A client from here in Jacksonville contacted Audio Designs and Custom Graphics for some assistance in upgrading his 2015 Ford Mustang audio system. We invited the client to the store and had a look at his vehicle. We talked to him about the music he enjoys. We also established an understanding of his performance goals for the new system. Once we had a clear vision of the outcome for the system, we provided the client with a quote. He approved our plan, and we scheduled an appointment for the installation.
Full Three-Way Front Stage Speaker System
The client wanted better sound quality and of course, more bass. We removed the factory speakers from the door and dash and set to work creating expanded PVC speaker mounting adapters. We cut all of our adapters on our computer controlled router to ensure they are flawless. We save the files so that other Mustang owners can purchase the adapters from our online store.
Some shops use wooden adapters to mount speakers. Even when painted, these adapters swell up and degrade when they get wet. We prefer to design systems that are reliable. Expanded PVC offers excellent reliability while being easy to machine on our CNC router.
Our installation technicians ran all new Stinger speaker wire for each speaker, then mounted the new adapters in the door and dash using the factory hardware. Next, we installed a set of Hertz HSK165 6.5-inch component speakers and a set of Mille Pro ML700 3-inch midrange drivers. As the client provided the amplifiers for the system, we only had five channels in total for the system. We used passive crossovers for the midrange and tweeters and ran the woofers in the door on their own amp channels.
Phantom Fit Subwoofer Enclosure
The side enclosure left plenty of usable trunk space.
We created a custom enclosure on the right side of the trunk for an Alpine Type-R subwoofer the client provided. Our Phantom Fit subwoofer enclosure is built using layers of CNC-cut MDF that are individually cut to fit the contours of the trunk. This construction method ensures rock-solid performance. We finished the enclosure in gray carpet to match the rest of the trim panels. Unlike fiberglass enclosures, we can create our Phantom Fit enclosures very quickly. Some clients react quite adversely to the smell of fiberglass resin, so we avoid it when possible.
Trunk Well Amplifier and Processor Rack
The amplifiers and processor were mounted on our custom plate.
We created an amp and processor rack for the floor of the spare tire well using MDF covered in gray carpet. Ford includes an air compressor instead of a spare tire in this Mustang. We designed the amp rack to fit around the compressor, so it remains fully functional and accessible.
We mounted a Soundstream Picasso Nano and Rockford Fosgate R500-1 amplifiers to the new floor, along with the passive crossover networks and an Audison bit Ten processor. We secured all the Stinger wiring in place to ensure the system would be reliable. The factory floor panel fits perfectly over the new equipment.
The Audison bit Ten processor allowed us to extract and process an audio signal from the factory head unit. The processor removes any equalization from the signal before we apply our crossover, equalization and signal delay settings. We offer an iPad installation solution for this vehicle in case the client wants to upgrade the system in the future.
Ford Mustang Audio System Configuration and Tuning
Once the installation was complete, we started the setup process. We set the crossovers for the system first. The signal to the subwoofer amp is filtered at 70 Hz and down. The midbass woofers are playing from 70 to 300 Hz, and the mids and tweeters play from 300 Hz and up. Next, we used our Audison Bit Tune to set up the signal delay and equalization for each channel.
The client returned to Audio Designs and Custom Graphics at the end of the day to pick up his car. He loved the way the new Ford Mustang audio system sounded and was thrilled that it looked like it came from the factory. When you decide your Mustang needs and audio upgrade, drop by the store or send us an e-mail.
