Disabled EQ with forscan, what would you do next for upgrade?

[Wookie107]

I have a ‘21 GT. So far, I used forscan to disable the factory EQ, and I also unplugged the center dash speaker. Everything is stock. I am not an audiophile and I don’t want to add a sub. After forscan, what would you do next to create better sound? More clear and louder. Would you upgrade the speakers? Small amp? I do not want to spend money on ultra premium stuff, but I don’t want to cheap out either.

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[Evolvd]

Replacing the speakers alone will not make a worthwhile difference as you’re still using the same low-power garbage amp.
First thing I’d start with, sound deadening. Deaden both doors, inside and and out. This makes a huge difference in sound reproduction.
After that, I’d look into a multi-channel amp and better speakers.

 

[MiamiGT350]

Since sound is mostly personal preference, I would search crutchfield for speakers that fit your vehicle. You can choose amplified or just replacements for factory.

The oem sound system is low wattage, so just replacing speakers wont give you the dynamic, rich sound that aftermarket amps offer.

As you said, you don't need to break the bank... try crutchfield.com for ideas.

Do you have a general idea of budget or components you want to upgrade, to start?

 

[Wookie107]

Is there a plug n play small amp that would replace the factory amp, but provide enough juice to give better sound? $400-$500 for something turn key? I don't want to mess with needing a laptop to tune an amp, or do fancy programming, or run a bunch of wires. I'm closer to 50 yrs old than 40, so boomin' systems are no longer my thing.

 

[Evolvd]

Is there a plug n play small amp that would replace the factory amp, but provide enough juice to give better sound? $400-$500 for something turn key? I don't want to mess with needing a laptop to tune an amp, or do fancy programming, or run a bunch of wires. I'm closer to 50 yrs old than 40, so boomin' systems are no longer my thing.

Small form factor amps have come a long way. I’d recommend checking out crutchfield and search using those parameters. I know there’s a few folks in here who’ve mounted an amp in the stock location.

 

[Bassackwards]

I added an Alpine R series amp and speakers and I'm tickled with the transformation.

I also added a 12" sub in the trunk for monster bass.

I'm older than you and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat!

 

[TrackMeisterWannabe]

I added an Alpine R series amp and speakers and I'm tickled with the transformation.

I also added a 12" sub in the trunk for monster bass.

I'm older than you and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat!

Which amp and speakers did you go with?

 

[Bassackwards]

Which amp and speakers did you go with?

Alpine RA90 6 channel amp mounted in the spare tire well running R series 6.5 separates up front and 6.5 coaxials in the back. Channels 5&6 are bridged and pushing a RF Punch P2 12" sub in a homemade enclosure. I left the 3.5s in the upper doors to fill the holes but they aren't functional.

To me it's fabulous and sounds great parked or rolling at 75 with the top down.

 

[TrackMeisterWannabe]

Alpine RA90 6 channel amp mounted in the spare tire well running R series 6.5 separates up front and 6.5 coaxials in the back. Channels 5&6 are bridged and pushing a RF Punch P2 12" sub in a homemade enclosure. I left the 3.5s in the upper doors to fill the holes but they aren't functional.

To me it's fabulous and sounds great parked or rolling at 75 with the top down.

Very cool! Thanks for the info.

 

[Bassackwards]

Very cool! Thanks for the info.

I followed the advise found in some of the other posts. It was pretty easy to complete.

 

[9KaThArSiSeeKeR1]

I have a ‘21 GT. So far, I used forscan to disable the factory EQ, and I also unplugged the center dash speaker. Everything is stock. I am not an audiophile and I don’t want to add a sub. After forscan, what would you do next to create better sound? More clear and louder. Would you upgrade the speakers? Small amp? I do not want to spend money on ultra premium stuff, but I don’t want to cheap out either.

Hate to be the nay sayer here. But if your trying to get better sound on a budget. A speaker upgrade will not make the sound system "louder" but a more efficient set uses w.e. power is there better. I also recommend crutchfield.com . The power bass oe652 and the oe65c sets make a world of difference. Heard them in a 2015 base after i did the forscan mod. And for 200 pre tax and complete plug and play. i thought they were worth it.

