I have a feeling I know the answer, but gotta give it a shot. I want to tweak my setup properly and started looking at the equipment required to do the job. It can get pricey...
I started to order the bare minimum (a basic oscilloscope and SPL meter) but, on a hunch, looked at iPhone apps to do the job. It looks like there are complete and very well-reviewed (by people who know their stuff) apps out there to do RTA, polarity check, dB measurement and a bunch of other stuff. Here's my question, then: The oscilloscopes in the apps are all audio band (i.e. you don't hook actual wires up). I know that you can't get the same resolution out of that (and, obviously, the "actual" tool would be ideal), but can one of those work to make sure I'm not clipping? I know that it's not going to give me max performance, but I'm more concerned about abusing my speakers than getting every last ounce of sound. The reason I'm asking is that I'd much rather put the $150 worth of tools I was ordering toward a better sub amp.
So, again, I know that an actual oscilloscope is probably best, but is an audio band even useful? I've put a bunch of stereos in cars over the years and never done any of this, so I figure even a rough check to ensure I'm not clipping is better than nothing. I'm looking for people who have actually tried it and have first-hand knowledge. Anybody tried this?
