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Top rated f150 stereo upgrade2/24/2024 ![]() ![]() To retain the before mentioned stereo mode or surround sound modes this can make the crossovers for the A-pillar tweeters and the front door speakers a little more different than a standard replacement. ![]() Now with the rear doors done and the center speaker done the system is sounding more in balance in stereo mode and in surround sound mode ( no more out of control blaring from the center speaker ). Also layer a piece of thin fabric on top of the speaker before reinstalling the grill to keep garbage from falling into the speaker cone in the future. I had to trim a small amount of plastic off of each side of the dash hole with a razor knife at a 45 angle so the new speaker would lay flat without distorting something when screwing it down. The Kicker crossover that came with the speaker appears to have high and low pass filters in them ( Not just a cheaper bass blocker for the tweeter ). The green wire goes to the Kicker unmarked wire and the gray/yellow wire goes to the Kicker negative wire with the black stripe. The plug for this speaker is different than the doors and I could not locate one so I soldered the crossover wires in about 2 inches back from the plug. I don’t know if it was just the higher resistance that toned the volume down or getting rid of such a horrible sounding speaker did it. The stock speaker measured 3.1 ohms and the kicker replacement at 3.7 ohms. For this speaker I used a Kicker KS series 3.5” 2-way 47KSC3504 ( pair, as you can’t get just one alone ) Don’t go cheap this made a big difference in sound quality and toned down the volume. First lift out the rubber mat in the dash storage and from the side pry up the speaker grill and remove the two speaker mounting screws. Next was the blaring center channel speaker replacement. After reassembling I noted a small improvement in sound quality so far. I did not take pictures of the rear door install but it is not difficult at all. I purchased a set of Kicker KS series 6.5 2-way speakers model 47KSC6504 ( they have a good built in crossover ), a set of Metra 82-5605 speaker adaptors ( the stock speakers have something like this made onto the speaker assembly that spaces them out to the door panel grills ), a set of Metra 72-5602 speaker harness plug kits and a set of NVX-XBAF65 6.5” silicone speaker baffles with eggcrate foam ( this helps to keep them dry and helps with tone, the egg crate sticks in door directly behind the speaker ). I measured the resistance of the speaker at 3.6 ohms and the label on the back read 25 watts ( I don’t know if this is peak rating or RMS ). Remove the stock 6.5” speaker and you will be amazed at the low quality of your premium systems speaker. You can set the panel on a bucket or hang from the top of the door frame with a bungie cord. With the panel popped off un-plug electrical connectors and pinch tabs on both sides of the door lock cable by the button end and pull downward. With the window rolled down grab the top of the panel in the window channel and roll it towards you and pull slightly. Then remove the screws at the bottom of the panel and at the grab handle with a 7mm socket. I started with the rear door speakers, first remove the reflector at the rear of the door panel with a small pry tool and also the cover plate below the grab handle prying for the top edge on both items. I got tired of chasing down bad information, so I started in on my own. Some said a 6x9 speaker will not fit in the front doors even though it came with 6x9 stock speakers in the front doors. The online stereo sales outlets did not have correct information or research on the newer model year trucks. But trying to find out information on wiring colors, system wattage, speaker impedance ( ohms ) and even the sizes of the stock speakers in it. I thought maybe some good speakers might be enough to make me happy. There are some companies that sell very pricy interface boxes to decode the Ford communication signals and then you have to install all new aftermarket amplifiers and wiring not to mention the real-estate to put it all. It’s a pity things have gotten to this level, Shame on Ford! Replacing the stereo is near impossible because it is intergraded with other vehicle systems. The center speaker in the dash has no ability to adjust volume or fader control and is obnoxiously louder than it should be. ( I can’t imagine how bad the standard stereo must sound! ). After picking up my new 2022 F150 XLT super crew cab 4x4 with the upgraded B&O 8 speaker stereo system and listening to it for a while, I was not overly impressed with the sound quality. ![]()
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