Low / Medium Cost Audio upgrade

[GoHawks]

Could you provide some information on how you replaced the middle dash speaker? Also, I'm very interested in purchasing the other dash speaker you have. I have a 2023 F150 Lariat SR.

I used a pry tool on the dash speaker grill. It has 4 white tabs that hold it in/on. Start on one side with the tool and then use upward force on the rest. It is all plastic tabs and snaps out/in. PM an offer for the additional speaker to see if we can work something out.

Sponsored

 

[LSUT1GER]

Thanks for the information! I just ordered everything except the subwoofer. Amazon had the dash speaker at a discount so I jumped on it. I might do the subwoofer in the future.

 

[dww]

Thanks for the information! I just ordered everything except the subwoofer. Amazon had the dash speaker at a discount so I jumped on it. I might do the subwoofer in the future.

Let us know your results. I’m interested in this route too.

 

[LSUT1GER]

Will do!

 

[LSUT1GER]

I found the Kicker 10" subwoofer for a much better price at cartoys.com, see below:

I have a question about wiring this up. If I use a customed harness, (see below) will I still need to connect it to the battery for power?

https://soundsgoodstereo.com/produc...read-description-below?variant=43758553235668


This is supposed to fix the factory subwoofer bass roll-off in Ford Factory Systems. As you might have already experienced, the factory B&O systems will roll back the bass over volume 14 and it will come in and out depending on the song. This roll-off exists to protect the factory subwoofer from damage, but for most users, it creates an unpleasant listening experience.

 

[LSUT1GER]

Here's the URL to where I got the Kicker 10" subwoofer:

https://cartoys.com/products/kicker-46hs10

 

[Pioneer74]

I found the Kicker 10" subwoofer for a much better price at cartoys.com, see below:

I have a question about wiring this up. If I use a customed harness, (see below) will I still need to connect it to the battery for power?

https://soundsgoodstereo.com/produc...read-description-below?variant=43758553235668


This is supposed to fix the factory subwoofer bass roll-off in Ford Factory Systems. As you might have already experienced, the factory B&O systems will roll back the bass over volume 14 and it will come in and out depending on the song. This roll-off exists to protect the factory subwoofer from damage, but for most users, it creates an unpleasant listening experience.

You will still need to run power from the battery. That harness only supplies the signal to the amp.

 

[sstevetx]

Just ordered the kicker HS10 from CarToys and the Kicker Keyloc and block off plate from Sounds Good Stereo.

This should fix the bass on the B&O 8 speaker my Lariat has. I may replace the other speakers later, but the bass is my main issue.

 

[sstevetx]

Thank you for the write-up. It has been very helpful and inspired me to upgrade mine. I have ordered most of what you did. I picked the JL Audio C1-690 ($190) and the JL Audio C1-650x ($130). for my front/rear speakers. They are a good entry level, quality speaker without breaking the bank. If I was going to spend a lot more I would go with Morel. The problem with 6x9 component speakers is that there aren't as many choices as 6.5". I considered converting to 6.5", but decided to stick with 6x9 up front. I ordered a Dayton Audio 3.5" 8ohm ($30) off Amazon for the center. Someone suggested it on another F150 forum to match the factory 8ohm. To get rid of the bass roll-off I got the custom Kicker Keyloc and cable from SourdsGoodStereo ($248) along with all the block off plates. I picked up some micro2 fuse taps off Amazon for the remote wire. With all the parts and supplies I spent about $1200 after tax.

JL Audio C1-690 C1 Series 6"x9" component speaker system at Crutchfield
JL Audio C1-650x C1 Series 6-1/2" 2-way car speakers at Crutchfield
Dayton 3.5 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q3M9852/
Keyloc & harness - Factory Connection Harness to add a new Subwoofer Amplifier while reta – Sounds Good Stereo

I ran the power and ground all the way to the battery. I saw a post from SoundsGoodStereo mentioning they suggest running a ground all the way., because the vehicle itself isn't the best ground. That was a pain getting the wire through that same place you did, but got it eventually. I haven't installed anything else yet, but will update this when I do.

Notes/Observations:

• The Kicker hideaway 10" doesn't have RCA inputs. They sell a cable separately for about $20 if you need it. I cut an RCA cable up and spliced/soldered it in rather than buying the cable.
• Ford uses Micro2 and Micro3 fuses in the passenger footwell. Remember that when buying a fuse tap. Some of the fuse taps need plastic filed off the sides to make them fit newer Fords.
• No tax for me from Sounds Good Stereo. I believe they are in Tennessee.
• Crutchfield web system said the speakers wouldn't fit, although other 14th gen F150 owners have installed them. Changing my truck to a 2022 F150 (non-Lightning) without B&O let me pick them and get the free Metra wire harnesses and speaker mounts. If you pick B&O as your truck system then it won't offer the free harnesses and mounts.

