Not too long ago a customer with a 2012 Ford F250 Crew Cab stopped by WSS Westminster Speed & Sound to show us his new purchase. He wanted to do a stereo upgrade that could give him concert level volume along with crystal clear sound quality. We had done work on two previous vehicles for this client so we were his first choice.
What a great truck. The newer Super Duty trucks are definitely a man’s truck. Everything is overbuilt and massive, from the interior appointments to it’s stance, to the powerful Powerstroke diesel engine. This truck makes a statement!
Keeping in “Sync”
He had a few important directives for us. He wanted to keep his Ford navigation radio and full control of the Sync system. He wanted to retain all of the functionality of the truck, and keep the system as well-integrated as possible. We were comfortable with these objectives as we work on a lot of Super Duty trucks. We worked up a proposal that we felt met all of his objectives and went over it with the customer. He liked our thought process and booked the installation.
At The Source
We started the system out with an AudioControl DQ61 integration device. This unit allows us to take the musical signal coming out of the Ford navigation unit in the dash and modify it into a good quality, clean signal that will be ready to be amplified. This unit also allows us to equalize the vehicle for any acoustical problems that present themselves, allowing for maximum sound quality. There is also an integrated DSP in this unit, effectively allowing us to move the sound stage from the driver’s door to the center dash area, making the sound seem much more realistic.
From the AudioControl DQ61 we feed signal into the Hertz HDP4 amplifier, sending 150 watts of clean power to each of the front and rear speakers. So now when he wants to jam there is no concern of running out of power. At all four corners we installed German Maestro EV6808 component speakers. They are extremely detailed, bringing out all of the nuances in the music. Cymbals are now crisp and light, guitars sound like heaven, and vocals are rock solid. Everything in the music is presented perfectly. Except one thing: We need bass.
Out of Sight….
JL Audio Stealthbox to the rescue. We installed the Stealthbox under the driver’s side rear seat. It gets bolted down to the floor for a rock solid mount. It comes with a 13TW5 woofer which can reproduce kick drums and bass guitar notes at high volumes without breaking a sweat. And we are talking about hitting you in the chest, feeling like you are there bass. Not sloppy, boomy, muddy, flea market bass.
The Details Matter
When you have a great quality subwoofer, you need a great quality amp. He had a JL Audio 500/1 amplifier from a previous vehicle we did for him. It worked great with the Stealthbox. Stinger Roadkill was installed in all crucial areas to eliminate vibrations and panel resonation, which effectively colors the sound. We also installed our FAST rings around the front door woofers to couple them with the door panels. These rings force all of the sound out through the speaker opening, resulting in much better midbass and overall clarity. It is just one of the small things we do to help improve sound quality for our customers. The two amplifiers and AudioControl processor were installed behind the rear seat and are completely invisible when the seat is flipped up. The finishing touch was to disassemble the AudioControl bass level control knob and LED’s and flush them into the panel to the left of the steering wheel. It looked like ford put it there when we were done.
Ford F250 Audio Upgrade = Ear To Ear Grin!
Now came the hard part. We had to demo it for the customer. We always hope we made the right decision in our design, but the proof is in the look on the customer’s face when we play it for the first time. This customer loves Metallica so I started him off with a track from them. He started grinning from ear to ear, and just sat back and enjoyed the music. When I turned it down his comment was “I never heard Metallica sound like that before in a vehicle”. That quote is music to our ears here at WSS Westminster Speed & Sound.
If you have a big truck and want big sound, WSS Westminster Speed and Sound has you covered. Stop in, give us a call, or contact us today to see what we can do for you!
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