Budget stock Audio upgrades (XL) - plan, research, options and experimentation

[BootXL76]

Thanks for posting all this information! I'm going to try to upgrade my speakers soon. I have no clue about car audio systems so this info helps a lot. I need something that's just plug a play without having to add anything or run new wires. Quick question with the front door speakers you used. What did you do to shave the foam down to the right size? Just a boxcutter or knife?

There’s a few ways you could do it, it’s pretty thick so a box cutter or knife is likely to leave you with a pretty jagged/jacked up surface on the foam…. I took the foam off very carefully and used a rotary tool to shave it down about 1/8”, then used spray adhesive on the foam to stick it back to the housing. I suppose you could do it with it still attached, but I’d worried about slipping and damaging the speaker.
I also saw in some reviews on different Ford applications where they had the same issue and replaced the foam ring with like 3m weather stripping (I’m not sure if there’d be any acoustic difference doing that so I went with editing instead)

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[BootXL76]

Series of updates here:
So the issues I started experiencing with the hideaway is even with the gains turned all the way down, anything over 18 volume it would go into protect mode, but i realized if I faded over to the left side, I could turn it up as loud as I wanted and it was fine, it the 3rd tick back to the right it would cut…. Tried all sorts of things including re running wires, power, ground, all of it…. Same thing…

Seeing others had noticed static in the hideaway on the right channel when fading over, this made me decide I needed some sort of processing like the lc2i pro and if o was going to do that, I might as well do the same for the factory signal to the rest of the speaker and ordered kit 16 from PLUGNPLAYKITS kits **i should have ordered 17, which is 17ft instead of 6…. With 6 I’m now having to install behind the glovebox, but it’s fine**

Got it yesterday and installed last night…. Was once again running into weird sh*t and I was ready to scrap the whole thing…. I ran the auto tune, got the happy song, turned it off but after that if I opened my door the key would power on and was emitting loud white noise from all 4 speakers…. When I turned the radio on volume 6/7 sounded maxed out…. I was so confused…. Researched, tested, couldn’t figure it out…

Slept on it, and thought “if it’s that loud the gains must be registering at max even though they’re turned all the way down…. And that would cause that sound even without the head unit”…. So I turned the gains up slightly this morning and boom, no sound and the volume is back to normal…. Re-did the mic tuning, got the happy song and we’re rolling…. I’m kind of impressed with these powerbass speakers and how they’re handling the power…. Was thinking I’d replace them with adding the amp but they sound pretty darn good…. Will finish converting the hideaway lead wires to rca tonight and get those plugged into the lc2i pro…

Definitely recommend PLUGNPLAY Kits, the owner is a good dude that called me personally to address the fit the maverick that I mentioned in notes and got it out to me super quick

I may wait for next update when I finish my custom boxes for the kicker compc DVC 8”s and hook the kicker 400.1 mono block to them and add all pictures and probably a video of the plugnplaykits install

 

[Pickles]

This is fantastic. Thanks a bunch. This is the kind of thread i joined here for. Couple questions if you dont mind:

I saw youre now ordering a harness. I’m hoping to do a smaller scale upgrade that doesn’t involve tearing apart my dash.
Can your hideaway sub be installed without a harness?
from reading it appears that youve installed your speaker upgrade to the stock door wiring. Am i correct on this? If so, how does it sound? If not, how extensive of a rewire did you do?

EDIT:

further reading has shown me you posted updates as responses to your thread furhter down. Id maybe suggest pasting them into your original thread comment to save over explaining on your part.

So i was thinking you were ordering a deck harness. Did you mean the door panel wiring harnesses? If you dont mind explaining your process to me just a touch. I’m just having trouble figuring out how much of your car you tore apart for this project haha and how the sub functions without a deck harness

 

[BootXL76]

This is fantastic. Thanks a bunch. This is the kind of thread i joined here for. Couple questions if you dont mind:

I saw youre now ordering a harness. I’m hoping to do a smaller scale upgrade that doesn’t involve tearing apart my dash.
Can your hideaway sub be installed without a harness?
from reading it appears that youve installed your speaker upgrade to the stock door wiring. Am i correct on this? If so, how does it sound? If not, how extensive of a rewire did you do?

