2025 Maverick Build Log

[squirlz]

New truck, new project. I placed an order for this truck just after the order banks opened on August 5th 2024. I took delivery of the truck on January 3rd 2025. It is a Hybrid AWD XLT with the BAP and LUX Package.

I had a few parts waiting when the truck arrived. Rough Country Hard Tri-Fold Flip Up bed cover, RealTruck Bed Rug, Rough Country Tailgate Assist, TuxMat floor mats, and a Kia Homelink mirror. I had tint done the following Monday.

I have been very satisfied with the truck, it has all of the options I wanted, is great on gas, comfortable, and suites my needs. Oh and I really like the appearance inside and out.

As many of you know, reviews say the factory audio system is one of the worst, so I was planning the upgrade since before I took delivery. The goal is to have an audio system that sounds good, is not obtrusive, and can be reverted back to a factory appearance.

The equipment:
Arc PS8 Pro DSP
Morel 4.400, x2
Morel 1.550
Morel Virtus 63 - 3 way component set
Morel Hybrid MW6 MKII
Morel Virtus VWB25.4
Morel MT300
Alumapro Alchemy 10", x2

The layout:
Virtus 6.5" mid bass in the doors
Virtus 2.5" mid range in the dash where the factory tweeter is
Virtus 1.2" tweeter in the A pillar
Alchemys under the rear seat, driver side
Amplifiers and DSP behind the rear seat.

This is not a large truck, space is a premium so some sacrifices will need to be made. I am willing to sacrifice some audio performance for ascetics and a factory-ish appearance.

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[squirlz]

The first step is to determine what kind of source I am dealing with. I am not willing to give up the factory screen, steering wheel controls, phone integration / Android Auto at this time. Once everything is up and running and there are severe issues, I may reconsider.

The measurement was taken from the output of the ACM (Audio Control Module) into the PS8 Pro, then output of that into my Onyx Producer 2-2 Audio Interface and recorded in REW. The source signal was a USB drive with exports from REW, both at -6 db. I am unsure on what is happening in the no smoothing measurement. Is this an artifact of the measurement setup or is this true output?

No smoothing

1/3 smoothing

Next I measure the clipping point, the measurement is off by a factor of 10, I had the scope setup for a 10x probe, but the probe was set to 1x. The output starts to clip at volume 25, so 24 will be my maximum.

Volume at 25

Volume at 24

 

[cdoxp800]

I have been looking at doing a four way active system my-self.
Amps:
Audio Control Front: D-6.1200 (Currently own)
Audio Control Sub: LC-1.800
JL Audio HD900/5 (Currently own)

Now I haven’t decided on speakers currently because I need to know the Max mounting depth of the front doors. I have thought about just building an all Audio Control system.

Audio Control Speakers:
PNW-65CS2
PNW-275
SPK-10S4

And then theirs JL audio Speakers:
C6-650
C6-275cm
10W3v3-4

First step is to get that mounting depth so in can figure out whats fits. It might be neither

 

[DougS2K]

The first step is to determine what kind of source I am dealing with. I am not willing to give up the factory screen, steering wheel controls, phone integration / Android Auto at this time. Once everything is up and running and there are severe issues, I may reconsider.

The measurement was taken from the output of the ACM (Audio Control Module) into the PS8 Pro, then output of that into my Onyx Producer 2-2 Audio Interface and recorded in REW. The source signal was a USB drive with exports from REW, both at -6 db. I am unsure on what is happening in the no smoothing measurement. Is this an artifact of the measurement setup or is this true output?

No smoothing

1/3 smoothing

Next I measure the clipping point, the measurement is off by a factor of 10, I had the scope setup for a 10x probe, but the probe was set to 1x. The output starts to clip at volume 25, so 24 will be my maximum.

Volume at 25

Volume at 24

Thanks for posting this. I was wondering where the clipping point was on the factory headunit. I personally never go over 20 but nice to know it can go a little higher.

I also did some audio work as the stock stereo setup really does suck. My upgrade can be seen at the following link but I'll be following along here to see how yours turns out. Always interested to see what others do.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...e-sound-system-in-my-2025-maverick-xlt.63815/

 

[squirlz]

I have been looking at doing a four way active system my-self.
Amps:
Audio Control Front: D-6.1200 (Currently own)
Audio Control Sub: LC-1.800
JL Audio HD900/5 (Currently own)

Now I haven’t decided on speakers currently because I need to know the Max mounting depth of the front doors. I have thought about just building an all Audio Control system.