 

[joe603]

I started my project with just replacing the crap B&O sub with dual 12s and an amp. I've done similar upgrades on a few late-model Dodge cars, and was able to live with it. However, the Ford B&O is just terrible and needed to be completed replaced. This was the only way I was able to improve sound quality and loudness. I'm 45, so I feel ya on the age thing. Did it myself and took a few days to recover! lol But, if you've done anything like this in the past, it comes back pretty quick and was actually fun.

If you decide to go that route, check out the various posts to help you avoid the many "gotchas" with the project.

 

[Wookie107]

If I add an amp to power the stock speakers, do I need a 6 channel amp? My understanding is the tweeters run from the front door mid speakers. So a 6 channel would power the door woofers, mid/tweeter, and rear deck speakers. 3 sets x 2 sides. Do I understand this correctly? Or, I think some guys bridge 2 of the channels to power a sub instead of feeding the rear speakers?
How would I wire the amp to the speakers? Is this where I would need to build my own wire harness That runs from trunk back up to the front? Is there a way to simply plug into the factory harness? Do I bypass the factory amp?

Sorry for all the questions.

 

[Evolvd]

If I add an amp to power the stock speakers, do I need a 6 channel amp? My understanding is the tweeters run from the front door mid speakers. So a 6 channel would power the door woofers, mid/tweeter, and rear deck speakers. 3 sets x 2 sides. Do I understand this correctly? Or, I think some guys bridge 2 of the channels to power a sub instead of feeding the rear speakers?
How would I wire the amp to the speakers? Is this where I would need to build my own wire harness That runs from trunk back up to the front? Is there a way to simply plug into the factory harness? Do I bypass the factory amp?

Sorry for all the questions.

Maestro makes a pigtail that will plug into your stock wiring at the OEM amp location. It’s either the AF02 or AF03 depending on what stock audio system you have. These pigtails are short though so you’ll have to add length to them if you’re mounting the amp anywhere other than the stock location.

If you have the B&O system then PAC Audio has the FD01 which is a 10 foot long pigtail that does the same thing however it allows you to trunk mount your amp without adding more wiring.

 

[StangTime]

If I add an amp to power the stock speakers, do I need a 6 channel amp? My understanding is the tweeters run from the front door mid speakers. So a 6 channel would power the door woofers, mid/tweeter, and rear deck speakers. 3 sets x 2 sides. Do I understand this correctly? Or, I think some guys bridge 2 of the channels to power a sub instead of feeding the rear speakers?
How would I wire the amp to the speakers? Is this where I would need to build my own wire harness That runs from trunk back up to the front? Is there a way to simply plug into the factory harness? Do I bypass the factory amp?

Sorry for all the questions.

If you go with a 6 channel amp and want to have each speaker on it's own channel (and you should so you can apply eq and adjust levels) you will need to sacrifice 2 speakers. Either the 3" midrange in the upper door location or the rear deck. IMO rear speakers are a waste and amplifier channels should be utilized for the front. The only thing rear speakers do is make your system louder. It definitely won't make it sound better. The more speakers you have the more reflections you will get. Reflections destroy the illusion of an accurate stereo imaging where instruments are spread across the dash board. If this were my car, I would apply your 6 channels to all the front speakers.

If you insist on using rear speakers and the upper door speakers, you have 1 option... to treat the 3" midrange and the A-pillar tweeter as a higher octave 2-way system. You'll need a passive crossover to split the frequency spectrum. Your lower door 6.5" will be playing bass on their own channels and your rear speakers will also have their own channels.

On my system I used a 5 channel amp. Did away with the 3" midrange (it was a horrible speaker location anyway) and I removed the rear speakers as well. So I'm only using the A pillar tweeters and lower mid bass in the door. The other amp channel runs my subwoofer.

My system build is here if you want to check it out: My system build

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