Kicker Key/Hideaway Sound System and Speaker Upgrade Issues

[Etron]

So I followed the forums and ended up ordering speaker upgrades for my Maverick Hybrid XL.

I went with Kicker KSC40s in the rear peelers, Kicker 51KSC6704s in the doors, and Kicker 46CST204 in the dash. I installed these myself and it was a huge improvement, still using stock amp eusing

I ordered a Kicker HS10 hideaway and Kicker Key 200.4 amp and had them installed buy a local car audio company with great reviews. I did tell them that I've read that the HSN should be tied into the front speakers, and they told me that they tied into the rear pillar.

I've got to say the sound is just not there for me. It sounds very mid-rangey, and the bass speaker (installed under the driver seat) isn't really doing much.

The interesting thing is when I put the system into rear occupancy mode instead of front focus The kickers in the rear peeler sound like they're about to explode.
Was this thing installed incorrectly or something? Is there anyway I could run the key setup again with different results?

I trust this forum to have enough people weighing in that the key and Hideaway combo would have been a step forward, not back.

I've already reached out to the speaker install company and said I'll have to bring it back.

I set the eq reset so it's at factory default.

When I adjusted the fader towards the back, It was literally all treble and sounded awful, but I don't know if that's part of how the key works where It is supposed to always be set to front focused?

Does anyone have any suggestions on my next steps?

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[Carlitos_92]

Did the installer not listen to it before they gave it back?

When you say you reset the EQ, do you mean with Forscan? There is also a setting (only editable with Forscan) that determines whether the rear speakers are full-range or not. This matters, since that's the signal they tied into.

How is the 200.4 wired? Is it powering all the speakers, or only the doors/dash?

When you ran the Key setup, the subwoofer was turned off, correct? The Key setup will make a front-biased soundstage, but that's with the fader centered. There is still plenty of volume at the back.

I have an older truck without the Sync version you have, but I have a lot of if not all of those same components. I can promise you that it should sound much, much better.

 

[Etron]

Did the installer not listen to it before they gave it back?

When you say you reset the EQ, do you mean with Forscan? There is also a setting (only editable with Forscan) that determines whether the rear speakers are full-range or not. This matters, since that's the signal they tied into.

How is the 200.4 wired? Is it powering all the speakers, or only the doors/dash?

When you ran the Key setup, the subwoofer was turned off, correct? The Key setup will make a front-biased soundstage, but that's with the fader centered. There is still plenty of volume at the back.

I have an older truck without the Sync version you have, but I have a lot of if not all of those same components. I can promise you that it should sound much, much better.

The installers first comment was "You're probably going to want to change out the stock speakers".. which to me translates to this doesn't sound great and could sound better. When I told him I've already changed them out, he was like well then you're probably going to need to break them in. Again, I think it sounded better than before the Key was installed. I'm not sure how it's wired but will ask, I do know for a fact they tied into the rear pillars.

I have not put forescan on this truck yet, I just went into the bass mid and treble and set those to default (down the middle). It was my understanding that even without forescan the key negates some of the factory levels?

For what it's worth when the setting is changed from driver focused to rear occupants (on the Ford stereo settings) the sound thins out and sounds awful.

 

[BRAT]

Need to definitely change from front to rear. Get full range sound out of the factory head unit. Thats the first thing I'd try. I have never used forscan but still experimenting with my 25. Once I start building the stereo ill send pics.

 

[Etron]

Need to definitely change from front to rear. Get full range sound out of the factory head unit. Thats the first thing I'd try. I have never used forscan but still experimenting with my 25. Once I start building the stereo ill send pics.

When you say change from front to rear do you mean adjusting the codes in forscan?

 

[BRAT]

My understanding is the rear speakers have a high pass filter so not a lot of bass gets to the speakers. Front has a full range sound. Better to have a full range signal entering the amp

 

[plugnplaykits]

It’s true all Fords with 4 inch speakers in the rear are set to high pass to keep people from blowing the cheap speakers. They’re using as 4 inch speakers are pretty much like oversized tweeters. . You need to also find out where they tapped in for the hideaway as it might not properly be hooked up. I offer a plug & play kit that’s wired correctly and comes amp and harness and can be configured in bi amp mode upon request as well paired with a hideaway and speakers if necessary as I’m a kicker dealer and was the original creator of a plug-in play harness for the kicker key amps when they first came out

 

[Carlitos_92]

The installers first comment was "You're probably going to want to change out the stock speakers".. which to me translates to this doesn't sound great and could sound better. When I told him I've already changed them out, he was like well then you're probably going to need to break them in. Again, I think it sounded better than before the Key was installed. I'm not sure how it's wired but will ask, I do know for a fact they tied into the rear pillars.

