Doesn't make sense

[MyOneSub]

What's the point of using a multimeter to tune your amp so your subs don't clip? Because pretty much every song has a different bass volume. I just don't understand.

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[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

What's the point of using a multimeter to tune your amp so your subs don't clip? Because pretty much every song has a different bass volume. I just don't understand.

You can't tune an amp with a multimeter to prevent clipping, you're more just establishing a ceiling that your amp won't make power over. So if you set your amp to 1000w @ 1 ohm, or 31.6v, you're just enforcing that the amp does not produce more than 1000w. With voltage drop or false amp ratings you still might get clipping.

If you have a test tone that is 0dB in volume (in other words, the test tone's volume is as high as possible while still being clean) and you set your amp using that test tone, you are basically exchanging a little bit of volume to ensure that so long as your music is clean, your music will never go above that threshold you established with your multimeter. Now, if instead you used a -10dB test tone to tune the amp, you're saying that the amp should be producing 1000w at a volume of -10dB. If you have music that goes over that, then the amp is going to be making more power than you intend it to, which could lead to clipping, voltage drop, etc.