# Pico 2015 WRX - Not exactly "Simple" :) - Mosconi, Audio Frog



## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

So over the years, i have had people point to me in the build logs that our projects arent really "simple"; and the truth of the matter is that from a purist perspective, they often are not, require a lot of complex fabrication and mounting locations. However, i still do firmly believe that our overall value is simplicity, in the sense that we often try to use a few components as we can (hence many single amp single sub systems with no rears) and the overall aesthetic theme is relatively simple and mostly hideable. We do deviate from this path from time to time with show car builds, but i think overall, thats where i see the simplicity moniker still holding true.

THIS, is probably an exception 

Many of you probably know that i am a big subaru fan, having owned two consecutive legacy GTs...I have also performed quite a few builds on the previous generation impreza based cars...so ever since the newest generation WRX/STi came out, i have been itching to get my hands on one...if nothing else but for my love of the brand.

Luckily for me, a great customer approached us with his new WRX, and we were only too eager to get on board. 

Also coinciding with this project, Mosconi has released their brand new Pico 2 amps, these are teeny tiny amplifiers that to most people, look like nothing more than a line driver or a summing module...infact, i think these are indeed residing in the same chassis as the tiny HLA-SUM summing modules. These amps are i believe a derivative of the Mosconi D2 amps that i have used with great success, and each little guy does 2x80 watts rms at 4ohms, and bridged, they will produce around 200 watts.

for more info on them, go here:

GLADEN PICO 2

they carry a retail price tag of $399, which isnt cheap for the power, however, it is inline with the D2 amps, and also, their teeny size allows for installation possiblities that is unmatched...fully active system powered by amps all in the glovebox, anyone?  

THIS...is not one of those hidden builds. 

My idea for this build was to use a bunch of them to run a fully active system with subs, but done in a layout that is only achievable due to their size....so they will be in full display, but hammer home the idea of how small they are.

Looking at pictures on websites, its really hard to get a good feeling of just how small they are, but i am going to try to show you. so lets first take a look at the pico 2.

so here it is, you will see that despite their size, they still have on board 80hz hi/lo crossover, real rca input jacks and speaker terminals that can be popped off for easy wiring. and yes, your eyes dont deceive you, the power/ground terminals are the same size as the speaker wires, which, like those found on the arc audio xdi-v2, is optimized for 16 gauge wire (14 gauge can fit but it would expose some raw wire at the end)...oh my how times of changed:




























so to drive home just how small they are, here is one sitting next to my note 4, which absolutely dwarfs it in size...take your phone, and look at it, and then look at the picture, and you will realize just how ridiculously small they are. 










so enough for the amps, lets get on with the goals of the build:

1. to achieve a nice level of sound quality utilizing stock locations

2. to create a completely stealthy install in the trunk that takes away zero cargo space

3. create a layout that highlights the uniqueness of the Pico 2 amps

lets get started. first a few pictures of the car. when the new wrx came out, i wasnt quite sure what i felt looking at the pics...and quite a few magazine reviewers were down on the looks. however, over time, it has really grown on me...to the poiint that now, i really do think it is a better, sportier looking car than the previous gen WRX... It also DRIVES better to me, the torque peak is far lower and makes you work less hard for the power...actually feels a lot more like my 5th gen LGT than the previous gen WRX. 














































it should be noted that the owner had previous isntalled a DIY system in there, and honestly, i wish 90 percent of the work we have seen by other shops looked as good...the wiring especially was done pretty neatly, to the point that i left most of the wiring in place, but removed what isnt needed, added new wires for the new system, and organized a few spots more with more zipties...so bravo to him for sure!

under the hood, i added a stinger 0 gauge fuse block, and as usual secured to one of our metal brackets welded to the battery tie down brace:










here is the bracket after it was made, and then with the stinger block bolted in:



















the customer had already installed a pioneer 8000NEX double din unit, i kept that and basically cleaned up the wiring a little, and instead of a single usb cord coming out of the bottom of the dash, i gave him two USB ports next to the cig charger under the center console:



















The customer had also done a SUPERB job by integrating a bass knob for his previous amps in the knock out panel on the left side of the dash, i simply swapped it for the mosconi bass knob, but kept his KNOB in place as imo it is easier to grab and turn:










The customer also provided a set of Audio Frog GB60 and GB15 two way components, which he won with AF's rednose day fund drive. The tweeters went into the top of the dash locations, and i used the supplied hardware to mount the tweeters. however, with the tweeter grilles in place, it interfered with the grille, even with the bottom of the grille ground down to gain more clearance, so the tweeters were installed sans grille:



















here they are, wired and then installed into the stock locations, and the factory grille placed back on:























































at this point, eagle eyed readers may notice in the headunit pic that there is a dash mat in place. the customer supplied the dash mat for to try out. after the install was done, i did comparison tests, both by ear and on the rta to see what the difference is between the dash mat and no dash mat, as they go over the stock tweeter locations fully. and to my surprise, all the dash mat did was to attenuate the tweeters by about 3-4 db above 6000hz, but what it DID do, was to smooth out the frequency response quite a bit across the range of the tweeter response, most likely from reducing reflections...and as such, i decided to install his dash mat and simply bump up the gains a little on the tweeters to compensate. 