Here is what I found on the BCM/Passenger footwell fuses. Should be helpful for anyone tapping for other things like radar detectors, dashcams, etc. I'll use #22 or #30 for my remote wire, since it only needs 2.5A for the KeyLoc.

Unused/Spare fuses that power on with truck (ACC/Start) (not listing relay control ones)
- #37 20A
- #22 5A
- #30 5A

Unused/Spare fuses that are ALWAYS hot:
- #4 20A
- #25 20A
- #27 30A

I worked out the fuses using the helpful documentation found on another forum. I compared their info against my owner's manual to make sure the fuse diagrams and numbers matched up.
Resource: Tables showing when which fuses are HOT (Always Hot; Hot in Start or Run; etc) | F150gen14 -- 2021+ Ford F-150, Tremor, Raptor Forum (14th Gen) | News, Owners, Community, Discussions

 

[sstevetx]

I finished installing everything yesterday and it sounds really good. While the Kicker hideaway isn't mind blowing, it does really well for its compact size. It fits in the space behind my drivers side rear seat like it was meant to go there. My rearview mirror does vibrate some (not heavily) on certain songs and I can feel the bass in my chest to a small degree. It's not like setups I have had in previous vehicles, but it is a vast improvement over stock and doesn't take up any additional usable space. The JL Audio door speakers have a good sensitivity, so the stock B&O amp does a good job pushing them. The mid-bass is really good on them and the block off plates add to it. The tweeters were glued into their mounts, so I couldn't take them apart like the Alpine and reuse the existing mounts. I was able to get them in though with some hot glue on the back and they are snug and should never move. I used one of the mount plates provided by JL which squeezed through the stock hold with a little pressure.

The Kicker KeyLoc prevents the bass roll off as I increase the volume which is nice. The harness that comes with it plugs into the existing B&O amp.

There weren't any install instructions with the block off plates, but I left the existing plastic in place and put these on top of it. I figured there was no reason to remove a perfectly good seal. I did seal the door speakers with some closed cell rubber foam tape (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H347FFY). I used loom harness tape where I could which gives it a more stock appearance.

The Dayton audio speaker I used in the dash didn't fit the stock holes, so I ended up having to 3d print something. There wasn't anything I could find specifically for that speaker location, but I found a customizable tweeter mount on Thingiverse. I used the online Customizer app to customize it to the dimensions I needed and it worked, although it is thin. Here is a link to the customized version I created for this speaker - 2022 f150 3.5 Dash Speaker Plate by sstevetx - Thingiverse

Here are some photos of my install:

 

[sstevetx]

Here are some comparisons of the magnet size between the stock and the replacements. I was really surprised how light the stock speakers were. The stock 6x9 was ~20 oz and the 6.5 was ~10 oz. I didn't think to weigh the new speakers, but you can tell they have a lot more heft to them.

 

[LSUT1GER]

Great write-up! Did you also power the Kicker subwoofer to the fuse box?

 

[sstevetx]

Subwoofer has a direct run to the battery. The Keyloc along with the remote wire are running from the fuse box.

 

[LSUT1GER]

Let us know your results. I’m interested in this route too.

I just finished the upgrading all of the speakers plus I installed the SoundGoodAudio door panels. Huge difference!

 

[LSUT1GER]

I finished installing everything yesterday and it sounds really good. While the Kicker hideaway isn't mind blowing, it does really well for its compact size. It fits in the space behind my drivers side rear seat like it was meant to go there. My rearview mirror does vibrate some (not heavily) on certain songs and I can feel the bass in my chest to a small degree. It's not like setups I have had in previous vehicles, but it is a vast improvement over stock and doesn't take up any additional usable space. The JL Audio door speakers have a good sensitivity, so the stock B&O amp does a good job pushing them. The mid-bass is really good on them and the block off plates add to it. The tweeters were glued into their mounts, so I couldn't take them apart like the Alpine and reuse the existing mounts. I was able to get them in though with some hot glue on the back and they are snug and should never move. I used one of the mount plates provided by JL which squeezed through the stock hold with a little pressure.

The Kicker KeyLoc prevents the bass roll off as I increase the volume which is nice. The harness that comes with it plugs into the existing B&O amp.

There weren't any install instructions with the block off plates, but I left the existing plastic in place and put these on top of it. I figured there was no reason to remove a perfectly good seal. I did seal the door speakers with some closed cell rubber foam tape (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H347FFY). I used loom harness tape where I could which gives it a more stock appearance.

The Dayton audio speaker I used in the dash didn't fit the stock holes, so I ended up having to 3d print something. There wasn't anything I could find specifically for that speaker location, but I found a customizable tweeter mount on Thingiverse. I used the online Customizer app to customize it to the dimensions I needed and it worked, although it is thin. Here is a link to the customized version I created for this speaker - 2022 f150 3.5 Dash Speaker Plate by sstevetx - Thingiverse

Here are some photos of my install:

Help! What do you do with the plug from the original B&O subwoofer?

Sponsored