# Average Joe Review : Mosconi Zero Amps



## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

I cant really call this a review because I feel unlike speakers, amplifiers need proper test gear to really know the numbers. In amps numbers seem to rule all. RMS power, S/N ratio, dampening factor and so on and so forth. Well I dont have any of that equipment so I can only tell you what I hear and see. I have played with many amps from Zapco, JL, Rockford, Focal, Infinity, Quart, Soundtream, McIntosh and may others.
I keep hearing people say that all amps sound the same if they are properly designed and built. Well that has not ever been my experience. I have heard JLs replace MB Quarts where the Quarts were double the rated RMS power yet they couldn't compare to the JLs sheer output.


So this is just kinda my take on some very high end amps that not many get to play with. I have never even heard of Mosconi until a year and a half ago. I still had never seen or heard one in person. One thing I did notice is that there was never one bad thing said about the Zero line and that the only issues with the AS series is the finish on the bodies. Sub par paint or something.

Well I love my JLs (1000/1 and 450/4). Loved the looks and how clean they were and the power. Plus they are built like tanks. Thing is I have been running various JL amps for years now and was ready for something new. I don't really care for the HD JL amps as they don't seem to have any personality. I don't have any real quality time with them but every car I heard them in it was like the Alpine PDXs. Lots of power and sound good but not anything earth shattering and now real wow to them. I got some opinions on here and noticed how many winning cars and how many killer installs had Mosconi amps. I priced them and kinda threw the idea away. I knew the AS was great but they are still expensive. I really wanted the Zeros but they are very very expensive.
As luck would have it I have a friend that offered me his lightly used Zero 3 for an unbeatable price. I couldn't resist and had to get it. Bad thing is that meant I needed a matching Zero 4 and man those are very costly. Once again my good friend with the Zero 3 hooked me up with another friend that had a Zero 4 with under 30 minutes on it. Spoke to the guy and knew right away he was just a good dude and was legit. He offered me a deal that was just nuts on the Zero 4 so I had to buy it even though that ment no steaks or sushi for a month or so. Only downside is it had a broken RCA jack but not to worry as it was going back to Italy to be repaired under warranty and have it gone over to make sure it was 100%. Well it sure was because when it arrived it looked perfect. Even all the hardware was in the original sealed bags and the manual was dirt free. I was very excited.
Heck I even scored the remote gain card/knob for a great deal..... well had it been the right one but we will get to that latter.

On to the porn!









They are just the most beautiful things ever. The feel of them is excellent like when you touch a Mercedes and you can just feel the quality and craftsmanship. The ability to remove the covers easily to peek inside is very nice as well and they circuitry and controls are just spectacular. My only gripe is that the input/gain/crossover boxes should be better attached as they wiggle around in the amps casing and kinda cheapen the overall fell but after they are installed you would never notice them.

They took the JLs spots very well in the truck:




Having never owned or even seen a Mosconi before they did give me a minor heart attack when I powered them up the first time. I did not realize just how much red they had when powered on. LOL Red is usually bad so it took a moment to realize what was happening. I really like how these illuminate.




So the Zero 3 replaced the JL 1000/1 and is rated to have about 100 more watts. The Zero 4 replaced the JL 450/4 and is now 100 watts for the tweeters vs 75 and 210 for the midranges vs the 150 from the JL. I also installed the remote gain knob in the Zero 3 so I had easy access to changing sub level output depending on the music I was listening to. Turns out I bought the wrong one and it only worked to the half way point. On top of that is was really attenuating the sub amp even more and it also did something with the bass like it was cutting certain freequencies or had a subsonic filter I did not know this at first and just thought the knob was faulty and reached max output at the half way point. No big deal.

