UberNoob

while I havent driven the car yet since it isnt even in the showroom yet, I am just going to provide a quick review on the demo I had of the car's interior and the B&W speaker package when I was at CES 2010 in Vegas.

So at the B&W booth at CES (consumer electronic show, in Las Vegas), they had a brand new (close to production model) 2011 XJL Supercharged (L for long wheelbase) the one with 510hp...

as most of you know, Jaguar has been on the road of improvement in terms of quality and reliability
so when they totally went with a whole new design scheme that started with the XF, they have captured my attention more than ever




the car on display at CES was fully loaded for show purpose and of course it had the B&W speakers systems.

here is what it had for audio:

21 B&W speakers
1200W total (peak rating i believe)
kevlar cones
DSP with Dolby Pro-Logic IIx (a world first for a car) and DTS Neo:6






here is where I began my true appreciation for a Jaguar.
The moment i sat into the delightfully designed driver seat, i was greeted by the jaguar audio designer who worked with B&W and he had a laptop on hand to wireless demo the audio system.

1st test: audio quality
first he began with a couple of simple audio tracks so we could hear the full range of the system.

Right from the moment i closed the door on the car, I could tell that this car is setup for a supreme auditory experience with its almost vacuum like quietness and sound insulation.
But of course the same dampening and insulation could be had on the Lexus LS

what amused me was the next song he played for me
he played the now standard track for audio testing, Norah Jones' Dont Know Why

the B&W system was able to clearly set apart its mid and low range from the door panel speakers with rich and almost full range speaker like quality.
What was interesting was the way the sound projected from the front of the car instead of from the sides and there was enough low range from the side door panels to make me thing they were at least 8" of woofers in there (where in fact im sure it had a much smaller physical dimensions)


2nd test: DSP and surround sound
he demo'ed the surround sound capabilities of the system by playing a track that went from front to rear and left to right

it was a seamingless transfer of sound from front to rear and left to right due to the incredible amount of speakers in the car offering the near perfect soundstage and positioning.

i would dare to say that no other cars can do this as good as the XJ's B&W package



to end this on a short note (tired of typing here), with B&O system on the Audi A8, you see the speakers rising up
sure it sounds pretty good too but what happened was, I could "see" the music with the B&W

with B&O instead, i would just be seeing the speakers and hearing the music on the B&O

btw I think it was Matt Jones who gave me the tour (the guy in the video here: http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=4295)
i guess it helps when you have a super "sales" introducing the product to you
haha

so the XJ will start to arrive in Jaguar showrooms in US starting April
i highly recommend anyone interested in this class of sedans go check it out and all audiophiles should also have a listen
just be sure to bring your fav CD

UberNoob

p.s. the contraversial rear styling looked great in person
although ive never hated that rear when just seeing the product launch photos, i gave it more appreciation when i saw it in person
the swooping lines blended very well with its side profile and subtle lines hidden in its blacked out C pillar



here are some pics of the XJ







needless to say, my goal is to have one within 5 years
the 380hp, standard wheelbase + luxury package + B&W speaker package model that is

pagemaster

I think Jaguar is a dead brand once again...

UberNoob

based on what?
you've gotta elaborate more when you bring out such a definitive opinion

biggie27

im liking jaguars new designs, im thinking about getting my mom one, but im wondering about quality, how are these cars holding up compared to the comp. ?

LexFather

Thanks for sharing. The sound system seems to be out of this world. I'm looking forward to seeing a new XJ in person, I have a soft spot for Jags.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

I hope this car really takes off for them. The XF has been so/so and they really need a hit.

We used to have an XJ back in the day, so I am hoping this one is a lot different, I'll just say that

UberNoob

tata has put them back on the map it seems

by closing unnecessary plants, i think that has alerted the workers to pay more attention when building the cars... i hope
lol

nn432100

Theres no doubt that Jaguar is showing some real promise with the XJ. The cabin tech is just craziness and the styling is top notch!

LIMS407

thanks for the review...i been hearing alot of good things this car...cant wait to see in person...

(Cj)

XF outsold the GS last year I believe so that's not too bad. Not the levels of the E class or the 5 series, but with time it may get there.

BTW is it just me or does the XF's interior look more "luxurious" than the XJ's? Something about the round vents look cheap to me.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I use to be a car audio junky because most OEM systems were crap to begin with. With these new systems, I can finally leave the audio system the way it is

B&W is always a good brand to go with. I'll need to check out that Jag in the future...

UberNoob

yeah i used to think Focal is all that
they are very good indeed
but theres nothing like an OEM DSP system this advanced with such flawless implementation

the round vents actually look a bit more detailed in person so looks less "cheap"

to be honest, i didnt pay as much attention to the interior as i would like
because once they started the sound demo, i just closed my eyes and enjoyed the ride
and that was all i could think about for the rest of that day

(Cj)

That's good to hear. I'll have to check the XJ out, because I absolutely LOVE the XF. If the XJ is a real step up from the XF, it should do well, because the XF is one of the nicest cars in the class.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

stunning!!! hope the manufacturing quality is good too.