Please enlighten me on Ford Pickup OEM Audio upgrade options.

[nondem]

I've got a 2017 Ford F350 Super Duty Crew Cab w/the Factory Sync 3 system. I think the interiors are the same now between the F150 and Super Duty trucks(till 2017 they were totally different). I don't have the Sony Premium sound system but it is the 8" screen version that has 4 door speakers, 2-tweeters in the A-pillars along with a Center Dash speaker. I'm not sure if the center speaker plays anything beyond the phone/navi audio. For that matter - I don't know much at all about this system - where to find the actual specs for it or specifics on how it is laid-out.

Could someone point me to some some info and/or good sources for what my options are for mild upgrades to my factory system?

I have ordered replacements for the front and rear doors:

Front - Kicker 43CSC6934(3 way 6x9)

Rear - Kicker 43CSC674(2 way 6.75")

These aren't top of the line speakers obviously - but better than OEM for sure. They will handle enough watts to allow a power upgrade later. They are pretty much plug-and-play w/the wiring and adapters that Crutchfield includes specific to my truck.

The reviews I've read on these seem to indicate they sound reasonably good with the just the factory head-unit driving them. I'll be installing them this weekend so I'll be able to tell how they do soon...but I'm interested in upping the power to them anyway.

As many of these systems that are out there - Ford produces 88 trucks an hour around the clock at just the one Super Duty factory - I don't find a lot of specific information on what i'm dealing with and what my upgrade options are considering I want to keep the OEM head unit.

In addition to upping the power to the door speakers - I'd like to maybe eventually add a sub behind the backseat but that is a maybe - depending on how the 6x9s sound.

I found a 4 channel alpine amp that accepts low and high inputs but I am hoping to avoid cutting a lot of wires and grafting something in using the high-level inputs. I read in some other forums that the OEM head unit puts out a "heavily EQed" signal unless you make some firmware mods w/forscan. I do have ForScan and the dongle - have used it to make other mods to this trucks firmware.

I remember seeing a plug and play upgrade for the Sony AMP that comes w/the premium sound system but I "think" this one doesn't have a seperate amp.

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[kcr357 10+ year member]

Unless there's a factory amp i dont think you'll see much improvement. Factory radios put out very little power, and the oem speakers are made to work with them. Aftermarket speakers are geared towards being amplified, so running them off just the radio miyht actually be worse than before.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

I think a brand new F350 is out of the budget of most folks here, or if they have one it'll be a dedicated work vehicle.

The catch with new vehicles in general is it often takes the aftermarket integration companies a couple few years to make any OEM integration solutions and you may be a trailblazer trying to figure out what changed since the previous model.

IF the signal from the head unit is EQd hard from the factory your aftermarket speakers may sound like crap since the build in EQ is likely custom sculpted around the stock speakers. Trying to address that with more EQ would likely be counter productive or at least expensive to do with good quality clean sounding processing. I would NOT attempt to modify firmware in a factory head unit unless you are OK with replacing it if you wind up bricking it or feel lucky enough that your factory warranty will cover it if you just play dumb if something goes sideways.

Good luck and definitely post up anything you do or discover because there's not a whole lot of information on the Super Duty tier trucks re. audio upgrades and anything you discover or test will come in handy to someone in the future.

 

[bandit_kb]

Look into getting a dsp and sound deadener materials. The f350 is loud so try to limit the external noise coming into the cab. You will need to amp the speakers as the non-Sony system is pretty weak.

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[nondem]

Thanks for the input fellas. I was banking on the fact that Ford uses the same infotainment systems across all of their vehicles. For example, I can enable the Sync 3 screen colors and logos from the Mustangs and even lincoln SUVs on my Sync 3 system by changing the firmware settings w/ForScan and the dongle. The splash screen and colors for several vehicles are already hidden in the firmware only needing to be activated.

There is little risk of bricking things like can happen with most instances involving traditional firmware. As an insurance policy - it is SOP to backup the "AS_Built" data for your specific vehicle so that you can get back to OEM if needed.

