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

[BootXL76]

I'm sure there are lots of guys wondering what the heck are you going to do with your surplus installed and removed audio equipment?

Hahaha…. Some of it I utilized the 60 days with crutchfield, the rest…. Well let’s just say I bought a storage bin specifically for excess audio equipment that’s in the basement (bassment? )…

I also plan to build a garage car stereo boom box with some of it

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[uh50]

Hahaha…. Some of it I utilized the 60 days with crutchfield, the rest…. Well let’s just say I bought a storage bin specifically for excess audio equipment that’s in the basement (bassment? )…

I also plan to build a garage car stereo boom box with some of it

Very smart to use the Crutchfield return system. I've used them for years and always happy with them. Added a Kenwood 7" display dash unit with DVD player/SiriusXM to my 2003 ZRX, which was from Crutchfirld. Loved it. I spent three years adding this feature or that.

 

[BootXL76]

Very smart to use the Crutchfield return system. I've used them for years and always happy with them. Added a Kenwood 7" display dash unit with DVD player/SiriusXM to my 2003 ZRX, which was from Crutchfirld. Loved it. I spent three years adding this feature or that.

Having that peace of mind knowing that if you just don’t like whatever you spend hundreds on, that you have two months to swap it out., is definitely worth the extra $ than finding it 15-20% cheaper and risking being stuck with a lemon (or junk). Obviously this can be abused, hopefully not, but helps in a journey to find exactly the right sound you’re looking for - or if financial situations change, sometimes you can justify paying double (or more) for a set up when, say, 45 days ago you couldn’t

 

[bomberxl]

Installed the powerbass oe65c-fd speakers today along with some siless 80mil mat. Took about 3 hours.

Exactly the upgrade I was looking for. The difference is night and day even with the stock rears.

I have a pair of the hertz dcx 100.3 coming this week. I grabbed one of the last sets on deep discount. Can’t wait.

I accidentally broke the clip that holds the passenger door inside handle cable bracket in place. Luckily it’s not needed for function. Once the panel is in place it’s held firmly so you can still open/lock the door from the inside.

 

[1st E]

Disappointed with the B/O sound system. Thought it would be a lot better, louder with fuller sound. I would like to modify it , where do l start ?

 

[BootXL76]

Disappointed with the B/O sound system. Thought it would be a lot better, louder with fuller sound. I would like to modify it , where do l start ?

Door speakers will make a big difference…. As far as I know, the B&O door speakers are the same (abs they’re just junk)…
I’d start there and then if that’s not enough you could add an amp to the front or upgrade the sub from the free air 6x9, etc…

 

[BootXL76]

Installed the powerbass oe65c-fd speakers today along with some siless 80mil mat. Took about 3 hours.

Exactly the upgrade I was looking for. The difference is night and day even with the stock rears.

I have a pair of the hertz dcx 100.3 coming this week. I grabbed one of the last sets on deep discount. Can’t wait.

I accidentally broke the clip that holds the passenger door inside handle cable bracket in place. Luckily it’s not needed for function. Once the panel is in place it’s held firmly so you can still open/lock the door from the inside.

I did the same thing the first time I took the panels off. I did the driver door first, no issues whatsoever…. I then dropped my 7mm socket inside the power window controls…. I should have gotten another 7mm (hadn’t done the bottoms screws yet)…. Thought I could lift the top part to get my magnetic pick up tool in there…. When I lifted the lip off the door, the whole panel came off…. Ripped the bottom vinyl plugs those screws go into clean out (nothing broke , they’re made to come out) along with breaking what you broke and the top clip for the power window wiring harness…. They both work without, but annoying to hold them in place and put the door pane back on.

 

[bomberxl]

I did the same thing the first time I took the panels off. I did the driver door first, no issues whatsoever…. I then dropped my 7mm socket inside the power window controls…. I should have gotten another 7mm (hadn’t done the bottoms screws yet)…. Thought I could life the top part to get my magnetic pick up tool in there…. When I life’s the lip off the door, the whole panel came off…. Ripped the bottom vinyl plugs those screws go into clean out (nothing broke , they’re made to come out) along with breaking what you broke and the top clip for the power window wiring harness…. They both work without, but annoying to hold them in place and put the door pane back on.

Glad I’m not the only one. The driver side uses a white plastic that seems to be more resilient. For whatever reason the passenger side is a more brittle black plastic.

That’s why I use nut drivers. No sockets to lose.

The only other minor mishap was removing the dash tweeter covers. For whatever reason one of the green clips decided to break off. Nothing I could do on that one. Just a freak accident. I used a screwdriver covered in electrical tape to twist pry it off, worked very well aside from that.

 

[BootXL76]

Glad I’m not the only one. The driver side uses a white plastic that seems to be more resilient. For whatever reason the passenger side is a more brittle black plastic.

That’s why I use nut drivers. No sockets to lose.

The only other minor mishap was removing the dash tweeter covers. For whatever reason one of the green clips decided to break off. Nothing I could do on that one. Just a freak accident. I used a screwdriver covered in electrical tape to twist pry it off, worked very well aside from that.

The green clips are annoying…. I finally broke one on the AC controls taking those out for like the 11th time (prior to that it was coming off every time I pulled it out, but it would clip back on)

you can get replacements on eBay (but they’re orange, but they work)

 

[uh50]

Disappointed with the B/O sound system. Thought it would be a lot better, louder with fuller sound. I would like to modify it , where do l start ?

You could start by reading this entire thread. The information on this thread alone is invaluable. Not only that, but there are several sound system threads that are also valuable on this site. It's amazing what we can learn by reading. Thanks to BootXL76 and others for their hard work, experimentation, and documentation to allow us to view their work and learn from them. That's one of the true purposes to such forums.

 

[Ken Maverick]

On the rear speakers, they appear to be on a common ground which makes using them for the signal tricky. (You also usually want to tap the largest speaker in the stock system, because they’re least likely to have signal processing to cut out the bass)…
I really didn’t want to use t taps, but this is as more “I want an immediate upgrade” while I wait for an actual t harness and more to be made specifically for the maverick and they did the job.
As for what wires, I just followed to the colors back from the actual speaker wiring harness after I took off the door panels

The rear speaker do not have a common ground. They are wired the same as the bronco sport in the attached picture.

 

[BootXL76]

The rear speaker do not have a common ground. They are wired the same as the bronco sport in the attached picture.

Yeah, I know…. That was back in January when I was still figuring things out and another post had me thinking that (the wires look so similar too they can play tricks on you)….

 

[bomberxl]

I went to put in my rear speakers tonight and discovered I have a different plug? I ordered the 72-5600 based on this thread but the pins on my harness are smaller.

Any idea what adapter this is?

 

[bomberxl]

I followed the same recommendation and had the same issue. Ended up just cutting off OEM connector, splicing the wires and sending back the 72-5600. I already had everything apart and wanted to get the speakers installed, didn't have time to track down another harness unfortunately.

That looks like the path I’m taking. No real benefit to saving the harness

 

[BootXL76]

It’s not a different plug, it fits, you just need to patiently work it in there. It’s the same plug as the tweeters and they work for both. I’ll find some pictures here in a few

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