planetix

If a PnP adapter exists for the B&O I haven't found it.

I don't think the Audison supports that combination of inputs/outputs but I was a little worn out the first time so I'll check again.

UncleG

The signal to the door speakers does not have the low sub bass that the dedicated OEM sub output has.

Ajb1205

That is why I suggest tapping into 1 set of door speakers...be it either the front pair or the rear pair. That will then leave you with 2 open channels to grab the sub signal. There has to be a way to do this to eliminate the LC2i and take full advantage of the tuning abilities of the Audison 8.9 dsp.

planetix

Running all 4 doors off 1 input channel (front or rear) has its own set of problems with the B&O and the 8.9. I'll see what I can come up with this weekend when I hopefully install the new speakers.

Ajb1205

I am going to give the fellow I deal with at my local stereo shop a call and see what he says. He knows his ****...especially when it comes to Audison.

UncleG

Good, because I think there is something about his install you aren't quite grasping.

Ajb1205

I am "grasping" it just fine. I installed my Audison 8.9 with no issues but with the standard non-B&O stereo. Just trying to help a fellow out.

GP-SE

don't forget to take some pics of the B&O speakers, I wanna see how they compare to the stock and sony speakers.

planetix

Got a little present:



Also a pair of PC165F for the rear doors. I went with those instead of the ES series coax that matches the front component set because the 165f still compliment the ES, sound wise, and are much cheaper without being "cheap". ES level Coax's in the rear doors is overkill for what you get vs. the cost.

Anyway, after being tuned and balanced they sound great. Really clear and crisp. And 2ohm up front which the Audison amp works well with, so more power to boot. Of course, for the price they had better be good, but still nice to truly get what I paid for

Installing is straightforward, no different from other year Fords. The same adapter plates for the 2015-2017 will work with the 2018. I also got the 6x9>6.5 adapter for the fronts.

Some folks wanted pics of the OEM B&O speakers so here they are, such as they are:



Their respective replacements are behind them. Standard paper cone mono 6x9 midrange up front, and a coax 6.5 in the rear doors. As stated in part one they aren't terrible, just not that great, either.

Pic of the undersides:



Here's the OEM tweeter next to the Focal. Even without the "Focal" name on it I am betting you could guess which is which:



At first I was worried the Focals wouldn't fit in the stock pillar location but as it turns out with a backstrap and a little hot glue they do, no problem:



Finally, there's this thing:



Underside:



About the size of a clay pigeon for skeet shooting, which is convenient because that is all it is good for. When doing speakers on the B&O the very first thing you should do is remove the center channel cover (it is easy with a trim popper, there are two clips on each side, L/R) and disconnect this thing. We tried with it hooked up, then unplugging it, during live tuning with music and it is frankly amazing how much of a difference it makes to the mix - in a bad way. A very bad way. You don't need it and definitely don't want it.

Wrapping up:

After a lot of testing and help from Custom Sounds we determined that the B&O system in these new Fords is just weird and not aftermarket-friendly. Another shop installer from up the road visited and had the same problems with the B&O in a Raptor. No harnesses so you have to splice everything. No way to bypass the stock amp or flatten the signals. The B&O slices & dices frequencies before it sends them (via digital link) to the stock amp meaning there's no one speaker channel - not even the rear doors! - which get full range. You need to use all the stock inputs - tweeter, front, rear, sub - in order to get full range that your new amp/DSP can then divide up on its own. It was super annoying figuring it out with the Audison, which places its own limits via presets on how you can wire the inputs (you can't just wire what you need and let it sum it all up, only certain combinations are supported).

However in the end the result is all that matters - and new system sounds great. Really crisp and clear, no EQ problems with volume changes, nice roll off between high, mid, and low, and considerable increase in volume without distortion. Night and day difference. And I am not even using a huge sub (10'') or super-powerful amps. There's still room to grow with this thing if I want, later.

Only outstanding item I have left - and I am not that concerned about it - is factory sounds like the door chimes and backup warnings come through the IPC (speaker behind the cluster) now not the new audio system. You can hear them, they work, just don't sound the same. Other items, like voice control, navigation guidance, hands free phone, etc. all play and work fine with the new system. I don't know that I am going to spend a lot of time trying to figure this out.

Hope you like the post, feedback always welcome.

Ajb1205

Those stock B&O speakers don't look a whole hell of a lot different than the regular speakers I had in mine. As time goes by, and more and more of the Ford B&O systems are upgraded, I am sure that someone will figure out something/someway to make upgrading a bit more user friendly. Nice choice of speakers btw! I had those picked out until I saw and listened to the Helix line...and for the price I couldn't say no.