Marquette Client Gets Ford F150 Radio Integration

A client from Marquette recently visited Driven Sound and Security in search of an upgrade for his 2013 Ford F150 radio. The factory radio has a small 4.2-inch screen with very few features. We showed the client one of the new Kenwood eXcelon DDX9904S multimedia receivers and demonstrated how we could integrate it into his vehicle with an iDatalink Maestro interface. He loved the plan, so we scheduled an appointment to perform the installation.

Advanced Vehicle Integration

Thanks to the Maestro interface the client has vehicle controls at his fingertips.

The factory radio had a very small screen and few features.

In the good old days, it was relatively easy to upgrade the radio in your vehicle. All you needed was power and speaker wire connections to provide great sound. Modern vehicles like this Ford F150 radio include factory options like Bluetooth microphones, backup cameras and vehicle information displays. The Maestro data interface for this truck allows most of those features to work with the new Kenwood radio. We added an SXV300 SiriusXM satellite radio tuner to the system as well.

Kenwood DDX9904S Features

The backup camera is much more visible with the larger screen.

Climate controls, vehicle dynamics and more are available on the new radio.

The DDX9904S is an amazingly well-equipped source unit. Some of the highlights include Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. These smartphone interfaces let you listen to text messages and dictate responses. You can make phone calls or get navigation directions by simply talking to the radio. The 9904S includes support for two Bluetooth phones, dual camera inputs and an amazing 6.95-inch capacitive touch display panel.

Kenwood has added support for hi-res digital media files like Flac and DSD, as well as video file playback for modern formats like MKV and H.264. The built-in 13-band equalizer will let the client fine-tune the system for his listening preferences.

Post-Installation Verification

Once the vehicle was back together, we went through the key features and functions of the system to ensure everything was working properly. We checked the tuner, backup camera, USB ports, Bluetooth microphone and the vehicle information display provided by the Maestro unit. Only once we are sure that everything is working do we turn the vehicle back over to the client.

Ford F150 Radio Upgrade Project

With the install complete, we got into the truck with the client and showed him how to use the key functions of the new source unit. We paired his phone and showed him how to use the smartphone voice recognition features. If he ever switches phone brands, the Kenwood will still work.

The client was thrilled with his choice of head units and commented that the new installation looks great. He loves being able to talk to his smartphone while driving and the gauge display on the radio is really cool.

If you are interested in upgrading the technology in your vehicle, drop into Driven Sound and Security and speak with a member of our team or send us an e-mail using our contact form.