Amp clipping...

[temuchan 10+ year member]

Hey, My amp has a light that tells me its clipping, even though the gain/bass boost is only half way up, and the volume isn't that high either. I know that my subs can handle more than my amp can put out at max power, so is it ok to turn the gains up past halfway even though it tells me I'm clipping? is clipping just distortion, or is it bad for my subs?

amp: Eclipse XA1000, 480rms @ 2 ohms

subs: two Polk db124, 360rms each

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[KHARPS 10+ year member]

Bad for your subs. Keep the bass boost off. You should use a dmm to set your gains properly, or you can usually tell by ear if you are sending a clipped signal.

 

[Supergumby5000 5,000+ posts]

clipping is bad in every way, shape, and form. Set your gains correctly before you cook something.

 

[BumpinTypeR 10+ year member]

yea clipped signal will eventually kill your subs. set gains with dmm as kharps said. just search how to do it on google

oh and dont use bass boost on the hu or amp

 

[thevic24 5,000+ posts]

Bad for your subs. Keep the bass boost off. You should use a dmm to set your gains properly, or you can usually tell by ear if you are sending a clipped signal.

x2

its just as easy to kill a sub from clipping as it is with too much power

 

[05fronty 5,000+ posts]

smell a bandaid yet?

 

[temuchan 10+ year member]

ok, thanks for the quick replies. so i should set the amp's bass boost to 0db? ive never had the hu's bass boost on.

does anyone know why its clipping, or could someone explain what clipping actually is?

 

[thevic24 5,000+ posts]

clipping is when a signal becomes distorted.

 

[undeadxsunshine 10+ year member]

yupp the signal is getting distorted because you are trying to make the amp put out more power than it can.

 

[pjhabit 10+ year member]

Clipping is NOT bad for a speaker (the amp is another story).

Clipping can cause thermal or mechanical failure of a driver... IF those limits of the driver are reached. ie, a 100w rms amp will never blow a 1000w rms woofer, even w/ a fully clipped signal. Distortion itself has NEVER blown a speaker.