2019 and up F350 “premium”

audio upgrade
This was my solution. You may opt for different components, etc but this process
works and should provide some basic info on how to upgrade your audio in the 2017-
19 Super Duty with Sony/B&O system.

For 2019-21, the B&O system requires a A2B TOSLINK interface. I have only used the
NAVTV but Kenwood also makes one.

For 2020-21, the B&O system was offered as an option on FTX and up models
BUT…make sure you check behind the right rear passenger seat for an amplifier
before you commit to an upgrade.

5/13/2021 V3
 What you’re dealing with

These are the B&O front speakers which look almost identical to the Sony premium
speakers. Fronts are a paper woofer in a plastic frame that is part of the bracket.
Tweeters are textile dome ¾”. The tweets (not pictured) are glued into a plastic
mount with the OEM plug on the bottom of the magnet.
 Paper cone
B&O has a little bit
longer throw but
essentially the
Sony same construction B&O
Sony B&O
4ohm 25w 4ohm 50w
 Speaker Adapters
• If you use Crutchfield etc for speakers, most will supply
the correct speaker adapters, probably made by
Schoche or Metra
• You can make or buy more substantial adapters using
poly materials.
• I do not recommend using MDF because the force from
opening and closing the front doors with a substantial
speaker will eventually pull the speakers out out of the
adapter.
• The following pics show the true measurements of the
OEM front speakers which you can use as a frame if
desired.
Aftermarket

JL Audio C1 6X9 speakers

 Simple Upgrade Part 1
• If you want the easiest upgrade with the most bang for your buck;
switch out the factory speakers with components that have greater
sensitivity. I strongly recommend the JL Audio C1-690 components for
the front and the JL Audio C1-650X for the rear if you stick with the
factory Sony/B&O amp.
• Focal Integration series (sensitivity: 93) also has good reviews and are
brighter. Other speakers in this sensitivity range may be underpowered
and produce shrill highs and little bass but these two recommendations
work.
• If you order from Crutchfield, you’ll get everything you need to install
(adapters, plugs, tech support) except the plugs and straps for the
tweeters; you’ll have to wire/make these yourself these yourself. I used
Lexan to make actual mounts but you can also use Kydex/PVC to make
simple mounts that are a little more forgiving than metal straps. (Lexan
from Home Depot, Kydex/PVC from Amazon). MTI and others make
simple tweeter mounts but you will have to modify them for some of
the deeper tweets.
*Consider adding a sound deadener to at least
the area around the speakers and the door-
skin. I did my entire doors and rear panel and
it makes huge difference. I used Roadkill
(Amazon) and you’ll need two boxes to do it
all. I also used Fast Rings (pictured).
I opted to sound proof the inside and the outside of the doors, back wall, and
floor. This took four boxes of material but my truck is QUIET!
• If you buy from Crutchfield, your
speakers will come with adapters
and these white plugs. The plugs
do not fit the hole in the speaker
adapter so a little Dremel
massage is called for. You can use
gel CA glue and accelerant to
make this rock solid.
• Or, block off the big hole with
sound deadener, PVC, or silicone,
and drill a little hole for the
speaker wires.
• The plugs from Crutchfield come
with loops of wire for tweets. Be
careful and cut these off so you
are only feeding the pos/neg plug
and nothing is left to rattle
around in the door.
Sony B&O Sony B&O

Tweeters are the same for both systems

Essentially a .75” textile dome tweeter with a
bass blocker capacitor. Note the angled “ears”
on the mount. OEM tweets are very shallow.
Be careful fitting oversize tweeters to ensure
they are angled correctly and do not push
against the inside of the pillar mount.
 Tweeters
• Although I used the C1-690 mids from
Crutchfield, I like softer highs than the
aluminum tweets produce. Initially, I
bought a set of C2 ¾” silk tweeters from
Amazon and used the factory tweeters as
a frame for the new tweets. Carefully
destroy the OEM tweets and dremel out
the guts to use the frame. Eventually I
switched to C3 1” silks which required a
custom mount using Lexan.
• I did not use the JL inline crossover on
the basic upgrade since I kept the factory
amp and it provides the crossover. Using
the JL crossover won’t hurt though.
• At this level of upgrade, you can keep the
center speaker or not, just depends on
how you like your sound. I wound up
disconnecting mine.

