Bronco standard sound system 6 speaker upgrade DIY writeup w/ instructions (dash & kick panel speaker removal) & wiring diagram

[djn3400]

Some speakers already come with filters, like my Polk DB402's
Just wire 'em up.

I just ordered the DB402. Should be here Tuesday. Does anyone know what frequencies the built in crossovers are set to? Is there actually a filter that prevents bass from reaching the speakers? I assumed there was just a crossover that sent highs to the tweeter and everything else to the 4”.

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[WuNgUn]

I just ordered the DB402. Should be here Tuesday. Does anyone know what frequencies the built in crossovers are set to? Is there actually a filter that prevents bass from reaching the speakers? I assumed there was just a crossover that sent highs to the tweeter and everything else to the 4”.

It does, but it also prevents sub-bass from going to the 4" driver. Likely anything below 300hz is rejected.

Installed my 402's today, and I dunno if I'm 100% happy with them. There is a certain shrillness or harshness to them...probably because of the hard reflections of the windshield...? Maybe they need to be run in a bit...
Still a big improvement over factory.

 

[Thebroncotommy]

was looking at these same speaker, any fitment issues?
particularly the rear pods? Assuming you did those

4“ fit well 6.5” pushes out a little but still have covers over. would Recommend these JL audio speakers plus the kicker hideaway. Returned kicker key amp - didn’t need it. Sound is great and loud

 

[djn3400]

Installed my 402's today, and I dunno if I'm 100% happy with them. There is a certain shrillness or harshness to them...probably because of the hard reflections of the windshield...? Maybe they need to be run in a bit...
Still a big improvement over factory.

Thanks for the response. I thought these were rated down to 60Hz. Why block anything below 300Hz if it can handle as low as 60Hz?

I’m not excited to hear about the harshness. I did the sound comparison on Crutchfield and picked these because they were smooth and less harsh than the other options. I wonder if some poly fill would help with that?

 

[WuNgUn]

Thanks for the response. I thought these were rated down to 60Hz. Why block anything below 300Hz if it can handle as low as 60Hz?

I’m not excited to hear about the harshness. I did the sound comparison on Crutchfield and picked these because they were smooth and less harsh than the other options. I wonder if some poly fill would help with that?

I was just assuming 300hz...I just looked at the spec sheet and you're right, 60Hz response. As best as I can tell, there is just 1 cap on the speaker and this is likely for low-pass for the tweeter.
So seeing as the factory speaker was capped, and Ford is sending full range (?) to the dash speakers, the Polks might be a little overwhelmed with lower frequency audio.
If you have a 3 way setup, which this basically is, you probably wouldn't send 60Hz audio to a 4" driver...you'd leave that for the 6.5.
But I don't see how this could contribute to tweeter harshness.
I filled my dash cavities with polyfill

 

[WuNgUn]

Could also be the headunit audio is just shit

 

[zombie]

Could also be the headunit audio is just shit

Headunit output is fine once you amplify it

 

[OutOfOffice]

Some speakers already come with filters, like my Polk DB402's
Just wire 'em up.

Ha! sounds very easy when you know what your doing

 

[WuNgUn]

Thanks for the response. I thought these were rated down to 60Hz. Why block anything below 300Hz if it can handle as low as 60Hz?

I’m not excited to hear about the harshness. I did the sound comparison on Crutchfield and picked these because they were smooth and less harsh than the other options. I wonder if some poly fill would help with that?

So I played with the basic tone setting some...and discovered some of the songs I auditioned were crappy, 3MB MP3's that made it onto my HDD. These obviously sound like ass...
My other, lossless WMA media is much better...
So I feel compelled to re-evaluate my initial impression of the 402's. If nothing else, they'll make readily apparent any shortcomings in your library, which is probably a good thing. Unless all your external media is highly compressed MP3's, then you're likely best to keep your factory speakers.
For the range these cover + the factory 6.5's, it's a definite improvement, but makes you fully aware that there is a giant hole in the sub-bass frequencies.

 

[WuNgUn]

Ha! sounds very easy when you know what your doing

They also came with pigtails with polarized blade connectors and barrel crimps

 

[djn3400]

So I played with the basic tone setting some...and discovered some of the songs I auditioned were crappy, 3MB MP3's that made it onto my HDD. These obviously sound like ass...
My other, lossless WMA media is much better...
So I feel compelled to re-evaluate my initial impression of the 402's. If nothing else, they'll make readily apparent any shortcomings in your library, which is probably a good thing. Unless all your external media is highly compressed MP3's, then you're likely best to keep your factory speakers.
For the range these cover + the factory 6.5's, it's a definite improvement, but makes you fully aware that there is a giant hole in the sub-bass frequencies.

I’m glad to hear this, thanks for the update! I also have the DB652’s coming for the kick panels. Maybe not necessary. But I’m thinking I will eventually add an amp and a subwoofer to fill in the bass.

 

[Mike777]

4“ fit well 6.5” pushes out a little but still have covers over. would Recommend these JL audio speakers plus the kicker hideaway. Returned kicker key amp - didn’t need it. Sound is great and loud

Where are yall hiding the Kicker Hideaway? I went to a car audio place but it doesnt fit under any seat. The only place to put it is in the trunk but dont want to lose cargo space.

 

[Lobber]

If you do this install with the boom mat’s I highly recommend cutting a finger size hole in the side of them. I did it without doing that first and had very little bass, then went back and put the holes in the mat’s and had a lot more bass. Don’t get me wrong it could still use a subwoofer but it now sounds way better than stock.

 

[mpeugeot]

FWIW, on the B&O system a frequency sweep test from 20-200 Hz revealed that the rear pods had signal from approximately 150 Hz and above.

 

[OutOfOffice]

Thanks BroncRik for putting this together. I replicated your setup and installed it today. Fairly easy and straightforward.

I have a couple of thoughts on the entire 6 speaker upgrade with stock head unit. In all honesty the new setup is an improvement, but still falls short when compared to decently mid-high end factory setups in other manufacturers. I didn't buy the Bronco for the sound system so it doesn't really bother me a ton, but even with the upgraded speakers it still isn't great.

IMO if you are going to stick with the stock head unit, the only speakers worth upgrading are the front 4". Those make the biggest difference. With the upgrade they are a lot more clear, and allow you to turn the volume up an extra 5-6 notches vs stock. You can't really expect to get much bass out of a 4" speaker. The rears behind the back seat are absolutely worthless. Sound barely trickles out of these speakers. Same goes with the kick panel speaker. You aren't getting much out of either of those.

Basically if you do this upgrade or an upgrade like it, you will be able to crank the volume a bit higher and not have as much distortion. The main thing you will notice is the highs will be a bit brighter and clearer. The bass will still be pretty pitiful along with the mids having just moderate improvement.

Overall, I kind of wish I had just bought the front 4" and not changed anything else out. I think it would sound 90% as good by doing just those. Also it's a pretty big PITA to not have the quick connects available on them yet. Crutchfield needs to figure those out.

The little bass foam cups are a nice touch, I think they make a difference. Nice suggestion on those.

I took your advice and just did the two front speakers with the 4 inch kicker, bass blockers and the bass cups, it’s an inexpensive upgrade that actually improved the sound quite a bit. I didn’t splice the original harness, hoping something aftermarket comes out and I’ll replace the wire.

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