B&O Speakers Upgraded in 2022 Bronco

[STING555]

I finished upgrading all of the speakers, except the subwoofer, in my B&O system. I used Hertz 100.3 4” coaxials in the dash corners and rear pods. I used Hertz 165L 6.5” midbass in the kick panels and a PRV 4” midrange for the center.

I got harness adapters for all 7 speakers from eBay seller FastDaddy. I went with 300hz bass blockers for all 5 of the 4” speakers. Note: These specific Hertz 4” speakers have large terminals for both positive and negative, so I did have to modify the harnesses with a larger terminal adapter for the negative wire.

The result is better than I expected. I would highly recommend this speaker combination. The B&O amp seems to provide sufficient power and drives the new speakers just fine. The volume levels are slightly louder than stock/B&O but with much better sound quality.


I learned so much from the other speaker upgrade threads here on B6G. Special shout out to @Ksjrb03 and @cmcbronco for their detailed and informational threads.

I used a generous amount kilmat in all of the speaker locations. I used polyfill behind the speakers in the dash and rear pods. For the kick panels, I used silicone baffles and no polyfill.

Now, I need to fix the rattle in the sub. I will eventually upgrade the sub (possibly JL Stealthbox), but for now I will be happy if I can fix the rattle.

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[STING555]

My subwoofer rattled from day 1, but lately it had gotten worse. I finally had a chance to open the rear panel to see what was rattling around in there.

This video provides a nice walkthrough on disassembling the rear trim panels.



What I found was that there was a bracket above the amplifier that had somehow come loose. The 12v socket was also rattling in its mounting location. Those seemed to be the main culprits. I wrapped those two areas, along with everything else I could, with Kilmat. I also put a bunch of Kilmat on the back side of the plastic trim panel. Then I stuffed some egg crate foam under the sub enclosure. This solved the issue.

The rattling noise is gone, but there’s still some vibrations here and there. I have a cargo drawer and tailgate table, so those both make a little bit of noise, but hardly noticeable. I’m calling it a huge win.

Here is a picture of the factory B&O 7 speaker set that came out of my rig. If anybody is interested, they’re now for sale.

 

[cubes32]

I finished upgrading all of the speakers, except the subwoofer, in my B&O system. I used Hertz 100.3 4” coaxials in the dash corners and rear pods. I used Hertz 165L 6.5” midbass in the kick panels and a PRV 4” midrange for the center.

I got harness adapters for all 7 speakers from eBay seller FastDaddy. I went with 300hz bass blockers for all 5 of the 4” speakers. Note: These specific Hertz 4” speakers have large terminals for both positive and negative, so I did have to modify the harnesses with a larger terminal adapter for the negative wire.

The result is better than I expected. I would highly recommend this speaker combination. The B&O amp seems to provide sufficient power and drives the new speakers just fine. The volume levels are slightly louder than stock/B&O but with much better sound quality.


I learned so much from the other speaker upgrade threads here on B6G. Special shout out to @Ksjrb03 and @cmcbronco for their detailed and informational threads.

I used a generous amount kilmat in all of the speaker locations. I used polyfill behind the speakers in the dash and rear pods. For the kick panels, I used silicone baffles and no polyfill.

Now, I need to fix the rattle in the sub. I will eventually upgrade the sub (possibly JL Stealthbox), but for now I will be happy if I can fix the rattle.

Were there any issues mounting the kick panel speakers? Crutchfield has the C165’s but there is a note that it doesn’t fit and would be surface mount only.
Also, was there a specific reason to get the C165L vs. C165?

 

[STING555]

Were there any issues mounting the kick panel speakers? Crutchfield has the C165’s but there is a note that it doesn’t fit and would be surface mount only.
Also, was there a specific reason to get the C165L vs. C165?

No issues mounting these 6.5” speakers in the kick panel. I used the Metra 82-5605 plates. I did trim the inner ring on the factory grill for additional clearance to be safe.

I chose the Hertz 165L because I was looking for a mid-bass speaker as opposed to a midrange. The 4” dash speakers cover the higher frequency range down to 300hz, so I wanted the kick panel speakers to focus on the lower frequency range. I found the pair of 165L on Amazon for under $100.