Audio Control Speakers:
PNW-65CS2
PNW-275
SPK-10S4

And then theirs JL audio Speakers:
C6-650
C6-275cm
10W3v3-4

First step is to get that mounting depth so in can figure out whats fits. It might be neither

Nice. I have not measured the depth of the doors yet, but that is part of the reason I went with the Morel Virtus, they are not very deep and the magnet is fairly small in diameter. I am hoping they will fit without cutting too much of the brace.

Thanks for posting this. I was wondering where the clipping point was on the factory headunit. I personally never go over 20 but nice to know it can go a little higher.

I also did some audio work as the stock stereo setup really does suck. My upgrade can be seen at the following link but I'll be following along here to see how yours turns out. Always interested to see what others do.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...e-sound-system-in-my-2025-maverick-xlt.63815/

I should have noted this is the output with the EQ turned off in Forscan. With the EQ on, the output will not clip, it actually stops increasing the volume at what would be clipping. And lower frequencies, at least 100 and below, actually stop increasing at a certain volume. I didn't take many notes on this as it does not apply to what I need, but interesting info none the least.

 

[DougS2K]

Nice. I have not measured the depth of the doors yet, but that is part of the reason I went with the Morel Virtus, they are not very deep and the magnet is fairly small in diameter. I am hoping they will fit without cutting too much of the brace.



I should have noted this is the output with the EQ turned off in Forscan. With the EQ on, the output will not clip, it actually stops increasing the volume at what would be clipping. And lower frequencies, at least 100 and below, actually stop increasing at a certain volume. I didn't take many notes on this as it does not apply to what I need, but interesting info none the least.

Interesting. I haven't messed with Forscan myself but I'll have to pick up a cable and give it a try. The seatbelt thing is something I would to get rid of. Why it doesn't go away immediately when I put my seatbelt on is beyond me and irritates me to no end.

 

[squirlz]

For how much room there is on the back wall, there is one strategically placed module to just make it annoying.

But, easy enough to remove brackets and remount the module. There were studs under the seat belt, so I made a little bracket and mounted the bracket I cut off to it so the module can slide on and off. There is a little "Trunk Antenna" that I also need to relocate.

Made the amp rack. I did add another bracket to the lower left. The vent has to come out. The amps fit just behind the seat. I have to have the center headrest pulled out slightly to prevent the rods from hitting the top 4.400.

PS8 Pro mounted on the other side.

3d printed some spacers for the center headrest.

 

[squirlz]

To fit the two Alumapro Alchemy 10's under the seat, I need every bit of volume and baffle area that I can get. Minimum is .65 cu ft, ideal is .75 cu ft per woofer.

I removed the interior panels to see what I was working with.

Applied some Resonix CLD squares. Taped the joints and edges.

Taped up the panels, created sides with cardboard to allow the enclosure to slide straight up. Applied 3-4 layers of fiberglass mat, focusing more on corners and less supported areas. I didn't want it too stiff so I could still wiggle it out.

It took a bit of prying to get it out, but it eventually did come out.

 

[HotRod Junkie]

Congrats on the Mav and excellent work

 

[squirlz]

There are a few empty cavities that need to be filled with mineral wool to reduce resonances. There is one in front of the under-seat cubbies and two under the rear window.

Removed the remaining panels and middle seat belt for easy access.

I decided to remove the vents and replace them with something to reduce the open area and limit road noise. The two vents on the side are right in the wheel well area, so lots of tire noise. I used some PVC sheet, 1/4" for the top and bottom pieces and 1/2" for the middle. I put a slot on the top on inside and a slot on the bottom on the outside so any water will drip out. I stuffed the 1/2" cavity with thinsulate. They are not the prettiest, but they were quick to make.

I not many of the openings were very big, so a lot of stuffing small pieces. The results are significant, even without CLD. I glued in the vent covers with some silicone so they can be removed and the factory vents re-installed if ever needed.

The C pillars were stuffed with thinsulate, I did not want mineral wool around the seatbelt.

This was more time consuming that I thought it would be. But with only smaller holes it was just stuffing a lot of small pieces. But I think the results are worth it.

