yanki01

stuff the stock sony sub enclosure with pillow stuffing. stuffed it with a good about. made sure all the corners were stuffed all the way.

RLXXI

Because the screen is a lot bigger giving a better view when backing up, my wife's 14 Escape is that way and the view is fabulous compared to the tiny one in the mirror.

Using the mirrors is 2nd nature, when backing I always use my side view mirrors to get centered where I'm parking then it's all eyes on the screen until stopped.

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Sherwood

Just finished an install yesterday on my 13' FX4 with the stock 4.2" sync, no sony no nav. Initially I was going to go the PAC route, but after reading a few people had discovered they aren't compatible with the 13 wiring harness, I also wasn't super keen on ripping apart my brand new dash. So instead I went with the LC2i. This had the added advantage of addressing the bass attenuation that ford built into their stock head unit. The LC2i compensates for this very nicely, and is built specifically to do so.

I decided on a JBL GT-Basspro12 which is a powered sub enclosure. I use JBL studio monitors and subwoofer in my home studio and everything they make is top notch so it was an easy decision. It took me about 4 hours to run a 4 gauge primary from the battery, through the main wiring harness grommet on the passenger side (I cut the nipple off the grommet and it fit the 4 gauge perfectly) down along the passenger side under the running boards to the back wall. I also tapped into the speaker wires on both sides under the front running boards and ran them back to the back wall.

Projects done, now its the fun part, level matching and tuning the sound to my liking. Every wire is completely hidden. This job really made me laugh at myself for ever considering paying a car shop to do it. We gotta have more faith in ourselves!! Easy job, and rewarding.

king nothing

[MENTION=168276]Sherwood[/MENTION] did you find the LC2i to be needed? I've been told that the base stereo doesn't attenuate the bass out, just the Sony. I dont intend to use any bass restoration, at least at first. Guess I can always add It in later if needed

Sherwood

Hey i'll be tuning everything up today, I'll have to let you know! Im pretty certain it does roll the bass off a bit because when I play real bass heavy tracks, it actually sounds best at about half volume, as I turn it up the bass doesn't really seem to keep up with the upper and mid range, yet it doesn't get distorted so something must be up with that.

I'm more excited to have the control that will allow me to cut the bass way down on the stock head unit, then make up for it with the LC2i. This means the stock speakers can focus on the frequency range they are better suited for, which is certainly not bass. When you try to pump bass through those small door speakers it actually eats up clarity in the upper range.

Sherwood

Ok so, little update. Turns out, at least from what I can tell, there is no bass rolloff problem. I haven't put a lot of time into 'tuning' or level matching because frankly it sounds f#$cking amazing already. I have the accubass turned off. Its amazing how a little bass can completely transform the entire sound. I have the head units bass level halfway below middle, and yet my sub is barely turned up at all and still churns out solid bass. Everything sounds clearer. Even has an unexpected perk of drowing out more road noise, like only bass can.

Wyo11Scab

iTrader: (1)

This is very true. I upgraded the speakers and added a sub and amp and had the same results. For some reason folks like to go the complicated route before trying the simple and less costly upgrades first.

Sherwood

Yeah it actually makes zero sense to do any more than that. Its simple really, the stock stereo does just fine producing midrange and treble, in fact its actually quite crisp with the tweeters in the pillars, and without having to push the bass frequencies.

Think about it people, turn your bass all the way down, now turn the stereo even 3/4 of the way up, if you need louder midrange and treble, then you should get your hearing checked. There is absolutely no reason for more power in the upper frequencies. Better quality, sure, and yes an aftermarket head unit and speakers will give better quality, but for the amount of work/cost, and the barely noticeable difference, its not worth it. Remember, this is a truck.

Take care of the bass, and everything else will sound a million times better.

king nothing

This is great to hear as now I can go forward with my plan, which doesnt include bass restoration

While this may be true for 99 percent of people, some of us are in the 1 percent that stock speakers simply will not work. I have however considered adding a capacitor inline with the stock midrange to filter out the lower frequencies just as an experiment.

Wyo11Scab

iTrader: (1)

Probably higher than 1%. Replacing the stock speakers should be considered most of the time.