Sasknel79

I have a 2018 Ford F-150 Lariat with B&O Play and upgrades as follows:

Upgraded my front stage speakers to Hertz Energy 6.5" Components 100 rms. Made a noticeable difference over stock. Lost the 6x8" lows due to lack of power. I am pretty sure the factory amp puts out about 12 rms or so to the speakers.
My Center is a Hertz Decei 35 rms Coax, which made a huge difference over stock. Had to file down inside of the bracket to fit
Rears are Hertz Decei 6.5" Coax 60 rms - not much better than stock,
Have a powered JL 8” Micro- sub 150rms run through an Audio Control LC2i LOC with AR-1 Controller. Mounted the controller at the front of that useless space on the side of the center console. Couple gripes is that I still have problems will bass roll off above 20 volume setting, as well I'm not sure if it is the LOC cutting off at 33hz or the B&O amp not sending a low enough signal but certain songs that hit really low on my old 10" Hertz Energy Sub and Alpine F500 Amp in my 2010 F-150 are non-existent. Overall I would say this is a huge upgrade and easily hides under the seat and can be taken out easily to clean or make room.

Right now 98% of people would be happy with the above upgrades as they have really made a difference over stock and have alot to do with the high DB rating of Hertz Speakers.

So I have 4 scenarios below I am considering to get to the next level:

1. Simple and cost effective ($450 Cdn with tax) to get power to those front stage components. Add a Kicker Key 200.4 to power front Stage on BiAmp with Auto Tune. Preferred, but not sure if it will work. Asked Kicker they say it will as follows:
"We could use 4 inputs, you would use the tweeter signal for AMP 1 and the mid signal (front doors) for AMP 2, then bi-amp the Key on your new set of components. The only other thing we could try is see if the signal before the B+O amp is full-range and variable, if so you could grab and use that signal and let the Key apply the crossover and divide the signal as needed. You do not need to use the passive crossovers if you are using the Key in bi-amp mode, as it applies it's own crossover using the DSP."

The statement in the middle worries me "The only other thing we could try is see if the signal before the B+O amp is full-range and variable". Not sure he understands the complexity of the B&O.

Question: Will the Key 200.4 work by just running the tweeters and front door signals to the high levels, bi-amp to components, then let the Auto-DSP tune do the rest?
If this works I will have the wattage to satisfy my loudness and solve part of the bass roll-off as I won't have to have the volume at 30 max to get my kicks. This is my preference but not sure it will work. I will add the PAC APH-FD02 to any of the options.

2. An Audio Fischer Match UP U7 DSP Amp ($990 Cdn w/tax) - 7 x65 rms with sub output rca, plus $300 cdn for new center midrange) plus 70 or so for a JL Remote for the Microsub

Just sent them the following questions:
The B&O Play has different crossed signals that go to specific speakers. To get a full range signal I would need a signal from the front tweeters, signals from the door speakers and signals from the subwoofer. The Match amp only has 4 high level inputs in. Can I use one input/side one door speaker and one subwoofer connection (it has a DVC) and then use both tweeter inputs as they have factory chimes through them to get a full range that I can assign to the outputs? I believe the amp will sum the inputs that I can assign and then tune? A couple more questions. I have a set of component woofers in the front doors 4 ohm. Can I utilize the 2x130 subwoofer channels to drive those leaving the other 5 channels for my a pillar tweeters, Center, front mid woofer and coax rear doors? and finally can I control gain/amperage to each set of speakers through the DSP software? I may have to upgrade my center.

This solves all problems for rolloff and signal, might lose my fader/balance which I never use. It would definitely be loud enough.

3. Option 3 - ZEN Nav (770) + Match (990) + Center Mid (300) + 70 JL Sub Control = 2130 Cdn with tax - yikes
This will work and be an easy install, but you can pull it out very easily as I am a die hard Ford truck owner and use it in the future.

4. This is the flyer option. Connection SLI 2.2. I looked hard at this as it is fairly new, basically to combine my tweeter and front doors signals to run a 2-channel amp then send power through my passive crossover. It also has load to simulate speakers. I decided not to do it as I wasn't sure it would work:
https://connection.eu/product/access...faces/sli-2-2/
I can pick this up for 70 bucks and use it with a 2-channel amp or bridge a 4 channel. Its made by the company that owns Audison/Hertz so its likely made for VW/BMW/Fiat/Mercedes for aftermarket sub integration or adding an extra amp to newer cars, just didn't get a warm and fuzzy on it.

jdunk54nl

Nav tv -> dayton 408 dsp (or Helix dsp.3 or minidsp 8x12 with dirac)-> amp of your choice

Or

Nav tv -> Kicker key for front and then sub amp and use the kicker key dsp.


Either way, nav tv.

dhmcfadin

Nav TV all day. You will not be satisfied trying to put makeup on a pig.

In regard to your sub rolling off at 33hz. Remember, you are running an 8" woofer.

Sasknel79

That is kind of what I thought. Also looked at the Alpine PXE-0850s. It has 6 high level inputs in that sums. So i was thinking tweeters, rear doors and sub woofer. The send each signal out separately to tweeters, centers, front doors (grab a 2 channel amp for more power), rears and then the JL. Not sure if you have any thoughts on this setup?

Sasknel79

I figured as much with the Nav. Just have the bite the bullet.

jdunk54nl

You only need Front left and front right input, nothing else matters and isn't needed. That is all most people use including myself. I have rear inputs hooked up, but I don't have them routed to anything....they are just there.

The alpine isn't bad, but not my favorite device. A couple of our audio group monthly meetup people have them and they aren't the easiest to work with. I just spent an hour and a half with a friend this Sunday helping him do some basics with it. It wasn't wanting to work right for us and kept doing weird things. I find the dayton easier (in my wife's car) and the Helix WAY easier (in my truck).

Sasknel79

What do you think of the MATCH UP U7 DSP? It is the same manufacturer (Audio Fisscher) as the Helix and uses the same DSP software. In regards to above, just to clarify I could just run in the front left door and front right door, or is it the tweeters? Just wondering how to get a full range signal from the B&O to send out to all the speakers and keep all the factory chimes and such. Not really worried about fading and balance.

jdunk54nl

nav tv handles all of the signal and chime stuff.

if you want an integrated unit, get a helix p6 or v8 or jl vxi.

the match seems overpriced compared to the p6

dhmcfadin

Helix ALL DAY LONG!

Sasknel79

Here the response from Audiotec Fischer on the Match UP7 DSP:

"Thank you for your inquiry! The UP7 DSP is a great amplifier to use in the Ford trucks. We've used it a lot in that application with great results. While your idea for getting full range signal would technically work, it would leave you without proper stereo signal going through the amplifier. It also leaves the problematic B&O sound processing in place, which will cause it's own batch of issues when it comes to getting the best performance possible from your audio system. The best way to attack that truck is to replace the factory B&O amplifier with a digital preamp (like the unit from Nav TV). This allows you to extract the pure digital audio signal from the factory audio system, and inject an unaltered full range signal into the DSP. This ensures all signals are accounted for, including things like parking sensors and Bluetooth voice.

You can then use the amplifier as you had planned, with the high power channels driving your midbass, and the other 5 channels to drive tweeters, rear and center. You can then use the pre amplifier output to power your subwoofer system with the full benefits of the DSP applied to it.

I hope this answers your questions, but if there's anything else, I'd be happy to help!
Thank you,"