Lexan tweeter mounts

 Simple upgrade
• Thus far, you’re in about $350-375 depending on
how much you paid for your speakers and sound
deadening. Some people have skipped the rears
but I didn’t like the way that sounded.

• The JL-C1s will provide a substantial amount of

bass over the OEM speakers using just the OEM
amplifier. But you may want some more bass…
 Simple Upgrade Part 2
• After upgrading your speakers, you still want more bass? The OEM
B&O sub is a ported box with an 8” paper subwoofer. You can
upgrade this speaker and add a mini amp for substantially more
bass than the OEM rig. This is an easy job and provides great
results.

• FTE member 67L48 provides a great walkthrough on this thread

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1609807-aftermarket-sub-
and-amp-upgrade-to-b-and-o-system.html

• I also tried a sealed enclosure from a 2017 F250. I like the sound of
a sealed box over a ported box and the wiring is the same but the
corner mounting bolt hole needs to be moved about an inch to
attach to the 2019 amp rack. You can get either on ebay for about
$150 if you don’t want to mess with yours.
 B&O Subwoofer

B&O subwoofer
B&O subwoofer
2ohm 50w
Kicker 8” OEM B&O
Subwoofer upgrade
• This is the OEM ported sub box
covered in Roadkill to make it stiffer.
It is wired to a mini 300 watt sub amp
that uses speaker level inputs from
the factory amp.
• You’ll need to run power and ground
to the mini amp and tap into the sub
speaker wires (AFTER the OEM amp).
• Take the time to run the power and
ground to the battery, not off a
“extra” wire in the cab. It WILL make
a difference.
• Disconnect the sub-plug at the box,
tap the amp-side wires to the mini-
amp, and the amp out to the sub box.
• Make sure your sub matches the amp
output (e.g. 2ohm to 2ohm)
 XL/XLT w/o amp
• If you have an XL or XLT without the
Sony/B&O system you can still add a sub.
• Use a full range signal from one of the front
doors (the rear doors are not full range) and
either a line output or speaker level input
amp.
• OEM subs (use the box only) can be found on
ebay/craigslist or
• Best option is to use an aftermarket sub box.
The “Simple Upgrade 1&2” will probably meet the needs of
most users that just want the “premium” factory system that
was supposed to come with the truck. Aftermarket speakers
will give you the biggest bang for the buck, followed by sound
deadening, and the OEM sub upgrade.

You should be able to do both upgrades for less than $500 if

you do the work yourself. Of course if you opt for more
expensive components, your costs will go up.

You can buy more expensive components but eventually you

will reach the point of diminishing returns. The factory amp
will not run your Focal Flax or Hertz MLK speakers and the 8”
sub will not crush your passengers. If you want more, follow
the money to…Project Overkill
 B&O
• There are two types of the B&O system
– Type 1: Essentially a rebranded Sony system that uses
the same connections as in previous years. (P1)
• If you have this system, you can use PAC Amp Pro or
assorted integration plugs available from Amazon,
Crutchfield, Metra, etc
– Type 2: Full B&O system that uses a data cable to the
vehicle’s CANBUS (P2) (2019 and up)
• If you have this system, you’ll need the NAV-TV A2B
integration
• https://navtv.com/products/NTV-KIT889/zen-a2b-dsp12a-
a2b.html
2019 F350
OEM fake
B&O system
amp. The
Sony system
is the same.

NO data cable
The PAC
APHFD01 will
use the
middle plug
to the truck
speakers.

P1
True B&O amp (2019 and up)

