mObridge B&O Stereo Upgrade Installation Video

[mjp2]

I was fortunate enough to work with @RagnarKon and @mObridge to upgrade the B&O stereo system in my '21 Lux package Bronco.

Bryan's knowledge and experience knocked a good 2 days off what this install would have taken me alone, and all those tips and tricks are outlined in the video.

The mObridge kit is completely plug-and-play and is very well thought out. Read the instructions before tackling the install because things have to happen in the right order. Fitting everything into the factory space is a feat and mObridge figured out exactly what's needed. We jumped in without reading first and found ourselves doing several steps multiple times, as you'll see.

The end result is staggeringly better than the stock system, and the software allows the amp to be customized to work with pretty much any speaker setup.



I continued working on the truck for about a week after we finished recording the video.

Kick panels got new speakers

Buttoned up the SSV speaker pods

Installed sound deadening in the truck and around the subwoofer box

Designed, printed, and installed block-off plates to seal the subwoofer box (downloadable from Maker World https://makerworld.com/en/models/1207442-bronco-subwoofer-box-port-caps)

Spent a few days testing/tuning before reinstalling the trim panels

The final install has sound deadening between the subwoofer and the mounting surface and has Poly-fil in the sub box.

Reinstalled the interior and left the programming cable accessible for future tweaks

Microphone tuning is still on the to-do list but is possible now that the truck is back together.

My post-project thoughts:

mObridge
This is so much more than a plug-and-play amp solution thanks to mObridge's software. The customization is so granular that you can define
- input levels by source (my phone is too quiet so let's boost the inbound signal when a call comes in)
- frequency response by individual speaker (I now have coax speakers in the kick panels so I increased the upper frequencies going to those speakers)
- output to each speaker by source (only have the factory beep play through the front center speaker, play phone calls through the driver's side front speakers, etc.)
- basically, way more than I can outline here

With Infinity speakers in the dash and Kickers in the kick panels I found the front stage to be a bit too bright so I dialed back the dash levels and increased the kick panels. I also increased the frequency range and levels of the rear pods to more fully utilize the 6.5" coax speakers that replaced the 4" tweeters.

The end result sounds effortless, if that makes sense. I've had loud car stereo systems before, but with most you can tell that you're pushing the amp and speakers. The mObridge amp is loud, crystal clear, and sounds like it's not even trying. It has so much more to give. The gain out of the box was +9dB, which I dialed back to 0dB and generally don't turn up past 1/2 volume.

I also can't say enough good things about mObridge's customer support. Fraser has quickly responded to every question we've had, and a search on the forum shows that that's just how he is. We're not getting special treatment -- they listen and respond to their customers.

RagnarKon/Bryan
Bryan's a knowledgeable resource and great guy. This was my first experience being part of an informational video and there's a lot of thought and effort that goes into it. Day-of work is one thing, but post-production is what makes the content engaging. @RagnarKon -- thanks for letting me be a part of the process!

Me
I'm generally a bit goofy, but add a touch of nervousness from being in front of a camera and it's downright weird at times. I assure you I've stopped saying "indeed" in conversation. Also, I misspoke when talking about what I'd previously done to the truck -- those are 4", not 4.5", speakers in the dash and factory pods.


What a great experience this whole thing has been, and what an incredible stereo system I now have in the Bronco.

If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask. I'm always happy to assist where I can.

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[aptus]

great video and post thanks a lot ! , im thinking on just upgrading the subwoofer, is it possible to just upgrade the sub (with de kicker sub), leaving every thing else stock?. thanks in advance

 

[RagnarKon]

great video and post thanks a lot ! , im thinking on just upgrading the subwoofer, is it possible to just upgrade the sub (with de kicker sub), leaving every thing else stock?. thanks in advance

Yup! You'd just have to modify the subwoofer or the factory housing to fit.

Most aftermarket subs (such as the Kicker) are 8" subwoofers, but the factory housing is for a 200mm—roughly 7-7/8". So it's not a perfect fit, but most aftermarket subs will fit with some minor modifications. I think there may be a few that fit without modification, but all of the Kickers will require some modification.

Lots of posts on this forum about it. My own modification is here. In my opinion @mjp2 's did a better job with his orange 3D printed piece... and now I want a 3D printer.

 

[aptus]

Yup! You'd just have to modify the subwoofer or the factory housing to fit.

Most aftermarket subs (such as the Kicker) are 8" subwoofers, but the factory housing is for a 200mm—roughly 7-7/8". So it's not a perfect fit, but most aftermarket subs will fit with some minor modifications. I think there may be a few that fit without modification, but all of the Kickers will require some modification.

Lots of posts on this forum about it. My own modification is here. In my opinion @mjp2 's did a better job with his orange 3D printed piece... and now I want a 3D printer.

thanks a lot for the response, I suggested the kicker because that's what you used on your videos, which subwoofer you recommend best for improvement and fitment.
the only reason for the upgrade is that my subwoofer rattles on high volume or in specific tone frequencies , like it was broken, I all ready disassembled it and corroborated that has no visual defects, and the rattle comes forme the subwoofer itself. if I get more punch out the new sub would be a bonus.

 

[mjp2]

thanks a lot for the response, I suggested the kicker because that's what you used on your videos, which subwoofer you recommend best for improvement and fitment.
the only reason for the upgrade is that my subwoofer rattles on high volume or in specific tone frequencies , like it was broken, I all ready disassembled it and corroborated that has no visual defects, and the rattle comes forme the subwoofer itself. if I get more punch out the new sub would be a bonus.

