A long-term client of California Car Sounds and Tint recently dropped by the store to discuss a 2018 Ford Raptor sound quality system project. The client has owned several premium audio systems over the years and wanted something amazing for his new F-150 Raptor pickup truck. We had a look at the vehicle and talked to the client about how he wanted the system to sound. After several discussions and some rough sketches, the client approved our plan and dropped the truck off so our fabrication team could start work.
Focal Utopia Front Stage Speakers
The client already owned a set of Focal Utopia No. 7 speakers. The No. 7 is a three-way component speaker set with a pair of 6.5-inch woofers, a set of 3-inch midrange drivers and a pair of beryllium-dome tweeters. Our goal was to integrate these speakers into the front of the Raptor in a way that made them look as though they belong while positioning them for optimal acoustic performance.
Aaron, our lead fabricator, set to work creating a set of acrylic plastic mounts for the tweeters and midrange drivers. The tweeter mounts are molded into the factory sail-panel trim piece at the forward edge of the door. The midrange driver mounting rings are molded into a pod that attaches to the base of the A-pillar. Both the tweeter and midrange pods are wrapped in black vinyl to match the dash and door trim panels of the truck.
The Raptor comes with oval speakers in the doors. Aaron created ABS plastic mounting adapters for the 6.5-inch woofers from the Focal set. The doors are also treated with a layer of Focal BAM sound damping material to help keep the cabin of the vehicle quiet.
Rear Door Speakers
To add a little extra sound to the system, we installed a set of Focal PC-165FX 6.5-inch coaxial speakers in the rear doors of the Raptor. ABS plastic adapter plates allow the speaker assembly to bolt directly to the factory mounting locations. Blackhole sound deadening material was used on the rear doors.
Ford Raptor Sound Quality System Subwoofer
The client wanted a subwoofer system that wouldn’t take up too much room in the truck. We turned to the Focal Dual 10-inch enclosure that is designed specifically for Ford crew cab trucks. The enclosure is home to a pair of Focal Flax Sub P 25 FS 10-inch shallow-mount subwoofers. The enclosure is finished in vinyl with a stitched pattern that mimics the upholstery on the seats.
JL Audio VXi Amplifier Solution
We chose a pair of JL Audio VXi amplifiers to power the upgraded audio system. The system features a VX800/8i eight-channel amp to drive the front and rear speakers and a VX200/2i to power the subwoofers. Both amplifiers include integrated digital signal processors for crossover, equalization and signal delay configuration.
We used a ZEN Audio A2B interface from NAV-TV to extract an audio signal from the A2B (Automotive Audio Bus) communication network in the vehicle. The interface provides a TOSLINK fiber optic output that includes all the appropriate prompts and warning chimes from the factory infotainment system.
We connected the fiber optic output to a JL Audio VXi-HUB so that it can be split to feed both amplifiers simultaneously. The VXi-HUB also handles communication between the amps so that we can connect our tuning computer to the hub and access both DSP solutions from a single point.
The amplifiers and processors are mounted to a custom mounting panel that attaches to the back wall of the truck. The board mounts using fasteners already available on the back of the vehicle, preventing the need to drill any holes.
Ford Raptor Audio System Tuning
With the equipment installed, the last step was to set up our RTA (real-time analyzer) microphone and tune the audio system. After setting all of the signal delay parameters and adjusting the output level of each speaker, we fine-tuned the equalizer to ensure the system provides smooth frequency response.
The client loves the way the system sounds and the way we integrated the speakers into the vehicle. If you are interested in something similar to this Ford Raptor sound quality system, drop by California Car Sounds and Tint in Campbell and speak to a member of our team. You can also reach us by e-mail using our contact page.
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