I haven't really seen it talked about, but is anyone else excited for the B&O Unleashed sound system?

I am coming from a standard system in my 2017 XLT but it came with a factory installed kicker sub (very rare! it was the only XLT on dealer lots in NoCal I ever saw with one while shopping around and clicking on window stickers). I absolutely LOVE the system in it and I never loved a stock system before. I put an aftermarket deck, speakers and sub in my daughter's Ranger recently, and went through a TON of tuning and playing various sine waves and test sounds to balance all the crossovers, filters, and eq's. For fun I tried it in my F150 XLT and it was already really well balanced and only got muddy down around 45Hz and below (maybe the sub is only 8")

So anyone with experience in the standard audio vs B&O and can you comment on how much of an upgrade it is? The standard B&O is apparently 8 speakers while the (new for 2021) B&O Unleashed is apparently 18 speakers (though I read that they count 2-way speakers as 2 speakers in that count?). On the interior trim vids of the KR and Platinums, you can see speakers and tweeters mounted in the ceiling, but not one has posted a video discussing how it sounds. Maybe it is just a "don't care" for most F150 owners, and we're just a bunch of talk radio and podcast junkies

-T

 

We have rules where I live. All stereos must be leashed at all times. So I'll just have to stick with the regular stereo.

 

I have the upgraded stereo system in my 2015 Lariat and it sounds great. It came with a subwoofer too. The bass is really strong. I have a 2021 on order and got the B&O unleashed system

 

Found this article with some additional details about it. No reviews anywhere that I’ve found though.

https://www.slashgear.com/ford-f-150...stem-29626834/

 

0:50 mark in this video has some details...

link:

 

You can put together a much better system for less money. Higher end stereos tend to make upgrading the stereo more complicated and more pricey.

 

Not interested in that at all. Maybe on a lowest trim XL sure, but no way would I want to even attempt that on a platinum that comes with the B&O unleashed where I will probably be sitting in the truck for an entire day just playing with every setting fully integrated into the sync4 until I've exhausted every single menu option. I trust that the Harman/B&O engineers have spent WAY more time than I would researching and installing anything for "less money".

Just out of curiosity, how would you even replace the entire sync4 with anything? Even a double DIN would have to have massive spacers around it and you'd give up the entire camera, climate, nav, basically EVERYTHING that the sync4 controls, right?

Anyway if anyone does come across a review before I find one, please share it here!

-T

 

with this kind of thinking i would suggest you stick with the BO .. but for the sake of conversation .. BO makes various levels of systems .. BO Play is the low end of that spectrum which is in 2018-2020 F150's .. it's as good as an aftermarket system you get at best buy ... BO has 2 systems in Audi's .. the one in the 4 and 5's .. and the ones in the 6's and 7's .. even then they still are not as good as a good aftermarket system with $2,000 invested .. which is way more than what you would pay for these systems

to your second question .. you don't replace the Sync radio .. you get something that plugs into the BO and connects to a DSP or Amps or however you want to design your system

this is what the 2018-2020 BO radios are using for upgrade ability https://navtv.com/products/NTV-KIT88...sp12a-a2b.html

 

Ah, thank you that makes WAY more sense So that A2B cable is routed to the box behind the back seat and breaks out analog from there? I've never really looked into it before but that sure makes it convenient if so

Now given that I already love my XLT sync3 + subwoofer (which I think is only a basic 6 speaker) then I am going to be way happy with 2 levels up upgrade on my 701A platinum (first B&O, then Unleashed). I'll leave the custom upgrading to the extreme audiophiles and hobbyists!

 

Anyone know if the image of the B&O vs B&O Unleashed wall graphic is available in any of Ford's literature?