moving onto the door speaker install. again, the customer had a previous install done, so there were some CLD on the outter door panel, and he had done a great job of running new speaker wires into the door:










so what i did was to add more blackhole tiles throughout the outer door panel:



















and seal up the inner door panel with a combination of BAM XXXL, ballistik foam barrier and some STP black CLD around the speaker mounting locations










i also fabricated new mounting baffles for the audio frog gb60, and coated it with several layers of truck bedliner to protect them against the elements:



















these spacers were then bolted to the door and the GB60 installed:




























i then added a FAST ring to the speaker to better seal them against the door grille:



















the outer door card also got an ample amount of CLD damper:










the same process was then repeated for the passenger side door:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

next comes the wiring pics that show the bundles running from the front of the car to the rear...ziptied to oem bundles every few inches. again, the customer did great work to begin with, i simple added the new wires as needed, and some more zipties and organized things a bit better:

















































































































































the customer also fully sound proofed the rear deck with CLD and foam, and i did some more work around the third brake light. 














































here, i should note that this rear deck is the biggest rattle trap i have EVER seen in a car. virtually everything that could buzz and rattle did...even with all this sound proofing, i had to literally throw the kitchen sink on it...the rear deck at the back rattled a lot against the rear window, so i laid down a foam barrier at hte back, the third brake would buzz against the rear deck, so i created a thicker barrier around it with foam so it would kinda float just off the rear deck, all the baby anchor covers buzzed like mad, so i stuffed more foam in there. in the end, i had it under control, but it certainly require a ton of work...these all happened on the last day after the install was done, so didnt get any pics of it.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

so that is it for the interior, lets move onto the main attraction. the trunk. as mentioned, the goal was to create a completely stealthy and usable setup, but also one that highlights the unique attributes of the pico 2 amps.

so here is the view with everything covered up and the stock cargo mat in place, as you acn see, 100 percent oem:










remove the cargo mat, and you see a new fake floor, done in trunk liner, with a big center cutout covered by a vented grille:




























pop off the cover and here is what you see. my idea behindt he design is two fold, one is to give the appearance that 8 tiny power modules is feeding a central pair of big subs, and the other one is to really emphasize how small the pico amps are by placing them right next to the sub enclousure.

so you see a well lined with graphite vinyl, inside, a sub enclosure rises out of the floor, and 4 pico amps are arrayed on each side, with wires coming out of the side walls of the well, and directly into the side wall of the enclosure. the two audiofrog GS10s reside in a sealed enclousre of about 1.75 cubic foot before driver displacement. on the amps, two pico amps power each sub, one amp on each coil, while the passenger side bank of pico amps run each front stage driver individually. 

the bottom of the well is done in 3M Di-noc carbo fiber vinyl, since he has some CF trim on the inside, and just to offset the rest of the install a bit.  

so here are the pictures:























































a close up of one of the amps showing the wiring and cables:










the view from the interior with the seats flipped down:



















and finally, three more pics of the trunk


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

so onto the build pics of the trunk.

first the oem spare tire well removed, revealing a decent sized well:










this was then fully sound proofed, taped up, and 6 layers of fiberglass laid down:




























when that cured, it was removed from the car:











it was then trimmed to the desired shape, and a top was added forming the bottom portion of the enclosure. the slot cut into is so i can grab onto the top baffle when positioning it before bonding the two:



















and then, a bigger slot was cut into the enclosure to allow the GS10s to fit through:










the top portion of hte subbox was then attached:



















and then the enclosure was topped, and front, rear and side supports secured to it, note various threaded inserts on the supports to bolt down the top well.




























then the top of the enclosure was wrapped in vinyl, the top of the supports foamed up to prevent buzzing, and the subbox wired up. the mosconi 4to6dsp that controls the entire system was also wired up and installed at the same time. with the nature of this build, you can see that all the cables coming out of the dsp are Y adapters. 





































this was then installed into the car and wires coming from the of the car was hooked up via barrier strips upfront:


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

the entire structure is secured to the car via a bolt that goes into the oem spare tire retention hole, and then the bolt was sealed with some 3M strip caulk to prevent air leakage:



















these are the three pieces that make up the display well, before upholstery. note the holes drilled inthe side walls:





































and her they are after upholstery, with the floor panel receiving 3M CF vinyl, while the other two pieces got graphite vinyl. the grommets are also inserted at this time:














































these three pieces then are attached to each other via pre drilled holes, forming the finished well:



















the pico2 amps are then secured in place again via pre drilled holes:










and then the entire set up was wired out side of the car, which took a few hours but was pretty enjoyable. with 8 individual amps, there was just a huge amount of cables and wires to keep track of, but the fact that the powr and ground wires were so thin helped. so here is the finished well from all angles:









































































and here you see the speaker wires that are routed from the insside of the sub enclosure top trim and down the sides and under the well:










then, this entire well was placed into the car, and wired up. the four mounting bolts are hidden beneath two of the amps per side. wiring this up kinda sucked a bit more as it was hot and i had to fold myself inside the car, but in the end, i got it all done. note the crap load of rca cables on the passenger side...another side effect of running so many individual amps hahahah 




























