If you’ve been shopping for a new car, truck or SUV in the last year or so, you know that patience is an invaluable virtue. Many dealerships have inventory levels that are lower than ever. This 2022 Ford Bronco Outer Banks edition’s owner waited more than a year for his vehicle to arrive. During that time, he worked with Louis Gonzales from Bay Area Audio Visions on a stereo system upgrade that would, in his words, offer “teeth-rattling” bass, play loudly and sound excellent. As this wasn’t Louis’ first time working with this client, he had a good idea of what equipment would be ideal.
Custom Bronco Subwoofer System
We’ll start our tour of the sound system in the cargo area rather than the usual front-to-back route. Why? Because the cargo area is the cosmetic highlight of the project. Taking heed of the “leave me a little bit of cargo space, just in case” instructions from the client, Louis and his team created a low-profile subwoofer enclosure that’s home to a pair of JL Audio 12TW3 subwoofers. What makes this enclosure a bit unique is that it’s a bass reflex (ported) design. Rather than use 13.5-inch woofers, Louis optimized the low-frequency performance of the twelves to give the system the low-frequency efficiency he knew the client would enjoy.
The enclosure is constructed from 3/4-inch MDF and features rectangular vents facing the rear seatbacks. The vents are spaced away from the seats to ensure that their resonant frequency isn’t dramatically affected by the proximity to another surface. The down-firing subwoofers are mounted toward the outer edges of the enclosure to clear the vents. The bottom of the enclosure is finished in black trunk-liner carpeting, and all the wiring is wrapped in fleece tape to minimize buzzes or rattles.
The top of the enclosure follows the brown-on-black theme of the upholstery. The outer edges of the enclosure are wrapped in brown vinyl, with the center section that wraps around the back dressed in black. Louis added a raised section to the rear that would accept an acrylic plate with letters cut to spell out Bronco. Flanking the wording are two additional cutouts in the black vinyl for a pair of Bronco logo horses cut out of mirrored acrylic. The deliberate gap between the black and brown portions has a blue accent that picks up on the blue used in the grab handles above the front doors, in the center console and the dash. The offset slash styling on the enclosure also mimics the dash and center console handles. Cosmetic continuity like this puts a smile on our faces.
Audiofrog Speaker Upgrades Deliver Amazing Clarity
The speakers are the next area of focus for the Bronco audio system upgrade. The stock sound system in the Bronco has 6.5-inch woofers in the kick panels, 2.5-inch midrange speakers in the corners of the dash and 4-inch speakers in the rear pillars. There’s also a small subwoofer on the passenger side of the cargo area. Heeding Louis’ advice, the client agreed to upgrade all the speakers with Audiofrog GS-Series drivers. The front stage was converted to a three-way set with a GS10 1-inch tweeter and GS25 2.5-inch midrange on a custom plate to maximize the system’s output. The factory speaker grille fits back over the new drivers to make the installation essentially invisible.
For midbass, a set of Audiofrog GS60 6.5-inch woofers replaces the OE drivers in the kick panel speaker location. Sound deadening material added to the stock mounting surfaces helps reduce vibrations and ensure an airtight seal.
The last upgrade was to install a set of Audiofrog GS42 4-inch coaxial speakers in the stock locations near the tailgate. Once again, the stock grilles would conceal the upgraded speakers to keep the system looking original.
System Integration and Amplification
The radio that came with the Bronco remains in the dash. It has all the smartphone connectivity features the client wanted. The output of the radio feeds into a Match PP 86DSP amplifier. This compact amplifier provides up to 55 watts of power to each speaker. It includes a digital signal processor that the team used to split the audio frequencies between the subwoofers, midbass and midbass drivers and the tweeters. The subwoofer is powered by an M ONE X amplifier that is rated to produce over 1,000 watts of power to the pair of drivers. The amplifiers are mounted on a custom panel and concealed behind the trim on the right side of the cargo area. The grille for the factory subwoofer allows the heat from the amplifiers to escape into the interior so they don’t shut down.
Ford Bronco Stereo System Delivers Amazing Sound
Leaving the Bronco with Louis and the team was a walk in the park compared with how long it took for the car to show up in the first place. The new sound system is more precise, thanks to the Audiofrog speakers, and with the shallow JL Audio subwoofers in the custom-vented enclosure, the owner can crank the music to mirror- and roof-shaking levels.
If you live near Corpus Christi and want to upgrade your vehicle’s sound system, drop by Bay Area Audio Visions. You can see more of their high-quality work on their website, Facebook page or Instagram Feed. If you do visit the store, make sure you tell them the team from BestCarAudio.com sent you!