EDIT:

further reading has shown me you posted updates as responses to your thread furhter down. Id maybe suggest pasting them into your original thread comment to save over explaining on your part.

So i was thinking you were ordering a deck harness. Did you mean the door panel wiring harnesses? If you dont mind explaining your process to me just a touch. I’m just having trouble figuring out how much of your car you tore apart for this project haha and how the sub functions without a deck harness

Yeah, the plan was to update the OP with everything and pictures once I was done, then “done” got delayed . So the original thing I did was use the plug and play powerbass components (not the best but pretty decent, definitely an upgrade over stock but there’s some better speakers around the same price range, just not with the stock plug ins and adaptor built in (pretty easy, just remove the door panels and dash covers)…
For running a line to the hideaway, if you look up how to run wires through factory plugs )car audio fabrication has a video on this on YouTube) you could run leads to a hideaway without ever having to touch the dash…. But for my hideaway connections, I tapped the speaker leads out of the ACM plug and ran hi level inputs to the back down the passenger side under that trim. Flimay’s thread is an amazing starting point (what inspired me to do it myself)

if you go the OEM integration harness route (I have another thread recently where I highlight the options I’ve found for that), the climate controls pull straight out and it’s tight in there but easy to get to the ACM to unplug and bypass with the new harness.

hopefully that helps, if you have any other questions you’re more than welcome toDM me…. Happy to help where I can

 

[BootXL76]

Okay I lied about no more updates til it was done, I found my spot for the Key
It’s the blue X:

Went for right behind the glove box….

just zip tied it in there nice and tight…. It’s not going anywhere
You can see this much of it if you look down underneath:

 

[BingoDingo]

Man I used to do this in my teens and early 20s. Could not stand to leave a car stock. Car got broken into 4 times for subs and other kit, and even aside from that, when I went to sell the car it was painful every time. Can't bring myself to invest the effort anymore, even though it does bother me!

 

[uh50]

My budget upgrade turned into more of a hobby, where I’m playing with different possible configs in the Maverick that A. Are budget minded B. Doesn’t take up much usable space.
What I’m playing with is dual custom boxes that fire diagonally up from each side of the rear bin.
being budget conscious (especially for a secondary project), I went with 2 kicker compc Dvcs I got one a scratch and dent from crutchfield that was $48 and a second for $80…. that will be powered by the KICKER 400.1 monoblock that I got for $118, so essentially two 8”s and a separate amp will run me $244. This pic essentially what I’m going for with the enclosure shape (cardboard playing with shapes, etc…)…. I don’t want to yank the storage bin insert and want to be able to pull these easily if the full bin is needed (and yes that’s a fat scratch in the middle of the bin, some tools I had in there must’ve scratched it… been so careful with the plastics, didn’t think about inside the bin)… I may even keep the hideaway under or behind the seat for Those times you might yank the subs from under the rear seat for maximum storage on a road trip (thinking out loud)

Hey BootXL76,

I love the idea of using each side of the storage bins under the seat. I've been looking at possibly using a pair Kicker 6 3/4" 48CWRT672 CompRT Series shallow-mount 6-3/4" subwoofer with dual 2-ohm voice coils with a Kicker DXA125.2 Amplifier feeding both the subs on mono, and using the two channels for the rear C-pillar 4" replacement upgrade. Adding the appropriate crossovers. The 6 3/4" subs have a frequency response of 30-500hz, which are pretty good mid low bass, although the sensitivity is a bit low at 82.6.

So, I was thinking of trying a diagonal cover similar to the cardboard cutout you show in the photo to mount my 6 3/4" subwoofer and using the bin space that goes back under the trim to the outside as the enclosure. Maybe add some baffling. Might save some space using the 6 3/4" subs instead of the 8".

I'm kinda firm on the front replacement upgrades being driven by the KickerKey 200.4 using all four channels on the 2-6 1/2" door speakers and the 2-tweeters. Just have to finally decide on the upgrades speakers to buy.

I'll take your recommendation about harness and get a custom harness from one of your sources. That way, I can get the appropriate crossovers and other accessories needed like bass blockers for the tweeters.

One more question please, and I'll leave you alone. I was researching and performed searches on best speakers on specific applications. When I searched for Best Mid Bass speakers, I got quite a shock. The consensus of four or five websites had all the following speakers but in different order.

