A client from Baltimore recently contacted the car audio upgrade experts here at Westminster Speed and Sound to inquire about upgrading the audio system in his 2025 Ford F-150. While he was satisfied with the factory-installed radio’s basic feature set, the system didn’t play loud enough, wasn’t very clear, and lacked bass. We are quite familiar with the latest-generation F-150 trucks, so we presented several upgrade options to help the client choose a performance level that matched his budget.
Ford F-150 Speaker Replacement
We started the project by removing the speakers from all four doors as well as the dash and A-pillars. We replaced the tweeters with a set of Helix Compose i3 units that clip into the factory mounting provisions. The midrange speaker locations on the dash are now home to Compose i5 midrange speakers. Finally, our fabrication team printed a set of mounting adapters that allowed us to install an eight-inch Compose i5 woofer in the stock 6×9 location in each door. A set of Helix Compose i3 6.5-inch coaxial speakers is now mounted in the rear doors.
For bass, the client chose one of the KICKER dual 10-inch L7T enclosures that’s designed specifically for 2017 through 2026 Ford F-150 trucks. The enclosure fits perfectly under the rear seat, and the pair of square subwoofers will have no problem delivering the low-frequency output the client is after.
Stage Three Sound Deadening Adds Comfort
While the doors were apart, we applied a layer of Hushmat to the outer door skins. The inner door skins were treated with SoundShield sound deadening. Additional Hushmat was added to key areas of the inner door panels to prevent rattles and buzzes from the large woofers in each door. We finished the Stage Three sound control treatment by adding SoundShield Contour foam rings around the woofers to seal against the trim panel.
Custom Ford F-150 Amp Rack
The new audio system is powered by a pair of Match amplifiers. An UP 10DSP powers the door and dash speakers, while an UP 1FX powers the subwoofer system. We used a preamp interface to extract a stereo audio signal from the factory source unit. The fiber-optic output of this interface is connected to the UP 10DSP. The amplifiers are mounted on a sheet of expanded PVC, which is bolted to the back wall of the truck with factory fasteners. We ran 4 AWG power wire to a fuse block under the hood by the battery to deliver clean power to the amplifiers. We added a remote level control for the subwoofer system so the client can quickly adjust the bass level to suit his mood or music preferences.
The UP 10DSP includes an integrated digital signal processor. This is the key to making the truck sound great. We started the DSP calibration process by setting the crossovers for all the speakers, then entering the delay settings. Delaying the output of the speakers closest to the listening position allows sound from each location to arrive simultaneously. When combined with proper level setting and equalization for each speaker, this results in accurate staging and imaging. We use our measurement microphone and RTA for this final step.
Ford F-150 Stereo Upgrade Project
With the truck deadened and the new audio equipment installed and calibrated, it was time to turn the vehicle back over to the client. He hopped in to listen and was instantly thrilled by the improvement. The vocals were clear and detailed, and the bass was deep, just like he wanted. Best of all, the truck looks completely stock, save for the subwoofer enclosure under the rear seat.
If you aren’t satisfied with the factory-installed audio system in your car or truck, we invite you to visit the audio system upgrade experts at Westminster Speed and Sound. Our team can design a bespoke solution that will deliver the performance you crave. If you can’t get to the store during regular business hours, give us a call or click HERE to email our team.
[200170]
Leave a Reply