CANBUS cable input

P2
 Integration
• Since I had the “Type 1” fake B&O system:
– PAC AmpPRO AP4-FD21 Aftermarket Amplifier Interface This goes in
behind the head unit so you need to take the center dash apart but it’s
plug and play
– To get the signal to the amp, I used Stinger 6 channel RCAs. Unless
you are a glutton for pain, just route this and a remote wire from the
Amp Pro to your amp in the passenger side (get the 20ft). I had the
17ft and went down the middle which added many hours to my install.
– NVX 4 gauge 100% copper amp kit. Run this down the driver’s side.
Very high quality parts with everything you need. UPDATE: Also run a
4 gauge ground cable to the battery or frame!
– PAC APH-FD01 Wiring Interface This allows you to use the factory
speaker wires for your “outs” and you only need the one plug from
the kit for this install.
 Integration
(continued)
• 2019 and up with the B&O:
– Use the NavTV ZEN-A2B / DSP12A-A2B interface and ditch the OEM
amp
– This will require either an aftermarket amp to run your doors/tweets
and a sub. Install is slightly easier with using just a TOSLINK or RCA to
the amp(s).
– Note that TOSLINK is roughly half the volume of RCAs but the signal is
cleaner. Use a good quality amp either way.
– You still need a good quality power and ground. The ground points
inside the cab are inferior to running a ground to the neg terminal or
to the frame.
• Kenwood and others also make integration solutions but I
haven’t used them.
 FORSCAN
• The F150 forum has a lot of info on using FORSCAN to get a
flat signal from the OEM head unit. Because I used the PAC
amp-pro, I got my flat signal but I wanted to find out if the
FORSCAN process would work on my truck.
• I was not able to get any different signal from modifying the
FORSCAN data. But, I did disable the audio and some
warning noises. MAKE SURE YOU WRITE DOWN YOUR
ORIGINAL VALUES BEFORE YOU START USING FORSCAN. It
is a long process to recover this data if you screw it up.
Take good notes or use screen shots to record your data.
• The FORSCAN option did not work for me but hey, it’s your
truck. Drive on with your bad self!
 Components
• The entry level components I recommend and have installed in 19- and up F250/350 are:
– Front: JL Audo C1-690
– Rear: JL Audio C1-650X
• My install initially was the above and
– Amp: Jl Audio VX1000/5i; 75 watts RMSX4 + 600 watts RMS X1 for sub
– Sub: JL Audio Steathbox
• Subsequently installed Morel Tempo series
• What ever amp you install, you will need to account for DSP either in the amp or separately!

• Lots of discussion on running active vs. passive for the front and a 5ch vs a 4/6 channel for the
doors/tweets and a separate amp for the sub. All of these formulas are supported by the AMPRO or
NavTV interface. I’ll assume if you’ve gotten this far, you know what you want and why. There are no bad
opinions on this, just bad installs.

* This amp has a DSP in it and requires a laptop or the optional bluetooth connector for ipad or phone.
There are no external adjustments! I used the bluetooth and my ipad for tuning and it made life a lot
easier. This is a bit intimidating but JL has lots of videos and once you get the hang of it, it’s very
powerful. In my case, with the larger tweeters I installed, I was able to drop the vocal range in the
mids a little lower, add a band-pass for the rears (so no highs from the back), and set the crossovers
where I wanted for each pair and the subwoofer. I like immersive sound instead of a sound stage in
the front, so my system is like a set of headphones with you in the middle. Not for everyone and the
standard front soundstage is easy to create as well.
 Components (cont)
• If you opt for speakers that do not have an inline crossover, you can mount
the crossovers in the rear by the amp rack and still use the factory wires.
The tweeters are powered by the factory amp in the fake B&O/Sony and
the PAC APH-FD01 will give you the wires you need to use a passive
crossover or to run active.
• Note: if you have a XL/XLT without the B&O your tweeters my be powered
by the head unit. You’ll need to check this and run separate wire to your
tweets.
• Everything in the Superduty is off axis. Factor this into your speaker
choice. In my research I found that many of the quality speakers (Focal,
Audio Frog, Hertz) were very bright on Superduty installs. This has to do
with the location of the mids and the type of tweeter, especially metal
tweeters. Outside of the amp, the speakers require the most research to
find what you’ll be happy with.
 Dash
• If you buy from Crutchfield, you’ll get the complete disassembly
instruction sheet for your truck.
• The fastest and easiest way do this install is to just remove the top
panel and screen bezel parts from the dash. Two 7mm screws near
the center speaker and two 7mm screws at the top of the bezel.
• The screen is held in with six 7mm bolts and the CD player or the
circuit box (on newer trucks w/o a CD player) uses four 7mm bolts.
• The PAC amp-pro is plug and play but my amp choice required a
separate remote wire. You can save time by running this and if your
amp switches on with signal sensing or power sensing, you wont
need the remote wire but you’ll have if you do.
• YouTube has tons of videos that show how to take the dash apart
and a few on taking the center console apart. However…I wasn’t
able to find any to show how to put the console back together and
it is a bitch to get right. DON’T DO THIS!
Yeah…because
I didn’t get
long enough
RCA (6 chan) I
Don’t
had to run the
line down the
do this
center of the if you
truck and
disassemble don’t
the origami
parts of the need to!
dash, console,
and trim
panels.
PAC AMP-PRO
Lots of space for this under the OEM
center speaker. Once everything is
tested, secure to the plastic and clean up
the wires!
The grey plug in the kit is the
one you’ll use to go from
your amp to the factory
speaker wires. You don’t
need to cut anything.

