May 14, 2023
If you watched my last video you will know that I installed the B&O subwoofer. This time I have upgraded that B&O subwoofer with a Kicker 8" sub!
Check below the video for a TON more information that I've collected.
Other videos/guides I've created on the topic of audio upgrades:
[How-To] Factory Bronco Speaker Replacement
[How-To] Amp Install - Kicker Key 200.4
[How-To] FORScan Audio/Speaker Mods
[How-To] Subwoofer Upgrade - Trim panel removal & Kicker install
As of now (mid-2023) there are four variants of audio systems in the Bronco. How you add/upgrade your subwoofer will depend on which setup you have.
At a high level... there are three decisions you need to make when picking a subwoofer:
In addition those three items, there are other specifications such as frequency response, sensitivity, etc. etc. Most people will not have to worry about these items unless they are really trying to optimize their setups. Given I am gearing this post more towards the novice DIY type... I am going to ignore these items. However, you are free to ask questions about these topics or look online. In addition, if any of you car audio pros feel like there is an important aspect I am ignoring... post in in the comments.
You will find that subwoofers intended for car audio generally come in two impedance ratings: 2Ω and 4Ω. There is a lot of electrical and power engineering I could dig into, but just to generalize it:
2Ω voice coils will be much louder and more more "boomy", as they can handle more power flowing through the voice coils. Those who dislike 2Ω voice coils often describe it as sounding very "sloppy", while those that like it often describe the bass as very "full" sounding. If you are driving those 2Ω voice coils with an underpowered amplifier, you run the risk of overheating your amplifier and/or creating very "muddy" sounding bass.
4Ω voice coils will have a more tight and clean sound. Uses less power than 2Ω voice coils, and generally more "safer" for underpowered amplifiers. For this reason... if you are running a factory amplifier rather than aftermarket, I generally recommend sticking with 4Ω voice coils. Those who like the sound of a 4Ω subwoofer would describe it as "accurate" sounding, while someone who dislikes 4Ω voice coils will often say it sounds "constrained".
Generally speaking, the bigger the subwoofer the better. BUT, the bigger the subwoofer the more power and space it will require. Unless you are willing to devote your entire cargo space to a subwoofer, most of us will have to come up with some sort of compromise when it comes to the size of the subwoofer.
If you are mounting your subwoofer in the factory location—in the cargo area passenger side panel—you have two sizes available: 6.75" and 8" subwoofer speakers. BUT, there is aftermarket enclosures available—more on this in the enclosure section.
Obviously your subwoofer will need to be able to physically mount inside of whatever enclosure you select. This will be highly dependent on which enclosure and subwoofer you select, and there is a near-infinite amount of combinations available. The only real advice I can give here is "RTFM and measure before buying".
Obviously you need to pick an amplifier that is capable of powering your subwoofer. More on that in the next section...
There is a TON of amplifiers out there in the marketplace. I definitely encourage you to shop around, and gather suggestions from the forum.
One of the more popular amplifiers is the Kicker Key 500.1, which is the amplifier I personally selected—largely because it was compatible with the Plug-n-Play Kit I bought. My brother—who generally knows more than me about car audio—also suggested the Kicker CX series of amplifiers. In my past I would have highly suggested AudioControl amplifiers, but admittedly I have zero experience with their current product offerings.
Arguably the most important part of any subwoofer amplifier is the amount of power it can deliver at a given impedance rating. It's probably easiest to explain this using an example...
Pretend I have selected the following components:
The amplifier I have selected has the following specifications. Notice that the maximum power output of the amplifier depends on the impedance rating of the subwoofer.
The subwoofer has the following specifications. Notice the recommended amplifier power is 300 watts. This is the recommended power output when the subwoofer's voice coils is wired in parallel.
What does this parallel business mean?? Well... there is two ways to wire a dual voice coil subwoofer. If you wire subwoofer in parallel, the impedance rating seen by the amplifier is HALF of the value of the voice coil rating. If you wire the amplifier in series, the impedance is DOUBLE the value of the voice coil rating. A 2Ω subwoofer in parallel will cause the amplifier to see 1Ω of impedance. If that same subwoofer is wired in series, the amplifier will see 4Ω of impedance. Wiring diagrams below:
In this case, our subwoofer has 4Ω voice coils, and when wired in parallel, the impedance seen by the amplifier is 2Ω. The Kicker Key 500.1 is rated for 300 watts and 2Ω impedance, which matches the subwoofer's requirements. So we're good to go.
Modern amplifiers are also typically packed with a ton of added features that you may or may not find helpful. Definitely read user manuals, check out reviews online, etc. etc.
General speaking there are three choices for subwoofer enclosures:
Personally, I like the factory location as I value my cargo space, but obviously the choice is yours.
Whichever you decide... check your measurements.
Check below the video for a TON more information that I've collected.
Other videos/guides I've created on the topic of audio upgrades:
[How-To] Factory Bronco Speaker Replacement
[How-To] Amp Install - Kicker Key 200.4
[How-To] FORScan Audio/Speaker Mods
[How-To] Subwoofer Upgrade - Trim panel removal & Kicker install
AUDIO SYSTEM VARIANTS
As of now (mid-2023) there are four variants of audio systems in the Bronco. How you add/upgrade your subwoofer will depend on which setup you have.