So I dail the system in and notice several things right off the bat. I should point out the Zero 4 is driving Sinfoni Maestoso T25 tweeters with the 100 watt channels, the 210 watt channels are feeding Sinfoni Maestoso T165Ws and the Zero 3 is running at 4 ohms mono to a pair of Stereo Integrity BM MK IV subs. 
What I noticed right away with zero changes in the TA and EQ was that vocals were much clearer and midbass was now on the down right impressive side. The sparkle of the tweeters was much more prominent but the big thing was when very technical music was on that has solid impacts in the 100-300hz range it was also able to maintain great composure on the vocals coming from the same driver. I had a friend hop in and I asked if the stero sounded different and didnt tell him about the amp change. He instantly said the same thing, that it sounds so much clearer and that now he can really feel the door speaker move his pants leg. He also pointed out the same thing I noticed. The bass was louder and more defined but seemed to have lost some of that growl and thump you in the chest feeling. At the time I attributed it to the massive amount of sound deadening I added under the box and behind the firewall.
Well I was wrong and I will touch on that in a moment.

So now I was feeling confident enough to show the truck off at an actual event and was so happy to hear the top contenders listen to it and say so many positive things about it. Yes it needed a few hours of tuning time but set flat the system just sang to you and tonalitly was spot on.
I made some new and good friends that day and hope in the next week or two to get with one of them to finish dialing the system in. In the mean time I have been trying to correct the bass remote issue. I called up Orca and spoke to Jacob. Great guy and was really nice. He knows his stuff and instantly knew what the problem was. He said I have the wrong module and with the right one the amp will really become impressive. He said the amp will do better if I removed what I have so I hung up and ran outside and pulled the card and cord. I was blown away by the bass. I had to attenuate the subs by 18db from my P99. After I did that I noticed that the growling bass was back but far superior than before. The subs now had that punch you in the chest impact back again but also just with so much more. I played some bass music like I was a bass head and then dropped the windows because I know it growls a bit more. Mind you I have sepnt hours in my driveway jaming the system out before but this time I watched my mailbox vibrate right off the wall of my houe! LOL

So here are two amps that have about the same power as what was pulled which were also considered a high end amp at one point and they have much more output as well as superior sound. There were some songs that I thought the distorion I was hearing was the speakers limits so I would turn it down. With these amps I can go far past that level and the speakers have maintained perfect composure. I thought I had reached the limits of my subs abilities before considering they were rated at 450 watts and the JL fed each a rated 500. I am now sending a rated 550 watts to each but it has to be more because they are significantly louder and much much cleaner. Sub bass notes are just amazing and shake the truck like crazy and I have not heard them protest at all or make the sounds they once made when I thoght I was reaching xmax. What I was attributing to driver limitations was actually clipping of the old amps. 
The mids and highs are just spectacular now too. Not only is it capeable of significantly higher SPL but the sound is just so much more refined and the ability to pick out details you never notice in songs usually you can really spot now. I have some tracks that made the midbass on the Sinfonis sound only okay. With the new amp they sound spectacular. Its like the JL had poor cone control for anything below 150 hz where as the Mosconi keeps it solid and fast with great detail.


I am sorry I can not give hard numbers to back any of this up so take it as you will but these are the single best amps I have ever installed in any vehicle ever. They are easy to install, give an excellent finished look with minimal work and they perform way beyond their numbers.

Speaking of numbers the S/N ratio and THD on the Mosconis is not nearly as good as what the JLs numbers are but with the JLs between tracks I could hear hiss in the tweeters. The Mosconis are 100% dead silent. I love it as its almost like an old school noise gate they are so quiet.

Another great thing about the Mosconi is its cooling fans. I have been on two hour drives with the system just absolutely blaring music the entire time and when I got to where I was going the hottest parts of the amps are 124* but most of the case is just 90-100* and this is in Texas on a 105* day. They keep themselves very cool. The fans are very well built too as the amps only sit under 3' from my head and with the AC off and the stereo paused I can not hear the fans at all. I have even leaned back in the seat to within a foot of the amps and I still can not hear the fans.

I cant wait to get the proper bass module as Jacob said I can expect a 3db bump just from that as it properly sets the amp up for mono configuration. Very cool.


So in summary these are just spectacular amps. Pretty, loud, robust, clear and have great features. Down side is even used they are quite expensive but much like Sinfoni or a P99 Pioneer deck, they are well worth the price of admission. I like to keep my rear seat folded down just so people can see them they are so pretty. Nobody has ever heard of the name Mosconi (outside of people on here) but when they look at them they always say the same thing "Those look really expensive!" LOL

I love these amps and they were one of my best car audio purchases ever.