all the wires terminate in a little moon shaped platform at the front of the amp rack. this was literally all the space i had, and i utlized almost every inch of it. on it are barrier strips for 8 pairs of speaker wires, and 8 pairs each of power and ground wires, along with the little fuse blocks that the pico amps come with, snapped together (the black array labled 1 through 8 on the driver side). it all ended up fitting, but barely 




























here are the top floor pieces, including the vented grille, before and after carpeting:























































all the pieces were then dyed a little lighter to better match the oem carpet:










and finally, a shot of the sound proofed trunk lid:











so thats it...a build that is far from the simple path....and with the complexity of the wiring etc, i am unsure if i will do this again unless its at the requrest of the customer. I will probably utilize these amps in a manner more befitting their size, which means hiding them in places that normal amps cannot got.

so how did these little guys perform?

very good. for one thing, they dont lack in power at all. the two GS10s, with 400 watts onboard from each pair of amps, really was able to shake the interior, despite having no clear path in. it can actually shake the rear view mirror enough to cause it to move on its own with every beat.  there was also a lot of headroom avaialable on the front stage. like the D2 amps, i really cant tell these are class D amps when playing music, much less tiny gadges that they are. the floor noise is slightly higher than the D2 amps, i would say more around the level of an Xdiv2, but really only audible when you pause the music with the car off. Thermal capability is a bit of an unknown. like other class D amps, they do tend to heat up quickly, however, what i noticed was that after almost an hour of high freq pink noise, followed by another 45 mins of listening during a tuning session, they got hot initially and then did not seem to heat up any more. even after the session, i was able to place my hand on the amps, it was hot and uncomfortable, but i can put my hand there without any fear of burning. so i think they are pretty good and at least as good as the D2 amps. 

so how did the car sound?

very very good i would say. the AF drivers as usual, are exceedingly natural and smooth. the doors, after all that sound proofing, had a TON of impact and extension with ease. imaging and staging all were great after the dash mat. with a very solid center image, pillar to pillar depth, an depth that is right at the front edge of the windshield. despite all the issues with the rear deck rattles, the two GS subs did an awesome job of supplying a lot of smooth bass that have really good extension. just overall a really enjoyable car to listen to.

to summarize on the Pico2 amps...if someone showed me something like this a few years back, i would have just chuckled and say, nice paper weight. but over the past few years, amps have gotten smaller and smaller while maintaining a certain level of quality. So it is perhaps less surprising that these guys perform the way they do...but even with prior experience in using the latest small amps, almost all of them pale in comparison to the size factor of the pico2...i mean, the only other "amps" that i have seen that are int he same size category are booster amps meant to attach directly behind the radio..and those are not nearly the same performance level of these.

they arent cheap, and of course, they arent the same level of amps as say a big ole class AB like the mosconi AS or Zero line, but they can go in places that no other amps can and still pack a wallop...i think it would open the doors for those that dont want to sacrifice any space in their vehicles but still want great sound.

or in this case, to have the ability to create a truly unique look that is only obtainable presently, with the Mosconi Pico 2 

until next time,

Cheers~!

Bing


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Awesome SIS Team!


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## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

Nice build, but honestly the amp selection makes zero sense to me, personally. 8 x $400 is $3,200 worth of amps???? It seems like the space was there and he could have gotten much better quality amps and more power for that kind of money. It's not like the way they were placed, they didn't take up a lot of space, so I don't get it. 

The build is clean though.


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## defro13 (Aug 14, 2009)

looks good....but for 3200 bucks....there is a lot of other amps I would have chosen as well....but I imagine this was a "we did it because we could build" and to try out a new product


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

yeah it is as mentioned, built as a show case for the pico 2 amps. and as mentioned also int he thread, it wont be the norm for them in the future  i can say something about stereo separation but really it comes down as you say, we did it for the sake of it.  and the fact that no other amps can give you this kind of overall aesthetic.

"read the part where i said "THIS....is not that kind of build" lol

i think you can probably make the same argument about the D2 amps, as watt for watt, they are virtually identical to these pico amps, and with similar quality internals. and its is very possible that an arc xdiv2 or similar amp can fit in the foot print taken up by 2 of the d2 amps for a lot less money, but hey, there is no end down that tunnel 

Jerry what are you experiences and thoughts on these amps to compare to other amps in terms of quality? just curious. I personally dont feel these are inferior in quality to many of the leading class D full range amps out there, some of which arent that cheap watt for watt.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

oh another thing, the layout and to use these amps are for sure my idea, and as mentioned, i am not sure if i will do this kind of display again...however, to help the customer realize the idea, i did discount our costs heavily on this one particular build to the point that an install done with say something like arc xdiv2 would have costed him very similar. to me its not always about making money, sometimes, its cool to do something different and still offer the customer a unique experience....but i may be the minority when it comes to that way of thinking among shop owners.


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## 14642 (May 19, 2008)

Looks great, Bing!


