Amp clipping

[quackhead 10+ year member]

It depends entirely on the amp. Some amps are internally regulated (internal power supply) and will maintain full power down to the minimum battery voltage without clipping. But an unregulated amp that's rated at full power at 14V would start to clip as the voltage drops. In that case you're probably correct, the amp that's at full tilt (1000 w) would clip first.


Yes. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Thank you. Personally, I have not seen an unregulated power supply in an amp rated less than 5kw rms, if that....or not many. Some of the big monsters run unregulated power supplies.

So the first question should have been Regulated, or unregulated power supplies? lol...thx.

I wont change anything I said here.....just ignore it and I shut up....lol

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

I have an old school RF Punch amp that has output ratings for both 12.5V and 14.4V inputs on the spec sheet. It's only a 160 watt amp. I'm guessing that it has an unregulated power supply. It's prolly 10 yrs old though.

 

[LBC]

Here is what I believe the actual answer to be: The transformers in the amps are step up transformers. Transformers get the 12v input pulsed (they won't operate on straight DC. They need the input to be pulsed so the magnetic field collapses and builds.) They step up by some factor. Let's assume this amplifier is x5. So this amplifier's rail voltage let's just say after all losses etc is around 50v. I don't know how likely that is, but let's just say that is the case. Now, you've set your gain at 39v because this is a 1500w amp at 1 ohm. So that rail voltage can be maintained until the voltage drops. The voltage would need to drop to around 8-9 volts before the power supply simply could not achieve the rail voltage. If the amp were much larger and capable of a much higher rail voltage, but set down at 1500w like this other amp, it would not clip when the other amp did. THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THIS AMP WOULD LAST. Most components cannot run at these low voltages. It stresses them and causes them to fail. So, the answer to the clipping question is yes I believe that the larger amp would avoid clipping when the smaller amp clipped. I do not believe that matters much though because it's still not good on the big amp and it may fail anyways.

 

[jolly_26 10+ year member]

Here is what I believe the actual answer to be: The transformers in the amps are step up transformers. Transformers get the 12v input pulsed (they won't operate on straight DC. They need the input to be pulsed so the magnetic field collapses and builds.) They step up by some factor. Let's assume this amplifier is x5. So this amplifier's rail voltage let's just say after all losses etc is around 50v. I don't know how likely that is, but let's just say that is the case. Now, you've set your gain at 39v because this is a 1500w amp at 1 ohm. So that rail voltage can be maintained until the voltage drops. The voltage would need to drop to around 8-9 volts before the power supply simply could not achieve the rail voltage. If the amp were much larger and capable of a much higher rail voltage, but set down at 1500w like this other amp, it would not clip when the other amp did. THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT THIS AMP WOULD LAST. Most components cannot run at these low voltages. It stresses them and causes them to fail. So, the answer to the clipping question is yes I believe that the larger amp would avoid clipping when the smaller amp clipped. I do not believe that matters much though because it's still not good on the big amp and it may fail anyways.

you are quite definitely the most useful 12'er I've heard. Thank you. And that's quite interesting to know actually, means I'm correct and can tell my mate he's wrong //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif haha