Q-Logic Kick Panel Speaker mounts... any good?

[Chwnn255]

Are products like Q-Logics Custom Kick Panel speaker mounts going to help my '03 Yukon XL get better sound? Does placing your components THAT low in the car... albeit "aimed at your head" really improve over factory locations? I'm all about SQ... but should I conserve my cash for something even better... oh ...say a JBL MS-8 in a few months? I think the Kicks were 150-160 plus shipping plus install for my car so I'm guessing $300-$400ish plus the speakers.

Assuming one doesn't have a PhD in Acoustical Engineering from MIT and NO girlfriend! :D Wouldn't THAT sweet pc (JBL MS-8) of modern technology make the biggest difference of just about any device, toy, add-on, tweak, tune, etc., etc. you could throw at a new setup?

[Installer4life]

The kick panel location equalizes the distance from the speakers to your ears. If I had your Yukon I would not do the kick panels but instead I would build sealed enclosures for the doors. The reason I would not do kick panels is because you have a large center console that would block some of the sound. However if you choose to do kick panels the Qlogic's are priced per pair but they will need to be strengthened. They are really to thin. Liquid nails is a good product to do this with. Whats better is having some custom made so you can have a sealed enclosure. What equalizing the path lengths will do will give you a better imaging and staging. Placing the musician and instruments in their appropriate position across your dash board. As far as overall sound quality you can get that without the kicks. The JBL MS-8 will provide you all the tuning you need.

[MacLeod]

The Q forms are a great product and can improve your imaging. They are too thin as Installer4life said but are easy to firm up.

Buy a Dynamat Wedge Pack along with them. This is enough Dynamat to do 2 layers on each Q form. Then run down to Walmart and buy a couple packs of non-hardening modeling clay and slap it on the inside on top of the Dynamat. This will make the Q forms very rigid.

Now that being said, if youre going to invest in a processor you may not need the Q forms.

For one, the Q forms are great for midrange but since theyre not sealed they SUCK for any kind of midbass. So you will pretty much have to use a 3 way setup, and while a 3 way setup will have better midbass, youve now got 6 speakers fighting each other instead of 4 and its twice as hard to tune them and get them all working together.

Also, a powerful processor like the king of all processors the Alpine 701, which has time alignment and independent EQ's and crossovers per channel, you can use a simple 2 way setup, keep the midranges in the door locations and still be able to dial in a very good image.

So unless youre wanting to compete in SQ competitions are are wanting the absolute best staging and imaging possible and dont mind running a 3 way setup and dont mind giving up a little legroom, then go for the Q forms.

[black magic]

I love my Q-forms. Like noted above though, they aren't the greatest for midbass because they aren't sealed. I'm thinking of using fiberglass resin to seal them up real tight, though. I'll post up any feedback if I get around to it. They also do take up a fair amount of legroom. I'm not sure if the same holds true for the Yukon, but my civic's legroom is already kind of tight.

[MacLeod]

Sealing them probably wouldnt help much either because the enclosure would be way too small. I doubt it would increase the midbass much at all if any.

You could try an aperiodic enclosure, that would probably work better.

[black magic]

hmmm... thats an a good point. I still think its worth a try.