wharrell Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 (edited) I took delivery in April of a new ordered 2011 F350 that replaced my 2008 F250. My 2008 F250 had the Navigation with Audiophile sound. You got both when you purchased the $1800 navigation option on the 2008. The 2011 F350 has Navigation with 'Premium' Sound System...$1800 option. I am extremely disappointed with the quality of the sound: 1) No presence, definition, clarity and timbre to the sound. Sounds mushy and muddled like a $150 vehicle audio system. 2) System does not have enough volume for the truck. The 2008 system had a 300 watt amplifier. The 2011 system has a 4X25 watt amplifier. 3) The sound system is not tuned and balanced for the truck. 4) Sirius Sattelite Radio Sound: Extremely Poor. No highs whatsoever. did not have this issue on the 2008. The problem here is with the quality of the digital decoding in the Sirius Radio part of the system. 5) Auxiliary input source from Ipod or other device. Poor. Lacks volume of old system. Lack of definition and quality to sound. Overall I'd rate the 2011 system as a 2 on a 1-10 scale with 10 being best. On the other hand, the 2008 system was a solid 10. Unfortunately, this falls on deaf ears at Ford and the only way to get it resolved is to shell out money to add on an aftermarket signal processor, amplifier and replace speakers. This means spending another $2000 on the audio. Other than that, great truck. But Ford missed the boat with the Sound System. I have entered a formal complaint with Ford and the responsiveness to the feedback was extremely poor for a customer service relationship for someone who just purchased a $60,000 vehicle. WIthout question, the worst customer service experience I have had with Ford in 15+ years.. Edited May 24, 2011 by wharrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 You knew you were buying the Premium system, not the Audiophile or upgraded audio system. Why is this Ford's problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wharrell Posted May 24, 2011 Author Share Posted May 24, 2011 (edited) You knew you were buying the Premium system, not the Audiophile or upgraded audio system. Why is this Ford's problem? Quote from Henry Ford “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” $1800, that is why it is a problem. For $1800, this could have been done right. With all the upgrades to the interior of the truck, the sound system took a big step backwards. Quotes to get it up to an acceptable level by adding an amplifier, signal processing system and speakers range from a $2000 to a $3000 outlay. Again, the 2008 Sound System was spot on, extremely high quality for the vehicle. Yes, this does cause the customer to not be satisfied with the purchase and no apology from the customer is needed for providing feedback. "Companies that Serve Best, Profit Most".....think about that. Edited May 24, 2011 by wharrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 According to the Build and Price website the 2011 F350 Lariat and King Ranch Navigation option includes 8 speakers plus a subwoofer - which is the same as the old Audiophile setup, even though they call it Premium. If you didn't get 8 speakers and a subwoofer then I'd be complaining to the dealer and to Ford because that's what is advertised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wharrell Posted May 24, 2011 Author Share Posted May 24, 2011 According to the Build and Price website the 2011 F350 Lariat and King Ranch Navigation option includes 8 speakers plus a subwoofer - which is the same as the old Audiophile setup, even though they call it Premium. If you didn't get 8 speakers and a subwoofer then I'd be complaining to the dealer and to Ford because that's what is advertised. The problem is: 1) The quality of the speakers is inferior to the 2008, even though the speakers are in the same place 2) The amplifier on the Navigation Head Unit does not have the power and sonic clarity of the 2008 amplifier 3) The Navigation Head unit has sound level and sound quality issues between inputs 4) The Sirius Digital Decoder Receiver has poor sound quality output Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFD66 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 The problem is: 1) The quality of the speakers is inferior to the 2008, even though the speakers are in the same place 2) The amplifier on the Navigation Head Unit does not have the power and sonic clarity of the 2008 amplifier 3) The Navigation Head unit has sound level and sound quality issues between inputs 4) The Sirius Digital Decoder Receiver has poor sound quality output I definitely agree with you about the sound quality of the speakers, my brother just purchased a 2011 f350, and we did notice the difference compared to my 2008. It was short lived, as he pulled out the entire system and replaced it with the aftermarket system he had in his old f350 within the first week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2011F250Lariat Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 The problem is: 1) The quality of the speakers is inferior to the 2008, even though the speakers are in the same place 2) The amplifier on the Navigation Head Unit does not have the power and sonic clarity of the 2008 amplifier 3) The Navigation Head unit has sound level and sound quality issues between inputs 4) The Sirius Digital Decoder Receiver has poor sound quality output I completely agree, speakers are crap and sound system is extremely weak, sub is lacking, my 07 F150 with audiphile sounded way, way better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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