2021 - 2022MY Six-Speaker
This was the audio system that was included in all non-Lux packaged Broncos. There is NO factory subwoofer, nor is any wiring available to support a subwoofer.2023MY Seven-Speaker
Included in early 2023MY Broncos. This is identical to the 2021 - 2022MY setup, with the addition of an amplifier and a subwoofer.2023MY Seven-Speaker with Sub Delete
Ford messed up and ran out of subwoofer components. Functionally the same as the 2021 - 2022MY setup. HOWEVER, it contains the wiring and enclosure necessary to hook up a subwoofer & amplifier.2021 - 2023MY B&O
This is the premium audio system included with the Lux package. There are 7 speakers with a single subwoofer measuring roughly 8" in size (a little less than 8" to be exact).PICKING YOUR SUBWOOFER
At a high level... there are three decisions you need to make when picking a subwoofer:
- Voice Coil Impedance
- Speaker diameter & depth
- RMS power requirements
In addition those three items, there are other specifications such as frequency response, sensitivity, etc. etc. Most people will not have to worry about these items unless they are really trying to optimize their setups. Given I am gearing this post more towards the novice DIY type... I am going to ignore these items. However, you are free to ask questions about these topics or look online. In addition, if any of you car audio pros feel like there is an important aspect I am ignoring... post in in the comments.
Voice Coil Impedance
You will find that subwoofers intended for car audio generally come in two impedance ratings: 2Ω and 4Ω. There is a lot of electrical and power engineering I could dig into, but just to generalize it:
2Ω voice coils will be much louder and more more "boomy", as they can handle more power flowing through the voice coils. Those who dislike 2Ω voice coils often describe it as sounding very "sloppy", while those that like it often describe the bass as very "full" sounding. If you are driving those 2Ω voice coils with an underpowered amplifier, you run the risk of overheating your amplifier and/or creating very "muddy" sounding bass.
4Ω voice coils will have a more tight and clean sound. Uses less power than 2Ω voice coils, and generally more "safer" for underpowered amplifiers. For this reason... if you are running a factory amplifier rather than aftermarket, I generally recommend sticking with 4Ω voice coils. Those who like the sound of a 4Ω subwoofer would describe it as "accurate" sounding, while someone who dislikes 4Ω voice coils will often say it sounds "constrained".
Speaker Diameter
Generally speaking, the bigger the subwoofer the better. BUT, the bigger the subwoofer the more power and space it will require. Unless you are willing to devote your entire cargo space to a subwoofer, most of us will have to come up with some sort of compromise when it comes to the size of the subwoofer.
If you are mounting your subwoofer in the factory location—in the cargo area passenger side panel—you have two sizes available: 6.75" and 8" subwoofer speakers. BUT, there is aftermarket enclosures available—more on this in the enclosure section.
Obviously your subwoofer will need to be able to physically mount inside of whatever enclosure you select. This will be highly dependent on which enclosure and subwoofer you select, and there is a near-infinite amount of combinations available. The only real advice I can give here is "RTFM and measure before buying".
RMS Power Requirements
Obviously you need to pick an amplifier that is capable of powering your subwoofer. More on that in the next section...
PICKING YOUR AMPLIFIER
There is a TON of amplifiers out there in the marketplace. I definitely encourage you to shop around, and gather suggestions from the forum.
One of the more popular amplifiers is the Kicker Key 500.1, which is the amplifier I personally selected—largely because it was compatible with the Plug-n-Play Kit I bought. My brother—who generally knows more than me about car audio—also suggested the Kicker CX series of amplifiers. In my past I would have highly suggested AudioControl amplifiers, but admittedly I have zero experience with their current product offerings.
Arguably the most important part of any subwoofer amplifier is the amount of power it can deliver at a given impedance rating. It's probably easiest to explain this using an example...
Pretend I have selected the following components:
- Amp: Kicker Key 500.1
- Sub: Kicker Comp RT 48CWRT84
The amplifier I have selected has the following specifications. Notice that the maximum power output of the amplifier depends on the impedance rating of the subwoofer.
The subwoofer has the following specifications. Notice the recommended amplifier power is 300 watts. This is the recommended power output when the subwoofer's voice coils is wired in parallel.
What does this parallel business mean?? Well... there is two ways to wire a dual voice coil subwoofer. If you wire subwoofer in parallel, the impedance rating seen by the amplifier is HALF of the value of the voice coil rating. If you wire the amplifier in series, the impedance is DOUBLE the value of the voice coil rating. A 2Ω subwoofer in parallel will cause the amplifier to see 1Ω of impedance. If that same subwoofer is wired in series, the amplifier will see 4Ω of impedance. Wiring diagrams below:
In this case, our subwoofer has 4Ω voice coils, and when wired in parallel, the impedance seen by the amplifier is 2Ω. The Kicker Key 500.1 is rated for 300 watts and 2Ω impedance, which matches the subwoofer's requirements. So we're good to go.
Modern amplifiers are also typically packed with a ton of added features that you may or may not find helpful. Definitely read user manuals, check out reviews online, etc. etc.
SUBWOOFER ENCLOSURE
General speaking there are three choices for subwoofer enclosures:
- Using a powered subwoofer. This has the amplifier, the subwoofer speaker, and the enclosure in a single unit. The Kicker Hideaway series is a popular example of a powered subwoofer.
- Using an external enclosure. This can be as simple as an standard subwoofer box you stick in your cargo area, an enclosure that mounts to your tailgate—such as the Stinger TXFBB12, or even a DIY box you built yourself.
- Mounting it to the factory location. Three options for this:
- 2023MY base audio enclosure - 6.75" enclosure
- B&O enclosure - 8" enclosure
- Aftermarket enclosure, such as the JL Audio Stealthbox
Personally, I like the factory location as I value my cargo space, but obviously the choice is yours.
Whichever you decide... check your measurements.
2022 4dr Badlands, 2.3L Manual, Mid pkg
YouTube: youtube.com/@ragnarkon
Instagram: @ragnar.kon
YouTube: youtube.com/@ragnarkon
Instagram: @ragnar.kon