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## cajunner (Apr 13, 2007)

it's as if the internet has produced a new paradigm for demo possibility, with the build log views as important as the rankings of a competitor at a sound-off. I would expect that taking a loss on profits on the amps for the sake of idea generation may pay off for Bing later on when people decide "hey, a big build using tiny amps, the upshot of this is they must be quality, or else he wouldn't have done it" and it legitimizes the Pico2 in the minds of new customers, or at least, Mosconi consumers around the world.

getting people acclimated to the new, is not always easy and sometimes it takes a shot to the wallet but it looks to me like a winning bet, Bing has created an illusion, a targeted illusion of little bricks doing heavy labor, and it works for me.


good work guys, nice visual representation and I hope Mosconi can help absorb the costs of the hit taken on the retail end, since it's a positive for views in the most influential board/forum for sales of Mosconi product, probably in this country...


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## beerdrnkr (Apr 18, 2007)

Loved my 2015 wrx but traded it in for a truck in the end. You're not kidding about the rear deck, thing was a PAIN to get quiet, especially with 2 15's ib. Also the rear view mirror tends to rattle like crazy, I ended up putting silicon on it to help. If the owner is interested, I still have my COBB AccessPort I can sell 

Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Sick sick sick man, i saw in old car audio long time ago where dude used 8 rf mono Amps and the Sony processor for tuning and he said his channel,separation was awesome! Always wanted to try this . These amps might make that dream come true. But damn they $$$ build is so sick man nice nice job.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

beerdrnkr said:


> Loved my 2015 wrx but traded it in for a truck in the end. You're not kidding about the rear deck, thing was a PAIN to get quiet, especially with 2 15's ib. Also the rear view mirror tends to rattle like crazy, I ended up putting silicon on it to help. If the owner is interested, I still have my COBB AccessPort I can sell
> 
> Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk


My wife's 07 Forester XT Limited (which I'd still be driving if it were a manual), basically a WRX with a boxey wagon body.. Love that thing. But dang it's a rattle buzz trap and buggy galore.. Gotta fix a known-issue engine light that's some crap sensor flipping out. Man if that thing were a stick, I'd have it on STi springs, cat-back'd, cold-air'd, hopped up, tuned up, liquored up and lacquered down quick! Hehe. But yeah I noticed instantly as buzzy as my Honda is, the Subie was/is quite noisy.


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## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

simplicityinsound said:


> yeah it is as mentioned, built as a show case for the pico 2 amps. and as mentioned also int he thread, it wont be the norm for them in the future  i can say something about stereo separation but really it comes down as you say, we did it for the sake of it.  and the fact that no other amps can give you this kind of overall aesthetic.
> 
> "read the part where i said "THIS....is not that kind of build" lol
> 
> ...


I didn't see anywhere where you stated that this was built as a showcase or showcar or demo car, just that you weren't hiding the amps. I guess I missed that part. I just saw $400 and 8 amps the thought, holy ****, that's $3,200!

I am not a Mosconi dealer, so I have no experience with these amps. At $2/watt at 4ohm bridged @ 14.4volts, they seem really expensive compared to many other Class D amps (or other amps in general). For instance, ARC Audio SE amps are cheaper $/watt, much bigger yes, but the quality of the SE amps I could guarantee are much higher. For Class D, ARC XDi, that you mentioned, are a much better value. However, if you need to use as these new Mosconi are intended, probably nothing can beat their size.

Again great build. Not knocking it at all, and now the purpose makes more sense, just initially a little shocked at the msrp of the amps x number of amps used.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Niebur3 said:


> I didn't see anywhere where you stated that this was built as a showcase or showcar or demo car, just that you weren't hiding the amps. I guess I missed that part. I just saw $400 and 8 amps the thought, holy ****, that's $3,200!
> 
> I am not a Mosconi dealer, so I have no experience with these amps. At $2/watt at 4ohm bridged @ 14.4volts, they seem really expensive compared to many other Class D amps (or other amps in general). For instance, ARC Audio SE amps are cheaper $/watt, much bigger yes, but the quality of the SE amps I could guarantee are much higher. For Class D, ARC XDi, that you mentioned, are a much better value. However, if you need to use as these new Mosconi are intended, probably nothing can beat their size.
> 
> Again great build. Not knocking it at all, and now the purpose makes more sense, just initially a little shocked at the msrp of the amps x number of amps used.


haha, i guess in my mind, when i say that the goal was to highlight the unique attributes of the pico amps, i meant that the reason i used them in this build was to create something unique becuase of their size. no worries.

as for dollar per watt. yeah as i mentioned a coupla times in the thread, cheap they are not, and imo, it is for sure their sheer size that warrants their price....and for many people who have plenty of room, there isnt much point to use them, but more and more, we get requests to do builds that take away little or not space, including the spare tire...and thats where these guys can really come in handy.  but in looking at the SE line as you mentioned, there is a pretty big descrepancy in dolar per watt, with the 4100 being at 2.5 bucks per watt, while the 2150 is a bit less than 2 per. 

oh and the other more expensive class D amps, i was mostly thinking of amps like the jl HD, which is for sure above the 1 to 1 ratio, where as most class D designs are well below that.

again, its the size factor for sure...and while i know i can build the same install with other amps that carry a smaller price tag, i really dont think any of them will achieve the same kind of look that we were going for in this hehe...kinda makes most people do a double take when they see it in person. 

