Complete Stereo Install - Amp, DSP, Speakers and Sub. Lots of Pictures.

[DJ1]

Care to share any details on components and cost? My Bronco days are far away, but upgrading the audio is definitely on my to do list. I've never done that kind of work myself and I don't want to scratch or otherwise screw up any of the plastic. Plus, I just don't know what all of the terminology means... Might be best to leave it to a pro.

Kicker 48TRTP122

Quantity	Price	Total
1	$329.99	$329.99

Metra 82-5605 Speaker Mounting Brackets

Quantity	Price	Total
1	$0.00	$0.00

AudioControl D-5.1300

Quantity	Price	Total
1	$1,199.99	$1,199.99

Kicker 47KSC404

Quantity	Price	Total
1	$89.96	$89.96

Morel Maximo 6

Quantity	Price	Total
1	$169.00	$169.00

Plus amp wiring kit and speaker wire. Around $200 from KnuKonceptz.

I was going for simple and clean and trying to keep my cost under $2K. I asked a local shop what they would charge to do what I wanted. The equipment cost was comparable, but the pricing for the install and DSP tuning was far more than I was willing to pay .

I have never done a manual DSP tune like this, but lots of reading and YouTube watching got me enough info to have a good start. I am still tuning the DSP, but the install was pretty straightforward. As I said earlier, I already had all of the following from previous stereo installs:

heat shrink tubing
wire ferrules and crimper
wire connectors - splice, ring and spade
Tessa tape
wire protection cover
heat gun
good wire stripper
plastic panel tools

Pulling all of the plastic is probably the most difficult part. It just takes patience (which I don't have) and some pulling in the right places. There are definitely a few clips that I broke, but nothing that made want to replace them.

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[DJ1]

Made and installed a panel cover. Removable for access to the amp so I can plug in my laptop and do more DSP tuning.

 

[BRBlue]

Great post. Any idea how bad the signal is out of the Ford head unit? I understand it’s tuned to cut frequencies from the stock speakers (especially from the rear and quarter panel speakers up front).

DSP can only overcome so much if you don’t have a full signal to work with.

 

[pjmezz13]

Great post. Any idea how bad the signal is out of the Ford head unit? I understand it’s tuned to cut frequencies from the stock speakers (especially from the rear and quarter panel speakers up front).

DSP can only overcome so much if you don’t have a full signal to work with.

Here is a comparison of the electrical output from the front and rear channels playing pink noise:

 

[BRBlue]

Here is a comparison of the electrical output from the front and rear channels playing pink noise:

Thanks for posting. So is that the measured output of the stock speakers using a mic or the actual signal from the head unit?

If it’s just the signal it proves the point that we’re starting with a non-ideal input to the amp and new system. From what I understand DSPs and EQs are pretty good at cutting frequencies with too much amplitude but they are pretty lousy at boosting the frequencies that need more amplitude.

Either way I’m sure the new setup is an improvement. I have the B&O and it’s not very impressive. Slightly better than the base stock system in my old Tundra and that’s not saying much.

 

[pjmezz13]

Thanks for posting. So is that the measured output of the stock speakers using a mic or the actual signal from the head unit?

If it’s just the signal it proves the point that we’re starting with a non-ideal input to the amp and new system. From what I understand DSPs and EQs are pretty good at cutting frequencies with too much amplitude but they are pretty lousy at boosting the frequencies that need more amplitude.

Either way I’m sure the new setup is an improvement. I have the B&O and it’s not very impressive. Slightly better than the base stock system in my old Tundra and that’s not saying much.

That's the electrical signal measured out of the head unit into the DSP, base sound system (non-B&O). I use the front channels from the head unit as the input signal for all 5 output channels on the amp/DSP.

 

[TahoeTexan]

Kicker 48TRTP122

Quantity	Price	Total
1	$329.99	$329.99

Metra 82-5605 Speaker Mounting Brackets

Quantity	Price	Total
1	$0.00	$0.00

AudioControl D-5.1300

Quantity	Price	Total
1	$1,199.99	$1,199.99

Kicker 47KSC404

Quantity	Price	Total
1	$89.96	$89.96

Morel Maximo 6

Quantity	Price	Total
1	$169.00	$169.00

Plus amp wiring kit and speaker wire. Around $200 from KnuKonceptz.

I was going for simple and clean and trying to keep my cost under $2K. I asked a local shop what they would charge to do what I wanted. The equipment cost was comparable, but the pricing for the install and DSP tuning was far more than I was willing to pay .

