Kicker Key Amp 200.4 Install DIY Video - Do this first!

[cmcbronco]

Still unhappy with my Kicker amp and speakers setup, the volume level this allows (~18) before clipping is barely serviceable when my top is on and windows are up. Dropping the top and windows makes the overall volume VERY disappointing. I definitely don’t have hearing damage so I’m sure that Spotify or CarPlay or maybe the Kicker amp itself are somehow affecting this because almost everyone else here sounds much happier than I am with their results.

I’m getting ready to Mount the amp above the glove box using the new M2M Mount. As a Hail Mary, I purchased some 600hz bass blockers for the front dash speakers. I want to be absolutely sure that I don’t somehow have a defective Kicker amp before going through the annoying install process above the glove box.

I can’t understate this but the AudioEngine speakers I use for my turntable in my living room sound much better and are FAR louder than the peak output this amp provides before clipping. It’s really just the dash speakers giving me issue so that makes me think that maybe DSP or something is send them too much power relative to the comparatively less loud kick panels.

What speakers are you running ?

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[Aurongel]

What speakers are you running ?

2 set of 4” Kickers, 1 set 6.5” Kickers, Kicker 200.4 amp.

 

[cmcbronco]

2 set of 4” Kickers, 1 set 6.5” Kickers, Kicker 200.4 amp.

Cs or ks series ?

 

[Aurongel]

Cs or ks series ?

All 6 speakers are CS-series.

 

[DaveInSA]

Still unhappy with my Kicker amp and speakers setup, the volume level this allows (~18) before clipping is barely serviceable when my top is on and windows are up. Dropping the top and windows makes the overall volume VERY disappointing. I definitely don’t have hearing damage so I’m sure that Spotify or CarPlay or maybe the Kicker amp itself are somehow affecting this because almost everyone else here sounds much happier than I am with their results.

I’m getting ready to Mount the amp above the glove box using the new M2M Mount. As a Hail Mary, I purchased some 600hz bass blockers for the front dash speakers. I want to be absolutely sure that I don’t somehow have a defective Kicker amp before going through the annoying install process above the glove box.

I can’t understate this but the AudioEngine speakers I use for my turntable in my living room sound much better and are FAR louder than the peak output this amp provides before clipping. It’s really just the dash speakers giving me issue so that makes me think that maybe DSP or something is send them too much power relative to the comparatively less loud kick panels.

Something has got to be wrong.

Level 8 is plenty with my top on and windows up. If I went to 18 I'd be blowing my speakers or causing hearing damage...

And my key amp is at near 0 gains.

 

[mikey_photo]

Still unhappy with my Kicker amp and speakers setup, the volume level this allows (~18) before clipping is barely serviceable when my top is on and windows are up. Dropping the top and windows makes the overall volume VERY disappointing. I definitely don’t have hearing damage so I’m sure that Spotify or CarPlay or maybe the Kicker amp itself are somehow affecting this because almost everyone else here sounds much happier than I am with their results.

I’m getting ready to Mount the amp above the glove box using the new M2M Mount. As a Hail Mary, I purchased some 600hz bass blockers for the front dash speakers. I want to be absolutely sure that I don’t somehow have a defective Kicker amp before going through the annoying install process above the glove box.

I can’t understate this but the AudioEngine speakers I use for my turntable in my living room sound much better and are FAR louder than the peak output this amp provides before clipping. It’s really just the dash speakers giving me issue so that makes me think that maybe DSP or something is send them too much power relative to the comparatively less loud kick panels.

Something is totally not right with this setup. As someone who has really degraded hearing from playing drums in bands for the last 25 years, a volume of 18 is almost uncomfortably loud for me. I generally run at 12 (windows up) and 15 (windows down) with both being loud and defined. If I go topless, I push it to around 17. I’m not sure where it clips since I have no reason to go above that point.

 

[cmcbronco]

All 6 speakers are CS-series.

Something has got to be wrong.

Level 8 is plenty with my top on and windows up. If I went to 18 I'd be blowing my speakers or causing hearing damage...

And my key amp is at near 0 gains.

Ya I’m guessing you might have a bad amp. I usually listen to my music around 8-10 crusing around town. On the highway with the top off 16 is plenty. My gains are zero up front barely turned up for the rears. Kicker ks series for my 4”. Memphis mjp6 for my kicks.

 

[BroncoDude]

Still unhappy with my Kicker amp and speakers setup, the volume level this allows (~18) before clipping is barely serviceable when my top is on and windows are up. Dropping the top and windows makes the overall volume VERY disappointing. I definitely don’t have hearing damage so I’m sure that Spotify or CarPlay or maybe the Kicker amp itself are somehow affecting this because almost everyone else here sounds much happier than I am with their results.

I’m getting ready to Mount the amp above the glove box using the new M2M Mount. As a Hail Mary, I purchased some 600hz bass blockers for the front dash speakers. I want to be absolutely sure that I don’t somehow have a defective Kicker amp before going through the annoying install process above the glove box.

I can’t understate this but the AudioEngine speakers I use for my turntable in my living room sound much better and are FAR louder than the peak output this amp provides before clipping. It’s really just the dash speakers giving me issue so that makes me think that maybe DSP or something is send them too much power relative to the comparatively less loud kick panels.

Try setting your high pass filter setting to 120hz. That made a world of difference in how mine sounds.

 

[Jeverall]

How much $s do you think I'd be saving buy purchasing the P&P kits vs paying an install shop?
& What effect/if any does the FORSCAN rear speaker mod impact installation?

