Clipping
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Anonymous | is it ok for the clipping light to flash, just as long as its not constantlly on |
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Silver Member Username: Rob315Cuse, NY U.S. Post Number: 506 Registered: Jan-05 | definitely not |
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Anonymous | my amp manual says Clip: Indicates the amplifier is being overdriven and your speakers may be in danger. This should blink only on musical peaks, and not be on constantly. the "This should blink only on musical peaks" makes me think its okay. |
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Silver Member Username: Rob315Cuse, NY U.S. Post Number: 507 Registered: Jan-05 | i would assume it still means your clipping your subs...which isnt good |
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Silver Member Username: Riebread77Post Number: 343 Registered: Jun-05 | avoid clipping all together...if your on that brink, and your subs still sound good...get a more powerful amp |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 8544 Registered: Dec-03 | clipping = distortion. if you want a clean system, don't allow the amplifier to clip at all. |
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Anonymous | when the clip light blinks, nothing distorts at all. should my subs be ok as long as there is no distortion because my subs can handle it? or is it somthing to do with the amp? |
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Bronze Member Username: LettoMilwaukee, WI Post Number: 97 Registered: Jun-05 | If the clip light blinks, most likely there is distortion... you probably just can't hear it. |
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Anonymous | when i use the amp cancel on my head unit and listen just to the subs, i really cant hear any distortion. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 8558 Registered: Dec-03 | see this is exactly why I don't like helping a lot of noobs. they know nothing about electronics or acoustic engineering, they ask for help, it's given, then instead of listening and getting their head out of ther hind end, they argue about the answers, and refuse to accept what they're told, and blissfully stretch the thread out for 100 posts stating how what they've been told is wrong. Hey kid, if you already know so much, stop bothering us and go fix your own problem! sod off and let us be. apparently we don't know as much as you about clipping and distortion so why bother asking in the first place? It's not like any of us are certified master installers with degrees in electrical engineering and over a decade of experience in the field, with IASCA trophies sitting in boxes collecting dust or anything. We're lucky we know how to turn on our factory radios in our cars. heck we don't even have cars. |
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Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 3705 Registered: Nov-04 | Speak for yourself. I have a scooter!  |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 8563 Registered: Dec-03 | does it have NOS? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 8564 Registered: Dec-03 | clipping by definition is distortion. clipping is when the sine wave (that smooth wave looking signal your speaker should be getting) has the peak of the wave lopped off due to lack of voltage. this means instead of the speaker getting AC voltage, it's now getting DC voltage, which not only heats the voice coils quickly and to higher temperatures than with a smooth AC signal, but the speaker cone also moves to it's peak excursion for that voltage, and stays there instead of coming right back. This can cause the cone to "cant" or tilt, thus losing linearity which causes teh coil to rub against the magnet structure. this shreds the voice coil, and damages the speaker, causing the cone to eventually "freeze up" and stop moving when the coil shreds and unravels in the motor of the speaker. no, momentary clipping isn't as bad as continuous clipping, however, it's still bad, and it still causes damage and distortion. For a clean audio signal, you can't have any clipping, since clipping alters the signal, and any alteration or coloring of the original signal is considered distortion. You want the audible music to be as close to the original recording session as possible. that's called transparency. you only get that by having the cleanest reproduction of the audio possible, which means a clean, sinusoidal signal from the amplifiers. you don't tend to audibly "hear" distortion in a subwoofer till it's over 10%. By that time, you're already causing damage to the speakers. |
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Gold Member Username: InvainMichigan United States Post Number: 3268 Registered: Aug-04 | Dang Isaac, I bet you got one sweeeet scooter! |
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Anonymous | i know u guys are helping me and no, im not saying you're wrong, but what im asking is why would they say in an amp manual that the clip light should blink on musical peaks but not be on constantly. are they just stupid? and also, how does the amp know the subs are clipping? if you run a small amp to big speakers that can handle more than that amp is made for, does it still know the subs are clipping? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfWisteria, Lane USA Post Number: 8574 Registered: Dec-03 | ok first thing subs don't clip amplifiers clip as explained above, when the amp's power supply voltage rails are overdriven by the input stage of the amplifier, the sine wave signal being amplified gets the peaks of the wave nipped off. this translates to an AC voltage turning into a DC voltage. the amplifier circuitry can easily detect when the signal it's amplifying starts to be overdriven and the power supply reaches it's peak output, then begins to "clip." The manual mentions momentary clipping as "ok" because when it's momentary you can't build up enough heat to cause thermal damage to the speakers, so they figure you're not going to hurt anything physically they'd be liable for. you can cause mechanical damage however, to both amplifier and speaker, as well as audible distortion if overdriven, which makes for less SQ as a result. if you want to know more about how amplifiers really work, I wrote this as a very basic primer: http://www.wickedcases.com/caraudio/amplifiers.html I hope it helps to clarify things. also try www.bcae1.com and read the section called "too little power" this explains clipping with diagrams, images, and excellent text. |
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Anonymous | alright, thanks.. that what i wanted to know |
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Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 3708 Registered: Nov-04 | Oh yea baby! My scooter has something better than NOS. Me! I've been doing 10K steps for 25 days straight. I am fit as a fiddle. |
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Gold Member Username: CarguyPost Number: 3709 Registered: Nov-04 | I forgot to mention, my scooter has no engine. Just man power. |
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Bronze Member Username: Big_louPost Number: 52 Registered: Jul-05 | I can tell from your post that you have got an infinity amp, most likely the 7540a. I too have this amp and if your clip light is flashing you have got your gains turned too high. Mine are set correctly and my sub reches its limits of performance before im even close to hitting the clip light. Bottom line is turn it down or start a fire in your trunk. Maybe ive put it into words you can understanbd |
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