Has anyone added the factory kicker sub to a non-B&O system

[MasonTman]

Has anyone added a factory kicker sub to the non-B&O system? I don’t mind the standard unit but hoping adding the factory sun adds a little crispness and brings in more bass. I’m not an audio freak and just looking for a better sound without spending thousands on a whole new system.

any feedback is appreciated.

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[astrand1]

Has anyone added a factory kicker sub to the non-B&O system? I don’t mind the standard unit but hoping adding the factory sun adds a little crispness and brings in more bass. I’m not an audio freak and just looking for a better sound without spending thousands on a whole new system.

any feedback is appreciated.

Yep. I added it. Makes a big difference. My only problem with it is there is no way to adjust it. Like a bass knob or whatever. I find I have to turn the bass way way down. But it does hit pretty good.

 

[rugedraw]

I've heard it on a truck when I worked for Ford that had it from factory. I was not impressed.....at all. If it was $200, then fine. For $600? Hell to the no.

To answer your question: Yes, it is better than nothing. However, very overpriced for the performance you get out of it. For under $250, you can get a 10" self-amplified Bazooka that will out-perform that system five times over. Very easy to take out and put back in the truck if you need the space.

 

[Graygoose2021]

True, but the VSS was a true plug and play, backed by Ford warranty.
All utilizing factory mounting.


OP correct, self contained no adjustments

 

[SALEEN961]

I added the Ford accessory kicker subwoofer to my truck and it has been a big disappointment. The subwoofer is ridiculously loud compared to the door speakers and it starts distorting at around half volume. If you turn the bass all the way down it's better, but it's still a waste of money because it leaves the system completely unbalanced.

I had a Kicker Powerstage VSS kit in my 2014 F150 and I loved it so I thought getting their kit for my 2021 was a no-brainer, but the kit they offer for 2021+ F150s isn't anything like the one I had for my 2014.

I contacted Kicker about this issue and they said it sounds like FDRS isn't loading the correct equalizer file, but they weren't able to offer a solution. If you look at different versions of thier install instructions, the steps for programming with FDRS have changed and none of the different versions I've seen have resolved my issues.

 

[Graygoose2021]

Interesting. Yes sounds like it's still on factory EQ settings.
Did you use same setup from your 2014, or....what kit did you use?

 

[SALEEN961]

Interesting. Yes sounds like it's still on factory EQ settings.
Did you use same setup from your 2014, or....what kit did you use?

The kit I used in my 2021 is the VML3Z-18808-A kit for 2021-2023 F150s, my 2014 had a Kicker PowerStage kit designed for 2014 F150s.

 

[amschind]

Yes, and the removed everything but the box. The Box and the turn on wire are the only valuable parts. The amp is terrible, not adjustable and arguably a fire hazard....it'll burn you. It also pushes the crummy paper speaker so hard that it distorts at any volume. Finally, the turn on wire is 6V, not 12V like the rest of the universe uses. I cannot stress how bad the sub sounds....the only apt comparison is the Walmart "Bazooka" sub I bought from my 1992 GMC K1500 in 2001 which produced 80 Hz static.

My strong recommendation is a Rockford Fosgate (or really any) 5 channel amp. I stuffed a line to low level output converter behind the dash and then ran the RCA cables and power wire to the amp under the driver's seat. Running the RCA cables through the dash was a pain, but otherwise not bad. I had to use a DC-to-DC SSR to convert the Ford 6V turn on wire to 12V by causing the 6V signal to switch a small 12V wire from the power cable to the amp's turn on terminal (the Ford design ludicrous and goes against every engineering principle except for "make stuff proprietary and impossible to work on", but that works and I can't see the kludge).
Anyway, you will want the 5 channel amp for the rest of your speakers after you get the sub working (ask me how I know) and the cost difference is small. Replacing the door speakers with way better units is extremely cost effective: I used Prime (lowest tier RF makes) because they needed less watts and it sounds better than you can distinguish in a vehicle. Beyond that, in my view you're better off with $1500 of Dynamat than $1500 of Morel speakers: listening conditions matter, and even these trucks are noisy at speed, which is where you're going to want to listen to music/audiobooks the most.

TLDR: box is great, turn on wire is a proprietary voltage, speaker and amp are great for lighting your truck on fire and reminding you of your high school days when you bought a $25 sub and $40 amp from Walmart and thought that it sounded "Sweet!"

 

[SALEEN961]

If anyone knows a way to force the correct EQ file to load when FDRS has failed to load the correct file at least a dozen times over a period of 2 years, I would love to hear about it.

 

[Graygoose2021]

If anyone knows a way to force the correct EQ file to load when FDRS has failed to load the correct file at least a dozen times over a period of 2 years, I would love to hear about it.

emailed our OEM dept.

But note, dealer does have to flash for this.

 

[Graygoose2021]

Ok, talked to OEM Engineer, if you have a 6 speaker system, will not work. Ford wanted 7 speaker EQ settings and nothing else. If the Ford dealer states 6 and 7 speaker system, they are incorrect. This sub is for the 7 speaker system, only. It will sound over bearing and distorted, and full range.
No work around., Ford didnt want 6 speaker EQ setup available. They will go back to 6 speaker in 2024's

 

[SALEEN961]

Ok, talked to OEM Engineer, if you have a 6 speaker system, will not work. Ford wanted 7 speaker EQ settings and nothing else. If the Ford dealer states 6 and 7 speaker system, they are incorrect. This sub is for the 7 speaker system, only. It will sound over bearing and distorted, and full range.
No work around., Ford didnt want 6 speaker EQ setup available. They will go back to 6 speaker in 2024's

Interesting, I remember seeing 7 speaker only when I ordered it and later Ford updated their listing to 6 speaker or 7 speaker. Unfortunately, I do have the 7 speaker system and I still have a loud and distorted sub after going through the different FDRS steps over a dozen times.

 

[Graygoose2021]

Has the dealer flashed the truck?

 

[SALEEN961]

Has the dealer flashed the truck?

I have not had the dealer flash it using FDRS, but I have flashed it using FDRS.

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