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## frontman (May 1, 2013)

Enjoyed the review - interesting and informative! Thank you for posting the review!


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## Audiophilefred (Oct 24, 2012)

I'm with you on the JL hd and pdx amps don't have any personality, nice write up man


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## Dynamic SQ (Jul 25, 2015)

Nice. Nothing like pride of ownership!


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## gregerst22 (Dec 18, 2012)

Maybe you should let me borrow them sometime so I can compare to my PDX's.


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

Sure thing. Send me those 18WUs so i can try them out.


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## teldzc1 (Oct 9, 2009)

Great writeup! You'll have to write a story one day about how you started with a 1500 budget for your system... And then it went to 1500 per component.


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

Well its a short story. I set a $1500 budget, bought $1500 in stuff, ran my head into a wall really hard, blacked out and then woke up with what I have. LOL


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## low4ever (Apr 27, 2013)

Nice review. I also started with a small budget. After months and months of reading. That budget has been thrown out the window. That is the great thing about this site. It helps people like me, who was out of car audio for quite some time. i started out wanted to go simple and inexpensive. Right now though i think mosconi amps will be my first part to the puzzle im settled on. They are beautiful amps and from what i hear has a sound signature to match. Which both are very important to me. Thanks again.


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## etroze (Dec 24, 2013)

Great review makes me even more gitty to get my One 120.4DSP. I know its not on the same level as the Zero's but I think I will be a nice step up for me.


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## juiceweazel (Jul 28, 2014)

Nice write up. No it's not all the tech numbers, but it's the ear test, which to me is the most important part. It's interesting to see how different the 2 amps preform. I've always held a high opinion of JL, a good standard, but the newer stuff doesn't seem as good & I feel the cheap line is hurting their reputation slightly. I need to audition this Mosconi stuff!


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## Brian_smith06 (Jan 31, 2008)

you have me considering a 100.4 and a 100.2 I know they are the babies of the as line but realistically what I "need"

but I love the tiny a/b foot print they have to offer


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

low4ever said:


> Nice review. I also started with a small budget. After months and months of reading. That budget has been thrown out the window. That is the great thing about this site. It helps people like me, who was out of car audio for quite some time. i started out wanted to go simple and inexpensive. Right now though i think mosconi amps will be my first part to the puzzle im settled on. They are beautiful amps and from what i hear has a sound signature to match. Which both are very important to me. Thanks again.


This site has been invaluable to me. I too was an installer for over a decade and had lots of experience up to the early 2000's and then got out of it. Bought stuff from brands I once loved only to find they are now not so good. I have been fortunate enough to play with so many brands I never even heard of until this forum. I didn't know what Sinfoni, Stereo Integrity, Mosconi, HAT, Scan Speak, Dayton, ZED and Brax were. Now I have got to really play with all of them and it has opened up my world.
Lots of great info on here too. Cajuner when hes not trying to start a fight hes a great source, Electrodynamic is great, SouthSyde has been a huge help and is just a great guy, Jacob is very knowledgeable and helpful, Coppertone and Deepinkdiver do great in helping me spend all my money, SQ_TSX has been another great help as have so many others. 
Its a great community to share your experiences with and help make more informed decisions before you drop a lot of hard earned cash on something that you have never even seen in person before. LOL


etroze said:


> Great review makes me even more gitty to get my One 120.4DSP. I know its not on the same level as the Zero's but I think I will be a nice step up for me.


Thanks you and I am sure you will love it. Much like Sinfoni, even their not as expensive stuff is still a cut above other companies high end versions.


juiceweazel said:


> Nice write up. No it's not all the tech numbers, but it's the ear test, which to me is the most important part. It's interesting to see how different the 2 amps preform. I've always held a high opinion of JL, a good standard, but the newer stuff doesn't seem as good & I feel the cheap line is hurting their reputation slightly. I need to audition this Mosconi stuff!


Thank you. I am right with you on the amps. I thought JP was just spectacular and really they are excellent amps. A used Slash series can be had for so cheap that there is no new amp that can perform as well dollar for dollar. You can get a 450/4 in nice shape for as little as $300!