I replaced the 6 factory speakers with Focals. I purchased a 200.4 Kicker Key and 500.1Kicker Key amp and an 8" downfiring kicker sub enclosure. The Plug and Play kicker key and harness for the sub are ~$200. If this is a 2hr plus install for me to personally do (I am a complete beginner/novice when it comes to this stuff), would I be better off just bringing the amps/subs to an install shop and paying them an hourly rate to install? Also, should I have the FORSCAN mod done on the rear prior to installation?

TIA for any insight!!!

 

[hozer]

How much $s do you think I'd be saving buy purchasing the P&P kits vs paying an install shop?
& What effect/if any does the FORSCAN rear speaker mod impact installation?

I replaced the 6 factory speakers with Focals. I purchased a 200.4 Kicker Key and 500.1Kicker Key amp and an 8" downfiring kicker sub enclosure. The Plug and Play kicker key and harness for the sub are ~$200. If this is a 2hr plus install for me to personally do (I am a complete beginner/novice when it comes to this stuff), would I be better off just bringing the amps/subs to an install shop and paying them an hourly rate to install? Also, should I have the FORSCAN mod done on the rear prior to installation?

TIA for any insight!!!

I'd say if you've never done this it'll take you 5-6hrs, 99% of which is wrestling with trim panels to get them off without breaking. A shop would likely charge you $4-500 for the install.

Don't forget to run a remote wire for the sub like me lol...

 

[Bearcat1]

The head unit isn't sending bass on the rear speakers to the key amp. So there's nothing there to amplify.

You could try the ForSCAN changes. Those have worked for some people but not for others.

You can also try turning the fader off on the key 200.4. From the manual:



It doesn't specify but I'd assume the 'single stereo input' is from the AMP 1 input which should be your front speakers which are getting full range.

I'm not sure if the DSP would be smart enough to hear the rear speakers bottoming out and reduce bass going to them though. If you try it, let us know if it works

This is a very good idea, curious if anyone has done this (selecting single stereo input). I had kind of given up on getting more sound out of the rears (Forscan didn't help much, and made the ding bells really loud). I am sure you would need bass blockers on the rear if you did this just like the fronts.

 

[BFizzy]

Still unhappy with my Kicker amp and speakers setup, the volume level this allows (~18) before clipping is barely serviceable when my top is on and windows are up. Dropping the top and windows makes the overall volume VERY disappointing. I definitely don’t have hearing damage so I’m sure that Spotify or CarPlay or maybe the Kicker amp itself are somehow affecting this because almost everyone else here sounds much happier than I am with their results.

I’m getting ready to Mount the amp above the glove box using the new M2M Mount. As a Hail Mary, I purchased some 600hz bass blockers for the front dash speakers. I want to be absolutely sure that I don’t somehow have a defective Kicker amp before going through the annoying install process above the glove box.

I can’t understate this but the AudioEngine speakers I use for my turntable in my living room sound much better and are FAR louder than the peak output this amp provides before clipping. It’s really just the dash speakers giving me issue so that makes me think that maybe DSP or something is send them too much power relative to the comparatively less loud kick panels.

You might check the DIP switches. It sounds like you have the “Bi-Amp” switch turned on which treats the front channels like tweeters.

 

[Jeverall]

I'd say if you've never done this it'll take you 5-6hrs, 99% of which is wrestling with trim panels to get them off without breaking. A shop would likely charge you $4-500 for the install.

Don't forget to run a remote wire for the sub like me lol...

Perfect, That is exactly what I was thinking. for only a couple hundred extra bucks, I would rather save the time and aggravation... I did forget to purchase a sub remote wire, so ty! , what about doing the FORSCAN mod on the rears prior to install, does that impact anything? or will the sub be tapped ran somewhere independent of the rear speakers?

 

[hozer]

Perfect, That is exactly what I was thinking. for only a couple hundred extra bucks, I would rather save the time and aggravation... I did forget to purchase a sub remote wire, so ty! , what about doing the FORSCAN mod on the rears prior to install, does that impact anything? or will the sub be tapped ran somewhere independent of the rear speakers?

They will tap the front kick panel for high level to the 500. Forscan for the rears isn't a 100% thing yet, so best just to take it from the source that works.

Additionally the 'selling' feature of the harness is not that it saves time or money but is that you don't have to cut the factory harness, something I'm very hesitant to do on a modern vehicle. The shop is going to do that, but I still don't love the idea.

 

[raynaldo]

I installed a Kicker Key 200.4 amp in my BaseSquatch today and it made a HUGE difference. It was a straight forward install that took about an hour and a half. The install was made easy because of the harness from plugnplaykits.com. There was no need to cut, splice or drill anything. As you will see in the video below, it litterally was a plug and play operation.

The Kicker Key amp has a build-in automatic DSP that fixes Ford's terrible signal as well as adding 50 watts per channel. The combination is amazing. I have a nice 3 way component speaker set waiting to install in the front and now I'm not even sure I will bother. That is just how big of improvement this is.

I have suspected that Ford is intentionally degrading the sound quality of the base system in an effort to get customers to upgrade to the B&O. These amp and more importantly the smart DSP that is integrated in it really brings the entire stereo to life. Spend you money on this before you spend it on speakers. Good speakers can't fix low power and poor signal.

I put together a quick installation video but wasn't able to show the self tuning step because I needed my phone to play the kicker pink noise DSP turning track. If you want to see that step other installation videos show you how to do that.

Edit: the harness and amp are "Kit 11". Here is the direct link to the bronco kits.
https://plugnplaykits.com/products/...y-audio-harnesses-kits?variant=41130698473662

can you direct me to where I can find that sheet on how to disassemble the parts of the bronco?

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