I have an 09 SCREW XLT with the standard non Sony sound system.
I do not want to replace the head unit.
Does anyone know the output of this system?
I don't want a sub...just some nicer speaker such as Pioneer or JBL.
Thanx in advance.

 

An amp with line level inputs would allow you to connect to the factory head unit, if there are no pre-amp outs on that head (I have no idea if there are, maybe someone else will chime in) This way you could make sure you're providing the aftermarket speakers with enough juice.

As for 5x7s. Check Alpine and Infinity. Both have good quality sound reproduction with reasonable pricing.

 

I put Polks in mine. Front and rear. I didn't notice a big difference. Maybe a little. From what I gather, you need more power to appreciate the aftermarket speakers. My next step is to add a small 4-channel amp between the HU and the speakers.

 

This is from a post over on another F150 site.

"A 90db speaker and higher is recommended when using a low watt factory HU as well as a low watt speaker, 2 watts RMS and higher."

The guy who posted this installed 2 sets of Kenwood KFC-C6879ie 6" x 8" Coaxial Car Speaker.

Hope this helps

 

Very true. Sensitivity is an important factor.
Most people cannot audibly tell the difference in a 89db as compared to a 91db but the speaker definitely will notice the amount of input coming to it.
I would love to know what the factory head unit is putting out. Most aftermarket units are at least 20x4 RMS, if not more.

 

It takes double the power to make a 89db speaker sound as loud as a 91 db sensitivity. In other words 91 db pair will be as loud on 50 watts as the 89 on 100 watts. And most smaller speaker will be maxed out a 100 true watts so in some cases thet is no way to get them very loud. Always shop speakers by sensitivity brand and power handling capability.

 

I was disgusted with the sound quality over last summer trying to drive with the windows open at a moderate speed. I installed Infinity Kappa 6x8 components up front and coax 6x8 in the rear doors along with a line out converter and Infinity 4 channel amp. Much happier now! Check some of the other forums, guys have done complete write ups including removal of dash to get to the back of the HU to add a Metra Harness and line out converter.
here is one I used My speaker upgrade using factory head unit - F150online Forums
here is another one My install experience - long writeup - F150online Forums

 

I am wondering if it still suffers after adding an amp and speaker replacement or is it just louder. In other words, how much of the crappy sound is the Head Unit. I know everyone will say Garbage in Garbage out. But I am not going to change the head unit. It is too much of a security risk for smash and grab. Keeping the stock look avoids a lot of that. I wish Ford would design the radio controls and dash panel to be a front end to aftermarket systems that could be mounted anywahere. That would be nice. Then any stereo you bough would hook up to the dash controls.

 

This is a great question.
I would like to think that the sound quality would depend on the type of media you were attempting to put through it.
CD players are mostly the same, with some variance, but not much.
MP3 players (iPod and the like) hooked through the USB or AUX input should be pretty clear.
Anything through a FM modulator leaves room for interference.
But the head's output can greatly affect of all that, and while the stock head is likely good enough for most (say 90%) out there, there will always be someone wanting more. My stereo knowledge is moderate at best, but I would think that as more and more manufacturers move towards complicated, whole dash integrated, controls that more and more aftermarket options will become available to piggy back the factory system. Basically using the factory head as a signal producer, while the aftermarket piggy back will convert/process/transmit everything else in higher quality.
The overly integrated controls for audio was one of the main reasons I bought a pre-'09 F150. I do like having a cost effective means of changing to aftermarket stereo options, and everything 09+ makes that more of a challenge.

 

I to have a pre 2009 model along with a 2011 model but I stll do not like the idea of changing the head unit do to theft possibility. You are right a cd player offers a digital output very close to any other, and of course we know the limits of FM, So why can they not just offer a low level output with a great sound signal before the signal gets muddied up by the cheap amplifier stage in the stock unit. This would allow us to have a great clean digital signal to work with.

 

Also does anyone know what speakers fit exactly? will all 6x8 and 5x7 fit or does the 5x7 require modification\adapters? I have 2011 f150 and a 2000 F150 and would like to replace the speakers in both of them. So I would like to inquire if I can find the same speaker to fit both Trucks.

 

5x7 should be interchangable with 6x8 in most cases, depending on the maker.

 

THe only modification I had to do to put the 6x8's in the front door was cut a ring out of 1/2" ply to space the speaker out so it didn't interfere with the window going up and down.
As far as garbage in / out. I first installed my speakers and ran them off the head unit untill I got a chance to put my amp in the folloing weekend. The kappas sounded better then the stock speakers, but not great since they were still getting alot of the low end frequancies. Using the crossover on the amp reduce those frequancies alowing the speakers to sound cleaner through higher volume settings. Using a line out converter to switch to RCA's to the amp helped. Another option you have is a sound processor to clean up the sound, but they cost a lot more then a line out converter. I used a nice 4 channel lineout converter with gains on it as well, think it was about $50 at best buy.
I set the gains higher on my amp so that the volume gets louder much faster so I don't get to the bass clipping part of the stock head unit. If i were to get to that point (about 3/4 volume) I think my ears would start to bleed. lol

 

I just ordered (4) 6x8 Apline SPR-68 coax speakers from Crutchfield as my factory speakers suck. My 10' Platinum SCREW came with a factory Sony amp so I should have plenty of power to push them. Will post again later in the week with results.

 

After alot of internet research and talking with 3 different stereo shops here is what I know.

1. If you keep the factory head unit ( with sync or GPS) ( and want to install new speakers and an amp) you really need a Factory Sound Processor Factory Sound Processors at Crutchfield.com to clean up the signal form the head unit. This ensures you have a pure un-altered signal to the amplifer.

2. Even a moderate 4-channel amp (200+ watts) will benifit from a Capacitor installed between the battery and the power input to the amp. The amount of current the new trucks pull with all the power options and upgrades can cause alot of line noise on the power side if you dont have an Capacitor. 1 Farad rated Cap is fine for a single amp for 2 or more amps you will need to step up to 2.5 farad or higher. Capacitors at Crutchfield.com

3. Speakers: Infinity has amazing sound as does the JBL and MB Quartz. But you will need to amplify them to get the premium sound out of them. Infinity Reference 6832cf 2-way car speakers for 5"x7" and 6"x8" openings at Crutchfield.com

4. I put together a system for my 2011 F-150 SCREW XLT 4x4 on www.crutchfield.com (1) 4 Channel Amp 100 watt x 4, (1) Capacitor, (1) Factory Sound Processor, (2 Sets ) Infinity Reference 6832cf 5x7 speakers all for $684.94 with free shipping.

Hope this helps.