Inexpensive yet impactful speaker upgrade plus FORScan mod

[Laidbackduner]

@BudgetBronco I followed your directions to the letter. I even have the same infinity speakers. No change for me. My21 outer banks 6 speaker mid package. Can you make a video of your sound faded to rear only?

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[Roll Sound]

The job of capacitors is to allow only the high frequencies to pass, period. You can’t get sub 80hz out of 4 inch although the 4 inch will try to reproduce it, thus distorting and after a while you will tear the surround. Set it up however you want but I know from years of building sound systems.

I am an audio engineer with 20 years in a union. I have more experience. Read my post again. What I'm saying is I doubt our Ford head units can even produce 80hz they are so bad. And they don't have enough output to destroy the speaker surrounds. And I say this with direct experience. This is the setup in MY Bronco.

 

[BudgetBronco]

eBay seller name?

http://ebay.us/YfG1vy?cmpnId=5338273189

 

[ASlaugh]

eBay seller name?

Just posted. eBay seller is "fast-daddy"

I also made up a couple of sets with 600 Hz bass blockers like I put on my dash speakers. https://www.ebay.com/itm/334336265209

 

[DefNotBuddyLee]

Ok, so I have 600hz Blockers up front with Infinity in the four corners. I think it sounds pretty good as is, but front heavy. I’d prefer to avoid paying the dealer to flash since I have Forscan.

Question is - 300hz Blockers in the rear? Get SOME bass out of them and fill the space out?

I have been happy running 300hz blockers in the rear with the Forscan change. Still gets some bass (I use that term litely), but as you know nothing like you would get out of a larger sized speaker. Probably the best I can hope for without making more significant changes to the sound system like an amp or sub.

 

[22OBX]

I am an audio engineer with 20 years in a union. I have more experience. Read my post again. What I'm saying is I doubt our Ford head units can even produce 80hz they are so bad. And they don't have enough output to destroy the speaker surrounds. And I say this with direct experience. This is the setup in MY Bronco.

So if I put in a low pass crossover set at 80hz for my subwoofer setup I will have no bass? I doubt the stock head unit will not play a sub 80hz frequency if you use the kick panel line level inputs. Obviously the rear line level would not because it has a high pass from the factory head unit. Any cheap head unit will be able to reproduce the entire frequency range so I’m pretty sure the factory head unit will. Anyone running a sub set up with crossover set at 80hz? Do you have bass?

 

[redone17]

Just posted. eBay seller is "fast-daddy"

I also made up a couple of sets with 600 Hz bass blockers like I put on my dash speakers. https://www.ebay.com/itm/334336265209

Any chance you’ll make some with 300hz? Looking for a pair. Cheers.

 

[SkyKing]

I had my dealer do the JBL flash on my car today for $25. I had already upgraded the 4" speakers to the Kicker 2-ways. The JBL flash made a notable improvement over the speaker swap alone. When I fade to the rear it now sounds full (ish). I was happy to have the dealer do it for me - took 20 minutes at the dealer. Much better sound than I had.

 

[redone17]

I had my dealer do the JBL flash on my car today for $25. I had already upgraded the 4" speakers to the Kicker 2-ways. The JBL flash made a notable improvement over the speaker swap alone. When I fade to the rear it now sounds full (ish). I was happy to have the dealer do it for me - took 20 minutes at the dealer. Much better sound than I had.

I can deal with $25. I’ll have to see what they quote me. Someone else said $75. I guess either way - as long as it makes a significant difference.

 

[Roll Sound]

So if I put in a low pass crossover set at 80hz for my subwoofer setup I will have no bass? I doubt the stock head unit will not play a sub 80hz frequency if you use the kick panel line level inputs. Obviously the rear line level would not because it has a high pass from the factory head unit. Any cheap head unit will be able to reproduce the entire frequency range so I’m pretty sure the factory head unit will. Anyone running a sub set up with crossover set at 80hz? Do you have bass?

