When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Did you remove your B &O System yet? If you have, can you post pics of the B&O speakers? I'm curious how all the speakers look compared to the base speakers.
no not yet, low on my priority unless I have a committed buyer.
Here's the B&O sub and amp in case anyone is interested in the layout. They are both behind the driver side passenger seat.
Sub looks similar to the Kicker VSS (wouldn't surprise me at all if it is a Kicker) however I don't believe it has its own small amp. I'm probably going to take it out this weekend and look (unless someone has already done this and can tell me) because if it does then replacing this with an aftermarket amp/sub is going to be cake. I suspect we'll need a LOC in there though to tap off the wiring.
The factory amp next to it has a digital bus connection to the HU for the inputs. That means an aftermarket amp will need to tap the speakers after the amp back there. Some of the Raptor guys are doing this. No wiring harnesses, etc. yet so you'll need to splice yourself.
I'm thinking a speaker swap will do just fine, they'll sound better and more efficient speakers will also be a little louder. Not sure what to do about that sub yet. Maybe the old trick of taking out the speaker (it's a dual voice coil 4 ohm) and dynamat'ing the inside of the enclosure will punch things up. I don't have much of a problem with the sub on this thing, really - IMHO the biggest problem with the B&O Play is the fronts have really "muddy" mids and overall the system doesn't get very loud. So perhaps replacing the doors and tweeters (and disconnecting the center) then lining the sub enclosure will get me where I want to be. I may dynamat the doors while I am at it.
No. And the kicker system isn't worth the time or money either.
Totally agree.
__________________
Serving the forum for over 8 years
Brands we sell include: Kicker,NavTV, PAC, CARiD, Dayton, Second Skin, Audio Control, Skar Audio, JL Audio, Focal and more.
PM me for special pricing as our contracts do not allow for posting prices publicly.
No. And the kicker system isn't worth the time or money either.
i had the Kicker VSS powerstage on my last truck this comes with a power sub which fit in the factory location behind the seat which worked ideally for me as I didn’t want to sacrifice the space under the seat. That’s prime real estate for grocery shopping and carrying stuff you don’t want to toss in your bed.
it also come with a DSP which cleans up the sound and is tuned specifically for the cabin of the f150.
There is an addition amplifier for the door speakers which I swapped out as well for components in from coaxial in the rear as well as the tweeters in the A pillar. Really helped the soundstage. Setup really brought smiles on commute. The bass was tight and roll off to miss and clarity of the system was enough for me.
I’m sure there are systems that are way better but would require an installer or abit more work to get sorted. Some of us don’t have that luxury or technical skill to do so. That where plug and play kits fit the bill for most of us.
Won’t win sound clashes but will put a smile on that face.
Here's the B&O sub and amp in case anyone is interested in the layout. They are both behind the driver side passenger seat.
Sub looks similar to the Kicker VSS (wouldn't surprise me at all if it is a Kicker) however I don't believe it has its own small amp. I'm probably going to take it out this weekend and look (unless someone has already done this and can tell me) because if it does then replacing this with an aftermarket amp/sub is going to be cake. I suspect we'll need a LOC in there though to tap off the wiring.
The factory amp next to it has a digital bus connection to the HU for the inputs. That means an aftermarket amp will need to tap the speakers after the amp back there. Some of the Raptor guys are doing this. No wiring harnesses, etc. yet so you'll need to splice yourself.
I'm thinking a speaker swap will do just fine, they'll sound better and more efficient speakers will also be a little louder. Not sure what to do about that sub yet. Maybe the old trick of taking out the speaker (it's a dual voice coil 4 ohm) and dynamat'ing the inside of the enclosure will punch things up. I don't have much of a problem with the sub on this thing, really - IMHO the biggest problem with the B&O Play is the fronts have really "muddy" mids and overall the system doesn't get very loud. So perhaps replacing the doors and tweeters (and disconnecting the center) then lining the sub enclosure will get me where I want to be. I may dynamat the doors while I am at it.
Several people on the topic have mentioned disconnecting the center dash speaker. I was wondering why that is necessary/suggested? I am interested in upgrading my system (2018) but have read issues with amps and after market add ons conflicting with the Sync 3 unit or factory controls. High level to low level converters have been advised on another site. Any thoughts on these? I've changed out the rear door speakers and the center dash speaker. Still not happy. Was thinking of a front door speaker swap, maybe an amp, and maybe a slim, small, powered sub woofer. I'm not trying to win contests or impress the neighbors. I just want to hear good, clean sound at higher levels. Any and all help is appreciated.
The center in theory is there to support imaging, in practice it isn't very good at it with the stock system and is useless with aftermarket. Worse than useless; your system will sound worse with it. Plus, it's a pretty low quality speaker - I've listened to it on it's own and run test tones through it, it is a POS. If you are doing an aftermarket swap you don't need it and won't miss it. Any half-decent DSP will give you better imaging as it is.