I have never done a manual DSP tune like this, but lots of reading and YouTube watching got me enough info to have a good start. I am still tuning the DSP, but the install was pretty straightforward. As I said earlier, I already had all of the following from previous stereo installs:

heat shrink tubing
wire ferrules and crimper
wire connectors - splice, ring and spade
Tessa tape
wire protection cover
heat gun
good wire stripper
plastic panel tools

Pulling all of the plastic is probably the most difficult part. It just takes patience (which I don't have) and some pulling in the right places. There are definitely a few clips that I broke, but nothing that made want to replace them.

Your list here is great. Ferrules, heat shrink, etc make it like a pro install.

The Bronco is pretty easy to do this kind of install on. Speakers, wires, firewall grommet, etc are easily accessible and well documented here in the forums.

I am SUPER happy with my Kicker Key 200.4 and 500.1, Hertz DSK, and sub install. And this is on a B&O system that reasonably harder, but still manageable, versus the base stereo.

 

[Mborkow31]

Care to share any details on components and cost? My Bronco days are far away, but upgrading the audio is definitely on my to do list. I've never done that kind of work myself and I don't want to scratch or otherwise screw up any of the plastic. Plus, I just don't know what all of the terminology means... Might be best to leave it to a pro.

Sure. Here’s a snapshot of my work order/equipment list. I’m getting my front windows tinted too so that’s $120 extra built in there. If you have the budget, go with DSP. Note that the sub is a powered sub. The amp is powering the speakers only.

 

[CT203]

Thanks. Nice to know a ballpark figure.

 

[Ig_bronco]

Background
I have always had big stereos in my cars and most recently I put a complete system with DSP into my Tundra. After hearing that and getting a feel for what DSP tuning can do, I was sold. This is my first stereo upgrade in an open-top car so I was not exactly sure how to approach it. Our wake boat has a stereo that sounds great at speed, with the engine roaring, wind, etc. so I figured I could try to duplicate the things that make that sound good. What I ended up with was trying to find components that work together and an amp that has lots of clean power. I also wanted to have the simplest approach possible, so a 5 channel system with an amp that had a built-in DSP seemed like the best solution for packaging and economics. I have seen a lot of things being done on this forum that I wanted to avoid (forscan reprogramming, boom mats, multiple co-axial speakers, etc.), so here is what I went with:

I wasn't too worried about the esthetics, nobody is going to see these. It took a couple of tries to get them to fit perfectly. Maybe I should re-evaluate my process of measure once, cut, cut, cut. Passive crossovers in the kick panels tucked up and away. Before mounting to their final location:

I don't get it, Why take a bigger overall speaker and replace it with a smaller one? Bigger means better right?????............................ Right?!
I went with morel's in the front with mine (4.5) and tbh... I am not impressed. First batch must have been bad, I had to replace them and this one doesn't seem to be loud enough. Doors and top off past couple days and I had the volume to at least 20-22 at highway speeds. Granted I don't have an amp or sub. I am waiting for some sort of stealth box/ amp (I despise any open sub box in the back, no offense). I don't know if I want to run morels in my kick panel or not, after the dash and rear living up to sub-expectations.

 

[DJ1]

I don't get it, Why take a bigger overall speaker and replace it with a smaller one? Bigger means better right?????............................ Right?!
I went with morel's in the front with mine (4.5) and tbh... I am not impressed. First batch must have been bad, I had to replace them and this one doesn't seem to be loud enough. Doors and top off past couple days and I had the volume to at least 20-22 at highway speeds. Granted I don't have an amp or sub. I am waiting for some sort of stealth box/ amp (I despise any open sub box in the back, no offense). I don't know if I want to run morels in my kick panel or not, after the dash and rear living up to sub-expectations.

I went with the tweeter/woofer combo of a 2-way setup to get the complete sound I want. I'm not surprised that dropping in a set of good speakers (your Morels) and leaving everything else the same didn't have much of an improvement. I suspect that the factory head unit doesn't have enough power to make full use of their capability.

I am looking at the sound system as a complete system, not components. So the smaller speaker does a better job at producing the highs and vocals than a 4". The better woofer gives me better mids and mid-bass. Sub handles all of the lows. To make all of that work at the volume I wanted for top down driving, a higher power amp was needed. I'm not replacing the head unit - I don't think that is even possible right now, so the DSP was my solution to correct the factory signal. I chose to start with the signal (head unit) and then work my down each component to match my needs with their capability.

If you put in a small amp, even one of the Kicker Keys that everyone seems to love so much, I think you will notice a huge difference.

 

[DJ1]

Thanks for posting. So is that the measured output of the stock speakers using a mic or the actual signal from the head unit?

