The owner of this 2016 Ford F-150 recently traveled from Tamaqua to Mobile Edge in Lehighton to inquire about upgrading the stereo system in the vehicle. The client liked the connectivity and source features of the factory radio but wanted clearer sound and more bass. Mike worked with the client to audition several amplifier, speaker and subwoofer options that would work with this budget. With a plan in place, we set to work on this two-day audio system upgrade.
Hertz Cento Speaker Upgrade
Hertz speakers were installed in the door along with some sound deadening.
The first task was to upgrade the speakers in the front of the truck. We removed the factory-installed drivers to make way for a set of Hertz Cento CPK690 components. We made spacer brackets for the 6×9-inch woofers and treated them with a layer of sound deadening material. The tweeters from the set are mounted in the factory locations. Additional sound deadening on the door skins would reduce noise in the cab while on the road and improve the perceived performance of the stereo.
Ford F-150 Car Audio Amplifier
The compact size of the amplifier allowed it to easily fit under the seat.
We suggested the Hertz AP5.9 bit five-channel amplifier for this truck in order to provide complete control over every speaker in the vehicle. The four main amp channels provide 25 watts of power to the tweeters and 60 watts to the woofers in the door. The subwoofer channel produces up to 350 watts to ensure that the bass is clear and dynamic.
Under-Seat Subwoofer Solution
Our fabrication team welded together a steel mounting bracket for the amp that attaches to the bottom of the seat. The bracket and amp are mounted under the passenger seat, and as you can see, all the wiring is wrapped in automotive-grade cloth tape to protect it. We used an Audison FPK350 8-AWG kit to connect the amp to the battery.
The next step was to mount a single 10-inch Hertz CS250S2 subwoofer in an Audio Enhancers subwoofer enclosure. The FSC85PC10 enclosure is designed specifically for 2009 through 2014 Ford F-150 Crew Cab and SuperCrew vehicles.
System Tuning Provides Amazing Realism
The final step was to mount the microphone from our Audison bit Tune processor in the front seat so it could take frequency and phase response measurements of the resulting system. The measurements are converted to output level, signal delay and equalization settings and uploaded to the digital signal processor in the AP5.9 bit amp. The result is a listening experience that mimics a high-end home audio system with a nice wide soundstage and smooth frequency response.
The client was thrilled with his stereo investment and loved the way his Ford F-150 sounds. If you’re looking for better sound from your car stereo, we invite you to visit Mobile Edge in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. You can also contact our team by e-mail to schedule a consultation using the red button below.