I have not put forescan on this truck yet, I just went into the bass mid and treble and set those to default (down the middle). It was my understanding that even without forescan the key negates some of the factory levels?

For what it's worth when the setting is changed from driver focused to rear occupants (on the Ford stereo settings) the sound thins out and sounds awful.

Yeah, your “local company with great reviews” is a scam. Kickers don’t need to “break in.” The source of all your issues is however they wired things up.

You need to use Forscan to set the rear speakers to full range. Otherwise the HS10 will never see a bass note.

 

[Etron]

It’s true all Fords with 4 inch speakers in the rear are set to high pass to keep people from blowing the cheap speakers. They’re using as 4 inch speakers are pretty much like oversized tweeters. . You need to also find out where they tapped in for the hideaway as it might not properly be hooked up. I offer a plug & play kit that’s wired correctly and comes amp and harness and can be configured in bi amp mode upon request as well paired with a hideaway and speakers if necessary as I’m a kicker dealer and was the original creator of a plug-in play harness for the kicker key amps when they first came out

I'm already stuck with the hardware, do you sell the harness for the hideaway and key? I'm not against leaving them both under the driver and passenger seats where they were installed and rewiring it myself (with your harness I mean). I just don't know that I could trust that it's going to be done correctly tapping into speakers etc and when I tested it more this evening it's all over the place, and never sounded quite right. I'm getting bass but it sounds like it's slightly behind the tempo, which makes no sense because the speakers directly under my ass now and with the quick response of the 10" I feel like it shouldn't have any detectable delay.

 

[BRAT]

Forecast and see if that corrects your issue

 

[Carlitos_92]

I'm getting bass but it sounds like it's slightly behind the tempo, which makes no sense because the speakers directly under my ass now and with the quick response of the 10" I feel like it shouldn't have any detectable delay.

There is a phase switch on the HS10 that the shop could’ve set to 180d.

Where in Texas are you?

 

[BRAT]

Forecast and see if that corrects your issue

Dam autocorrect. Forscan

 

[Etron]

Yeah, your “local company with great reviews” is a scam. Kickers don’t need to “break in.” The source of all your issues is however they wired things up.

You need to use Forscan to set the rear speakers to full range. Otherwise the HS10 will never see a bass note.

They've been cool about it, I'm going to take it in to listen with the tech. This is not in my wheelhouse but I think they're gonna do right by me based on their reputation. Either way I'll find out soon lol.

 

[Milous]

They've been cool about it, I'm going to take it in to listen with the tech. This is not in my wheelhouse but I think they're gonna do right by me based on their reputation. Either way I'll find out soon lol.

It sounds like they did not use a custom harness, which is surprising, makes the install so much easier, especially if they would have used a harness with the 4-wire subwoofer connections.

I would take a look behind the center trim to see how they tapped into the factory radio harness. A custom harness allows for no cutting or tapping into the factory wiring.

 

[plugnplaykits]

It sounds like they did not use a custom harness, which is surprising, makes the install so much easier, especially if they would have used a harness with the 4-wire subwoofer connections.

I would take a look behind the center trim to see how they tapped into the factory radio harness. A custom harness allows for no cutting or tapping into the factory wiring.

Most shops are not gonna use a harness because they’re not gonna wanna pay for the extra expense. They’re going to just cut the wires and hardwire it the same way that they’ve been doing it since the 90s the problem is is that they’re gonna cut all the wires in your vehicle and any issues you have the dealership is going to void your warranty, blaming the wiring for any little problem that you have as someone who’s been doing this since the 90s this is how it works. That’s the whole point of my business is for people with basic do it yourself experience can install a harness not cut any wires or void your warranty and also save a ton of money on labor

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