Brian_smith06 said:


> you have me considering a 100.4 and a 100.2 I know they are the babies of the as line but realistically what I "need"
> 
> but I love the tiny a/b foot print they have to offer


Tiny footprint amps have really allowed a lot of people to enjoy a nice full sound that they used to not be able to have due to no space available. Tech is a great thing.


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

Good write up sir! So glad things have come together for you. This is a good dude here folks.


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## Hammer1 (Jan 30, 2011)

Brian_smith06 said:


> you have me considering a 100.4 and a 100.2 I know they are the babies of the as line but realistically what I "need"
> 
> but I love the tiny a/b foot print they have to offer


You can't go wrong with the AS 100 amps. Only difference between them and the zero is they have a unregulated power supply and the zero is regulated. Both are excellent amps. I use both in my system. 

Nice review on the zero amps. Gotta love Mosconi


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## Tnutt19 (Dec 22, 2010)

Hammer1 said:


> You can't go wrong with the AS 100 amps. Only difference between them and the zero is they have a unregulated power supply and the zero is regulated. Both are excellent amps. I use both in my system.
> 
> Nice review on the zero amps. Gotta love Mosconi


That is not exactly the only difference but they are nice amps. The internals on the zero's are much more stout and biased more toward class A.
Zero and A class are a modest step up, I have had the pleasure of listening to systems with both of these amplifiers in them and even switching one system from AS to Zero and A class on the same speakers and there was a big step up in sound quality.

The AS amplifiers are no slouch though, they will kick the trash out of most other high end gear out there.


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## Hammer1 (Jan 30, 2011)

I was told that was the only difference between the two lines. I am sure the zeros have some beefed up internals though. And the A class is in a totally different animal. Would like to listen to a setup with the A class amps


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## james2266 (Sep 24, 2009)

I just installed an AS200.4 to essentially replace my Audison LRx5.1k. Now, that is about 200 watts less on the sub. The MOsconi absolutely blew it away and then some. SO MUCH more impact from the Ultimo and sounded possibly even better detailed. I say possibly because that was never a concern with me with the Audison. Impact tho; that's a much different story. Very well worth the cost to me. Strongly has me wishing I could find the cash to get an AS100.4 to match it. Absolutely love the top mount controls for one.


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## Audiophilefred (Oct 24, 2012)

james2266 said:


> I just installed an AS200.4 to essentially replace my Audison LRx5.1k. Now, that is about 200 watts less on the sub. The MOsconi absolutely blew it away and then some. SO MUCH more impact from the Ultimo and sounded possibly even better detailed. I say possibly because that was never a concern with me with the Audison. Impact tho; that's a much different story. Very well worth the cost to me. Strongly has me wishing I could find the cash to get an AS100.4 to match it. Absolutely love the top mount controls for one.


Wow that's interesting regarding the lrx sub channel compared to the mosconis power. I really wanna try a 200.4


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## matdotcom2000 (Aug 16, 2005)

I have been contemplating a set of zero 4 for about 3 weeks now after hearing your truck... tonality was pretty good... don't know if it would replace my 4200s


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## Makky (Nov 15, 2014)

LaserSVT said:


> I cant really call this a ...


Thanks for the review. This is just what I was looking for.
_Laser _could you tell me if you've had a chance to listen to the competing Sinfoni Tempo series?

Locally the Sinfoni Allegro(tweeter) and Grave(midwoofer) models are available to me at a premium over a single Mosconi Zero 4 but I'm still not sure if the Mosconi is offering similar levels of SQ at a lower price or not. There is also a question of Mosconis relibility as I've been told they are not as robust/long lasting as Sinfoni but that could just be the dealer trying to push his sale.

Thanks!


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## #1BigMike (Aug 17, 2014)

IMO, and I have had several of the Mosconi amps, both AS and Zero lines and have never had an issue. I do treat my gear with respect also (headroom). I feel they are very robust and if I wasn't such a impulse buyer, they probably would be long lasting also.


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## juiceweazel (Jul 28, 2014)

#1BigMike said:


> and if I wasn't such a impulse buyer, they probably would be long lasting also.


