Car audio guys
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 652
Likes: 5
From: Katy Texas
Car audio guys
Does anyone out there have any experience with the kicker key 180.4? I have a 17 xlt with basic 5 speaker system. The lifeless sound from the OEM stereo is a travesty. Windows down and anything over 16 is muddy and bland. I have read some reviews on the kicker key and it has sparked my interest. My days of spending thousands on car stereo equipment are done :-( i just want something with a little more power and a dsp without running a bunch of dedicated equipment.. Has anyone out there used this product, not just in a SD but any vehicle? Thanks
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
Does anyone out there have any experience with the kicker key 180.4? I have a 17 xlt with basic 5 speaker system. The lifeless sound from the OEM stereo is a travesty. Windows down and anything over 16 is muddy and bland. I have read some reviews on the kicker key and it has sparked my interest. My days of spending thousands on car stereo equipment are done :-( i just want something with a little more power and a dsp without running a bunch of dedicated equipment.. Has anyone out there used this product, not just in a SD but any vehicle? Thanks
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 3,674
Likes: 51
From: SoCal
Just get a 2 channel amp and some good front component speakers. They will play loud and clear. Rears are for fill if anything at all, money is wasted back there. Only thing you might want to add is a sub down the road. Front components and an amp can be around $250 and will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Dont do what some guys here have done and buy 3 way 6x9's or coaxial speaker for the front. You'll ruin the soundstage more than anything else. Replace the tweeter and mid with something reputable and you'll be rocking.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 652
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From: Katy Texas
I have a regular cab xlt. 2 in the door, 2 tweets and a center channel. I do not have the sync 3. Its just the base head unit. Im more interested in the sound processing and the fact that it is an amp all in 1. If i change the speakers and add a small sub it will be down the road.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 5,650
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From: GA
Does anyone out there have any experience with the kicker key 180.4? I have a 17 xlt with basic 5 speaker system. The lifeless sound from the OEM stereo is a travesty. Windows down and anything over 16 is muddy and bland. I have read some reviews on the kicker key and it has sparked my interest. My days of spending thousands on car stereo equipment are done :-( i just want something with a little more power and a dsp without running a bunch of dedicated equipment.. Has anyone out there used this product, not just in a SD but any vehicle? Thanks
In my opinion, the best thing for you to do is to replace your stock speakers, get a small behind the rear seat sub, and a 5 channel amp. You don`t need a DSP for what you want.
The basic system I described will sound much, much better than the stock system and if you do the install yourself, you can achieve this for well under $500.00 dollars if you shop around.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 652
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From: Katy Texas
Now im wondering which head unit i have. I have what i would say is a 4” screen. How can i tell if mine is a sync 3? When i scroll through the menu i do have sync settings or something along those lines.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2016
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From: Florida
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 652
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From: Katy Texas
Thanks dude! So does anyone else have opinions or experience with the kicker key? Just seems legit seeing as how its a processor and an amp, and its small enough to fit under the dash. Free space is at a minimum since my truck is a regular cab. Amplified systems that i have heard running off of OEM head units never really sound very good to me. Are they loud? YES..... but they just dont sound as dynamic as a processed signal does.
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2015
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From: Taos
I’m using a kicker front row DSP and a 5 channel JBL Club amp with a behind the rear seat Pioneer 10” sub. This is off of a Sync 3 base system. Amp/DSP is only receiving door speaker signals - center speaker and pillar tweeters are stock signal from sync. The DSP made the biggest difference and you can adjust bass and time delay/spatial at the dashboard. Bass hits better, mids and highs sound crisper. One caveat is it significantly improved 95% of the music I listen too but it’s a little involved to tune it in. If you buy from Crutchfield they will help.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2018
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From: Katy Texas
I had considered the front row, but i really didnt want something so involved. I believe that i have read that the tweets and the doors are wired together. Does anyone know where the wire for the tweets split off? How is the center channel wired? Does it have dedicated pins out the back of the head unit?
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 209
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From: Taos
This is the pinout for Sync 3. I don't know if they use the same one for the smaller screen. At minimum you can get color codes and assuming ford is a logical company they should carry over to your system. In order to not cut factory wires I used a Parrot harness they plugs between the HU and the wires that go through the body. You can splice into this and keep you factory wires as new. I got mine on eBay for about $55.
Edit - for some reason I can't upload images (tried different formats). here is the URL of the pinout
https://www.f150forum.com/f118/so-yo...6/#post5820501
post# 151
Edit - for some reason I can't upload images (tried different formats). here is the URL of the pinout
https://www.f150forum.com/f118/so-yo...6/#post5820501
post# 151
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 209
Likes: 1
From: Taos
It is a lot but it has all 5 speakers and includes duplicate rows for Sony upgrade system. If the harness / pinout doesn't match your system, you should be able to use color code to do tap (again assuming Ford keeps color codes the same on base radio for 8" and 4" screens). Also, I tried finding a switched wire for remote turn on but ended up doing a fuse tap on #23 in right footwell.
When I did it I spent 5 min making a table of pin out position/wire color (harness wire colors are different, so you have to match up with pinouts) and used a 18ga-8 wire bundle (color coded, link below - also made routing wires much easier, this is for rear amp). It was 16 lines - 8 out and 8 back in and took about 30 min to connect up going slowly.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/18-6-18-Gau...d=323187234615
When I did it I spent 5 min making a table of pin out position/wire color (harness wire colors are different, so you have to match up with pinouts) and used a 18ga-8 wire bundle (color coded, link below - also made routing wires much easier, this is for rear amp). It was 16 lines - 8 out and 8 back in and took about 30 min to connect up going slowly.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/18-6-18-Gau...d=323187234615
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 652
Likes: 5
From: Katy Texas
It is a lot but it has all 5 speakers and includes duplicate rows for Sony upgrade system. If the harness / pinout doesn't match your system, you should be able to use color code to do tap (again assuming Ford keeps color codes the same on base radio for 8" and 4" screens). Also, I tried finding a switched wire for remote turn on but ended up doing a fuse tap on #23 in right footwell.
When I did it I spent 5 min making a table of pin out position/wire color (harness wire colors are different, so you have to match up with pinouts) and used a 18ga-8 wire bundle (color coded, link below - also made routing wires much easier, this is for rear amp). It was 16 lines - 8 out and 8 back in and took about 30 min to connect up going slowly.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/18-6-18-Gau...d=323187234615
When I did it I spent 5 min making a table of pin out position/wire color (harness wire colors are different, so you have to match up with pinouts) and used a 18ga-8 wire bundle (color coded, link below - also made routing wires much easier, this is for rear amp). It was 16 lines - 8 out and 8 back in and took about 30 min to connect up going slowly.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/18-6-18-Gau...d=323187234615