You will get some. First of all, cheap caps like were talking about have a soft roll off so 80hz isn't a hard cutoff. There will be bleeding. And I stand to my point. The real test is to put a scope on it and give it test tones. I'll bet you an honest $5 that there won't be much below 80hz. Not with the mid package anyway. I'm not saying none, but my bet is on the fact that we are all polishing a turd here. It's just the level we want to polish it.

 

[22OBX]

You will get some. First of all, cheap caps like were talking about have a soft roll off so 80hz isn't a hard cutoff. There will be bleeding. And I stand to my point. The real test is to put a scope on it and give it test tones. I'll bet you an honest $5 that there won't be much below 80hz. Not with the mid package anyway. I'm not saying none, but my bet is on the fact that we are all polishing a turd here. It's just the level we want to polish it.

There is an good install on you tube of three 10’s and they look to be hitting hard with low frequencies with a solid amp. Not sure how they setup everything as they didn’t go into the setup detail. Let’s face it, not many stock systems are going to just blow you away without some amplification, a processor and either dsp or equalization. I guess I’ll know soon if my build date sticks. Have new Alpine S S-40’s for the corners, Kicker Key amp for the front channels and, Alpine amp for the rear Kicker 10 subs. All will be routed through Audio Control LC7i which may be the key to making this system sound great.

 

[spada]

I didn't read all 7 pages of comments, but the 4" front speakers aren't wired in series with the kick panel speakers. They are wired parallel to them.

 

[Roll Sound]

There is an good install on you tube of three 10’s and they look to be hitting hard with low frequencies with a solid amp. Not sure how they setup everything as they didn’t go into the setup detail. Let’s face it, not many stock systems are going to just blow you away without some amplification, a processor and either dsp or equalization. I guess I’ll know soon if my build date sticks. Have new Alpine S S-40’s for the corners, Kicker Key amp for the front channels and, Alpine amp for the rear Kicker 10 subs. All will be routed through Audio Control LC7i which may be the key to making this system sound great.

That will definately be a much improved over stock setup, in fact rad. That's a major problem with our Bronco stereos. You need to spend pretty good money and for sure a DSP to make it anywhere a rad setup.

 

[Jabberwock]

It might be helpful if folks read up on speaker frequency response curves. Making blanket statements that x size speaker can't produce x frequency is an oversimplification. The reality is that even very small speakers (think high quality in ear monitors and headphones) can produce frequencies well below 100Hz, just not at very high volumes. I'm not trying to over complicate things but its a very useful thing to understand when it comes to designing an audio system of any kind, especially when you are trying to determine what high pass frequency cutoff that you want. Frequency response graphs should be easily available for whatever aftermarket speaker you are looking at (if it isn't, find another brand.)

And to clarify, I am not trying to say the stock rears in the Bronco (or any aftermarket options) are going to produce 80Hz at an audible volume.

 

[22OBX]

It might be helpful if folks read up on speaker frequency response curves. Making blanket statements that x size speaker can't produce x frequency is an oversimplification. The reality is that even very small speakers (think high quality in ear monitors and headphones) can produce frequencies well below 100Hz, just not at very high volumes. I'm not trying to over complicate things but its a very useful thing to understand when it comes to designing an audio system of any kind, especially when you are trying to determine what high pass frequency cutoff that you want. Frequency response graphs should be easily available for whatever aftermarket speaker you are looking at (if it isn't, find another brand.)

And to clarify, I am not trying to say the stock rears in the Bronco (or any aftermarket options) are going to produce 80Hz at an audible volume.

There is also a lot of confusion out there regarding what usually "blows" a speaker. One is more likely to "blow" a speaker by under powering due to amplifier/head unit clipping than by over powering. Again, not saying you can't blow a speaker by over powering, but this is not the way most speakers of good quality are blown.

Agree. My Alpine S S-40’s are 80 hz. The issue I am talking about comes from turning up the volume with speaker not rated below 80hz, but it is trying to produce sub 80 frequencies that its not designed to reproduce. It usually ends up sounding distorted or pops and you have lots of cone excursion. Cap it at 80 or 100 and you can go much louder and cleaner with less coil excursion.

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