1) Pyramid W64 Pro 6.5 Inch, 200 Watt 4 Ohm Vehicle Mid-Bass Component Poly Woofer Audio Sound Speakers w/ 30 Oz Magnet Structure, 2.5” Mount Depth Fits OEM. Freq. Response = 60 Hz - 5k, no sensitivity listed. $18.59 each.​

2) Pyle PLG64 6.5 Inch Mid Bass Woofer Sound Speaker System - Pro Loud Range Audio 300 Watt Peak Power w/ 4 Ohm Impedance and 60-20KHz Frequency Response for Car Component Stereo, no sensitivity listed. $19.49 each.​

3) PYLE PLPW6D 6" 1200W Dual Voice Coil 4-Ohm Subwoofer. Freq. Response = 70 Hz - 6k, sensitivity = 89db w/resonance frequency at 52.2 Hz. $35.99 pair.​

4) BOSS Audio Systems CXX8 8 Inch Car Subwoofer - 600 Watts Maximum Power, Single 4 Ohm Voice Coil. Freq. Response = 20 Hz - 200 Hz, sensitivity = 83 db w/resonance frequency at 49 Hz. $29.99 each.​

5) Planet Audio AC8D 8 Inch Car Subwoofer -1200 Watts Maximum Power, Dual 4 Ohm Voice Coil. Freq. Response 23 Hz - 3 k, sensitivity = 85 db, w/resonance frequency at 39 Hz. $36.99 each.​

6) Pyle PLPW8D Car Subwoofer Audio Speaker - 8in Non- Pressed Paper Cone, Black Plastic Basket, Dual Voice Coil 4 Ohm Impedance, 800 Watt Power and Foam Surround for Vehicle Stereo Sound System. Freq. Response = 40 Hz - 3k, sensitivity = 89 db w/resonance frequency at 46.2 Hz. $19.88 each.​

Obviously, the attraction here is cost. I can get two mid bass/subwoofers for less than $50 or so instead of the Kicker 6 3/4" for $214 pair. So the question is are any of the above worth fooling with? Does anyone have experience with any of the above? Ok, so that's two questions.

When I searched for best subwoofer I got results that I expected and we've been discussing in different threads like the Kicker subs.

TIA for reading and for any answers.

 

[Naranjita]

People in the escape forums with the B&O have disconnected the front center speaker, they report that it sounds better after that, been thinking of trying that with the sony system in my C-Max

The Mid Range center dash speaker is the best feature of my Maverick B&O system. It sounds good and clear. Hope it has the endurance for the long haul!

 

[Maggot Toe]

I've been following this topic closely waiting for my Maverick arrival since I've owned many Ford products and they have all had horrendous stock systems, only eclipsed by Toyota in badness. Not having been in car audio for years I can't wrap my head around Pyramid, Pyle, Boss and Planet Audio being recommended for anything... Then again Kia and Hyundai now make decent vehicles.

 

[BootXL76]

Hey BootXL76,

I love the idea of using each side of the storage bins under the seat. I've been looking at possibly using a pair Kicker 6 3/4" 48CWRT672 CompRT Series shallow-mount 6-3/4" subwoofer with dual 2-ohm voice coils with a Kicker DXA125.2 Amplifier feeding both the subs on mono, and using the two channels for the rear C-pillar 4" replacement upgrade. Adding the appropriate crossovers. The 6 3/4" subs have a frequency response of 30-500hz, which are pretty good mid low bass, although the sensitivity is a bit low at 82.6.

So, I was thinking of trying a diagonal cover similar to the cardboard cutout you show in the photo to mount my 6 3/4" subwoofer and using the bin space that goes back under the trim to the outside as the enclosure. Maybe add some baffling. Might save some space using the 6 3/4" subs instead of the 8".

I'm kinda firm on the front replacement upgrades being driven by the KickerKey 200.4 using all four channels on the 2-6 1/2" door speakers and the 2-tweeters. Just have to finally decide on the upgrades speakers to buy.

I'll take your recommendation about harness and get a custom harness from one of your sources. That way, I can get the appropriate crossovers and other accessories needed like bass blockers for the tweeters.

One more question please, and I'll leave you alone. I was researching and performed searches on best speakers on specific applications. When I searched for Best Mid Bass speakers, I got quite a shock. The consensus of four or five websites had all the following speakers but in different order.

