The owner of this cool 2016 Ford F-150 traveled from Rumson, New Jersey, to Mobile Edge to have us install a custom sound system upgrade. The client auditioned the sound system in our F-150 demo truck and loved the experience. He wanted something similar, but with more power and upgraded speakers so it would play louder and produce more bass. He also wanted the system to be invisible inside the vehicle — great sound without being flashy.
Ford F-150 Front-Stage Speaker Upgrade
Perhaps the most-critical upgrade in this vehicle was installing the new speakers in the doors. As with any audio system, be it in a car, in your home or a portable solution, the quality of the speakers you choose plays a huge role in determining the accuracy and clarity of the system. Our client wanted speakers that would sound great and play loudly without distortion. We recommended the Hertz MLK 165.3 6.5-inch components as a solution.
To maximize the performance of the new speakers, our team treated the doors of the F-150 with a layer of HushMat sound-deadening material. This deadening not only helps to block noise from outside the vehicle, it improves the performance of the speakers by reducing the chance of cancellation with the sound created from the rear of the drivers. We also treated the back wall and floor of the truck with HushMat to further reduce the noise level in the vehicle.
We fabricated a set of plastic mounting adapters for the new speakers so they could be bolted into the same hardware locations as the original oval speakers. We added a layer of HushMat over the adapters to act as a gasket and help ensure everything was sealed correctly. The tweeters from the Hertz component set are mounted in the factory tweeter locations in the A-pillars.
Custom Pickup Truck Subwoofer System
A key part of this F-150 upgrade was to ensure that the new sound system produced lots of bass. We created a custom subwoofer enclosure that would fit up against the back wall of the truck. The enclosure is home to a pair of Hertz ES F25.5 10-inch shallow-mount subwoofers. The enclosure is contoured to fit around the large mounting bolts on the floor and the center seatbelt mechanism. We recessed the subwoofers into the face of the enclosure, which necessitated a relief in the rear panel of the enclosure so the magnet assembly would fit. Once we finished the construction, we wrapped the enclosure in a gray carpet to match the upholstery in the vehicle.
F-150 Sound System Amplifier and Signal Processor Solution
The sound system in the F-150 is based around the factory radio. We used an Audison bit Ten digital signal processor to convert the speaker output signal from the radio to a pre-amp–level voltage that can be sent directly to the amp. Of course, the signal processing features of the bit Ten allowed our technicians to use one pair of channels for the tweeters, another pair for the mids in the doors and the last channel for the subwoofer. The outputs of the DSP connect to the amplifier using Audison Connection interconnects.
The amp for the system is one of the Mille Power-Series ML Power 5 five-channel units. The amp can produce up to 70 watts of power to the four front speakers and an impressive 550 watts to the pair of subwoofers. Our team created one of our trademark steel amp racks to mount the processor and amp under the front seats. We finished the amp rack in the same textured bedliner as the exterior of the vehicle.
Pennsylvania’s Pickup Truck Stereo Upgrade Experts
After a few days of work, we had the new gear installed, and the signal processor calibrated to the acoustics of the vehicle. The client returned to Lehighton, anxious to hear the new sound system. He had a smile on his face from the second he started listening! The bass was tight and controlled, and the soundstage was wide and deep. Each instrument was placed accurately in that soundstage to produce a very realistic listening experience.
If you are interested in upgrading your car audio system, drop by Mobile Edge or click the red button below to send our team an e-mail.
