2025 Ford F150 Platinum Plus B&O Unleashed (the leash broke again) - System Upgrade - The Sequel

[Sonnie Parker]

Yep… I remember a couple of systems ago, I said that was it. Then I broke the promise to myself and upgraded my 2023 F-150. I skipped upgrading my 2024 Ram Limited because of the ANC system and because I never really found a clean workaround that made me comfortable. Then came the 2025 F-150… the sequel to the 2023 build. Just one more time… maybe.

This build has already gone through a few stages. As usual, it's been a moving target. Some of the original plans changed, some equipment was replaced, and a few ideas were abandoned after more testing. I'm sure many car audio enthusiasts understand how these projects go. I initially installed an all-Audison setup using the Forza amps and Accordo processing. The system included the Audison Forza AF M12.14-bit DSP amp for the doors, dash, and rear speakers, and the M1D amp for the subs. I liked the idea of keeping everything in the Audison ecosystem, and I thought Accordo might provide enough automatic correction and control to satisfy me. After living with it for a short while and comparing it to what I remembered from the miniDSP and Dirac Live in previous systems, I eventually changed direction. Accordo is interesting, but it just wasn't doing it for me.

The brains of the system shifted to the miniDSP C-DSP 8x12 DL with Dirac Live and the Helix Ultra S DSP with the Conductor Pro. The PAC AP4 FD32 interface replaces the factory amp and feeds the miniDSP via a digital optical connection. The current amp setup is the Helix P One MK2 for the subs, the Helix 204 Direct for the front door midbass drivers, and the Helix 206 Direct for the dash mids, A-pillar tweeters, and rear-fill speakers. The miniDSP remains the heart of the system with Dirac, while the Helix Ultra S provides additional routing, PEQ, rear-fill processing, and greater control flexibility via the Conductor Pro that gives me a sub/midbass low-shelf boost, rear-fill attenuation, and Ultra S presets from the driver’s seat.

The speaker setup has also evolved. I started with Helix Ci5 8-inch midbass drivers in the front doors, then moved to Stereo Integrity TM8 drivers. The dash started with Blam widebands, then moved to the Oneaudio WB3.e widebands, and eventually the Audiofrog GB40 midrange drivers. The A-pillars now have Audiofrog GB10CF tweeters with Audiofrog TP-50V2 tweeter protectors. The rear fill was moved from the lower factory rear door speakers to the upper rear pillars, using Morel Virtus Nano Carbon MM2 shallow-mount speakers, which have provided much better ambiance. The sub enclosure is under the rear seat, secured through the rear seat brackets, and currently houses the Hertz MPS 300 S2 shallow-mount subs in the MTI Stage 1 enclosure. The Hertz subs will later be replaced with the ResoNix GUS subs.

The acoustic treatment side of the build includes ResoNix CLD, Guardian, SoundSkins, and block-off plates in the doors. I also added sound absorption material behind the door panels where possible, along with additional treatment in other areas of the truck.

• 2025 Ford F-150 Platinum Plus (B&O Unleashed Audio System)
• PAC AP4 FD32 Interface (Replaced Factory Amp)
• miniDSP C-DSP 8x12 DL
• Helix Ultra S DSP
• Helix Amplify 206 Direct Amp (Powering Dash Mids, Pillar Tweeters, and Rear Fill Speakers)
• Helix Amplify 204 Direct Amp (Bridged - Front Door Midbass)
• Helix P One MK2 Amp (Powering Subs)
• Helix Conductor Pro (Control Knob for Sub/Midbass Level, Rear-Fill Level, and Ultra S Presets)
• Stereo Integrity TM8 (8" Front Door Speakers 70-200Hz)
• AudioFrog GB40 (3" Midrange Dash Speakers 200-2500Hz)
• AudioFrog GB10CF (A-pillar Tweeters 2500Hz+)
• Hertz MPS 300 S2 Mille Pro Series (Dual 12" Subs – MTI Acoustics Box)
• Morel Virtus Nano Carbon MM2 (Rear Pillars - Rear Differential Fill 300-7 kHz)
• ReKRAPEINNOS Noise Isolator by E.I.N.N.O.S. Labs
• Planet Waves Custom RCA Cables
• Acoustic Treatments (ResoNix CLD Damping/Absorption/Insulation, and SoundSkins Door Kit)

This is a before-and-after pic of my Carbonized Gray 2025 Platinum Plus. Second pic is after removing the rear blocks to lower the rear a bit (too much rake)... and OCD Tinting and Wrap wrapped it in Xpel Stealth Matte PPF and tinted the windows with Xpel XR Plus ceramic tint.

Here are some of the doors with the CLD, Guardian, SoundSkin, and block-off plates. I also put more of the sound-absorption material in the back of the door panel where possible... as well as applied CLD to the rear and stuffed the holes, except for the vented area in the back (didn't want to mess up my AC and cabin pressure).

The sub enclosure is secured with screws through the back of the seat brackets on each side and in the middle.

I finally decided to split my front stage into a 3-way setup and add tweeters. Midbass will remain the TM8 for now... mids are the AudioFrog GB40, and the AudioFrog GB10CF will handle from 2500 Hz and up.

I wasn't sure the 4" drivers would fit, but they did... barely. Had they been even a fraction larger, they wouldn't have worked. Thankfully, it worked out after carving up my dash... so I'm hopping like a Frog.

I dremeled out the opening, then somewhat sealed it with Raamat... then stuffed it with polyfil. Have no idea if that will help, just thought I'd do it.

The AudioFrog GB10CF tweeters were added to the A-pillars with the AudioFrog TP-50V2 tweeter protectors.

I moved the rear fill from the lower rear doors to the upper rear pillars using the Morel Virtus Nano Carbon MM2 3" shallow-mount speaker.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I think it is worth sharing the REW measurements I took of the AudioFrog GB40 across its intended 200 Hz to 2500 Hz operating range. This nearfield measurement is approaching the maximum volume level I normally listen to in my truck.