Bronco MUSWAY DSP amp install & Speaker Upgrade

[mblur05]

Hey everyone!
I wanted to share the audio upgrades to my 2022 Bronco Black Diamond 4door with the base audio system. I like many other Bronco owners in the early days originally upgraded just the 4in speakers in the dash and rear pods. I finally added the Kicker Key 200.4 amp to power all speakers soon after that. Then, I decided to split up the wiring for the dash 4in speakers to run separately from the 6.5" kick panel speakers. That way the Kicker Key amp was only powering the fronts, not the rears. This worked ok for a while but I felt like the kicker key was limited, so I waited and researched the many options available at the time, seeing what others had done to upgrade the Bronco as well. I went back and forth trying to decide what I wanted to do, & how much I wanted to spend etc., especially if upgrading to a more expensive DSP amp system.

First, on the list was upgrading the amp, either a better DSP amp or maybe just going with a non-DSP amp. Narrowing that down for over the last 2 years was a long time to wait, however it paid off when I found "MUSWAY". They made so many options that were small in size which is what I wanted and powerfull enough for my needs. They were better priced and more powerful compared to more expensive amps like Helix or Mosconi. All of them are from Europe so they probably have similar internal components. (FYI - its pronounced "MUSE-WAY" like "music" which I've been told -Lol)

The next issue was deciding which 6.5" speakers that I wanted to upgrade to. This was something I went back and forth about too. However, I knew component speakers were the best option in the kick panel instead of coaxial speakers, so I just had to decide which brand to buy. I found the Youtube videos of 5 Star Car Stereo especially after the bronco videos they had. Since they had done a few Bronco audio installs already, I was watching a lot of their videos on many other cars they worked on seeing how they installed amp racks/wiring etc. The latest bronco video they posted showed them splitting up the front dash speakers, meaning the two way coaxial 4in dash speakers with the built in tweeter was wired separately from the mid woofer part of the speaker. This turned the front dash speakers into a 3 Way front speaker setup with the 6.5" mid bass kick panel speakers.

5Star Car Stereo wired the 8 channel DSP amp they used for all of the speakers. All of the front speakers were wired as 6 channels and the rears made it a total of 8 channels. The 6.5in speakers they used for the kick panel were the Audio control PNW65C component set, which are rated around 2.3 ohm at 100w RMS. That means I will get a higher output for those speakers with my amp. They also installed an amp for the Subwoofer added on the tailgate. I decided to do the same with the Musway M6 Pro, powering only the front speakers with the dash speakers tweeter/mid being split up, and the front 6.5" mid bass speakers, like a 3 Way speaker setup.

The M6 Pro has 10 Channels of DSP Output control, so it can control the Kicker Key to power the rears for channel 7-8 and a future subwoofer/amp can use 9-10 channels. This setup made it easier to setup the DSP software to control the Tweeters, mids, & mid bass (6.5") as well as the rears powered by the Key amp. Please note the Kicker Key amp is running as a regular amp, the bulit-in dsp isn't turned on.

Once I had all that figured out, I had to decide where I wanted to mount the Amp. It was small enough that I could mount it under the front seats (I have a 4door). However, I have the Black Diamond with the washout floors and I didn't want to risk any damage in the future, so I started looking for alternative locations in the bronco. That's when I saw under the passenger side dash footwell area. There were two blind holes in the firewall I could tap with threads. I figured the amp could be mounted there on a shelf using some Angle L shaped brackets. It would be out of the way so no one could damage it and it would be hidden in plain sight. So, I made a few templates out of cardboard to get the profile correct. I used the final template to cut out the shape using PVC sintra plastic board. I ran the wires and setup everything which you will see in my videos.

*Adding a Subwoofer = I don't have a subwoofer added yet, but my plan was to add one to the factory location inside the fender cargo panel. I already designed my own custom 10in subwoofer box that could fit into that area which I would 3D print, however I still need to test fit the design...... or I could just get the JL Audio Stealthbox or Gearshade's box & call it a day! I'm still debating all options! LOL

I custom made the Speaker Adapters &I 3D printed them using PCTG material. If you want to download the FREE 3D CAD file of the Speaker adapters I made, see the link below for Onshape.com its free to join. I can also send an STL or STEP 3D file if you want as well.

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/c...renderMode=0&uiState=67c5e72480f29214f6c52789


I ordered the Musway M6 Pro DSP Amp through plugnplaykits! Joesph @muswayusa4394 helped me setup the DSP!

