to integrate this expertise seamlessly into the luxurious environs of the XJ and XF interiors.

The XJ and XF each offer two Meridian options. The 380W Meridian Sound System offers a 12-channel system which feeds 11 loudspeakers in the XF and 15 loudspeakers in the XJ. The top-of-the-range 825W Meridian Surround Sound System utilises 15 audio channels sending their information to 17 loudspeakers in the XF and 20 in the XJ.

Meridian has pioneered a number of technologies that deliver sound reproduction that is second to none and has won plaudits worldwide. The company considers the vehicle cabin environment as a unique opportunity to create and engineer audio solutions, making Meridian the ideal audio partner. Unlike other manufacturers which test their systems against competitors, Meridian benchmarks the fidelity of their audio reproduction against the original source of the sound itself, whether a real instrument such as a Steinway piano or a professional singer.

The basis of the Meridian philosophy is perfectly matching speakers and amplifiers, achieving premium sound quality without large power demands and avoiding overwhelming listeners with high volume. Meridian worked closely with both Jaguar and its suppliers to ensure that speaker construction utilises the latest techniques and materials and that they are perfectly placed within the cabin.

Meridian’s proprietary Digital Signal Processing optimises the relationship between amplifier and speakers, with each receiving its own dedicated signal to achieve clear, distortion-free sound. The result is a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) – the measure of accuracy of sound reproduction – of just 0.2% which is 50 times greater than the outgoing systems. By comparison, a THD of less than 1% is regarded as inaudible to the human ear.

To optimise their sound systems to an automotive application in which the audio environment can change rapidly, Meridian refined their proprietary technologies and innovations specifically for automotive audio.

The two range-topping Meridian Surround Sound Systems feature the company’s proprietary Trifield technology which creates an all-enveloping sound field, placing each listener at the centre of their own exclusive music experience, no matter where they are seated.

In order to account for resonances that occur within a vehicle, the company created a detailed acoustic analysis of both models’ interiors to identify resonances and apply bespoke digital filters – Meridian Cabin Correction – to maximise definition.

The Meridian audio systems accept a number of digital inputs such as MP3 players, CDs, TV tuners, and USB interfaces. As such, it was important that every source be accurately converted to maintain sound quality. Meridian’s Digital Dither Shaping seamlessly processes each digital input to maximise detail and quality whatever the source media.

Dynamic Volume Control is also incorporated, which monitors extraneous noise levels within the cabin and smoothly and unobtrusively alters the system volume to account, for example, for an opened window or a rough road surface.