i think when something offers something TRULY unique, something tangible, the first comer to market will likely be pretty expensive. and its easy to say, well yeah, its just tiny...so what? but the truth is, for some, it may mean a lot...the same can be said of high end speakers that you and I both sell....what REALLY makes a esotar or a utopia be three way really worth that much more than something else...and why is ultimo or dyn sub that expensive when you look at other badass subs...but such a thing is hard to answer.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

beerdrnkr said:


> Loved my 2015 wrx but traded it in for a truck in the end. You're not kidding about the rear deck, thing was a PAIN to get quiet, especially with 2 15's ib. Also the rear view mirror tends to rattle like crazy, I ended up putting silicon on it to help. If the owner is interested, I still have my COBB AccessPort I can sell
> 
> Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk


hes on here, i am sure he should get it...which version AP do you have? 

Chris, you see this? get it! 

yeah ditto on the rear view mirror...can you post what exactly you did to quiet that down? i usually dont touch the rattly mirrors...but maybe he an do something himself on it. 

sad to hear you sold it though...i was hoping back then you would be our first current gen WRX


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

Babs said:


> My wife's 07 Forester XT Limited (which I'd still be driving if it were a manual), basically a WRX with a boxey wagon body.. Love that thing. But dang it's a rattle buzz trap and buggy galore.. Gotta fix a known-issue engine light that's some crap sensor flipping out. Man if that thing were a stick, I'd have it on STi springs, cat-back'd, cold-air'd, hopped up, tuned up, liquored up and lacquered down quick! Hehe. But yeah I noticed instantly as buzzy as my Honda is, the Subie was/is quite noisy.


odd enough, my 05 LGT wagon had so little sound proofing in it but had virtually zero rattles, this despite having a sun roof that extended all the way to the rear seat AND opened fully...had the car for 7 years, never had much of an issue.

my 2010 lgt on the other hand, have way more sound proofing in it, and have way more rattle, mainly the dome light, the mirror, the sun visor, the sunroof, etc...

i blame toyota's purchase of half of subaru for this!


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## mclaren1885 (Feb 15, 2012)

That's a beautiful install Bing! Loved the way the amp rack has turned out. Fantastic job!

Getting my hands on a few Pico as well later this month, so was a promising read. Good to read that you liked them as well. We seem to have similar tastes for brands like Morel, Mosconi etc. If you do happen to get your hands on Flux Audio, do try them out as well. If you love Morel, you will definitely love the Flux. 

And totally agree with you! Sometimes, just to try new stuff we have on our hands, we too offer the clients a "hard to say no offer" so that they get something at a good price and we get first hand experience to test the products so that we can plan our future builds. 

It's usually a constant worry as an installer if one should stick to a formula that has worked successfully in the past or try a different combo of equipment, add something new into the mix. When it all pans out just the way you planned it, it's worth all the headaches. Can imagine how hard it must have been to crouch into that boot and wire the whole thing up. All that hard work has definitely paid off.


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## beerdrnkr (Apr 18, 2007)

simplicityinsound said:


> hes on here, i am sure he should get it...which version AP do you have?
> 
> Chris, you see this? get it!
> 
> ...


Yeah the COBB and intake really open the car up. I had TGV Deletes but ended up selling it before I could install them and get a protune sadly. I have to look up the model number but it works with 15-16 wrx and sti as well as 14-15 fxt or whatever the suv is. 

If he has the homelink/auto dim mirror it has a plastic piece that covers the wiring but with every bump rattles against the windshield. I just used some silicone along the edge of the plastic piece where it meets the windshield and that took care of SOME of the rattle. The swivel joint where it meets the actual rear view mirror is another problem but I was never able to really figure out how to quiet that down. That might not be an issue in his case because I did have 2 15's, so I had a ton of bass. 

I would've loved to have brought it to you but it'd be hard to make it down there, plus getting married and buying a house removed a lot of the budget i thought I'd have. Lol

Those Pico amps might be what I need for this next build in my 2015 chevy colorado because there's no room whatsoever. If you ever need a guinea pig testing out some new gear, I'm your man! Lol

Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk


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## Yawar538 (Aug 28, 2013)

Great work Bing. I hope it sounds as good as it looks. Definitely not simple however kickass would be the right word. Job well done. Dedication and harword speaks


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

simplicityinsound said:


> Chris, you see this? get it!


I'm on it.


beerdrnkr said:


> If the owner is interested, I still have my COBB AccessPort I can sell
> 
> Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk


PM Sent.


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

beerdrnkr said:


> If he has the homelink/auto dim mirror it has a plastic piece that covers the wiring but with every bump rattles against the windshield. I just used some silicone along the edge of the plastic piece where it meets the windshield and that took care of SOME of the rattle. The swivel joint where it meets the actual rear view mirror is another problem but I was never able to really figure out how to quiet that down. That might not be an issue in his case because I did have 2 15's, so I had a ton of bass.
> 
> Those Pico amps might be what I need for this next build in my 2015 chevy colorado because there's no room whatsoever. If you ever need a guinea pig testing out some new gear, I'm your man! Lol
> 
> Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk


Thanks for the tips on the mirror. I do have the homelink/auto dim mirror. I have a bit of mirror rattle, so I'll take a look at it in the next few weeks.