Ha, and why this hobby is so expensive for most of us, always looking to try something new.


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

Makky said:


> Thanks for the review. This is just what I was looking for.
> _Laser _could you tell me if you've had a chance to listen to the competing Sinfoni Tempo series?
> 
> Locally the Sinfoni Allegro(tweeter) and Grave(midwoofer) models are available to me at a premium over a single Mosconi Zero 4 but I'm still not sure if the Mosconi is offering similar levels of SQ at a lower price or not. There is also a question of Mosconis relibility as I've been told they are not as robust/long lasting as Sinfoni but that could just be the dealer trying to push his sale.
> ...


I have not played with the Sinfoni amps yet but will next week. As for reliability, try and find a thread about a dead Zero series amp. I could not find one single complaint about them.


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## Makky (Nov 15, 2014)

LaserSVT said:


> I have not played with the Sinfoni amps yet but will next week. As for reliability, try and find a thread about a dead Zero series amp. I could not find one single complaint about them.


Thanks.
Which Sinfoni amps are you checking out? and will you be posting a review thread like this on them as well? I hope so! : )


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## gregerst22 (Dec 18, 2012)

LaserSVT said:


> Sure thing. Send me those 18WUs so i can try them out.


Too bad your not closer. But you've got me seriously thinking about changing up my amps for my new build..


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

Makky said:


> Thanks.
> Which Sinfoni amps are you checking out? and will you be posting a review thread like this on them as well? I hope so! : )


Ya know, I am not exactly sure which one was sent. LOL Its not one of the big boys but its a Sinfoni so it will be good anyway.


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

gregerst22 said:


> Too bad your not closer. But you've got me seriously thinking about changing up my amps for my new build..


I would in a heartbeat with your speakers. I would put money on the fact if you just yanked those PDX amps and replaced them with Zeros that you would be blown away by how much you were missing and by how much louder the system can get.

All around just a wonderful line of amplifiers.


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## juiceweazel (Jul 28, 2014)

Off topic Laser, but love your signature. What did you use to create it?


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

I used a Skiezer.


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## juiceweazel (Jul 28, 2014)

Ha ha, I see. I need to get me one of those fancy looking sigs as it completes my pledging into this fraternity


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## gregerst22 (Dec 18, 2012)

LaserSVT said:


> I would in a heartbeat with your speakers. I would put money on the fact if you just yanked those PDX amps and replaced them with Zeros that you would be blown away by how much you were missing and by how much louder the system can get.
> 
> All around just a wonderful line of amplifiers.


I'm very, very tempted to try them. It seems like everybody that runs Mosconi amps love them but I like the fact that I have 3000+ watts in a foot print that basically amounts to third of a cu ft. and the power efficiency of class d is nice. I'm also reminded of the fact these 2nd gen PDX amps haven't done too badly on the SQ scene, like for example when Gary Summers won nationals a few years back in his Mercedes using all PDX amplification. 
I think when I get to the point in my new build where I've taken my current gear as far as I can with install and tuning and I get the itch to switch things up I'll def be looking at changing the amps. I'll also be in a much better position then to gauge the sq difference if I make a change after I'm fully accustomed to how my system sounds as apposed to doing it now when I'll be installing everything into a totally new car, ie environment.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

Hey Laser, would you think there's an audible difference going from the Mosconi AS series to the Zero series?


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

I don't think I could give an honest answer on that. I wasn't expecting much of a change at all when switching from the JL Slash amps to the Zeros and I was way off. The change from JL to Mosconi was as large as the change using MB Quart Formulas to the JLs.

As for the AS to Zero, I see just as many winning cars using the AS as I do the Zeros. There have been a couple members here state that going from AS to Zero they could tell a difference. In my amp thread in the general section is where that discussion is buried. Just have to read through all the other stuff. LOL



As to the PDX comment I am in no way against the PDX and think they are excellent small footprint amps. Clean and powerful. I am not always on point with the correct wording but to me they just don't seem to display anything special. They have no character. Like an IRS accountant. They do a job and they do it just how it should be done but you don't want to have a beer with them if that make any sense.
The Mosconi just helps to allow you to ignore the componentry and to become immersed in the music. To me thats the hallmark of something special.


