Help me solve my minimalist F150 puzzle...

[dookie]

So, as a relative newcomer (PPI Art / MB Quart / JL back in the day...nothing since) I've got a few pieces and a bunch of research/opinions that I'm looking to precipitate into an actual solution. Would love to hear what y'all might have to say.

'15 F150 crew w/8" Sony system. Currently have 6030cs components, Key 5001 amp, and Amppro interface on the shelf. Goal is SQ over SPL, unchanged rear seat/cargo function, DIY install/tune/forget, minimal budget. Plan for the rear is no plan, stock drivers & amp...a future (maybe never) project. Sub must be behind seat with no change to seat position or function. I do plan to seal/deaden doors and rear wall of cab.

Original concept was to pick up a Key 2004 and use it to run the 6030cs front stage, but I understand it does not play well in this application...the non-music sources (chimes/phone/nav/etc) get funky. Chosen because of DSP/size/cost/match to in-hand 5001 (which was inherited). Not wed to either amp, actually.

Big questions are...

Is there another autotune (w/app is fine) DSP amp at a budget/reasonable price point that's a better fit than the Key(s)? Perhaps a do-it-all that can push the sub and/or rears too? If budget/size stay in line, a separate processor/amp solution would be fine. Form factor/heat is also in play (behind the seat install)...class D please. Power needs are modest. I'm cross-eyed from all the reading on these. Musway, Helix, ESX, Sony? I like the extra DSP channels, should I ever go back and do the rear, but 4+1 is all the power I need to start.

Sub options. Beyond the MTI box, there seems to be little in the way of custom behind-seat enclosures and maybe a couple (low-end?) prebuilt/powered options (ie: Fosgate PS8). I like some punch, but clean and quick win over SPL/excursion every day, in my ears anyway.

Sorry to be such a novice, and thanks for any info/ideas

[Jdunk54nl]

Ya, sub option for behind the seat is going to be very limited besides a DIY with a similar sub to the tw5 for depth or the MTI box. Can you lose just the small side of the rear under seat? The JL TW3 12" in their wedge box fits perfect under that and will outperform nearly everything else.

Not any turn key solution like the kicker key. The helix does have a decent auto tune but you have to set up quite a bit of that before (crossovers, levels, etc). Similar with Dirac Live minidsp 8x12.

[dookie]

Can you lose just the small side of the rear under seat? The JL TW3 12" in their wedge box fits perfect under that and will outperform nearly everything else.

Not ideal, plus I have the Ford 400W inverter under there. Will the wedge still fit?

Thanks! You're one of the few names I recognize as an F150 guru...

[Jdunk54nl]

No clue. You'd have to measure.

[89grand]

The biggest problem with the Kicker Key 500.1 is that it doesn't tune the in cab response like the 200.4 does, it only tunes the sources output response. The 200.4 is OK if you're not super picky. I tried using one in my Ram, and while the tune was decent tonally, it sounded too narrow and small on many songs, my subwoofer sounded horrible and needed a DSP. I ended up just using the 200.4 as a standard 4 channel amp since it was already installed, and went with a miniDSP 8X12 DL to have full system tuning. I use a Key 180.4 in my Wrangler with decent success, but I'm not nearly as picky about that setup, since I drive with the top down most of the time.

Subwoofers often need quite a bit of tuning themselves, and the 500.1 can't do it.

[dookie]

Definitely thinking a processor with enough channels to do sub and rear (coax), in addition to the active front components. 7-8 channel. I can push the sub with a DSPed signal to the 5001 I have. I like what I read about the Helix M4 DSP, perhaps Audison 4.9? Any experience with the bottom of the barrel Sony XM-GS6DSP? Price is right!

[Jdunk54nl]

Get the helix m4dsp to power your front speakers. Get a cheaper amp for rear fill or another m4 (non dsp version) amp to go 3 way+rear fill in the future. Use the 500.1 for sub.

The only other integrated amp I would consider would be the JL VXI series, but you don't save really any money and lose some features.

[SiW80]

I have a Helix Match M5DSP mk2 and it’s tiny! Great sounding amp and full Helix options but the TA steps are a little larger than the higher end DSPs they do.

The 5th channel can power a sub or centre channel plus you have 2 processed line outs for other amps.


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[dookie]

Aaaaannnd...here we go.

Did the front doors yesterday. I treated interior/exterior skins and the back of the door card (w/Roadkill Expert), and installed the 6.5" drivers (w/Fastrings). Surprised how well this total novice did installing the Roadkill. Bonus...it all went back together on the first try and everything still works! Doors seem twice as heavy. Pointless to comment on the Ford tweet/Infinity 6.5/Sony power sound, but soon enough, as...

...I pulled the trigger on an M Four DSP. Schwing! Which leads me to another question:

Using a single digital (optical) connection from the Amppro to the Helix seems like the way to go, no? PAC tells me it is two-channel, which is fine, and that it will contain all the Ford system tones just like an analog signal (nav / parking / phone). Only caveat was that Ford apparently puts phone only up front and parking only in back, so those would now come from everywhere (which must also be true if I only run 2-channel analog). Has anyone used the PAC digital-out?

Gonna pull an A-pillar and see what I can do with the tweeters today, also laying out power/amp rack anticipating a (future) 3rd amp for center and rear fill. Don't see 3-way in front ever, but I'd like to mess with the Helix virtual center, since I actually have a speaker location there.

[Jdunk54nl]

Yes, people have used the digital out. The pac amp pro should combine all of the signals and send it out via the pac amp pro on the digital out. If you use the analog than you can keep the tones to their respective speakers if you run both front and rear channel outs. There shouldn't really be any audible difference in any of the methods.