New amp and audio interface choices
 

I'm starting to look at options for upgrading the amp and sub in my truck. Here are a couple of the options I'm considering and would appreciate you all's opinion that have experience with these components. Also, please offer suggestions if you have them.

- interface - Pac-Audio AmpPro AP4-FD21

- amp - Phoenix Gold - TI21600.5 - 5 Channel Amplifier

Subwoofer - no idea - I don't like thumping bass, I just want a full range system with good solid bass.

Suggestions? Pros and cons?

addendum - I have the Sony premium sound system.

Thanks!

Excellent choice with the Amp Pro and it`s the best way to go if one has the Premium Sony system but if you`re not going to change all of your stock speakers, then it`s really a waste of money.

There are better, cleaner, more efficient, and more powerful 5 channels amps out there so are you set on the Phoenix Gold?

You should also look into a nice two way component set for the front of your truck and a pair of coax speakers for the rear doors.

There are many subs out on the market that`ll fit behind the rear seat so you wont lose any under seat floor space.

In order to really lead you in the right direction, what price range are you trying to fall into.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am not dead set on the Phoenix Gold amp. I like some of the features I've seen on the 5 channel Kenwood Excelon amp, but I am open to suggestions on better quality amps.

I have changed out the speakers to all Focal (coax flax in the back, K2's in the front) except the sub, which I want to replace including the enclosure. The in-dash center channel speaker is an infinity.

No set budget, but I'd like to stay under $1500 for the amp, interface , sub and install. I'm willing to go over, but I don't want to have any regrets on wasting money or not buying a great sounding system.

I am having the PAC installed sunday with a KXA400.4 Amplifier and some Infinity Kappas. I already have the same 800.1 amp install to a box under seats to a couple 43CWRT102 CompRT 10" and that sounds great!

Here are two choices that should fall into the price range you mentioned but the second choice will go over the price but not too much.

Take a look at the Alpine PDX-V9 or the JL Audio HD900 5 channel amp and an off the shelf sub enclosure so you don`t have to deal with the increased cost of a custom box. There are many out there that are made for the SuperDuty trucks and they are designed to fit behind the drivers side rear seat. The Alpine amp is cheaper but the JL is more efficient and cleaner sounding but both have about the same power output.


The second and best option in my opinion, that`ll put you over that price range but not by too much would be to use two amps.

One four channel and one mono block.

An Alpine PDX-F6 and a PDX-M6 would be perfect and these amps can be stacked on top of each other. 150 watts x 4 for the front and rear speakers and 600 watts for the sub. If you look around, these amps are a steal right now.

JL Audio also offers the same type of amps that can be stacked but they are more expensive than the Alpine amps. JL Audio HD600 and a JL Audio HD750.

I hope this helps you out.

Is Sony amp retained with PAC
 

is the Sony amp used or removed in the above PacAudio setup?

GABAR - thanks for the suggestions. I was looking at the JL 5 channel amp yesterday. I had considered Kenwood Excelon (sp?) amp, but it requires the idatalink interface and they evidently don't have a version that works with our trucks, so Pac Audio it is!

I hadn't considered a dual amp system, but that would certainly work. The mounting board behind the back seat will have to contain the amp(s) and crossovers for the front K2's.

I don't mind going over in price, but not necessarily. I want to make sure I get something that I will be happy with. I'm still not sure about who will install it. A local shop I considered seems to be into show cars and neon and crap. Not at all my taste.

I'll check out the subs you mentioned. Thanks!

This is a well priced dual sub box that is supposed to fit behind the seats.
https://www.supercrewsound.com/2017F250CCdual.html

This is the single version of that which would allow you to mount multiple amps:
https://www.supercrewsound.com/product1389.html

The PacAudio interface plugs in between the Sony amp and the head unit. At this time, the Sony amp is still required, but maybe in the future someone will come up with a way to completely bypass it.

Here's some great info on it:
https://pac-audio.com/catalog/audio-...acing/ap4-fd21

The single version looks perfect. Would a 12" sub fit behind the seat? What are the recommended subs - 10" and 12"?

Thanks!

I would call the vendor what they recommend. I doubt you need 12" driver unless you really want that low low bass. A 10" sub will give you great bass that you can hear and feel. But if you want bass you can feel a 12" driver will reproduce those pipe organ tunes you love so much lol.

Sounds like the 10" sub will work just fine. Thanks.

Anywhere you guys can point me for a system upgrade for the normal stock system in an XLT 4 door? I want to keep the stock head unit, just need an amp, speakers and subwoofer.

I ended up going with a Rockford Fosgate DSR1 using an iDatalink Ford harness. Sony amp comes out completely this way and replaced it with a Kenwood Excelon 5 channel. Replaced door speakers with RF 6.5s and replaced the Sony sub with a RF shallow mount 8". Only thing I did with the stock sub box was fill it with poly. I went this route so everything was pretty much plug and play, only had to run a new 2 gauge power wire and fuse from the battery to the amp. The DSR1 software is kind of a pain to figure out, but it wasn't too bad. Spent more time setting up the equalizer settings in the software than installing everything.

Did you use the iDatalink Maestro for the F150? I wasn't able to find one for the F350.