Anyone upgrade speakers in their B&O system?

[wildman5427]

Hi All,
I have a 4 door OBX, LUX with B&O sound system. I have read so many posts about upgrading speakers on the base stereo and was wondering if any audiophiles upgraded their speakers on a B&O system.
If so, what speakers did you go with? Was it a noticeable difference/worth it?

I fully admit I am NOT an audiophile, but am interested to see what difference (if any) was gained by upgrading speakers. I'm in SoCal and will spend the majority of the spring/summer/fall with the top off and want to be sure I am getting great sound.

Thanks!

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[Panzer948]

Hi All,
I have a 4 door OBX, LUX with B&O sound system. I have read so many posts about upgrading speakers on the base stereo and was wondering if any audiophiles upgraded their speakers on a B&O system.
If so, what speakers did you go with? Was it a noticeable difference/worth it?

I fully admit I am NOT an audiophile, but am interested to see what difference (if any) was gained by upgrading speakers. I'm in SoCal and will spend the majority of the spring/summer/fall with the top off and want to be sure I am getting great sound.

Thanks!

Hey, in same boat here. I currently looking at Crutchfield for options to replace the 6" kick panel and all five of the 4" speakers (will leave the subwoofer for now). I may post back what I decide to go with. Hopefully someone else will respond with ideas. I do know that some of the 4" speakers are the same in the base system as they are in the B&O, so there should be some common themes with those.

 

[ColeTrain84]

i'm changing out the 4" ones for sure and probably the 6" kick panel speakers later. Crutchfield doesn't have the center dash speaker listed as to what it is.

 

[Panzer948]

i'm changing out the 4" ones for sure and probably the 6" door speakers later. Crutchfield doesn't have the center dash speaker listed as to what it is.

I understand that issue totally. Maybe this will help. I saw another member on here, @mpeugeot, list the speakers he replaced on the dash and they all three were the same (he indicated they were Morel Maximo Ultra Coax 402 Mk II in the left, right, center). That at least tells me that if you find a left and right dash speaker that fits then it should also fit the center too. That is the same info I am going with as well.

 

[De Brus]

Following for updates. I am interested in doing the same.

 

[Ser Arthur Dayne]

I am getting the B&O and not upgrading now but figured years down the road.

I had an absolutely awesome, amazing original '98 Dodge Durango. SLT+ 5.9L 360 V8, every option except a sunroof (we bought it off the lot, so it's not like we just skimped) and the best stock stereo system I've ever encountered - I believe it was a 6-speaker Infinity surround sound system - it had a little mini-'joystick' in the head unit to move the sound around. The front doors had component Tweeters and either mini-woofers or 2-ways at the bottom of the door, and the rear door had either mid-range or 2-ways? It's been a long time, I can't rightly remember but they were awesome.

But 2003, after years of blasting the stereo all the time, I saved up a few paychecks and tax returns and decide to have a pro redo them. I got Infinity Perfect components for the front, I want to say Infinity Kappa 3-Ways for the rear (they didn't have Perfect 3-ways or not in the right size, again it's been a long time) and a 12" Perfect Sub ... I had an amp installed to run the speakers and a second sub amp for the sub. It was pretty sweet. I mean it's not like it's going to be entering some contests but it was awesome.

I figure I will see how I like the B&O and years down the road there is room for improvement.

 

[Panzer948]

I am getting the B&O and not upgrading now but figured years down the road.

I had an absolutely awesome, amazing original '98 Dodge Durango. SLT+ 5.9L 360 V8, every option except a sunroof (we bought it off the lot, so it's not like we just skimped) and the best stock stereo system I've ever encountered - I believe it was a 6-speaker Infinity surround sound system - it had a little mini-'joystick' in the head unit to move the sound around. The front doors had component Tweeters and either mini-woofers or 2-ways at the bottom of the door, and the rear door had either mid-range or 2-ways? It's been a long time, I can't rightly remember but they were awesome.

But 2003, after years of blasting the stereo all the time, I saved up a few paychecks and tax returns and decide to have a pro redo them. I got Infinity Perfect components for the front, I want to say Infinity Kappa 3-Ways for the rear (they didn't have Perfect 3-ways or not in the right size, again it's been a long time) and a 12" Perfect Sub ... I had an amp installed to run the speakers and a second sub amp for the sub. It was pretty sweet. I mean it's not like it's going to be entering some contests but it was awesome.

I figure I will see how I like the B&O and years down the road there is room for improvement.

That's so ironic as I had a 2000 Dodge Durango, factory ordered with everything, with that same head unit with joystick. Then after a few years I finally did a few upgrades and ended with a sub and amp in the back. To this day, that is the best audio system I have ever owned. I finally had to part ways with the Duranto a couple of years ago but its audio components still live on in my restored CJ5 (amp and sub). But yeah, that was the perfect vehicle for audio upgrades!

 

[Ser Arthur Dayne]

That's so ironic as I had a 2000 Dodge Durango, factory ordered with everything, with that same head unit with joystick. Then after a few years I finally did a few upgrades and ended with a sub and amp in the back. To this day, that is the best audio system I have ever owned. I finally had to part ways with the Duranto a couple of years ago but its audio components still live on in my restored CJ5 (amp and sub). But yeah, that was the perfect vehicle for audio upgrades!

