**** Heat

[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

Here is a couple of links on clipping

http://www.carstereo.com/help/tweak.cfm

Clipping

Clipping occurs when an amplifier is asked to deliver more current to a speaker than the amp is capable of doing. When an amplifier clips, it literally cuts off the tops and bottoms of the musical waveforms that it's trying to reproduce, thus the term. This introduces a huge amount of distortion into the output signal. Clipping can be heard as a crunching sound on musical peaks.

Clipping

A signal that results from an amplifier that is either overloaded or underpowered relative to the signal Amplitude it being asked to generate. A clipped waveform is one in which the gently rounded peaks and valleys of the AC audio wave are instead sliced off or clipped, to yield what looks a lot like a square or alternating DC wave. When DC is applied to a speaker, the voice coil has no means of propelling itself relative to a constant magnetic field. Instead, it can only convert the incoming current to heat, and ultimately burns up. The effect of alternating DC on speakers is remarkable, irritating, painful, and short. If you are able to hear evident Distortion at high volume levels, or smell smoke, reduce the volume. It may already be too late for your speakers, but at least you may be able to save the amplifier.

 

[Chevyaudio 5,000+ posts]

Cliping is distortion

 

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

Cliping is distortion

But distortion isn't the concern - if it were, everytime we flipped through the fm stations and got static our subs would be toast.

Clipping allows an amp to produce WAY more power than it does when it's not clipped, which is why an amp rated at 500w rms @ 1% THD can toast a woofer that's rated for 500w when you clip the hell out of the amp.

And I don't buy the square wave effecting the vc's ability to cool itself. By the time the flat portion of the wave has attempted (unsucessfully) to stop the movement of the cone it's already time to move again.

It's just the power, plain and simple.

 

[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

Cliping is distortion

Clipping can cause distortion. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

but distortion isnt limited to clipping.

 

[Johnny Drama 5,000+ posts]

But distortion isn't the concern - if it were, everytime we flipped through the fm stations and got static our subs would be toast.
Clipping allows an amp to produce WAY more power than it does when it's not clipped, which is why an amp rated at 500w rms @ 1% THD can toast a woofer that's rated for 500w when you clip the hell out of the amp.

good answer man. Good to see you pop your head in this neck of the woods. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

you're right, a far greater source of distortion is the transducer itself, or the amplifier topology you're using...

but distortion isnt limited to clipping.