A year ago, a client from Mount Airy contacted us about installing a state-of-the-art audio system in his Ford Super Duty pickup truck. He’d received quotes from several high-end retailers across the country for the project, so being included was an honor. While he went with another shop on that build, he recently contacted us for a quote to upgrade his brand-new 2025 Ford Expedition with a similarly elaborate sound system. After inspecting the vehicle and doing some research, we provided a quote to execute the studio-quality audio upgrade to his exacting standards. The client was impressed with our plan and dropped off the gorgeous black Expedition so we could begin work.
Stage Three Sound Deadening
To ensure the audio equipment we planned to install performed at its best, we needed to address the vehicle’s sound-deadening. The Expedition is quiet, but not as quiet as it could be. Our stage three sound-deadening treatment began with removing the door panels, factory-installed speakers, and weather barriers, then treating the outer door skins with a layer of Hushmat damping material.
The inner door metal door skins were treated with a layer of SoundShield damping material. The foam layer on SoundShield helps prevent any noise from wire harnesses and cables. Finally, we treated the door trim panels with a combination of both deadening materials. In all, more than 100 square feet of deadening has been added to the Expedition.
If we didn’t address the large service openings in each door, we’d be sacrificing a significant amount of midbass performance. Our team cut expanded PVC panels to cover the access holes. The panels were treated with Hushmat before being secured in place. We used our CNC laser to engrave the Artistry by WSS logo into the panels to add some branding.
Ford Expedition Helix System Amplification
The factory-installed B&O sound system in the Expedition is quite elaborate. It includes left, center, and right speakers in the dash, woofers in the front doors, full-range speakers in the rear doors and effects speakers in the rear. Driving all those speakers and making the system sound good requires a lot of amplifier channels.
After removing the factory-installed amp from the rear passenger side of the SUV, we started work on brackets to mount three Helix amplifiers. The welded steel brackets allowed us to conceal a pair of six-channel P SIX DSP Ultimate amplifiers and a P1 subwoofer amplifier in the same space behind the factory-installed subwoofer enclosure. The steel brackets were painted matte black to prevent surface corrosion, and all attach to the vehicle using factory fastener locations.
We used a NAVTV ZEN-F25 2.0 interface to extract an audio signal from the factory-installed infotainment system. The ZEN interface provides a fiber-optic TOSLINK output that we fed directly into the DSP in the Helix amplifiers.
BRAX and HELIX Speaker Upgrades
The key to creating a truly magnificent audio system is to use great speakers. The Expedition now has three BRAX ML2 two-inch midrange drivers across the dash. The stock locations have the speakers firing directly rearward, putting them almost perfectly on-axis with the listening position.
Ensuring high-frequency reproduction was on par with the midrange drivers, our fabrication team created a set of custom A-pillar mounts for a pair of BRAX ML28 PRO 1.1-inch tweeters. The new mounting location matches the design philosophy of the midrange drivers and has the tweeters pointing at the listening position. We finished the pillars in factory-matching material to maintain the stock appearance. The last step for the front speaker stage was a pair of Helix i7-Series eight-inch woofers in the front doors. The large woofers are mounted to the door using 3D-printed adapters to ensure they are secure.
The rear doors are home to a set of Helix i7-Series coaxial speakers. These high-end speakers are typically used in an active configuration; we added passive crossover networks for this application to keep the total amplifier channel count to 13. The speakers are also mounted in 3D-printed adapters that bolt directly to the stock speaker locations in the doors.
We finished off the speaker upgrade with another pair of BRAX ML2 midrange drivers in the far-rear pillars to serve as ambience channels.
Wavtech Subwoofer Delivers Outstanding Performance
A great car audio system needs a great subwoofer to sound authoritative and immersive. We removed the surprisingly well-constructed subwoofer enclosure from the truck and reinforced it with several layers of fiberglass. We installed a 10-inch Wavtech ThinPRO 10 subwoofer into the enclosure and bolted everything back into the vehicle.
The massive excursion capabilities of the ThinPRO 10 required us to recreate the subwoofer grille, as the cone would smash into it at high volumes. We copied the factory grille’s design philosophy but added the space we needed to let the subwoofer perform.
System Configuration and Calibration
Aside from great audio gear, how an audio system is configured and calibrated is paramount to delivering great sound. After setting crossover points, delays and levels, we approached the equalization process with a three-stage plan. We spent several hours on the first day dialing in the EQ for each speaker using our audio analyzer. We came back the next day to continue with a listening and fine-tuning session so our ears could have a break. We then took a day off and came back for a third and final set of finishing touches on the system to ensure it sounded absolutely magnificent.
The Royal Treatment
While we had the truck in our possession, we treated it to a thorough wash and decontamination before performing a single-stage paint correction. We then covered the front end, including the headlights and A-pillars, in paint protection film. Next, the entire exterior was treated with a ceramic protective coating to give it a deep, glossy appearance. The coating is extremely hydrophobic, so it will be easy to maintain for years to come. Finishing touches included applying a protective coating to the leather seats and tinting the front windows with ceramic window film for added comfort.
Baltimore’s High-End Car Audio Experts
The client returned to the shop, anxious to hear the new audio system. As soon as his favorite music started playing, he knew he’d made the right choice of shop to perform the upgrade. He mentioned that the clarity was remarkable and the soundstage and imaging were incredibly realistic. Voices and instruments sounded genuinely lifelike. He was absolutely thrilled.
A few weeks later, the client called us to let us know he was still blown away by the new sound system. He mentioned it sounded better than the stereo in his Ford Super Duty. That put a smile on our faces!
If you are looking for a mobile enhancement retailer to transform your vehicle into a mobile music studio, we invite you to visit Westminster Speed and Sound and talk with a member of our award-winning team. We’ll happily work with you to design something that is truly awe-inspiring. You can reach us by phone or email if you can’t drop by the store.
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