That put such a smile on my face. I was a high schooler when we got that Durango. Junior year I think. My Dad had ordered a GMC Yukon and he loved it before he got it, just pretty much hated it after we got it. We went to a dealership in what I want to say was Christmastime '97 to look at the brand-new Durangos ... and at first he was looking at much baser models ... and somehow I got him to look at The Best One On The Lot ... and he goes from "Well I don't know about this... this is expensive and luxurious...." to "Oh yeah babe, this is the one!" ...I started driving in probably March of '98 and at first I was only allowed to drive his Jeep Wrangler [the world is different, back then Jeeps were inexpensive and enthusiast vehicles, now they're everywhere and they make $80K V8 Jeeps] ... but eventually one day I wrangled the keys to the Durango out of him, and from that day on his Durango was mine. All was good until I was about 24, and I finally got a "real job" , and I was promptly informed it was time to buy my own car, the Durango was going to my kid sister. I was aghast! But the Durango is mine! No it's not, moron, it's MINE, and furthermore it's your kid sister's now. So a few weeks later I'm no longer big pimping, I'm tooling around in a Chevy Cobalt, and a few weeks after that she totals my precious baby Durango. Gone With The Wind. And I actually laughed and smiled at your last line. My Dad actually asked - several times- "Do you want to take all your fancy speakers out of it? They've Wrecked it, but you can take your speakers and stuff out if you want..." - No. It would hurt too much to take body parts out of my Baby Girl. Bury her intact. "You know the workers at the place are just going to steal them..." ... Fine. I just can't do it. She meant too much to me.

 

[Panzer948]

That put such a smile on my face. I was a high schooler when we got that Durango. Junior year I think. My Dad had ordered a GMC Yukon and he loved it before he got it, just pretty much hated it after we got it. We went to a dealership in what I want to say was Christmastime '97 to look at the brand-new Durangos ... and at first he was looking at much baser models ... and somehow I got him to look at The Best One On The Lot ... and he goes from "Well I don't know about this... this is expensive and luxurious...." to "Oh yeah babe, this is the one!" ...I started driving in probably March of '98 and at first I was only allowed to drive his Jeep Wrangler [the world is different, back then Jeeps were inexpensive and enthusiast vehicles, now they're everywhere and they make $80K V8 Jeeps] ... but eventually one day I wrangled the keys to the Durango out of him, and from that day on his Durango was mine. All was good until I was about 24, and I finally got a "real job" , and I was promptly informed it was time to buy my own car, the Durango was going to my kid sister. I was aghast! But the Durango is mine! No it's not, moron, it's MINE, and furthermore it's your kid sister's now. So a few weeks later I'm no longer big pimping, I'm tooling around in a Chevy Cobalt, and a few weeks after that she totals my precious baby Durango. Gone With The Wind. And I actually laughed and smiled at your last line. My Dad actually asked - several times- "Do you want to take all your fancy speakers out of it? They've Wrecked it, but you can take your speakers and stuff out if you want..." - No. It would hurt too much to take body parts out of my Baby Girl. Bury her intact. "You know the workers at the place are just going to steal them..." ... Fine. I just can't do it. She meant too much to me.

Very cool story. I am just a little bit older than you but was still only 29 when I factory ordered it, which was the first time I ever bought a car exactly the way I want it. I literally kept it until the engine blew a gasket, which took 20 years to happen. It was still one of my best vehicles and gave me very little trouble. I think many folks have fond memories of them as they were just an overall capable vehicle with truck DNA that could do the family thing too. I guess MPG was its weak point but through most of those years, gas was cheap!

 

[SamG]

I just tried three different brands of 4” speakers to replace the front and rear 4” in the bronco.

all three of them were TRASH…. And I broke the clip that holds the speaker cover on the drivers side rear just to add to my dismay.
I’m beginning to think all 4” speakers are shit as they are simply too small to be good

 

[MnLakeBum]

I’m sure I’ll eventually upgrade the B&O system when my Bronco shows up(7-20-20 res but no production date yet). I’m pretty picky about sound having spent a decade in my youth selling home and car audio gear for a living and doing some car audio competitions back in the day.

My current daily driver had a decent factory system and I upgrading it with with new amps and speakers including a Focal 12” E 30 KX sub and 165KX2 separates. I’m sure I could get those Focal 165’s to fit in the door and dash.

 

[Panzer948]

I just tried three different brands of 4” speakers to replace the front and rear 4” in the bronco.

all three of them were TRASH…. And I broke the clip that holds the speaker cover on the drivers side rear just to add to my dismay.
I’m beginning to think all 4” speakers are shit as they are simply too small to be good

Sorry to hear your bad luck. I am very curious what model of speakers you tried. I understand Ford cuts the low frequency (bass) out of the rear pods at the head unit so It will be very difficult to get the rear pods to sound as good as they "could" sound without more modifications. However, the fronts should be full range and should take advantage of an upgrade.

 

[Panzer948]

I just tried three different brands of 4” speakers to replace the front and rear 4” in the bronco.

all three of them were TRASH…. And I broke the clip that holds the speaker cover on the drivers side rear just to add to my dismay.
I’m beginning to think all 4” speakers are shit as they are simply too small to be good

But I do agree with you about 4" not being as good as larger. It seems Ford could have easily made those square pods slightly larger (maybe more round) to accept a 5 to 6" size speaker. I am sure aftermarket will come out with new pods that will. Probably already have. Just need to figure out an easy way to get full range back there.

 

[Bird Dog Off Road]

I'm still trying to figure out how to adjust the Sub woofer volume (if that's even possible). So far, I can't tell that it's even there.

 

[MKZoom]

I'm still trying to figure out how to adjust the Sub woofer volume (if that's even possible). So far, I can't tell that it's even there.

the EQ settings have a bass adjustment you can use to alter the frequency response. but the subwoofer will be playing a low frequency. it's much harder to tell where a low frequency is coming from.

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