1Chad

I’ve looked in many places recently and have only been able to find some basic scattered information about options for upgrading the 2015 F150 stereo. I realize this may not apply to everyone because of the different audio configurations, but I'm hoping this post will at least give some general guidance making it easier for anyone considering this upgrade.

My goal was to significantly improve the sound quality of my truck while keeping the factory head unit and making as few permanent modifications to the truck as possible.

Disclaimer – I am just an enthusiast that enjoys DIY hobby projects like this, I am not an expert and have never done anything like this professionally. I am very happy with this install, there wereminimal modifications, zero electrical noise and the overall sound quality is great. That said, use any of this information at your own risk.

Below are the items I selected for my upgrade:

• FOR-11CK Parrot Car Kit FORD Plug and Play Harness, (2011-2013 Explorer, Focus, Edge, Fiesta)
• Rockford Fosgate RFK4 4 AWG Power Only Amplifier Install Kit
• 2 of Stinger SGW9920 9 Conductor Speedwire 20ft Roll, Black
• 3 of KabelDirekt (10 feet) 2 x RCA Male to 2 x RCA Male Stereo Audio Cable - PRO Series
• Audio Control DQ-61 OEM Sound Processor
• Rockford P1000X5 Punch 5-Channel Amplifier
• Rockford Fosgate Punch P1694 6-Inch x 9-Inch Full Range Coaxial Speakers
• Rockford P1650 6.5-Inch 2-Way Full Range Euro Fit Compatible Speaker
• Rockford Fosgate P3S-1X12 Single 12-Inch Loaded Subwoofer Enclosure
• Rockford Fosgate P3 Shallow 12-Inch Subwoofer Grill
• Stinger RKX36B Roadkill Expert Series Sound Damping Material Bulk Pack

I will be splitting this post up into multiple parts due to the limitations on number of pictures per post. I'm also not a regular at posting, so I may be making some adjustments as I go.

Part 1 – Connecting to the Head Unit and Factory Wiring
Part 2 – Install Signal Processor in Console
Part 3 – Install Sound Deadening and Amplifier Wiring
Part 4 – Connect Amplifier to Battery
Part 5 – Mounting Amplifier and Subwoofer Enclosure
Part 6 – Upgrade Front Door Speakers
Part 7 – Upgrade Rear Door Speakers
Part 8 – Access the A-Pillar Tweeters

Wyo11Scab

iTrader: (1)

I don't know if the Parrot will work with the 2015. I understand different wiring than the 13-14

1Chad

I found a good video that explains how to do the front panel removal.













The Parrot wiring harness is a bit expensive, but I really didn't want to cut into the factory harness and it worked out well. As you can see in the picture, I was also able to use the fused power for the signal processor as well as the quick connect as a single connection point for all of the wires running to the new components.

Here is a link to another model year truck speaker wire diagram, but the colors matched.
Speaker Wire Colors

I'm still not sure whether I will keep the center dash speaker connected, but so far it doesn't seem to significantly impact the sound quality. The loop I wired in is just in case I decide to put it on an on/off switch or disconnect it all together.

Also, I'm still deciding if I will change out my front 6x9 coaxial speakers for components with separate tweeter and midrange. For now the 6x9's sound pretty good and I disconnected the A-Pillar tweeters since you really don't want multiple sets of tweeters running. Having done a little more research on how I would handle component speakers, I don't think I would have added the extra wire in for the tweeters either. (Not that it's hurting anything)

1Chad

I've been pretty happy with the DQ-61 and the location I chose to mount it. I would strongly recommend you mount it within arms length because I can't imagine trying to tune it if I had mounted it somewhere further away. You really want to be able to make adjustments up / down in each band do find the sweet spot, and it just wouldn't be feasible from any other location.

1Chad

1Chad

This was one of the more difficult portions of the install because I wanted everything to run down the passenger side to keep it away from the audio signal wires as well as connect to the battery which is on that side. There is very little room to work so it took several hours to get this run through the firewall in this manner. I'm very happy with how well it came together, but it wasn't much fun. Also, I used the full amount of the 4Ga wire running it this way, so there isn't a lot of extra in that kit.

1Chad

I originally wanted to install this subwoofer behind the rear seat so that nothing was visible. Unfortunately, there is realistically only about 3 inches of space behind the rear seat when you fold it up. I think I could have made this sub work behind the seat if I never wanted to put the seat up and I was willing to relocate/retrofit the rear window power slider. If you want a sub behind the seat that allows full rear seat functionality, you are extremely limited to very small sub options.

1Chad

These coaxial Rockford Fosgates I installed in the front doors sound pretty good with some tuning. (I have the A-Pillar tweeters disconnected since I have full range in the doors) I am seriously considering moving up to a higher end component setup and taking the sound proofing in the doors to the next level. Don't get me wrong, what I've done so far sounds fantastic, but now I'm really curious how much better things might sound if I spent a little more money / time on the front soundstage.




Front Door Panel Removal









Unfortunately, there are no aftermarket speaker mounts or wiring harness connectors available for the 2015 F150 door speakers. The good news is that it is easy to take the factory speaker apart and re-use those parts to make a nice mount with integrated connector.








Soldering to the terminals left over from cutting out the speakers prevented me from having to cut the factory speaker wires in the door.

1Chad

I did upgrade the rear speakers, although I'm not sure if I would do it again. They can easily distract from the front soundstage, so I ended up lower the gain and dialing back the higher frequencies which means they aren't really doing much other than providing a little fill for the passengers in the rear.











Unfortunately, there are no aftermarket speaker mounts or wiring harness connectors available for the 2015 F150 door speakers. The good news is that it is easy to take the factory speaker apart and re-use those parts to make a nice mount with integrated connector.





Soldered wires on the factory mounts so I could connect the new speakers without cutting the factory speaker wires.

1Chad