You did your build backwards - the rear door speakers come last. A lot of people don't even bother with them. Heck some higher end setups don't even run with them at all, especially in the bigger trucks. There's lots of posts on this so search around. Whatever side you fall on that debate though the consensus all around is spend the money up front.
If you have the B&O system you probably want one of the digital aftermarket kits that get you line level like the Zen A2B I have (2 years with it now, no problems, system sounds great). If you don't have the B&O there are other line-level solutions. Get better speakers, amp them better, leave your HU alone, you'll be fine. You'll want a better sub too, the only question is are you willing to put it under the rear seat, in which case you'll have better and cheaper options (or more expensive depending on taste) or behind the seat. Up to you. Lots of thread on that topic too. Have fun! Do your research, it's worth the effort.
The center in theory is there to support imaging, in practice it isn't very good at it with the stock system and is useless with aftermarket. Worse than useless; your system will sound worse with it. Plus, it's a pretty low quality speaker - I've listened to it on it's own and run test tones through it, it is a POS. If you are doing an aftermarket swap you don't need it and won't miss it. Any half-decent DSP will give you better imaging as it is.
You did your build backwards - the rear door speakers come last. A lot of people don't even bother with them. Heck some higher end setups don't even run with them at all, especially in the bigger trucks. There's lots of posts on this so search around. Whatever side you fall on that debate though the consensus all around is spend the money up front.
If you have the B&O system you probably want one of the digital aftermarket kits that get you line level like the Zen A2B I have (2 years with it now, no problems, system sounds great). If you don't have the B&O there are other line-level solutions. Get better speakers, amp them better, leave your HU alone, you'll be fine. You'll want a better sub too, the only question is are you willing to put it under the rear seat, in which case you'll have better and cheaper options (or more expensive depending on taste) or behind the seat. Up to you. Lots of thread on that topic too. Have fun! Do your research, it's worth the effort.
Thank you for the time and good information. The reason I started in the back doors is the music seemed to be all in front of me (stage?). I also was not happy with lower end. I spoke with someone from Crutchfield and they suggested a faster/cheaper/easy improvement would be rear door speakers. It did improve things a little.
I am wanting to swap out front door speakers but not sure is I can swap in coaxials and keep factory tweeters or if I HAVE to use components. Yes, I know components are better, but I'm just wanting a better balance and quality rather than super loud. I small, sealed subwoofer behind the rear seat I think will add what I'm looking for. But, I have seen/read in a couple of places that powered subwoofers or amplifiers don't work well with factory system. I do not want to lose the use of my steering wheel controls or HU controls.
Worried for nothing? Or, are there things I need to be wary of? Again, thanks for the info already provided.
Thank you for the time and good information. The reason I started in the back doors is the music seemed to be all in front of me (stage?). I also was not happy with lower end. I spoke with someone from Crutchfield and they suggested a faster/cheaper/easy improvement would be rear door speakers. It did improve things a little.
I am wanting to swap out front door speakers but not sure is I can swap in coaxials and keep factory tweeters or if I HAVE to use components. Yes, I know components are better, but I'm just wanting a better balance and quality rather than super loud. I small, sealed subwoofer behind the rear seat I think will add what I'm looking for. But, I have seen/read in a couple of places that powered subwoofers or amplifiers don't work well with factory system. I do not want to lose the use of my steering wheel controls or HU controls.
Worried for nothing? Or, are there things I need to be wary of? Again, thanks for the info already provided.
I usually think better of Crutchfield but you got terrible advice A half decent DSP/Amp combo - including some that are literally combo units, and we're not talking about bank-breakers here - and a little effort can get you a heck of a lot better of a soundstage even with the stock speakers. Digital processing has changed the game considerably since the days of yore in car audio (and general audio) believe me.
Look, you can get reasonably priced components that will swap right in where the stock doors and tweeter pillars are with no hassle. In fact the pillar swap for the tweeters is the easiest of all the speakers to do in the truck even factoring in you have to run wire for them back to the amp (which is easy - and for the door speakers you can reuse the OEM wire). And get a cheap DSP & Amp - this forum is full of suggestions though I think there's a general consensus on the budget picks (I haven't been keeping up lately but shouldn't take long to find out, just ask). Same for a decent behind the seat sub replacement - plenty of owners doing that too who don't want to use the space under the seat. You can save money and get a great sounding system. What you can't do is go half-in and expect much. That's just wasting money. Better to keep the stock at that point, honestly.
02-20-2018, 10:37 PM
A half decent DSP/Amp combo - including some that are literally combo units, and we're not talking about bank-breakers here - and a little effort can get you a heck of a lot better of a soundstage even with the stock speakers. Digital processing has changed the game considerably since the days of yore in car audio (and general audio) believe me.