Yes, F350 Diesels are pricey //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif but I haul a big toy-hauler around sometimes and needed something new enough not to strand me 1000 miles from home. As I mentioned - this should be mostly the same as any 8" Sync system used in a variety of Ford products.

Oh, and on the noise - I had a 2015 F250 diesel before this and it was quieter than most - but still not nearly as quiet as the new 2017+ versions. The 2017 Complete Redesign involved lots of work to reduce the noise. In addition to added insulation - they tuned the way the diesel injectors work to reduce the characteristic diesel knock. Instead of one big injection on each cycle - they "fire" up to 5 smaller times per cycle. It is WAY quieter - My 2014 Tundra 5.7 v8 had more interior engine noise....not that I didn't like the way it sounded //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif Come to think of it - I get better MPG w/the 6.7 Turbo Diesel than my 5.7 Tundra gasser did too....

 

[evilmonstertruk Premium Member]

Just installed a Rockford DSR1 in my 2014 Taurus SHO. Kept all the factory controls and added my amps. Using the stock speakers for the time being and with the little tuning iv done, I was able to make the stock speakers sound pretty **** good.

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[nondem]

I just watched some media about the Rockford Fosgate DSR1. It sound great but I'm not sure I have an external amp?

Does your Taurus have a seperate amp somewhere - under the front seat maybe - that this would replace?

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

The f350 is loud so try to limit the external noise coming into the cab.

Guess you haven't been in a new Ford Diesel. They are quiet.

Since you don't have the Sony system the DSR1 will not be plug and play with the T harness. But will still work and make a huge difference. I love mine.

 

[evilmonstertruk Premium Member]

I just watched some media about the Rockford Fosgate DSR1. It sound great but I'm not sure I have an external amp? Does your Taurus have a seperate amp somewhere - under the front seat maybe - that this would replace?

Sorry I missed the part about not having the Sony system. And yea a quick search said you have to have the sony system to do what I did.
You could look at the JL dsps.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_13698103/JL-Audio-FiX-86.html?tp=61658&awcp=1t1&awcr=105211316603&awdv=m&awkw=%2bjl+%2bfix+%2b86&awmt=b&awnw=g&awug=9007709&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkpfWBRDZARIsAAfeXar0mYQT3EZPbFWJlCOW19kVi9hRsCx-uf0HBBFd7qVr3aUAVrqkbm4aAkweEALw_wcB

This will let you keep the factory unit and un-eq the signal for your speakers.

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[nondem]

Guess you haven't been in a new Ford Diesel. They are quiet.





Since you don't have the Sony system the DSR1 will not be plug and play with the T harness. But will still work and make a huge difference. I love mine.

Did you do an install w/the non-Sony system? If so - how did you go about getting the DSR1 installed?

 

[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

Did you do an install w/the non-Sony system? If so - how did you go about getting the DSR1 installed?

No I have the Sony system. It was plug and play.

 

[nondem]

Bummer...I had read that having the Premium Audio actually makes it more complicated to upgrade the system. That is one reason I wasn't too concerned about that option when I bought this truck. I had originally planned to get the super-low end OEM system in it and having a complete new system installed. This truck came along and was an excellent deal as a leftover 2017 model.

 

[evilmonstertruk Premium Member]

Bummer...I had read that having the Premium Audio actually makes it more complicated to upgrade the system. That is one reason I wasn't too concerned about that option when I bought this truck. I had originally planned to get the super-low end OEM system in it and having a complete new system installed. This truck came along and was an excellent deal as a leftover 2017 model.

It usually is that's why the maestro stuff exists. Did you look into the JL dsp at all?
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[nondem]

I didn't find the JBL system till this weekend. I might have considered it considering the really good price - but I'm at this point committed to building a better system in pieces.

I got all of the new Kicker speakers installed over the weekend. The sound is a definite improvement over the stock speakers. Crisper sound and the bass is also noticeably improved.

Here is a pic of the OEM front door speaker next to the new one I've installed: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nykD632XpqeO5clc2

It could use some more power to get all the sound out of these better speakers so I'm still on the hunt for an Amp.