was talking with a buddy at work today whos in the know about both receiver units as well as speakers and of all the information ive gathered everything seems to contradict one another.

desiring better sound out of my 2010 and having the panel i guess you could call it that doesnt allow for just sliding out a stock unit and sliding in an aftermarket one im left to ask if, a.) is it even possible to put in an aftermarket unit on these years f150's with the dash layout they have, or b.) is the stock unit quality enough to swap out the 4 speakers and achieve a much better sound?

im not looking for a world class setup. just a clean and loud pairing. i was looking at some rockford fosgate punch 1683's i believe, name brand and seem like they perform nicely for the price of about 55 bucks a pair, to replace all my speakers but im afraid if i do all that, that they will be underpowered and still sound bad just operating off the stock head unit.

not sure which direction to head. any input by you audio guys be helpful. thanks all.

 

Do you have just a basic head unit ? if yes , Speaker upgrades will sounds better. If also wanna upgrade your head unit . you need adopter kit for your specific truck year and model .You can get some head unit that is better, cheaper than . stock ford unit. go to your local stereo shop ,best buy. etc. they should be able to help.

 

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...2F%3B799%3B599

thanks angel......if you can copy and paste that, this is my dashboard. just seemed to me that theres not much of a way to replace the cd player or much of anything for that matter with a control panel of this style. but i will go to a local audio shop and see what they have done for f150's before.

 

are you set on rockford? i know you said youre not looking for a world class set up, but at 55 dollars youget what you pay for, and there are much better options out there like memphis or jl. and if you do not have a factory sub you probably wont like upgrading to just mids. the stock mids have much more bass than aftermartket mids do. most people who upgrade mids also throw a sub in. just my .02

 

no not stuck on them, just read a lot of reviews and for the price everyone seemed to like them on crutchfields website in the review section. and yea i did think about upgrading the mids such as the rockfords and getting a sub box with a couple of decent 10's, so i can get the bass out of the subs and not the other speakers. just trying to see what i might end up spending in the end. im just dying to do something to my truck this year. if i was willing id probably shell out the money for a 6" lift and bump up my tires to some 35's but with a 4.6 with 3.73 gears im not sure if my truck would have any sack after i did that. im still throwin around ideas of re-gearing to 4:10's even though most would say that jump isint worth the money. but ill never go big enough to justify 4:56's either. just don't want to strain my tranny too much with the 35's having the 3:73's. and id have to start running premium gas for a programmer to be effective enough to pump out more power. that's why im leaning towards re-gearing. then i can just stick with using 87 octane. but enough of me blabbering. i might go to a couple local audio shops and see what they've done in other f150's

 

Yes it's definitely possible to put an aftermarket radio, plenty of people have done it. And I'd do research elsewhere than crutchfield and places like that. Crutchfield is way overpriced and the people who write reviews on there generally don't really know anything about car audio. Do you research on forums dedicated to car audio like diyma, caco, smd, ssa forums etc. You'll find a lot better knowledge on those sites. And if you plan to buy online again look elsewhere because there's a lot cheaper places than crutchfield.

As for local audio shops again they're review of something might be helpful but in the end they're just trying to sell you anything they can get you to buy.

On a side note, I have 35's the 4.6 and 3.55's and there is still plenty of power there.

 

Your attitude towards retailers that actually abide by dealer agreements, hold ACTUAL relationships with the manufactures and actually provide a service is appalling. There have been many times where people who actually have a clue, have held your hand and taught you the way. The funny part is said persons, have worked at Brick and Mortars and graciously have helped you learn.

Btw, the majority of people on the sites you listed, don't know their *** from a hole in the ground. Instead, they hear what everyone else spouts and lists it as his or her's own personal opinion. More often than not, they are wrong.

Just .02 from someone who has been around the block a few more times....

OP, get a healthy relationship started with a TRUSTED mobile electronics specialist. If you need help finding one in your area, let me know. I have friends all across the country that have at least 10+ years in the industry. And 55$ per pair doesnt open many doors....

 

Funny thing is, I learned majority of what I know from trial and error and wasting my money on worthless products, but yet I've never bought and car audio from a brick and mortar store, mostly because the only two in my area push boss audio like its sundown, I know enough to realize they're just trying to move product on someone who hasn't done research. And yes I'll agree there's plenty of people who don't know what they're talking about. But the ones that do know a lot more than you think. I'm not denying that there's some local audio places you can trust, but you also can't deny there's a lot of places that sell it that that don't really care too. I was just trying to give warning to take everything with caution. At the end of the day some people are just trying to make a paycheck.

But I'm not going to argue with your opinion, that's yours, I have mine. I've never had a problem with ordering from sonicelectronix, eBay, etc. so I haven't had a need to pay the extra for the dealer to have a relationship with the manufacturer. Maybe I've been lucky, I dunno.

 

to both pizzaman and low e, i appreciate all the input.

pizzaman that's for letting me know you have the 4.6 with 3.55's and 35 inch tires. knowing you have power still available with that tells me ill probably be fine with my 3.73's and 35's so re gearing will probably not have to be in the cards unless someday i decide to go to 37's which i doubt.

low e, i will continue to do my homework and research some more products and talk with some local shops in the area, i live in western new york and there's a shop called darryls car audio and other place called kustom works that has been in business for quite some time as well. ill probably tell them for a head unit, this is my price range and for speakers this is my price range, what do you recommend. this way they'll know up front that that's all im willing to spend, done deal. instead of saying i want some aftermarket speakers and before i know it their trying to sell me a 300 dollar pair of clarions or something.

 

Styxxx, where in West NY are you? Ill get you setup with a reputable dealer.

As far as, what I recommend. Thats a bit of a loaded question (I know that wasnt the intent) but this all goes down to your budget, music choices, personal preferences, etc. That is why I recommend solid shops, they will be able to assist you, qualify your needs and then pick a speaker suited for you.

 

Styxxx, I have found someone decently close. The company is Enormis Mobile Specialties. They have been a Top 12 Mobile Electronics retailer from 2007-12 ('13 hasn't been voted yet...) and also a Rockford dealer. Lou Norman is the owner and a solid guy. I've asked his advice many times. Go here or at least call them. It's worth it.

Their website is www.enormis.net and phone number (814) 899.8885. And the can also be found on Facebook.

 

Good info on this thread! I don't mean to hijack - but was wondering if Low E Red might know of any reputable car audio shops in the Southaven, MS or Memphis, TN area.
Thanks!