Q-Form Custom Kick Panel Speaker Enclosures

Many award-winning sound-off competitors put their mid-woofers and tweeters in custom-built kick panel enclosures because that's one of the best ways to get a concert-quality stereo image. But why pay hundreds of dollars to an installer? Now you can mount your 5-1/4" or 6 1/2" components in Q-Logic's Q-Forms, which deliver competition-quality imaging without the expensive custom installation work. They are fabricated of durable ABS plastic, color matched to the factory interior colors, and directly replace the factory kick panels. The positioning and angle of the speakers provide optimum stereo imaging and staging. Because no modifications to the vehicles are necessary, the Q-Forms can be used to improve the sound systems of leased vehicles. The new Type C kick panels are available in Carbon Fiber and Burlwood finishes also. These Type C models are designed to hold up to 6 1/2" component speakers sets and are 30% thicker and 50% stronger then the original Type B sets.

With Q-Forms, each speaker is located and angled to maximize sound quality. The theory is that the distance between your ears and each of the speakers should be equal. With your speakers in the kick panels, it's like sitting in that "sweet spot" at a concert or right between your home speakers.

All the available colors for the Q-Forms that fit your specific vehicle are available through links available within the description of your selected size (type B or type C) below. Pick the color that matches your interior. If there is no match for your vehicle, that means Q-Forms are not available for it.

To install your component speakers in the Q-Forms, you have to cut holes for them in the Q-Form panels. Installing the Q-Form panels in your vehicle may sometimes require relocation of the parking brake pedal or other vehicle parts. The application charts and the individual kick panel description for your vehicle should include any special installation notes. In most applications it is simply a matter of installing your speakers into the Q-Forms and then replacing the original kick panels.

Additional Notes:

Grilles: Two color-matched, plastic mesh woofer grilles are included with all Type B sets. You may be able to use the grilles supplied with the component system, instead of the color-matched grilles, if room permits. The new Type C sets do not include grilles and this enables you to use the newer high-tech type grilles that are shipped with most new, high end speakers.

Compatibility: These Q-Forms are designed to fit the specific vehicles listed on the manufacturer's charts. These kick panels match the factory color interior trim.
Note: For each specific vehicle, please verify compatibility with the attached Guides.

Installation Overview: You will need to cut out the mounting holes in the designated areas of the plastic Q-Form. A "dimple" is provided on the underside of the Q-Form to mark the center of the speaker and tweeter mounting surfaces for positioning the pilot drill. A roll of foam tape is provided for sealing the woofer in the kickpanel. The tweeter can be flush or surface mounted. Giving exact mounting depths is not possible, since it will depend to some extent on the space available behind the factory kick panel.

Some specific applications will require the moving of your hood release handle. A simple socket or nut driver will handle the job. In some cases the brake pedal will have to be bend from a 1/2" to 1-1/2" to enable positioning of your driver's side kick panel. Honestly speaking, we've been selling the Q-Forms since 1998 on the web and have never had one customer complaint regarding the difficulty of installation. This is not difficult at all.

A little "Science" Here:

Q-Forms -vs- Factory Sound Patterns

Axis Response 
The speaker axis is an imaginary straight line where a concentric mode of waves (ripples) spread outward from the center of the speaker cone. When you are "on-axis" with a speaker, you are directly in front of the speaker cone. When you are "off-axis", you are said to be off-center from the speaker cone. Maximum frequency response, phase and amplitude accuracy comes from being as close to on-axis with the speaker as possible. Because Q-Forms kick panels are positioned toward your ears, music will be accurately reproduced.

Path Lengths 
The path length is the distance between left & right speaker paths to your ears. The best imaging comes from speaker placement where the path length differences are kept to a minimum. Typical factory OEM systems place one speaker very close to one ear and place the other speaker very far. Q-Forms kick panels separate the speakers so the distances to your ears are as close to equal as possible.

Dispersion Pattern 
Sound dispersion is the spreading of sound as it leaves the speaker (like a pebble making waves when dropped into a pond.) Many factory OEM sound systems have narrow dispersion that does not allow the sound to spread very far. The listener must be directly in line with the axis of the speaker to obtain the best results. Using Q-Forms kick panels, a wide dispersion is generated that spreads the sound over a larger area so the effective listening range of the speaker is increased.

Reflections 
Sound can either be direct or reflected. Reflected sound is comonly called an echo, like when you've ever been inside an empty house where you hear your footsteps and voice reverberate. When listening to music through most OEM speaker systems, you only hear a portion of the sound directly from the speaker. The other portions are reflections that can alter low frequency response and destroy your sound stage. Q-Forms kick panels help create "on-axis" sound that reduce reflections and enhance sound stage.