Upgrades:
Musway M6 Pro DSP Amp (6x200 2ohm, 6x120 4ohm)
AudioControl PNW-65CS2 Component speaker set 6.5"
Kicker KS 4" dash speakers
Infinity Ref 4" Rear Pods (original upgrade purchase)
Kicker Key 200.4 Amp (only powers rear pod 4" speakers)


Below are my Amazon affiliate links showing all the products I used to install everything in my Bronco:

PCTG 3D Print material https://amzn.to/43eU2Tf
Threaded Heat inserts https://amzn.to/3R37kLr
Stinger Bronco Amp Kit 4AWG https://amzn.to/3QkrlfZ
T-SpecMANL 2Fuse Block https://amzn.to/3QjtIj5
PVC Sintra Sheet 1/4x12x16 https://amzn.to/4hSLs17
Angle Brackets 4x6in https://amzn.to/3EEe4MI
Speed Wire 9 Wire 18awg https://amzn.to/42Yoil8
6ft RCA Cables https://amzn.to/3COV7GA
PET Sleeve wire cover https://amzn.to/40WI4uB
150 Amp Fuse https://amzn.to/41hxgc7
IWISS Deutsch DT Connector Kit https://amzn.to/3CGeEJl
Closed Barrel Crimper https://amzn.to/4k1hsBC
Ferrule Crimping Tool and Set https://amzn.to/3X2GMx5
Mini ANL Fuse Pack https://amzn.to/4hCEsoR
Metric Tap Drill Set https://amzn.to/4hPQ7k0
Kicker KS 4in Speakers = https://amzn.to/42KwGEJ
Speaker Foam Rings= https://amzn.to/4hJSPqR
Speaker Foam Tape= https://amzn.to/3COVHnx
Tesa Tape to Wrap Wires = https://amzn.to/4hNoqIs
Speaker Sound Dampening = https://amzn.to/411l9j8
Sound Deadening Roller = https://amzn.to/4gvRCSY

Audio Control Speakers purchased from Crutchfield *non affiliated = https://www.crutchfield.com/S-7fxDYmuLHsp/p_161PNW65CS/AudioControl-PNW-65CS2.html

Below you will see my install videos where I add the speaker adapters with the Audio Control 6.5" Component speakers. The other videos show how I upgrade to the Musway M6 Pro DSP amp and my custom amp rack/install location in the Bronco.

*Update: added some photos too and added my wiring layout guide I made to preplan my setup

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[Squatch]

After my visual-learner self did this...

I really love it!

It's close to the route I want to take. I'm going to have to come up with a bit beefier "adapter" though and may end up replacing the kick panel speaker section entirely with a 3D printed piece in ASA because I want more speaker room back there and maybe angle.

Definitely a sweet setup and appreciate the CAD file! We have some 3D printers on B6G who'll love that.

 

[TNBronc]

Great information. Quick question, as someone not knowledgeable about building audio systems with these newer cars, or keeping the factory head unit.
I'm trying to understand how to separate
The kick panel speaker from the dash speakers. Does the DSP/Amp combo automatically split the 2 signals into 4? I am looking to run a 6 channel amp but have been confused on how take 4 signal inputs and turn them into 6 outputs. Trying to learn more about line out converters and DSP's. Thanks in advance

 

[RRaptor]

Good job I am installing the Musway 8 channel in the next week or two. I may try and go in the footwell like you did.

 

[mblur05]

After my visual-learner self did this...

I really love it!

It's close to the route I want to take. I'm going to have to come up with a bit beefier "adapter" though and may end up replacing the kick panel speaker section entirely with a 3D printed piece in ASA because I want more speaker room back there and maybe angle.

Definitely a sweet setup and appreciate the CAD file! We have some 3D printers on B6G who'll love that.

Happy to share!
Surprisingly I found the original 3D file of the 6.5" speaker adapter online too, and the notes of the file said it was for Ford vehicles with a 6.5" speaker size (I believe the file noted that it was designed for the F150 rear door). However, the mounting holes lined up perfect for the Bronco kick panel speakers so I lucked out there. I took that original 3D file and tweaked the design to be shorter in height, and added the mounting holes specific for the AudioControl speakers I used.

 

[mblur05]

Great information. Quick question, as someone not knowledgeable about building audio systems with these newer cars, or keeping the factory head unit.
I'm trying to understand how to separate
The kick panel speaker from the dash speakers. Does the DSP/Amp combo automatically split the 2 signals into 4? I am looking to run a 6 channel amp but have been confused on how take 4 signal inputs and turn them into 6 outputs. Trying to learn more about line out converters and DSP's. Thanks in advance

I'm not that knowledgable about Car Audio stuff either, I just watched a ton of install videos and researched as much as I could about anything and everthing I needed to do based on what I wanted to do with my Bronco. By no means am I a pro lol!

In order to separate the dash speakers from the Kick Panel speakers, the best method is to just run new wiring for just the Dash speakers like I mentioned in my post. I already ran new wires for the Dash speakers when I had the Kicker Key installed. I did that so I could run them separate from the 6.5" kick panel speakers so the Kicker Key powered all of the Front speakers *ONLY. Meaning, the Dash 4" speakers were Front CH 1-2 ( L&R), and the 6.5" Kicks were CH 3-4 (L&R) (aka rear channel). The Bronco Rear pod 4" speakers where bypassed, so they were running off the factory head unit in that setup. That is how I ran my audio for over a year.

So if you want to split the Tweeter that is bulit into 4" Coaxial speaker like the Kicker KS speaker that I have, then you need to run another set of wires for the Tweeter wiring and the main speaker connnection which would be the MID.

