So after 3 days and a few hours in the car I think the stereo is decent, but not great. I don't listen to a lot of music with a lot of bass, I listen mostly to Texas country. I would say stereo is 6.5/10 or so. I have Bowers and Wilkens speakers at house and have friends with that in their BMWs and that sounds about as good as it gets. I am hoping for it to "break-in" a little as it has been state here on forum.
So I'm an audio snob, but I'm not an expert. However, after having owned Audis, BMWs, Jeep, and GMC vehicles, I will submit that Ford is the absolute worst when it comes to car audio systems. The B&O in my 2018 Raptor is just slightly better than the Sony (which isn't saying much). The speakers are the same low-quality paper pieces of crap as the Sony system. In order to get any highs you have to crank up the sound which then makes the doors rattle (especially the carbon fiber inserts). SO, I installed Focal Access speakers in the front and rear doors. Now the Raptor sounds like a $70K vehicle! The highs are amazing, the bass is clean, and no more door rattle. The speakers are made of high-quality carbon fiber and can take up to 80 RMS (stock until only pushes half of that I think). Unfortunately, the wiring harness to add an amp isn't available from Rockford Fosgate yet for the B&O play, but when it is, I'll add a 5 channel amp which will take it to a whole other level (especially with the bass). I know, people don't buy Raptors for the audio system. True, but when you option out the truck and get it over $70K, it's very disheartening when the audio system flat out sucks.
There is no substitution for good equipment, but the single biggest thing you can do is spend money and time on really good sound deadening. We put 3 big rolls of Focal Bamm in my truck and the results by itself is amazing. The factory makes a half assed attempt at it, but it doesn't compare to the effect of when you line and fill doors and voids with really good material. Of coarse adding 6K in equipment doesn't hurt either. I set my truck up as a very selfish sweet spot soundstage as the primary preset tune.. There is a secondary tune that broadens the stage out to share with the other front seat, but sacrifices some ambiance. This audio modding is just like anything else, it can be addicting and friggin' pricey to get the best results, but well worth it.
There is a mixed reaction to spending time and money to do the sound deadening. It all depends on what your expectations are and also to understand exactly what it is doing. If you're simply looking for a decrease in road noise, then maybe it isn't going to fulfill your wishes. If you are working toward a listening environment and setting a proper sound stage, then it is mandatory. It all depends on what you expect and you want to pay for.
Focal Access front and back, I kept the sub since I don't know of any aftermarket subs other than kicker to replace it. I just found out the company that makes the integration harness isn't going to produce anything until next year (idatalink). So, if I do put in an aftermarket amp, it will have to be the old-fashioned way unfortunately. A note on the dynomatting. Since the door panels are a much tighter fit, they creek consistently over rough roads due to all the cheap plastic Ford uses. SO, play the music louder I guess!
I'd like to know which Focal Access speakers you recommend, they make several models. https://www.crutchfield.com/S-GkCjj...jIY4r7otQhyBw61gjP5lOcGG_ruOre5EaAkCmEALw_wcB