How are you liking the Colorado? I was considering the Colorado before I got my WRX.


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## beerdrnkr (Apr 18, 2007)

mcnaugcl said:


> Thanks for the tips on the mirror. I do have the homelink/auto dim mirror. I have a bit of mirror rattle, so I'll take a look at it in the next few weeks.
> 
> How are you liking the Colorado? I was considering the Colorado before I got my WRX.


Pm replied sir. The colorado is nice, smooth ride and quiet with decent power. I definitely miss the speed and cornering of the wrx but found myself on the "intelligent" mode most of the time. 
I wish I could hear your setup, the dash mat I bet makes a huge difference with the reflections. I had dash pods made that angled some Morel 402s more on axis but they were nowhere near the build quality that Bing could've done. 


Sent from my SM-G928T using Tapatalk


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## rdubbs (Sep 26, 2012)

Wow, really cool build! Those Pico amps are probably going to keep gaining power over the next 5 years which will open up a lot of doors for options for power! I'm looking forward to seeing a future glove box build


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## ruizal (Aug 4, 2015)

*Re: Pico 2015 WRX - Not exactly &quot;Simple&quot;  - Mosconi, Audio Frog*

This build is a thing of beauty! Totally opened my eyes to the possibilities out there. I have a 2014 Mitsubishi evo and would love to have my trunk back. Currently running two sa 8 v2s that take up a ton of space. Fiberglassing that spare well and adding a single 12 will be my next upgrade. You have given me a ton of ideas! I blab to my gf about car audio all the time but I went a little overboard talking to her about this one haha. Great work!!

Adam

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk


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## Isaac.Troseth (Jul 18, 2015)

I've been itching to see those Picos in action for a while now.. that was a great way to make a visual impact for them. Awesome work.


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## vwjmkv (Apr 23, 2011)

great awesome build as always bing!


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

This is my car. I want to give a huge thank you to Bing, the rest of the SIS crew, and Andy from AF. 

A few months ago I contacted Bing to get a demo. I had never heard a fully active system. He gave me a demo in his car, and I was blown away. I knew I wanted a fully active system from that moment on. The only reason I did the DIY system is because I had the equipment laying around. I drive A LOT, and I couldn't live with the stock audio anymore. I honestly thought it would be quite a few more months before I could afford to have SIS do a system, so I took some vacation days from work to install what I had laying around. I want to thank Bing for the compliments on my wiring and bass knob integration. This was only my second time doing any sort of install, so I really appreciate the compliments coming from someone of his caliber. 

I can't say anything about his work that hasn't already been said before. I'm really blown away by the level of craftsmen ship in my build. In my opinion the pictures do not do it justice compared to seeing it in person. And, this part Bing doesn't even know until now......I really wanted cf trim in my install to compliment the interior; however, I really wanted to see what Bing came up with as I had complete trust in his capabilities, so I didn't say anything. I was not disappointed. The sound is amazing, and far more than what I thought I would be able to achieve with the budget I had. Thank you!!!

If anyone wants to see it in person or hear a demo, then let Bing or I know. I live in Fresno, and frequently travel to Bakersfield as that's where my family is at. I also travel to so cal and nor cal a few times a year, and could set up a demo in those areas.


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

Bing, you always seem to make it look so easy.. Another great install..


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

mcnaugcl said:


> This is my car. I want to give a huge thank you to Bing, the rest of the SIS crew, and Andy from AF.
> 
> A few months ago I contacted Bing to get a demo. I had never heard a fully active system. He gave me a demo in his car, and I was blown away. I knew I wanted a fully active system from that moment on. The only reason I did the DIY system is because I had the equipment laying around. I drive A LOT, and I couldn't live with the stock audio anymore. I honestly thought it would be quite a few more months before I could afford to have SIS do a system, so I took some vacation days from work to install what I had laying around. I want to thank Bing for the compliments on my wiring and bass knob integration. This was only my second time doing any sort of install, so I really appreciate the compliments coming from someone of his caliber.
> 
> ...


So I guess that mind reading brain implant I bought off amazon for 75 bucks last month paid off 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk


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## Vidar (Jan 13, 2015)

Fantastic job as usual! 

And I thought my D2 100.4 DSP is tiny, haha :-D

And, I love your humor, Bing :-D


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## cajunner (Apr 13, 2007)

the aesthetics of this install kind of bugged me, like I could see something there that was just under the surface, on the tip of the tongue but just didn't quite make it to where I was sure about it.

then it hit me. 


this installation reminds me of SMD architecture!

the little amp blocks could be surface mount capacitors, or other devices and the board covered in di-noc is the Printed Circuit board, with the barrier strips and the power distribution adding to the effect.

the symbology of Pico2 amps being new school design and the install resemblance to the inside guts being subliminal in nature, makes this install an artistic expression as much as a show piece design.

If one were to substitute the carbon fiber vinyl covering on the amp rack with the glow of green fiberglass and trace designs of a PC board with copper traces and cover the RCA's and amp wiring with shrouds of silver ramps that look like solder joints, it would inculcate the conceptual with the inspiration, and make concrete what makes this type of install possible.

but that would possibly take it too far, I kind of like how it simmers beneath the surface, hiding in plain sight.


