How do I know if my amp's clipping?

[Ronmeister]

i'm sorry...i just see his subs walking around his car holding up picket signs saying "we're on strike"

I think you either mis-read what I typed, or you don't know what you are talking about.

Gunz4me is right.

Ron

 

[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wow.gif.23d729408e9177caa2a0ed6a2ba6588e.gif

 

[macq32 10+ year member]

I would still set the filter, you cant hear anything bast 18hz or something (give or take) so setting the filter to 15hz will cut out anything lower than 15hz, you cant hear it anyway so why strain your gear

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

Sealed, sorry just added specs to my sig as you responded //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
Please excuse my newb ?'s but what is the subsonic filter?

A subsonic filter is a setting on some amps that won't allow to give the sub more than X amount of power under Y frequency, and you base it off the tuning of the box. Normally 10 hz under the tuning of the box is what you set your subsonic filter at.

As far as a "farting sound", I'm just gunna assume that the box wasn't built too well and it has a leak. Other things you should check for is if your sub is actually bottoming out. It could be bottoming out only when you open your trunk because there's a certain level of pressure on the cone when the trunk is close vs. when it's open.

EDIT:: About the subsonic filter, it's useless in a sealed enclosure. The whole point is to prevent the sub from basically being in a free-aired environment, which is what happens under the tuning of a box. It begins to put less pressure on the cone, and eventually becomes free-air... and, well, we all know what happens there. (With out pressure the sub reaches peak excursion easily and if played free-aired when it's not supposed to be, it damages the sub.) In a sealed enclosure, the pressure behind the sub is kept at a constant, thus, a subsonic filter is useless.

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

lol...... How about reaching their physical limits with regards to excursion @ 25 Hz?
Now I am going to blow the OP's mind by telling him that it is possible to bottom out the subwoofers WITHOUT clipping the amp

I know a lot of subs that can reach 10 hz with out reaching their physical excursion limits.

 

[firehawk618 10+ year member]

IDSkoT, Thanks that makes things somewhat clearer for me.

I'm leaning toward the subs bottoming out. This box was built by a guy who builds these things day in and day out for many years....I know that doesn't mean it's a good box but I pulled one of the subs and peeked inside and it looked like he did a good job.

 

[firehawk618 10+ year member]

Would I be able to use this meter...

http://buy1.snapon.com/products/diagnostics/Vantage.ASP?partno=EETM300F&dir=catalog

to see if the amps clipping?

If so how please //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[headless 10+ year member]

EDIT:: About the subsonic filter, it's useless in a sealed enclosure. The whole point is to prevent the sub from basically being in a free-aired environment, which is what happens under the tuning of a box. It begins to put less pressure on the cone, and eventually becomes free-air... and, well, we all know what happens there. (With out pressure the sub reaches peak excursion easily and if played free-aired when it's not supposed to be, it damages the sub.) In a sealed enclosure, the pressure behind the sub is kept at a constant, thus, a subsonic filter is useless.

Don't you think it could be useful when running a sub in a large sealed box to maximize SPL at higher frequencies? I mean, if the sub reaches max excursion well before maximum power handling due to 20-25hz content, but you aren't actually hearing that frequency of sound anyway, you could concievably increase SPL @ 30+hz by cutting

 

[gunz4me 10+ year member]

I know a lot of subs that can reach 10 hz with out reaching their physical excursion limits.

My first gut instinct tells me that the OP's 12w6v2s will NOT do it in his current setup! Without knowing the size of his enclosure it is impossible to predict, but something tells me that the subs will run out of XMAX before they hit 10 Hz.

 

[boomzilla 10+ year member]

I know a lot of subs that can reach 10 hz with out reaching their physical excursion limits.

****, You've come a long way bro, I remember when you were asking these questions. Good to see another member actually learn here.