 

[cubes32]

No issues mounting these 6.5” speakers in the kick panel. I used the Metra 82-5605 plates. I did trim the inner ring on the factory grill for additional clearance to be safe.

I chose the Hertz 165L because I was looking for a mid-bass speaker as opposed to a midrange. The 4” dash speakers cover the higher frequency range down to 300hz, so I wanted the kick panel speakers to focus on the lower frequency range. I found the pair of 165L on Amazon for under $100.

I might follow your playbook with the Hertz setup, plus a pretty good dose of sound treatment.

I wanted to go with JL C2’s, but they have lower sensitivity and I’m not sure the B&O amp will power them well enough. I haven’t seen any confirmation of anyone running them off of the B&O amp.

 

[emulous74]

I just tried to install my CDT ES-E4X coaxial speakers in the dash and they don't fit. The difference is they are actually 4" speakers and full round metal mounting, so no tabs, like the newer speakers. I would also have to move the wiring harness that sits at the bottom of the dash speaker openings.

I was successful in getting them mounting in the rear pods on the door. The only thing I needed to do was drill 4 new holes in the plastic to attach them.

And the covers went back on with little problem.

The MTI dash adapters, say they can do a 4" coaxial, might see if they can do one for my 4" separate and I'll just mount the tweeter in the A-pillar or right next to the dash speaker inline. But $450.00 for the adapters seems a little steep.

 

[ilostmydrink]

I did a similar upgrade targeting speakers only:

4" Dash Corners - Audison APX4
6.5" Kickpanel Speakers - Memphis Mojo MJP6

Choosing the Audison APX4 for these positions without any DSP change is a mistake. I kinda figured that going into this based on the massive bump around 10k Hz for the frequency curve and the reflections from the windshield. I chose this route because it seems the peak power of the B&O amp (75 W) would exceed the peak rating of the Hertz speaker.

I recommend staying away from the APX4 in this position unless using a Kicker Key to shape the response.

Some thoughts on these changes only:

• I installed the MJP6 first and listened to the system. With a sensitivity of 100 dB they're significantly more efficient than stock and removed the point source of sound produced by the front dash speakers. There seems to be a slight reflection and timing problem with these with the stock 4" but, in my opinion, corrects the glaring issue Ford/B&O tuning has - a lack of midbass in the front (essentially asking the subwoofer to do too much). For folks that don't care about crisp highs and just want a warm, fairly clear system, installing the MJP6 in the kick and a 300 Hz bass blocker in the dash should yield some fantastic results.
• As said above, the Audison APX4 is a mistake if no additional DSP is applied. They have a 91 dB sensitivity rating and, when installed in the combination listed above, are more efficient than the stock speakers resulting in the kick panel speakers no longer providing the warmth. This leads me to assume the stock speakers are somewhere around an 89 dB sensitivity (all conjecture based on loudness). Folks that are using 88 dB to 89 dB speakers without replacing the amp should be ok with the results if the kit is in the same sensitivity range.
• My plan to move the front dash speakers to the rear pods failed - I reasoned these should be slightly better speakers than the ones in the rear and I can save some money in the short term. The two way speakers in the corners have an interference due to the soldered capacitor and thus do not fit.

 

[emulous74]

I did a similar upgrade targeting speakers only:

4" Dash Corners - Audison APX4
6.5" Kickpanel Speakers - Memphis Mojo MJP6

Choosing the Audison APX4 for these positions without any DSP change is a mistake. I kinda figured that going into this based on the massive bump around 10k Hz for the frequency curve and the reflections from the windshield. I chose this route because it seems the peak power of the B&O amp (75 W) would exceed the peak rating of the Hertz speaker.

I recommend staying away from the APX4 in this position unless using a Kicker Key to shape the response.

