2024 Mustang B&O Sound system and Forscan

[proton32060]

I know this has been hashed through before and I read every Post I could find and I keep getting conflicting opinions.
It is about the Forscan program on a 2024 Mustang with the B&O Sound System.

The Website says the latest version won't access a 2024 Mustang or Lincoln, but I have read comments saying it does.
At least a large part of the modules are accessible.

I put over $6000.00 into new amps, Focal Speakers, a DSP etc. and it still sounds terrible.
I didn’t know about the Bass Roll-off issue until after I had spent all the money.
It never occurred to me Ford would do something like this.

So the question is has anyone been able to get into the ACM module on a new 2024 Mustang and turn off the Bass Roll-off with the current Forscan program?
As I said, some said it works and others say it doesn’t.

Besides the car adapter I would have to buy a Windows 10 laptop as well before I could even try. I am willing to take the chance and spend the money if some have had success but I don’t really want to spend the money if it is totally impossible.
As I said, some have said Forscan will work on the 2024 while others have said no.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

I am a Doctor and my office is in North Florida.
The Mustang is at our condo in Daytona 200 miles away that we only go back to once a month.
I asked our local Ford Dealer if they could change the setting to disable the Bass Roll off but they don't have a Mustang with the B&O on their lot so they couldn't try. They also said Ford has even locked them out of making a lot of changes.

When I get back I will take it to the Ford Dealer where I bought it and since the Service Manager is a friend he will change it if the Dealership software allows it, but it may not so I am looking for every option available.
I never knew Ford would do something like this and I am so deep into this I need to try to find a way to get the sound all this high end gear I paid for is capable of.

Thanks, and as I said I read every Post I could find before asking and they all contradict each other.

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[S550HPP]

I think you need 7g forum. That said I would be prepared to offer you an insulting price for all that hardware

Alternatively can just buy a compact hi res audio streamer connected to your device or in dedicated compact car device like Samsung flip or s9 to playing flac or 320kbs streaming, bypassing the entire Ford systems.

 

[The Demon]

I think you need 7g forum.

^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Cathul]

Let me guess... you didn't remove the B&O amp and use high level into the DSP?
Why don't you get a working interface for A2B audio systems like from m0bridge, idatalink or Pac-Audio and do it the correct way?

 

[proton32060]

Let me guess... you didn't remove the B&O amp and use high level into the DSP?
Why don't you get a working interface for A2B audio systems like from m0bridge, idatalink or Pac-Audio and do it the correct way?

 

[proton32060]

No, I had it all replaced including the B&O amp.

 

[S550HPP]

Sorry you feel that way Proton32060. 2024 is completely different animal that gen6 let us know what the final.solution is since some of us may end up in a 7g one day.

 

[skinnyb]

I agree, the S650 is pretty different so asking questions on an S550 forum is not gonna get you much answers, like apples and oranges as far as stereo equipment is concerned. But sounds like you have the money to get it fixed, so best of luck to you. I agree, at some point a lot of us might find ourselves in an S650 information could be very valuable...

 

[Cathul]

Everyone that i know who used an A2B Interface did not have such problems.
Have you measured the output of the A2B interface?
What was the result of the measurement?
Typically the inputs to the DSP-amps in the B&O systems are true fullrange and not high passed within the A2B bus.
That was the reason i asked if an A2B interface was used at all to get the signal out of the A2B bus, as most installers will just do a high level Input into the DSP after the stock amplifiers. If your installer really used such an interface have him measure the output of the interface. Maybe its a setting within the interface or a buggy firmware.

edit: excuse the spelling, but my German iPad is messing up big time when i try to type English while the system setting is set to German.

 

[proton32060]

I apologize for overreacting and lashing out as I did in my reply to one of the Posts.
It was uncalled for and grossly inappropriate.
I am very sorry.
There is a lot more going on here I didn’t tell you about which may explain my reaction, but does not excuse it.

I had a Lincoln LS for years until I bought the Mustang.
I had an aftermarket stereo installed in it about 10 years ago. The Head Unit, amp, and all the speakers were replaced. The car sounded almost as good as headphones.
The thing is the Factory Stereo sounded great from the day I bought it. What forced me to replace the audio system is many of the speakers had rotted out from age.
In fact, the Head of the Service Department at Gary Yeoman’s was the one who bought my LS.

It was a week after I got the Mustang before I sold the LS so I had both cars. The audio system in the Mustang was terrible compared to my LS.
My wife and I drove both cars down to the Dealership and I put a tech in both cars parked side by side and playing the same song. I wanted to know why this high dollar B&O stereo sounded so bad compared to my LS.

That was when I was told about the Bass Roll off.

But the Tech thought it was in the B&O amp and if it was replaced with the speakers it would solve the problem.
But I would have to replace the speakers.

You guys may not know this having older Mustangs but Ford is cutting costs to the extreme now. The speakers going into these new cars are now so cheap that any relatively loud volume will blow them out.
So the Bass Roll off is real and much more extreme than in your older cars.
It also is coming from the radio, not the amplifier.

The reason I blew off is I took the car to a Car Stereo place just outside Daytona and paid $4200.00 to replace the Sound System. It sounded awful when I got it back and the owner said it was the music I was playing and blew me off.
It was obvious they were cheating me but what do you do?
Get in a fist fight in front of their store?

I took the car back to the Dealership who sent me to a Stereo Shop they refer out to. Yes, I should have asked first but I never knew a Dealership recommend anything they didn’t do themselves.