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## mechatron (Sep 26, 2013)

LaserSVT said:


> As for the AS to Zero, I see just as many winning cars using the AS as I do the Zeros. There have been a couple members here state that going from AS to Zero they could tell a difference. In my amp thread in the general section is where that discussion is buried. Just have to read through all the other stuff. LOL
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Great info, thanks mate


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## Makky (Nov 15, 2014)

Laser any idea on when you'll be getting your hands on the Sinfonis?
Sorry for sounding impatient but really looking forward to your comparison between the two. I hope It'll be the Tempo series : P


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

Makky said:


> Laser any idea on when you'll be getting your hands on the Sinfonis?
> Sorry for sounding impatient but really looking forward to your comparison between the two. I hope It'll be the Tempo series : P


Its here. Its a single Amplitude 60.1 HD. Due to the trucks configuration I wont really be able to test it in there. Instead it will be used in the Mark VIII that is running passive and its current amp is close to the same power.
I will be converting some of my songs to MONO and then just L/R adjust so I can do an A/B comparison against the JL 300/4 running Focal KX3s.


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## Makky (Nov 15, 2014)

LaserSVT said:


> Its here. Its a single Amplitude 60.1 HD. Due to the trucks configuration I wont really be able to test it in there. Instead it will be used in the Mark VIII that is running passive and its current amp is close to the same power.
> I will be converting some of my songs to MONO and then just L/R adjust so I can do an A/B comparison against the JL 300/4 running Focal KX3s.


Ah the _Amplitude_, I believe these are the predecessor to the Tempo line.
Hope after your adjustments we'll be able to still get a clear idea of the Sinfoni.

Looking forward to what you have to say about them ^_^.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

Makky said:


> Ah the _Amplitude_, I believe these are the predecessor to the Tempo line.
> Hope after your adjustments we'll be able to still get a clear idea of the Sinfoni.
> 
> Looking forward to what you have to say about them ^_^.


More like the predecessor to the Prima line  

The 60.1HD has been since replaced by the Prestigio Class A

Kelvin


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## Makky (Nov 15, 2014)

subwoofery said:


> More like the predecessor to the Prima line
> 
> The 60.1HD has been since replaced by the Prestigio Class A
> 
> Kelvin


Oooh that's for clearing that up. 
If it's a top tier amplifier that is the La Prima then I'm really looking forward to this now! : D


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

Tomorrow it gets wired up and tuned then time to see if I can blow up some Focals.


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

subwoofery said:


> More like the predecessor to the Prima line
> 
> The 60.1HD has been since replaced by the Prestigio Class A
> 
> Kelvin


Yeah at 3k each they are pretty freakin high end. 60 watts..... thats $50 a watt! I was staring at the little brute earlier and realized just how hard it will be to mount! Just has these tiny screw holes on bottom. At least the car it is going in wont be driven anywhere for a few days so the amp will just sit on the seat and play the passenger front speakers.
Car is not active and has ZERO DSP on it so it will just be as original signal as possible which I prefer when testing an amp. No outside interference to "make" it sound better.


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## juiceweazel (Jul 28, 2014)

LaserSVT said:


> Tomorrow it gets wired up and tuned then time to see if I can blow up some Focals.


Now this makes me sad and excited at the same time!:laugh:


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## LaserSVT (Feb 1, 2009)

Kidding about the Focals. My brother would kill me or at least beat on me with a hammer until I replaced them. He LOVES his KX3s and they are his first quality speaker hes ever owned. Before them his best was a pair of Infinity Kappa 6x8 Components.

If my truck was passive or if I had two amps I would test them in it but doing it in his car does force me to listen to the amp vs tuning as all he has is a Pioneer Z140.


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## juiceweazel (Jul 28, 2014)

Just a slight upgrade from the infinities ha ha.
Can we get pics of the hammer bruises?? Just kidding. Looking forward to the review, not that focals are in my near future though


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## Edwinoctavio (Jun 25, 2019)

I just bought the Mosconi D2 500.1 and the D2 80.6 DSP. How would you compare the Zeros or the AS line to these? Thanks


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