The vent covers are quieter than before, but there was a slight whistle above 65 MPH. The original vents did not block any sound, and I can imagine they would be a source of rattles too. The amp rack with cover the middle vent, and the outer vents are behind panels so I can put more thinsulate over them. They could be smoothed out a bit, maybe deserve a cleanup.

 

[wax87]

How does that effect the AC when using Fresh air and how much difference in road noise did you notice? Also what about shutting the door, do you feel it in your ears, ie pressure change?

 

[squirlz]

How does that effect the AC when using Fresh air and how much difference in road noise did you notice? Also what about shutting the door, do you feel it in your ears, ie pressure change?

No issues when shutting the door, no noticeable pressure. So I would assume the HVAC /w fresh air will be fine. Air flow will be slightly restricted, as there is less area open, thinsulate breaths really well, but the air does have to flow through the thinsulate, absorbing some of the sound.

I pulled the vents to smooth them a bit more to see if I can reduce the whistle. I will take some measurements with the stock vents, then with these back in.

The only downside I can see is that air might flow into the cabin more as there are not one way flaps, which might be why there is a whistle. I believe the the whistle is coming from the center vent, which sits above the gas tank and there is a smooth curve that might be allowing air to flow in at higher speeds.

 

[squirlz]

Applied the Duct Seal to all metal overlaps and where brackets are attached. I was surprised on how effective just that is.

Installed Resonix CLD Lite to the rear of the cab.

Rear speakers will be removed. I really hate the location. I have an idea for a new location but that is fairly low on the list.

All modules are mounted over foam tape.

I did some back to back measurements with the OEM vents and my vent covers. The vents might be a bit too small, I ended up opening them up a bit more during testing. There is still some whistling caused by the restriction at 4.5KHz, but based on the measurements I don't think it will be audible with the full interior. But with significant reduction in sound I think the vent covers are worth it.

These measurements were taken at 75 MPH. We start seeing a drop at 200 Hz, 5 dB at 400 Hz building to a 10 dB drop at 2 KHz.

Take these measurements with a grain of salt though. This is with no rear seat and no rear interior panels. I don't know how much of this sound actually is audible in the cabin with full interior. The factory center vent would not fit with the amp rack so it had to be removed or modified, plus the flaps have been known to make noise, so any reduction in sound is a bonus.

 

[squirlz]

Front doors are probably the most important area for sound treatment in this build. The door panels are pretty cheap and even rattle and buzz with the stock speakers.

One thing I do like about this truck is how they front doors are constructed. The inner door skin is one piece and removable.

Once that is removed, there is plenty of space to work. Also note, no sound treatment at all.

Lots of Duct Seal in here, and I can't say enough how much of a difference just this makes.

Full coverage of Resonix CLD squares.

Taped the seams and applied Resonix CLD Lite on the outside of the inner metal skin. The top had a bunch of brackets, so I had to apply that on the inside.

Started building the fiberglass inserts out of ceiling tiles.

All pieces for both doors cut. These are just for the drivers door.

Built, wrapped and installed. The left and bottom pieces are 2" thick, and the top is 1.5" thick. They all bit behind the window tracks so I only need a little tape to hold them in place.

Inner door skin back on. I decided not to apply CLD , it does not have any resonance and it has a lot of bracing and curves. I did put Tessa table under the wire harness clips.

The stock speakers stay for now, the new speakers have not come in yet. I did switch it up and ordered the Morel Hybrid 2-way set, and I am still staying with the Virtus VWB25 which is supposedly going to be available by itself.

 

[squirlz]

The door panels are the ones that need a lot of attention. They are made from multiple different pieces so lots of joints to treat.

Resonix CLD squares applied and Duct Seal on all of the joints and the clips were treated with Tessa tape.

The inner door handle is held in with a plastic bracket. I applied Duct Seal around the a good part of the perimeter and applied Tessa tape to the bracket.

A layer of Thinsulate.

Tessa tape on all of the clips for the window switch.

A few pieces of CLD to add weight, Tessa tape on the clips, and Thinsulate added to the sail panel.

Door panel back on. It is much better, no rattles or buzzes, but only time will tell once the Hybrids are installed.

This project took way longer than anticipated, but well worth the effort. The door closes with a satisfying thud now.

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