In addition to replacing the stock paper woofer I found that adding sound deadening to the subwoofer box helped a lot. It made it no longer sound like I was trying to get big sound out of a plastic box.

Cover the big areas, but also work the material into the nooks and crannies. The more surface area making contact, the better. I used a plastic panel popper to get into the creases.

And definitely add a layer between the speaker and the box itself. You'll need to trim a plastic tab off the face of the mounting surface (see the bottom area in the pic @RagnarKon quoted) and sound deadening material helps ensure a sealed, vibration-free fit when mounting the speaker.

 

[mObridge]

Great write up!

For those on the fence about blocking the sub port I can't street enough how important it is. It makes a huge difference!

 

[mjp2]

Did a microphone tuning session with @mObridge Fraser on Saturday (instructional video will be posted at some point) and it really opened my eyes to the capabilities of this amp and the tuning software. I'm already planning a nice-weather Saturday to set up a folding table and chair in the driveway and mess around with the options to get several tunes defined just how I want them.

I set up the microphone as close to dead-center in the truck as I could (center console armrest, facing up) and learned the process of fine-tuning the output of each speaker, balancing pairs of speakers, and then balancing the system as a whole. It was cool seeing changes made in the mObridge software reflected in the audio capture software in real time.

One feature I didn't know existed was the ability to save multiple tunes and recall them from the dash interface. mObridge repurposes the speed sensitive volume control options (off, low, medium, high) and maps them to tunes 1, 2, 3, and 4 as defined in the mObridge tuning software.

When I'm done I'll have tunes for just me driving by myself (tuned with the microphone at the driver's headrest), one for having the whole family in the truck (center console microphone location), one for long road trips (likely the same as tune 2 but with the gain dialed back for more granular low volume control), and one for loud bass just because.

 

[ncarter124]

I might be missing something but... is this mObridge amp like almost 2 grand?

 

[ncarter124]

Ooof, just watched the video and I am just going to suffer with the B&O. Talk about taking the wind out of my sails.

 

[mjp2]

Ooof, just watched the video and I am just going to suffer with the B&O. Talk about taking the wind out of my sails.

The video is very honest. We knocked this out in about 6 hours with a short break for lunch on a cold February Saturday. In nice weather it would be an enjoyable weekend project.

The panels pop off easily and none of the bolt-/screw-on pieces are hard to remove. Organization is key as there's just a lot going on.

Most of the effort is in running the power and signal cables, but even that's easier for most as the automatic transmission trucks are better configured to run the feed through the firewall.

It's the kind of project you address one small step at a time. Heck, get a feel for it by removing the rear trim plastic, 4 cargo anchors, the floor, and the flap that hides the signal wires behind that back seat. It'll give you the confidence to move forward; and if not, it's all easy to reinstall and you'll have spent less than 30 minutes start to finish.

 

[hilmerdm]

@mjp2 , @RagnarKon - compliments on a great video! @RagnarKon 's previous videos helped A LOT with my build, and also his comment on one of my older threads - "just get a mObridge and be done with it!" Gratefully I took his advice and installed the mObridge system myself. Unfortunately I did it over the holidays, so didn't have this video to go off of, but fun to see you guys hit and fix all the same (minor) issues I had. It really is a pretty easy install, just time consuming - but I'd do it again in a heartbeat and actually enjoyed doing it. Now - REALLY looking forward to that tuning video @mjp2!

 

[DrunkevAviator]

I might be missing something but... is this mObridge amp like almost 2 grand?

This setup is the epitome of "Buy once, cry once". It's expensive, but it's worth it. And I still haven't actually properly tuned mine yet. (It got cold, one of these days when it's not -40 here in Canada I'm going to get Fraser to do a tune with me).

 

[ChrisNYC]

Thank you very much for the video, it was great. Two questions for you if you don’t mind:

1. Sorry if I missed it but did you replace your three dash speakers?

2. Would you mind giving a list of the tools that you used? I was specifically interested in the panel remover, dental type tool, the huge needle nose like pliers and the angled add on that you had on your drill.

 

[mjp2]

Thank you very much for the video, it was great. Two questions for you if you don’t mind:

1. Sorry if I missed it but did you replace your three dash speakers?

2. Would you mind giving a list of the tools that you used? I was specifically interested in the panel remover, dental type tool, the huge needle nose like pliers and the angled add on that you had on your drill.

I had swapped out to Infinity Reference 4" speakers in the dash and rear pods prior to this upgrade. They perform really well but should be dialed back when tuning the amp as they're really bright.

One of these weeks I'll post the tuning steps. It's an easy process but requires an hour or so and gathering bits of hardware, software, and data from several places to make it all happen. The results are well worth it.

As for what I used...
Clip remover:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072LWS2H6

Trim removal set:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3SP84D

I couldn't find a link to the exact pick that I used but any tiny O-ring pick set will get the job done. https://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-o-ring-hook-scribe-set-42159.html
https://www.harborfreight.com/professional-mini-soft-grip-pick-and-hook-set-4-piece-57786.html

The exact long needle nose pliers aren't available from Amazon anymore:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PAWRQN2
But these should be the same:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087P47ZTZ

And the u-joint socket adapters are just handy to have:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QH89HLJ

 

[Natai]

Did a microphone tuning session with @mObridge Fraser on Saturday (instructional video will be posted at some point) and it really opened my eyes to the capabilities of this amp and the tuning software.

Any ETA on that tuning video?
I'm slowly trying to plan out a similar upgrade.

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