See my "Speaker Upgrade Part 2 video" and you will see the wiring for the dash speaker is split up and I added a connector for the Tweeter wiring in case I wanted to disconnect it or change it so that its reconnected to the main speaker wire for the 4" dash speaker. I have all the wires meeting under the driver steering wheel which is where the Kicker Key amp is located still. It made sense to have it all run there since I already had the wire harness installed there for the kicker key amp, so I just cut up that wire harness (purchased from plugnplaykits) and wired in the new wires that I needed to run for all connections.

Here is my MUSWAY M6 PRO wiring/channel setup:
Dash Kicker KS 4" Speakers Split wiring run:
-Tweeters are Ch 1-2 (L & R)
-Mids are Ch 3-4 (L & R)
-Kick Panel 6.5" Speakers are Ch 5-6 (L & R)

**The M6 Pro is only a 6 Channel DSP Amp, it only powers 6 channels, however it has 10 Channel DSP control output, so you can control the DSP levels to other amps using channels 7-10.

-Rear Pod 4" speakers are Ch 7-8 (L & R) Powered by the Kicker Key 200.4 Amp w/Rem out wire from Musway M6 Pro. **I also wired the REAR wires with DT connectors so I can connect them to the OEM harness running off the headunit in case I no longer wanted to power them with another amp.

-TBD** Future Subwoofer would be CH 9-10 (L&R)

*Please note, the MUSWAY M6 PRO doesn't need a line output converter or any load generator device wired between it and the main OEM wire harness. The Musway DSP amp has all of that built into it. So ,you only need to run the high level input wires that go to the DSP amp from the OEM wire harness. You can get the wire harness that lets you tap into the factory system from Crutchfield, or plugnplaykits like I did.

 

[TNBronc]

Thank you, I guess my question was understanding the signal in. Does the DSP copy it and spread it across however many output channels you have? I may be over-complicating it in my head, just don't see how you turn 4 into 6 unless the equipment does it for you automatically. Rereading install, happy to see you are liking the Musway I have chatted with Joe and I'm hoping to go that route.

 

[mblur05]

Thank you, I guess my question was understanding the signal in. Does the DSP copy it and spread it across however many output channels you have? I may be over-complicating it in my head, just don't see how you turn 4 into 6 unless the equipment does it for you automatically. Rereading install, happy to see you are liking the Musway I have chatted with Joe and I'm hoping to go that route.

Yes, the DSP software lets you set the signal input that is coming in so you can send channel 1, 2, 3, or 4 to any of the other channels. See a pic of the software layout and and you will see my settings along with the "check the box" for the channel signal being sent to each speaker.

Granted, I'm still playing with the settings to find the sweet spot, but overall this is what I currently have programmed, thanks to Joseph at Musway who helped me with the setup.

FYI- Joe at Plugnplaykits is a different guy from Joseph at Musway.

*The Sub channels have red letters since its not hooked up so no signal yet for those.

 

[TNBronc]

Awesome!!! thank you. It may sound dumb but I have been trying to find that out or understand that for like a week now.

 

[mblur05]

Good job I am installing the Musway 8 channel in the next week or two. I may try and go in the footwell like you did.

Are you getting the Musway D8 DSP amp or the Eight.100 non dsp amp?
I thought about getting the D8 DSP amp since its so small and I could power all of the Bronco speakers from the 8 channels, with having the tweeters split from the dash speakers like I have now and that would also power rear pods instead me having a 2nd amp like now. However, I felt like it wasn't enough power for my goals, and the price vs. power of the M6 Pro seemed like the better deal to me.

Originally I was looking at the Musway M10 DSP amp. In my opinon, that would be the one to properly upgrade the Bronco base system. Looking at the numbers it could power all speakers including the "splitting the tweeter/mid 4" dash as separate channel setup" like I have. *And you could power a decent Subwoofer bridged at 4ohm off CH 9-10 with 440w for a perfect "ALL IN ONE SETUP". However, I was already over my budget for what I was going to spend for this upgrade and I didn't have $1890 to spend on the M10. LOL

FYI - I added the "WIRING LAYOUT" image to my original post that I made to Preplan my wiring setup.

 

[RRaptor]

I am installing the Eight.100. I have portals and a soft top and after market everything engine exhaust so I mostly wanted more volume and better speakers with the bigger pods. My Bronco will never be quiet

 

[mblur05]

@RRaptor -Wow thats an awesome 2dr! The Eight.100 is a beast with plenty of power. That's another one I considered too.

@TNBronc - check out this video from 5star car stereo. They're one of the few Youtube channels I've been watching and in this Bronco video it shows them splitting the wires for the dash speakers Tweeter vs. Mid. The Tweeter has its own wire coming out of the speaker which connects to the main speaker terminals like most 2 way coaxial speakers have. That is where you can split the wires to run separately like I did for the Kicker KS 4in speakers.

Mine is similar wiring like they did with a connector addition for the tweeter wires in case you want to disconnect or change it up. Or make it one speaker instead of it being split up.

 

[mblur05]

Here are some more photos of the Amp rack board. Also shown mounted in place under the dash. This was the first board I made so I ended up with a lot of holes since I kept making changes/adjustments to fit everything. Its not exactly OEM but it works! LOL

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