In my install, the sub signal

came from the amp-pro so
this was the only plug I
needed. The kit also
includes sub input/output
wires for the OEM harness if
you want.

If you need crossovers, the

shortest route would be
from your amp rack to the
factory speaker wires using
this plug (unless you run
your own speaker wires.
You’ll need to build an
amp rack to fit here, to
the left of the factory
amp. I used ¼” ABS
(which was expensive)
but MDF or ½” blown
poly will work also.
Amp installed. The rack is made from ¼” ABS and has a bridge to keep the wires flat and
hide the RCAs. The little black box in the middle is the bluetooth adapter. Power, ground,
and remote are on the bottom, sub, front and rear signals are on the top. My system
uses passive crossovers but you can also run active from here as well.
 Doors
• I use sound deadener in all my installs. It cuts down on road noise
and significantly improves the sound from the doors.
• If it’s my own, I do the “full baked potato” with deadener on the
inside and outside of the door. I also use it to stiffen up of the
Scoshe or Pac speaker adapters. If you use thick ABS adapters, you
won’t need this.
• Because a full treatment requires removal of the moisture barrier, I
usually use treatment to cover the huge hole. But, these panel
covers from MTI Acoustics allows future service of your widow
components without destroying your sound deadener. The kits
come with sheet metal screws; however, I opted for 5mm nutcerts
and 20mm long bolts (15mm is enough). Sound treatment on both
sides of the panels.
• https://mtiacoustics.com/product/mti-acoustics-access-covers-6-
30/
 Aluminum
“nutcerts” from
M5X20mm flanged Amazon
stainless steel
screws. 15mm is
long enough.
(Amazon)

I used aluminum
Cheap nutcert tool
certs because the
(amazon). This is
doors are aluminum
not a quality tool so
and I wanted to
be careful not to
reduce the
strip your nutcerts
possibility of
or cross thread your
corrosion. Also
adapters. I DO NOT
stainless screws for
recommend using
the same reason.
stainless or hard
steel certs with this
tool.
 Controls
• Most sub amps and the
PAC amp-pro I used
have a volume knob of
some kind. For the
amp-pro, I mounted
mine in the
compartment with the
USB ports to keep the
install stealth.
• Many installers mount
this knob on the dash
as well.
 Subwoofer
• There are many boxes that
will work, some with
modification to the rear
seat mounts. I chose the JL
Audio Stealthbox because I
like the quality (fiberglass vs
MDF) and I know the sound
is good. Really good!
• However, this choice meant
I had to take out the under
seat storage.
 Notes
• It took a while to tune this to the way I like it but I really like the presence
and clarity I have now.
• If I was to do this over, I’d probably stop at “Simple Upgrade Part 2” with
just a speaker upgrade and the sub mod which will cost you around $500.
• If you go down the Project Overkill route, know that this was an expensive
install. I did the work myself and I was quoted anywhere from $900 to $2k
to have a shop do the work. Just in parts and equipment, this ran over
$4k.
• Outside of speakers, you can save considerable money by using a different
amp and using a single 12” sub behind the seat like this.
• Sources: I like Crutchfield for the info, MTI Acoustics for amp boards and
sub enclosures, and plugandplaykits.com for OEM integration or
substitution kits.
• You will need to study up on this stuff unless you are using an installer.
Undoing bad installs is expensive.
• Lastly…a pox on Ford for the BS “premium” sound system that isn’t.