1) Pyramid W64 Pro 6.5 Inch, 200 Watt 4 Ohm Vehicle Mid-Bass Component Poly Woofer Audio Sound Speakers w/ 30 Oz Magnet Structure, 2.5” Mount Depth Fits OEM. Freq. Response = 60 Hz - 5k, no sensitivity listed. $18.59 each.​

2) Pyle PLG64 6.5 Inch Mid Bass Woofer Sound Speaker System - Pro Loud Range Audio 300 Watt Peak Power w/ 4 Ohm Impedance and 60-20KHz Frequency Response for Car Component Stereo, no sensitivity listed. $19.49 each.​

3) PYLE PLPW6D 6" 1200W Dual Voice Coil 4-Ohm Subwoofer. Freq. Response = 70 Hz - 6k, sensitivity = 89db w/resonance frequency at 52.2 Hz. $35.99 pair.​

4) BOSS Audio Systems CXX8 8 Inch Car Subwoofer - 600 Watts Maximum Power, Single 4 Ohm Voice Coil. Freq. Response = 20 Hz - 200 Hz, sensitivity = 83 db w/resonance frequency at 49 Hz. $29.99 each.​

5) Planet Audio AC8D 8 Inch Car Subwoofer -1200 Watts Maximum Power, Dual 4 Ohm Voice Coil. Freq. Response 23 Hz - 3 k, sensitivity = 85 db, w/resonance frequency at 39 Hz. $36.99 each.​

6) Pyle PLPW8D Car Subwoofer Audio Speaker - 8in Non- Pressed Paper Cone, Black Plastic Basket, Dual Voice Coil 4 Ohm Impedance, 800 Watt Power and Foam Surround for Vehicle Stereo Sound System. Freq. Response = 40 Hz - 3k, sensitivity = 89 db w/resonance frequency at 46.2 Hz. $19.88 each.​

Obviously, the attraction here is cost. I can get two mid bass/subwoofers for less than $50 or so instead of the Kicker 6 3/4" for $214 pair. So the question is are any of the above worth fooling with? Does anyone have experience with any of the above? Ok, so that's two questions.

When I searched for best subwoofer I got results that I expected and we've been discussing in different threads like the Kicker subs.

TIA for reading and for any answers.

sounds like we’ve been down the same panel and I think a lot of those sites are just loyal to their sponsors or something to that effect…. Too many of them have the consensus junk brands (Pyle, etc))…. Near the top…. You’ll have people out there that tell you they sound good, if sound quality is a driving force behind your build, I’d go with a trusted higher end name, even if it’s their entry level line

tho there are some budget names I’ve been intrigued by, like CT sounds. It’s also subjective, kinda like the “I paid $30 for this component set and they sound great”
Do they sound great? I’d be willing to bet not…. Do they sound great and way better than stock or blown speakers for $30 when that’s what Johnny car owner had to spend? Probably

also on the whole sound quality thing, my new component set just got here 20 minutes ago, so I’ll be able to tell you first hand how much of an improvement going from an OEM “entry level” plug and play sound to a higher/mid level from one of the hi fi brand names and if I feel like they were worth almost triple the price
**side note: the lc2iPro solved the issue I was having with the hideaway. Was listening to a Pandora 70’s rock station…. Eagles, bob seager, America, fleetwood Mac, etc… and man did it sound good…. Accurate details like finger slides on a ghosted, etc…. I do wonder how much better it can sound off the same power source etc with truck acoustics, etc…. (Just musing out loud here)

also on those compRT 6 3/4…. The more I’ve read about those the more impressive they seem and I’ve been tempted but knowing me and where I’m at craving slightly more bass than the hideaway produces, I’d likely still want more…. One thing that intrigues me is I’m pretty sure I could fit on in a custom wedge box behind the driver side rear seat….In models like mine without the black box, you could have one of those on each side and still have room for a roughly 14-15” inch wide mounting board for amps, etc… (I’ve also been looking at their pre fab compRT boxes with the passive radiator…. Somebody put one under the rear seat bin (I’d go behind the seat) and they said it’s almost too much bass for what they want (one a key 500.1)

 

[brnpttmn]

Off topic, but the cheapest upgrade you can do with the stock Maverick speakers is to bump the fade one or two notches to the front. It kicks more power to the door speakers which are the only ones that have any sort of dynamic range and frequency response, which I find to be the biggest issue with the system. I'm fine with the imaging, sound staging, and clarity.

