I have a 2011 F150 XLT SCREW 4x4 Ecoboost that is need of some new door speakers. Two speakers are completely not working and one is about gone. Radio is factory SYNC

I would like to replace the factory speakers with aftermarket speakers that will be compatible with the factory radio. Any suggestions? Would like to keep the factory wiring for now.

My next question is about replacing the radio in the future. Unfortunately my budget does not allow me to replace the speakers and head unit all at once. Any suggestions for an aftermarket head unit that will work well with the speakers suggested?

 

I have jl audio speakers in all 4 doors. I had them laying around from another car I had in the past. They still work great. There is a harness you can buy that makes it a super easy plug n play installation. Your speakers might not be working due to moisture getting inside the door. I have that issue. I have since wrapped snack size ziploc bags around the plugs and have had 0 issues. A ghetto fix, but you can’t see it and it works.

As for the head unit unit I got bad news for you. Check out the audio section of the forum. There’s another guy over there right now thinking about replacing his radio like you have. The non 4.2 inch screen. He went to crutchfield.com and looked around. He was not happy with the price for everything. It’s not a cheap fix like it is in most other vehicles.

 

Thanks for the info. Do you have any specs on the speakers you used?
I have attached a pic of what my factory radio looks like, is this style hard to swap out?

 

Not 100%, but I believe they were 6x8. They sound great in the mid and high levels, but were severely lacking on the low end. Be prepared for that. It left me wanting more, so I ended up buying a kicker vss substage and now I am completely satisfied with the audio in the vehicle.

Yes unfortunately thats the difficult one. The 4.2” isn’t much easier honestly. It gets expensive due to needed to purchase a whole new dash kit or bezel as some call it. Then if you want to maintain your sync controls, you have to purchase the maestro kit. I’ll be honest, I’m not really up on all the things you need. I have just learned this through reading on here. There’s a ton of information available for your viewing pleasure. But I believe the price tag will be around $400-$700 when it’s all said and done. Of course it could be more or less depending on the head unit purchased.

 

Thanks for your help and the info.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a set of speakers that pair well with the factory radio? I have thought about getting 6x8 or maybe getting the adapters and putting in 6.5 speakers.

What should I look for as far as wattage? Impedance, 2 or 4 ohms?

 

Morel's are a forum favorite. I would suggest a component set. Get in touch with Bruce @HushCarAudio on here and he can help you out.

Also, the factory radio is going to leave you wanting some more power with anything aftermarket. It is hard to get as efficient as the factory speakers on 10-20 watts rms. But if you are set on keeping it and not buying an amp, then look for high sensitivity speakers. If you want to add a small amp, I would suggest this one https://www.crutchfield.com/S-7BYMEV...-KEY180-4.html for easy install and some auto tune options that work pretty well from what I have heard.

 

All the replacement speakers suggested so far only work as advertised with a lot of power from an aftermarket amplifier. Your headunit-only power needs sensitive and efficient replacement speakers. JBL and Infinity are the only 2 brands that offer this. Depending on the model, the speakers will be from 2.5 to 3.5 ohms per voice coil which will use the low power of the headunit more efficiently than 4 ohm speakers. They also are rated at above 90 db sensitivity which allows them to be played louder with less power. The best thing is if you decide to have a sub system later and it overpowers these speakers, they will also take the power from an aftermarket amp.

 

What is described above is pretty much been my experience except that I have non-current JBL model GT7-86's. I picked them up second hand (but new and unused in the box). They have a better lower end frequency response than the current JBL models (8620 & 8621F) that are at about the same price point as mine were when they were available. It looks like their current GTO860 model is more similar to what I have but they're considerably more money.

The GT7-86's were a decent improvement over the stock speakers and were loud enough with the same head unit as the OP has. The addition of an aftermarket head unit (in my case Kenwood DDX774BH) woke the sound quality up that much more. Also as mentioned their bass response is lacking.... I have a separate sub amp installed and I'm just in the process of working on an enclosure for a single 10" to finish off the install.

 

Low frequencies require more power to reproduce. I’ve heard some JBL’s (and other brands) on 15w (most HU's), on 45w (small amps), then on close to 100w ("normal" size amps). Big difference between the 3 powers and that difference is usually low end.

 

Don’t buy the plugs that connect to the stock wiring. Cut the ties and use heat shrink to attach them. I used the plugs and all of them filled with water and stopped working.