Clipping?

[dirthog 10+ year member]

How much damage can clipping cause to the speaker?

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[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

How much damage can clipping cause to the speaker?

Thermal failure, if the clipped signal surpasses the thermal power handling capabilities of the driver.

If the clipped signal stays within the thermal and mechanical limits of the driver...then it won't cause any damage.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Can? One word: TOTAL.

How much WILL it cause? Impossible to say without specifics. It will sound like crap, that's enough of a reason to avoid it for me...

 

[A/D/S-MbQuart 10+ year member]

I wonder how many amps are clipping at full volume. I hear all amps clip, some gracefully more than others. Quality speakers i'm sure helps. Some clipping can be inaudible.

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

I wonder how many amps are clipping at full volume. I hear all amps clip, some gracefully more than others. Quality speakers i'm sure helps. Some clipping can be inaudible.

what do you mean by full volume? there are different variables that'll cause an amp to clip.

clipping occurs when you try to drive an amp past what it is made to put out and sends out a squared soundwave, so if you have a 200 watt amp and are trying to make it put out 500, it'll clip

 

[TheBaron929 10+ year member]

i'm a noob - how would i know when an amp is clipping? what would i hear?

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

i'm a noob - how would i know when an amp is clipping? what would i hear?

distortion.

read the gain setting tutorial in the amp forum

also a burning smell from your subwoofers maybe another indications

 

[A/D/S-MbQuart 10+ year member]

what do you mean by full volume? there are different variables that'll cause an amp to clip.
clipping occurs when you try to drive an amp past what it is made to put out and sends out a squared soundwave, so if you have a 200 watt amp and are trying to make it put out 500, it'll clip

Yes but i think it's possible alot of peaple when playing music very loud could be clipping their amp, soft clipping? Even if the gains are set to mid-way. Without a clipping indicator on the amp it can be hard to know for sure.

 

[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

Yes but i think it's possible alot of peaple when playing music very loud could be clipping their amp, soft clipping? Even if the gains are set to mid-way. Without a clipping indicator on the amp it can be hard to know for sure.

if you set your gains using a 0 db sine wave you're amp won't clip playing music, unless you crank the bass boost up and turn the volume a lot higher then what you used to set the gains