Bottoming out:Clipping:Distortion

[Trey803 5,000+ posts]

Could someone please explain the difference between bottoming out clipping and distortion but mainly i wanted to know exactly what is happening when a subwoofer bottoms out and makes that terrible clicking noise?

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[giantgloworm 10+ year member]

Your voice coil is smacking the the backplate of your sub. Means the sub doesn't have enough voice coil gap length or to much suspension complience. Clipping is what happens to your amp when its overdriven. Either to much input and the input stage can't handle it or not enough voltage going into the power supply and underdriving the output stage. I think //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Your voice coil is smacking the the backplate of your sub. Means the sub doesn't have enough voice coil gap length or to much suspension complience.

No. It just means you are overpowering the subwoofer and reaching it's mechanical limitations.

Good explaination of clipping; http://www.bcae1.com/2ltlpwr.htm

Distortion is essentially any deviation of the output signal from the input signal.

 

[Trey803 5,000+ posts]

How is clipping identified? Can you hear it and if so what does it sounds like

 

[PRIVATEpastry 10+ year member]

No, you can't hear clipping. Its just when your amp is sending out an unclean signal to your speakers/subs.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

No, you can't hear clipping. Its just when your amp is sending out an unclean signal to your speakers/subs.

Yes, you can hear clipping. Maybe not *all* clipping...but clipping is essentially distortion, which at high levels will be audible (as "distortion").

But the only way to readily identify it *as* clipping is to us an oscilliscope.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

No, you can't hear clipping. Its just when your amp is sending out an unclean signal to your speakers/subs.

Not true, you definitely can hear clipping. Its distortion. In terms of 'distortion' there are two main types: signal distortion and speaker distortion (mainly BL distortion). Overdriving any component in the signal chain leads to signal distortion (squared waves). As squeak said, any deviation from the input signal by the output signal, by any component in the signal chain, is signal distortion. Overdriving the speaker leads to speaker distortion. Speakers become non-linear for different reasons based on their design topology. You can look those up if you are further interested.

A speaker 'bottoming out' is not really related to the distortion types at all, as this can occur even with a 100% pure clean signal. As was said, its simply pushing the speaker past its mechanical limitations. This can happen different ways: 1) overpower the system due to too large an amplifier, 2) a clipped amplifier outputting much more than its rated power and overpowering the system, 3) an incorrect sized enclosure, or 4) a combination of the other 3. For examples... if you push too much power to the speaker, the cone moves further than was designed to, and the voice coil bottoms out against the backplate. If your enclosure is too large, the cone moves too freely and will bottom out very quickly/easily. If you set your gains incorrectly and clip your amp, thereby outputting much more power than you realize, you may bottom out the driver.

 

[PRIVATEpastry 10+ year member]

I always thought that you couldn't hear clipping. I thought clipping caused distortion, and that was what you can hear.

If not, I stand corrected.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

I always thought that you couldn't hear clipping. I thought clipping caused distortion, and that was what you can hear.
If not, I stand corrected.

Clipping IS distortion, and hence will able audible when it reaches a certain level.