 

[BootXL76]

Off topic, but the cheapest upgrade you can do with the stock Maverick speakers is to bump the fade one or two notches to the front. It kicks more power to the door speakers which are the only ones that have any sort of dynamic range and frequency response, which I find to be the biggest issue with the system. I'm fine with the imaging, sound staging, and clarity.

I did that like the first day I had the truck (but this was part of my struggle because I had it dialed in to where some songs sounded pretty decent, then others would remind me…. Clarity was muddy at best, missing instruments, notes, etc…. A simple upgrade of the front components adds so much range etc and reveals the parts of the mix, instruments etc that weren’t present no matter how much you dialed in the stock

 

[Naranjita]

Off topic, but the cheapest upgrade you can do with the stock Maverick speakers is to bump the fade one or two notches to the front.

This is true of the Maverick B&O system too. The front door woofers are pretty decent, coupled with the dash tweeters and center mid range dash speaker. The rear c-pillars are just noise and the subwoofer is weak. Fade to rear and you'll go mad.

 

[uh50]

sounds like we’ve been down the same panel and I think a lot of those sites are just loyal to their sponsors or something to that effect…. Too many of them have the consensus junk brands (Pyle, etc))…. Near the top…. You’ll have people out there that tell you they sound good, if sound quality is a driving force behind your build, I’d go with a trusted higher end name, even if it’s their entry level line

tho there are some budget names I’ve been intrigued by, like CT sounds. It’s also subjective, kinda like the “I paid $30 for this component set and they sound great”
Do they sound great? I’d be willing to bet not…. Do they sound great and way better than stock or blown speakers for $30 when that’s what Johnny car owner had to spend? Probably

also on the whole sound quality thing, my new component set just got here 20 minutes ago, so I’ll be able to tell you first hand how much of an improvement going from an OEM “entry level” plug and play sound to a higher/mid level from one of the hi fi brand names and if I feel like they were worth almost triple the price
**side note: the lc2iPro solved the issue I was having with the hideaway. Was listening to a Pandora 70’s rock station…. Eagles, bob seager, America, fleetwood Mac, etc… and man did it sound good…. Accurate details like finger slides on a ghosted, etc…. I do wonder how much better it can sound off the same power source etc with truck acoustics, etc…. (Just musing out loud here)

also on those compRT 6 3/4…. The more I’ve read about those the more impressive they seem and I’ve been tempted but knowing me and where I’m at craving slightly more bass than the hideaway produces, I’d likely still want more…. One thing that intrigues me is I’m pretty sure I could fit on in a custom wedge box behind the driver side rear seat….In models like mine without the black box, you could have one of those on each side and still have room for a roughly 14-15” inch wide mounting board for amps, etc… (I’ve also been looking at their pre fab compRT boxes with the passive radiator…. Somebody put one under the rear seat bin (I’d go behind the seat) and they said it’s almost too much bass for what they want (one a key 500.1)

Thanks...I understand brand loyalty and driving customers to purchases. When I first saw the speakers and prices, I thought to myself, too good to be true. So, you confirmed that it's just too good to be true. So, I'm going to stick with the 6 3/4" subs and the Kicker 2 Chanel amp. I'll review placement/enclosures because I don't want too much bass, nor thumping bone rattling bass. Just good full solid and balance sound. Perhaps some bench test work is in store.

I'll wait on the final decision on component speaker upgrade choice until I read about your new speakers.

Thank you BootXL76 for your work, postings, information, willingness to help others. Your opinion has become a valued source.

 

[brnpttmn]

I did that like the first day I had the truck (but this was part of my struggle because I had it dialed in to where some songs sounded pretty decent, then others would remind me…. Clarity was muddy at best, missing instruments, notes, etc…. A simple upgrade of the front components adds so much range etc and reveals the parts of the mix, instruments etc that weren’t present no matter how much you dialed in the stock

I'm sure upgrades help a ton. I've not noticed any more clarity issues than other stock systems with fade Front+2 and "driver" occupancy setting (which I think helps a lot too).

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