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## hot9dog (Mar 23, 2013)

Very clean and straight forward! Personally, I like the look of the Pico amps back there. Visually everything is separated in its own space, it gives a sense of cleanliness and class. Very cool!


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## Victor_inox (Apr 27, 2012)

What is 16 channels used for?


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

Victor_inox said:


> What is 16 channels used for?


One amp to each coil on the GS10s, one amp each to the front stage.


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## Mister Lies (May 25, 2013)

OMG...this is what I've been looking for! Fellow Subie owner here with a 2015 STI and earlier today just ordered the AF GS60's, GS10's, and a GS12D4. Gonna power everything with the factory HU for now and a Gladen RC150C5 and Mosconi 6to8 DSP.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for the sub, but this sexy build just gave me the perfect idea (minus the Pico's of course). And I'm totally jealous of those GB's (couldn't afford them currently), but hoping the GS's will be SOMEWHAT comparable. Very clean build again...and thanks for the idea! Oh, I'll also be using the owners location for the sub knob, which was brilliant also. Can't wait to get this build started.

Pics of my baby below


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

I had the pleasure of meeting Chris (the vehicle owner) this last weekend when he came out to the MECA event at the Tulare Outlets. He is a super friendly guy and another fine example of why I love our car audio community so much. He opened the trunk and pulled out the beauty panels any time someone would ask to see the unique install that SIS had done. 

I'm also one of several people who got a chance to give the Subaru a demo as well. Chris was quick to hand over the keys without any sort of qualifier. I plugged the lightning cable into my iPhone 6 and went at it with a variety of songs that I am pretty familiar with. For a car without a lot of tuning time, it actually sounded really good. Sure, there were some minor things that would get some points docked on a score card, but overall, it was very enjoyable. 

For a car using a 2 way in stock locations, it staged pretty well. The center seemed a little left to me and tonally the top end felt a little muffled. Pulling the dash mat off of the driver's side tweeter did make a significant difference, and I think if Chris were to trim back the mat it could really help a lot. 

The big question that most have is probably the same one I had. What about those Picos? I'm a big Mosconi fan, and have seen the Pico's before. I've even seen one thrown on the scope to see how much clean power it can make. This was the first time I would actually hear an entire system powered by them. There wasn't a single time in my demo that I thought to myself that the car would be better with more/different power on tap. Sure it is unconventional to drive a pair of DVC subwoofers with four bridged two channel amps, but in this case it works! There was absolutely no lack of bass in the car. 

I would say that in my eyes, these little Picos are the current Micro Amp king. They aren't the cheapest option by a long shot, but the ability to tuck these things anywhere in a vehicle and make clean, solid power is extremely appealing. Besides, I just love it when people do something unconventional. 

Thanks again Chris for making the drive down and sharing your car with all of us. I really like your car and the install. I look forward to seeing you at the next event and how you progress with your car.


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## adrianp89 (Oct 14, 2007)

Beautiful work. I can't imagine the level of patience you have to maintain that level of quality. After about 4 zip ties 2" apart I would be like alright enough is enough no one will ever see this!


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## Alextaastrup (Apr 12, 2014)

Install is simply killing!

What did you do with the grills in the front doors? I have similar in my car and just drilled these small holes away, so there are just ribs back. It was a must for my previous 2-way system due to beaming problems above 1,2k.


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## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Very cool build Bing, I like what you did with all those Picos!

I just installed a Pico 2 in my Jeep, and I love it!


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

rton20s said:


> I had the pleasure of meeting Chris (the vehicle owner) this last weekend when he came out to the MECA event at the Tulare Outlets. He is a super friendly guy and another fine example of why I love our car audio community so much. He opened the trunk and pulled out the beauty panels any time someone would ask to see the unique install that SIS had done.
> 
> I'm also one of several people who got a chance to give the Subaru a demo as well. Chris was quick to hand over the keys without any sort of qualifier. I plugged the lightning cable into my iPhone 6 and went at it with a variety of songs that I am pretty familiar with. For a car without a lot of tuning time, it actually sounded really good. Sure, there were some minor things that would get some points docked on a score card, but overall, it was very enjoyable.
> 
> Thanks again Chris for making the drive down and sharing your car with all of us. I really like your car and the install. I look forward to seeing you at the next event and how you progress with your car.


Thanks Dustin! I wasn't sure what to expect being my first MECA event, but the atmosphere and the people were great. I loved being able to check everyone else's vehicles out, and sharing mine with others who can appreciate it. It actually made me appreciate mine even more. Most of the people I've showed/demoed it too before the show haven't been all that interested. I had a great time, and I'm looking forward to the next event I attend which will probably be the one in Vallejo. I will most likely compete at my next event.



Alextaastrup said:


> Install is simply killing!
> 
> What did you do with the grills in the front doors? I have similar in my car and just drilled these small holes away, so there are just ribs back. It was a must for my previous 2-way system due to beaming problems above 1,2k.


My grills haven't been modified. My listening skills/experience is very limited, but I haven't noticed any beaming issues.


