mechgingeneetI've seen several posts on 2022-24 speaker upgrades (honestly, I may have read them all) - but not too many on the '25s. As many have commented, the base audio system on the 2025 model year appears to be upgraded, but after doing this install, I'm pretty confident the only change from the 2024 model year is more power coming from the new amp in the Sync 4 head unit. Regardless, I've found the new base system to be...fine. It's loud enough and is relatively full sounding. But for <$200, I can now say confidently it is absolutely worth upgrading!
TL;DR - swapped the front door speakers with Kicker 6 3/4" 2-ways and the rear pillars with 4" 2-ways, and the improvement in low-end response, clarity across the entire spectrum, and sensitivity to changes in the "Tone" control in the Sync 4 software makes this a no-brainer for anyone who wants to upgrade the XL/XLT stereo!
The goal: Improve the low-end response and clarity of the stock system for <$250, without adding a sub. Why no sub? Well, two main reasons: Forscan for the 2025 is a bit of a mixed bag at the moment, making it infeasible for me to reset the DSP to "Flat" to tap into the rear speaker wires (nor do I want to really mess with a Kicker KEYLOC or Key 500.1). Secondly, I haven't decided if I'll end up building a box to put full-size sub under the rear seat or go with a low-profile model. So I figured I'd swap the door and rear pillar speakers and see what improvements I noticed. (Spoiler alert: I will still want a sub eventually, but I think this improvement is good enough for 90% of people).
The equipment: Just buy from Crutchfield, y'all. The adapters were plug-and-play, the mounting rings were perfect, and I was able to get "scratch & dent" speakers which were same-as-new, saving me $20. Worth it!
I strongly considered options from Focal & JL Audio, but neither of them had the low-end response I was looking for, since my goal was to see just how much improvement I could see in the lower frequencies without a sub first. KICKER does have a "sound" and I tend to like it - but if you have a dedicated sub that you're planning to install, you could probably afford to move up to a more refined door/pillar speaker.
- Front Doors: KICKER 51KSC6704s for their low-end response, silk tweeter, and general price-to-performance.
- Rear Pillars: KICKER KSC40s for similar reasons, but especially the smoother highs when the speaker is 3" from my kids' heads.
Front Door installation: I've seen lots of posts claiming the front door panels would be a pain to remove...but that wasn't my experience! Maybe it's because I've done several speaker swaps in a variety of cars before, but honestly, the Maverick's panel attachment is pretty straightforward. With just over 1000 miles on my truck, I can confirm that the plastic clips were TIGHT, though, so it took a lot of force to get them off. The front doors were by far the easier of the two locations to get to.
The speaker adapter rings that came from Crutchfield were great, but I did have to drill a hole to feed the wires behind the speaker. I used some of the black sticky sealant that came with the speakers to hold the wires in place and seal the hole back up. Secondly, I know most people have already seen this, but I could not believe how small the drivers are on the stock speakers (left):
I also took the time to add some butyl sound deadening mat to the interior of the door panels. These have definitely cut down on resonance in the panels themselves, so I would recommend taking the extra 30 minutes per door panel to do this step!
Rear Pillar installation: The rear pillars are a total pain - not impossible, but just all-around annoying. I followed this excellent video. Don't ask if I broke any clips...no one will ever know! I took some time while I was back there to add some butyl sound deadening mat to the largest surfaces on the bulkhead...time will tell if those will really help, but they certainly can't hurt. At least the rear speakers from OEM have decent-sized drivers (though especially next to the KSC40s, they sound muddy, tinny, and all-around bad, so clearly driver size isn't the only factor!) OEM on the right below:
I know some people have said the rear speaker swap isn't worth it, but after hearing the difference between these two (installing one, then fading left-to-right to hear the difference directly), it is 100% worth it. IMO, this is still bad placement and these clearly can't contribute any low-end, but the clarity improvement was substantial. Secondly, I know people have fit 4x6 speakers in these spots, and it'd be easy to do...but I've never found a 4x6 I like the sound of, and the High Pass Filter applied to the rear speaker circuit is going to limit your low-end information anyway.
The Verdict: WHAT A DIFFERENCE!
I was surprised at the dramatic improvement in all these areas:
"BuT wHy DiDn'T yOu Do XyZ?! aRe YoU aN iDiOt?! iT wOuLd SoUnD bEtTeR iF yOu..."
- Low-end: The bass is tighter, more pronounced, and has minimal distortion even at high volumes. I've got my Fade set to the top of the center console in the system's graphic, and that (to my ear) keeps most of the low end without under-driving the rears. To be clear, you won't get the thumping sub-bass from a dedicated subwoofer, but for me, this is definitely enough to scratch the itch of that tight, punchy bass in modern rock, metal, and EDM.
- Clarity: You don't realize how muddy and garbled the OEM speakers are until you compare them directly. This is absolutely the biggest difference, even with speakers that are not known for their supremely detailed reproduction. There's a lot of treble in the mix by default, especially when you add the extra tweeters on these 2-way speakers, so I would recommend dropping the treble or boosting the bass in the EQ to compensate, but even at high volumes, I'm picking up a lot more detail across a variety of genres.
- Sensitivity to EQ Changes: A surprise to me, but these speakers respond more readily to changes in the system's EQ - a single notch up or down in any area is immediately noticeable, whereas with the OEM speakers, I would have to move 2-3 notches before I really heard a difference. This means more control over the system's tone, which I appreciate!
Chill, bro. I just wanted better sound for not a lot of money. I'm a musician, and have nerdy musician friends and family. Now my truck sounds GOOD, I get to enjoy more detail in my music, and the installation took me half a day. The end result was totally worth it, and I'd recommend this as a great first step for anyone looking to get much better sound for a couple hundred bucks and some elbow grease. If you're an XL or XLT owner and you're on the fence...give it a shot!
I agree with you. I'm a musician as well. Once you are taught how to play an instrument and what to listen for, music never sounds the same afterwards. If you have played in a band or an orchestra, you hear things that most people can't. So when I play Pink Floyds "Money", I want to hear the coins falling into the cash register. When I play Buddy Rich's "Time Check", I want to hear his rim shots clear as a bell. It's what we grew up with. I love all types of music. And the better the sound, the more enjoyment I get.
My job requires me to take long drives and I really like listening to my music mix with good speakers.
The stock system for us musicians pretty much sounds like music coming from speakers covered with a wet towel. No highs, no lows...........just a boring midrange sound. I'm waiting for Crutchfield to come out with an aftermarket set up and I will put it in my truck. I did this with my 2015 Prius and man, what a difference in sound! When I sold the Prius, the sound system was the sweet spot that helped sell it!
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