A client from Jacksonville recently contacted Sound Depot and Performance about a 2018 Ford F250 audio system upgrade. The client found us on Yelp and was impressed with our reviews. After talking to the client about the upgrades he wanted, we told him about a similar system we had built a week earlier. He liked the plan and gave us the go-ahead to schedule an appointment to begin the installation.
Custom Ford F250 Subwoofer Enclosure
The client’s biggest concern was the lack of bass in the truck. Our fabrication team created a custom subwoofer enclosure that fits under the rear seat. The enclosure houses a single JL Audio 13TW5V2-2 13.5-inch subwoofer. We included a storage compartment on the passenger side so he can store his laptop bag safely under the seat. We added custom vinyl-wrapped trim panels to the ends of the enclosure to better integrate with the vehicle interior.
Front and Rear Door Speaker Upgrades
We removed the factory speakers from the front and rear doors and applied a layer of MESA sound damping material to help reduce noise in the vehicle. The front doors received a set of Hertz ESK 165L.5 6.5-inch component speakers. In addition, we installed a pair of ECX 165.5 coaxial speakers in the rear doors. We added foam gaskets around the speakers to ensure all the output is fed into the vehicle interior, rather than being allowed to echo around behind the trim panel.
JL Audio Amplifier Integration
A PAC AmpPRO4 AP4-FD21 interface module extracts a full-bandwidth audio signal from the factory source unit. It feeds a JL Audio XD1000/5 five-channel amplifier. We mounted the amp on the back wall of the truck just beside the factory amp location. We used MESA power and ground wiring, speaker wire and RCA interconnect cables to feed the amp. The passive crossover networks from the Hi-Energy speakers in the front doors are mounted beside the amp for easy tuning access.
Ford F250 Audio System Tuning
With the equipment installed, the last step was to configure the amplifier to work with the output of the PAC interface and optimize the signal going to each driver. The XD1000/5 produces 600 watts into the sub and 100 watts into each of the door speakers. We set the crossovers on the amp to ensure the woofers in the door blend perfectly with the sub.
The client was blown away by the sound of his new Ford F250 audio system. The bass plays deep and the new speakers sound great. If you want to upgrade the audio system in your vehicle, drop by Sound Depot and Performance in Gainesville or send us an e-mail using our contact page.
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