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## ageggatt24 (Aug 17, 2012)

Great build thanks for taking time to share your pictures.


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

rton20s said:


> Pulling the dash mat off of the driver's side tweeter did make a significant difference, and I think if Chris were to trim back the mat it could really help a lot.


Done. 
















I measured for the cutouts with the dash mat and grills out of the car because of doing this after dark. I laid the mat over the grills, and it was fine when I was inside. After reinstalling everything the measurements ended up being a bit off, so the cutouts aren't centered directly over the opening in the speaker grill; however, the opening is completely exposed now. You can kind of see this in the first pic. The pillar side edge of the cutout is lined up with the pillar side edge of the opening. Eventually I will take it to an upholstery shop to have edging put on the cutouts, and I can have them make the cutouts slightly bigger and more centered over the opening. 

I did this last night, and decided to have about a 5 minute listening session after reinstalling the mat. An hour and a half later I decided I should call it a night. Haha. The cutouts made a huge difference. I was hearing details in certain songs that I couldn't hear or at least didn't notice before. Also, volume of phone calls before was severely lacking. Before I had to have every adjustment maxed out to hear people while driving especially on the highway. I still have all the adjustments for calls maxed out, but I'm not having to strain to hear anymore. 

I'm planning on going to the Vallejo comp, and I should be having a tuning session before then.


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## mjclxs (Mar 1, 2011)

What dash mat is that? I've been trying to pick one for my 15 WRX.


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

mjclxs said:


> What dash mat is that? I've been trying to pick one for my 15 WRX.


I believe it's a Dash Topper. I'll do some digging to see if I can figure out where I bought it. I bought it in 2014 right after buying the car, so I really don't remember.


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

mjclxs said:


> What dash mat is that? I've been trying to pick one for my 15 WRX.


Dash-Topper Sedona Suede Dashboard Cover - FREE SHIPPING


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

I'm glad to hear trimming the mat made as much difference as we all hoped it would.


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## Cheetahman (Mar 9, 2016)

this is the inspiration i've been looking for!


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## GERMANIKS (Dec 7, 2013)

8 Pico amps ridiculous!

But I like it :laugh:


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## 1FinalInstall (Oct 13, 2013)

Such a nice install, very happy I found it!


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

https://imageshack.com/i/pnn2a7YMj

Competed for my first time today. Collected a few trophies.


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## Cheetahman (Mar 9, 2016)

well deserved!


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Congratulations and the best to you moving forward audio wise.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Congratulations Chris! I look forward to hearing the new tune.


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## sq2k1 (Oct 31, 2015)

First time seeing this install and I must say it is crazy with the amount of pico amps but it makes it stand out and is pretty awesome to say the least! I like it!


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## lucas569 (Apr 17, 2007)

very nice install! always rethinking my install cause of you!


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## nyquistrate (Apr 17, 2011)

Beautiful work. Is that new trunk floor the same height as the factory one? I have an '18 WRX and I'm trying to decide between corner loading, spare tire well or infinite baffle with an IDMax 12. It might be too tall for the spare tire well, but I've seen several installs on here that look great and don't give up any space that way. 

* What do you do with your spare tire, leave it at home or throw it loose in the trunk? I relocated it to below the car in my '94 Civic for a fiberglass sub box in the tire well.


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

nyquistrate said:


> Beautiful work. Is that new trunk floor the same height as the factory one? I have an '18 WRX and I'm trying to decide between corner loading, spare tire well or infinite baffle with an IDMax 12. It might be too tall for the spare tire well, but I've seen several installs on here that look great and don't give up any space that way.
> 
> * What do you do with your spare tire, leave it at home or throw it loose in the trunk? I relocated it to below the car in my '94 Civic for a fiberglass sub box in the tire well.


The new floor panel is slightly thicker than the factory floor panel, but it's negligible. Other than that, the floor is not raised. You have about 10" of mounting depth to play with, so you should be able to fit the IDMax 12.

My spare is currently in my my parents' garage about 5 hours south of where I live, lol. I have AAA Premier in case I get a flat, and I've never used it. It's been almost 3 years since I've ran spare-less, and the only time I've had a flat was about 11 months ago when my car was vandalized/broke into. They slashed the sidewalls on my two driver side tires, so I had to get a tow anyway.


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## nyquistrate (Apr 17, 2011)

mcnaugcl said:


> The new floor panel is slightly thicker than the factory floor panel, but it's negligible. Other than that, the floor is not raised. You have about 10" of mounting depth to play with, so you should be able to fit the IDMax 12.
> 
> My spare is currently in my my parents' garage about 5 hours south of where I live, lol. I have AAA Premier in case I get a flat, and I've never used it. It's been almost 3 years since I've ran spare-less, and the only time I've had a flat was about 11 months ago when my car was vandalized/broke into. They slashed the sidewalls on my two driver side tires, so I had to get a tow anyway.


Thanks! I guess I could throw it in a bag to place in the trunk if I leave town . . .


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## 99taws6 (9 mo ago)

Back from the dead, but are there any pictures?


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## mcnaugcl (Apr 23, 2013)

99taws6 said:


> Back from the dead, but are there any pictures?





https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1063402347017649&type=3


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