Some thoughts on these changes only:

• I installed the MJP6 first and listened to the system. With a sensitivity of 100 dB they're significantly more efficient than stock and removed the point source of sound produced by the front dash speakers. There seems to be a slight reflection and timing problem with these with the stock 4" but, in my opinion, corrects the glaring issue Ford/B&O tuning has - a lack of midbass in the front (essentially asking the subwoofer to do too much). For folks that don't care about crisp highs and just want a warm, fairly clear system, installing the MJP6 in the kick and a 300 Hz bass blocker in the dash should yield some fantastic results.
• As said above, the Audison APX4 is a mistake if no additional DSP is applied. They have a 91 dB sensitivity rating and, when installed in the combination listed above, are more efficient than the stock speakers resulting in the kick panel speakers no longer providing the warmth. This leads me to assume the stock speakers are somewhere around an 89 dB sensitivity (all conjecture based on loudness). Folks that are using 88 dB to 89 dB speakers without replacing the amp should be ok with the results if the kit is in the same sensitivity range.
• My plan to move the front dash speakers to the rear pods failed - I reasoned these should be slightly better speakers than the ones in the rear and I can save some money in the short term. The two way speakers in the corners have an interference due to the soldered capacitor and thus do not fit.

These should help you out with your 4" dash speakers:

2021+ Ford Bronco or Maverick 4" Speaker Wire Connectors w/300Hz Bass Blockers

Or:

2021+ Ford Bronco or Maverick 4" Speaker Swap Harness Pair w/600Hz Bass Blockers

 

[ilostmydrink]

These should help you out with your 4" dash speakers:

2021+ Ford Bronco or Maverick 4" Speaker Wire Connectors w/300Hz Bass Blockers

Or:

2021+ Ford Bronco or Maverick 4" Speaker Swap Harness Pair w/600Hz Bass Blockers

For the Audison speakers the problem really is with the detail of the highs between 4kHz and 8kHz: https://www.audison.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/AUDISON_Prima_APX4_Tech_Sheet.pdf

Even off axis the response is elevated. They're just not a great choice in this application without additional DSP. I'm assuming the mesh cover on the stock B&O speakers is to tame some of the harshness.

I couldn't find a curve for the Hertz speakers when I looked.

Edited to add: They sound great in the rear pods and when directly pointed at the listener like an A pillar installation - a little bright not not fatiguing - so it's really the reflection off the windshield giving problems with the tweeter characteristics.

 

[STING555]

I did a similar upgrade targeting speakers only:

4" Dash Corners - Audison APX4
6.5" Kickpanel Speakers - Memphis Mojo MJP6

Choosing the Audison APX4 for these positions without any DSP change is a mistake. I kinda figured that going into this based on the massive bump around 10k Hz for the frequency curve and the reflections from the windshield. I chose this route because it seems the peak power of the B&O amp (75 W) would exceed the peak rating of the Hertz speaker.

I recommend staying away from the APX4 in this position unless using a Kicker Key to shape the response.

Some thoughts on these changes only:

• I installed the MJP6 first and listened to the system. With a sensitivity of 100 dB they're significantly more efficient than stock and removed the point source of sound produced by the front dash speakers. There seems to be a slight reflection and timing problem with these with the stock 4" but, in my opinion, corrects the glaring issue Ford/B&O tuning has - a lack of midbass in the front (essentially asking the subwoofer to do too much). For folks that don't care about crisp highs and just want a warm, fairly clear system, installing the MJP6 in the kick and a 300 Hz bass blocker in the dash should yield some fantastic results.
• As said above, the Audison APX4 is a mistake if no additional DSP is applied. They have a 91 dB sensitivity rating and, when installed in the combination listed above, are more efficient than the stock speakers resulting in the kick panel speakers no longer providing the warmth. This leads me to assume the stock speakers are somewhere around an 89 dB sensitivity (all conjecture based on loudness). Folks that are using 88 dB to 89 dB speakers without replacing the amp should be ok with the results if the kit is in the same sensitivity range.
• My plan to move the front dash speakers to the rear pods failed - I reasoned these should be slightly better speakers than the ones in the rear and I can save some money in the short term. The two way speakers in the corners have an interference due to the soldered capacitor and thus do not fit.