Without going into detail my Mustang that was less than a month old was completely trashed.
The amp they installed was almost burn’t out, they destroyed the Factory wiring harness, put all the heat generating components behind a small compartment they made in the trunk which I was told could have set the car on fire.
They also cut up the Trunk liner forcing me to spend $700.00 for a new one. And they damaged most of the original speakers so I couldn’t even put it back the way it was.

I had the new shop document everything and MasterCard said I should get my money back but I haven’t seen it yet.
But I did have to pay the good stereo shop another $4500.00 to fix as much of the damage as possible and put in quality components that should have been done the first time.
Plus, I had to buy a new trunk liner for $700.00.

Unfortunately, the new stereo installed properly sounds better but not great.
The Bass and mid-range Roll Off in the stereo is much more severe than it is in your older cars.

I talked to the head of the Service Department that bought my LS and he has a Tech that uses both Fords Software and Forscan as well. He said to bring the car in and he would see if they could turn the Bass Roll off- off.
There is a setting for it but apparently Ford has made it where there are some settings a Dealership can’t even change so we’ll see.

The final option that will definitely work is a company called AudioControl makes DSP’s specifically designed to compensate for Bass Roll off since all manufacturers are now doing it. It has just lately gotten so extreme customers can no longer ignore it.

The interesting thing is few people even know this is being done.
Only one Tech at the Dealership knew about it and only one car audio place in Daytona or beyond knew about it or how to fix it.
I will be dealing with this a week from this Monday and I will let you know how this turned out.

I apologize for blowing off but this has been a nightmare.
The first audio place cost me $4200.00 to tear up the car and now another $4500.00 to fix it as much as possible and I still have a lousy audio system.

Many here just don’t realize how far Ford went in cost cutting on the 2024 Mustangs. My stereo sounds nothing like yours.
Yours probably has at least decent speakers.
New Mustangs have the cheapest paper speakers you can imagine.
They reminded me of the speakers you used to see in cheap AM radios in the 60’s.

I will get back and tell you how the problem was resolved.

 

[Cathul]

The Audiocontrol amps have Accubass, but this is no replacement for a proper A2B Interface like m0bridge, idatalink or Pac-Audio.
These Interface Intercept the signal before the B&O amplifier and give a flat signal. No ForScan needed with one of those interfaces.
That is what has to be done and unfortunately 99% of all Shops, including the Shops over here in Germany don’t do that as these interfaces can cost up to a grand in your respective currency.
if you experience Bass roll off its 99% certain that the shop either didnt use an interface or configured it wrong.
Sad, but true.
Let someone check this.

 

[proton32060]

I appreciate it but the B&O amplifier was replaced and the shop that tore up the car has made it impossible to put it back in the car.
Will this work if the B&O amp was replaced with two amps?
One for the speakers inside the car and another for the Bass in the trunk?
I need to know if this can still work with aftermarket amps.

 

[Cathul]

Some of those interfaces yes. Idatalink f.e. is a replacement interface.

edit:

checked the manufacturers of interfaces.

m0bridge replaces the stock amp: https://mobridge.us/wp-content/uploads/documents/DA-G2/mObridge_DA-G2_A2B_Ford_Manual_v7.pdf
mObridge product website: https://mobridge.us/product/da-g2-entry-a2b-ford/
(this "entry" a2b interface provides only a toslink output which can be used as input to any DSP or DSP amplifier with a TOSLINK input, if you need RCAs you can get the "standard" version with 10 RCA outputs).

idatalink replaces the stock amp: https://images.idatalink.com/corpor...B-FO2/FO2-A2B-AR-AS-(A2B-FO5)-EN_20240917.pdf
idatalink Maestro AR A2B product website: https://www.idatalinkmaestro.com/en/products/maestro-a2b

PAC-Audio also replaces the stock amp: https://pac-audio.com/products/ap4-fd31 (see compatibility notes).

All of these interfaces provide a flat fullrange signal for further processing.
So, if you really have bass roll off i would strongly suggest you ask your installers which of these interfaces they used for integration.

With the B&O system in the Mustang it's really imperative that you use such an interface as the signal is transmitted digitally over the A2B bus wires, unlike f.e. the older Shaker in the S550 Mustang, where you had analog transmission of the flat fullrange signal for front left/right and rear left right over seperate twisted pair cables.

My guess is, they don't use one of these as these interfaces all tie in into the original stock wiring and plugs. If the first shop screwed up your cabling chances are very high that they didn't use such an interface (unfortunately and to your loss as you described). So please again... ask the 2nd shop what interface they used to tie in into the stock system and go from there. Without this information we cannot help any further.

 

[Evolvd]

The bass roll off is in the APIM, not the B&O amp. You have to intercept the signal BEFORE the APIM (which PAC Audio does) to defeat it.

I don’t know if the wiring is the same between 2023/2024 but you might want to call or email PAC Audio to see if they’ve tested it.

Otherwise, your next best bet will probably be to replace the entire head unit and APIM with aftermarket. Kenwood just announced their “direct replacement” screens for millions of models. They should release by late spring or early summer.

 

[Cathul]

It’s not the APIM.
In base models it’s the ACM.
Check the wiring diagram.
Audio out to speakers is always in the ACM, same with signal to the amplifiers in enhanced audio systems.
Also the A2B bus is with new ACMs. The APIM only has audio output to the ACM for USB and Navigation.
In enhanced audio systems (Shaker, Sony et.al) the signal incoming to the amps is always fullrange.

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