If it’s just the signal it proves the point that we’re starting with a non-ideal input to the amp and new system. From what I understand DSPs and EQs are pretty good at cutting frequencies with too much amplitude but they are pretty lousy at boosting the frequencies that need more amplitude.

Either way I’m sure the new setup is an improvement. I have the B&O and it’s not very impressive. Slightly better than the base stock system in my old Tundra and that’s not saying much.

Thanks for posting. So is that the measured output of the stock speakers using a mic or the actual signal from the head unit?

If it’s just the signal it proves the point that we’re starting with a non-ideal input to the amp and new system. From what I understand DSPs and EQs are pretty good at cutting frequencies with too much amplitude but they are pretty lousy at boosting the frequencies that need more amplitude.

Either way I’m sure the new setup is an improvement. I have the B&O and it’s not very impressive. Slightly better than the base stock system in my old Tundra and that’s not saying much.

That is a great picture posted by @pjmezz13. It clearly shows the full range signal to the fronts and the attenuated signal to the rears.

Here is a picture that shows the electrical output of the head unit with some EQ adjustments (gray line) and then the audio output of the complete system measure with an RTA:

I had just started tuning the DSP and you can see the high frequency drop I am using on the EQ, but the output is still high. Depending on the speaker and power combination, there will be "hotter" areas across the entire range that need adjustment to bring the whole thing together.

I agree and disagree with your statement about EQs and DSPs not being able to boost signal. If there is nothing there to work with, then nothing will help. To gain a little here or there to help round out the sound, my limited experience with DSPs has been I can get the full range to work either by boosting some a little and/or lowering the surrounding frequencies.

With the B&O, my understanding is that the factory DSP is necessary and until iDataLink or someone else comes up with the equipment to bypass it but retain the necessary functions, all of the B&O folks are stuck just trying to amplify whatever the stock DSP is doing.

Another reason I am happy to have the base system. Much easier to manipulate the sound.

 

[pjmezz13]

That is a great picture posted by @pjmezz13. It clearly shows the full range signal to the fronts and the attenuated signal to the rears.

Here is a picture that shows the electrical output of the head unit with some EQ adjustments (gray line) and then the audio output of the complete system measure with an RTA:

I had just started tuning the DSP and you can see the high frequency drop I am using on the EQ, but the output is still high. Depending on the speaker and power combination, there will be "hotter" areas across the entire range that need adjustment to bring the whole thing together.

I agree and disagree with your statement about EQs and DSPs not being able to boost signal. If there is nothing there to work with, then nothing will help. To gain a little here or there to help round out the sound, my limited experience with DSPs has been I can get the full range to work either by boosting some a little and/or lowering the surrounding frequencies.

With the B&O, my understanding is that the factory DSP is necessary and until iDataLink or someone else comes up with the equipment to bypass it but retain the necessary functions, all of the B&O folks are stuck just trying to amplify whatever the stock DSP is doing.

Another reason I am happy to have the base system. Much easier to manipulate the sound.

A few additional comments about the rear signal. It appears that there is a high pass filter of some sort at 250hz, given the -3dB output at that frequency. If you were to use an EQ and try to increase the output at that same frequency, the results might not be what you expect. I don't know exactly how the filter in the head unit works, but just a thought.

Also, for those that are only looking to replace the rear 4" speakers and not add an amplifier, the signal coming out of the head unit (in terms of frequency range NOT power) should be fine. 4" speakers can only produce so much low-end frequency well. The Kicker 47KSC40s for example have a frequency response of 60Hz-20kHz, but that doesn't mean you want to send frequencies as low as 60Hz to those speakers. Most of the articles I've read and videos I've watched on Youtube call out that a 300Hz high pass filter is ideal for a speaker of that size. Instead, I would try and find a 4" speaker that has a higher sensitivity, something like the Hertz DCX 100.3 has a sensitivity of 92 dB versus the 88 dB in the Kicker 47KSC404.

 

[SlvrSurfRidr]

Not sure I can tell from the pics, but with the DSP were you able to figure out the RMS per channel coming out of the head unit?! Can't imagine it would be more than 20 or so, but curious to see if anyone had figured out the answer

 

[DJ1]

Not sure I can tell from the pics, but with the DSP were you able to figure out the RMS per channel coming out of the head unit?! Can't imagine it would be more than 20 or so, but curious to see if anyone had figured out the answer

No idea what the factory head unit puts out in terms of RMS. There is probably some way to measure, but not something I ever had curiosity about. Fair to say factory power is low.

However, I am pleased with the full range signal you can grab from the front channels. I have found it has enough to feed the DSP and amp with a decent enough signal to work with.

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