The B&O amp doesn’t produce a ton of power. I chose the the Hertz 100.3 4” speakers because they seemed to have lower power handling and higher sensitivity compared to other aftermarket 4” coaxial speakers. The 165L mid bass speakers do surprisingly well off of the B&O amp. I was also considering some other off-brand 6.5” midbass drivers, but went with the Hertz 165L because they were available at a good price and the frequency response and sensitivity seemed to complement the other speakers nicely.

I’m really happy with the way all of the speakers sound. I like the sound of the Hertz 4”. The 6.5” kick panel speakers also made a big difference.

After spending some time listening to different types of music, I have no complaints. The system plays louder relative to factory at any given volume level.

I am usually partial to the sound of silk or textile tweeters, but these Hertz w/ PEI tweeters sound pretty damn good in this setup. Not too harsh.

I’ve decided to go ahead and upgrade the subwoofer. I’m putting in a Kicker Key 500.1 and a Audison Aps8D subwoofer in the B&O enclosure. The APS8D is a dual 4ohm with 250w RMS, so I’ll be pushing it close to the limit with 300w RMS @ 2ohm. I chose the Audison instead of the wildly popular kicker comp r sub because it has a lower resonant frequency and is designed for smaller enclosures.

I’ll be installing the new sub next week and I’ll report back.

 

[acarzt]

I finished upgrading all of the speakers, except the subwoofer, in my B&O system. I used Hertz 100.3 4” coaxials in the dash corners and rear pods. I used Hertz 165L 6.5” midbass in the kick panels and a PRV 4” midrange for the center.

I got harness adapters for all 7 speakers from eBay seller FastDaddy. I went with 300hz bass blockers for all 5 of the 4” speakers. Note: These specific Hertz 4” speakers have large terminals for both positive and negative, so I did have to modify the harnesses with a larger terminal adapter for the negative wire.

The result is better than I expected. I would highly recommend this speaker combination. The B&O amp seems to provide sufficient power and drives the new speakers just fine. The volume levels are slightly louder than stock/B&O but with much better sound quality.


I learned so much from the other speaker upgrade threads here on B6G. Special shout out to @Ksjrb03 and @cmcbronco for their detailed and informational threads.

I used a generous amount kilmat in all of the speaker locations. I used polyfill behind the speakers in the dash and rear pods. For the kick panels, I used silicone baffles and no polyfill.

Now, I need to fix the rattle in the sub. I will eventually upgrade the sub (possibly JL Stealthbox), but for now I will be happy if I can fix the rattle.

When I replaced the kicks I also used baffles and found that it killed the bass. After removing them, the bass was significantly better.

Have you experienced the same thing?

 

[STING555]

When I replaced the kicks I also used baffles and found that it killed the bass. After removing them, the bass was significantly better.

Have you experienced the same thing?

The bass response from the 6.5” is pretty good and much improved from stock. The baffles I used are open in the back. I’m not sure what difference they make, but I’m happy with the bass response compared to what it was before the swap.

 

[STING555]

I went to install the Audison APS8D sub today. It does not fit in the B&O enclosure. The sub would not seat in the opening due to the raised sections surrounding the opening on the enclosure. The sub is not easily modifiable. The rubber speaker surround material on the Audison sub stretches out almost the full diameter. Rather than hacking up a perfectly good sub, I have decided to switch gears and go with the Kicker 48CWR84 which others have successfully fitted in the B&O enclosure.
I am hitting the pause button on the install and will resume when the Kicker subwoofer arrives from Crutchfield. (On sale right now for $79.99).

 

[STING555]

Here are pictures of the uninstalled factory B&O sub. The magnet is tiny and extremely weak. The magnet is not even strong enough for a small screw to stick to it.

 

[NJNMDoc]

Wow- this is incredibly helpful! I have been waiting for someone to sort this all out. All I have been told over and over is that you cannot get around doing a DSP for the B&O system. If you sort out the Sub issue I think I'm in!

And what a bunch of cheap shit these stock speakers are... thank you for posting the pics you have. It just goes to show how bad the quality is.

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