It is called clipping because when an amplifier is sent a signal with more voltage or current than it's power supply can produce, it "clips" the top of the sine wave off, which then becomes square wave distortion. Basically speaking -- clipping occurs anytime an amplifier is sent a signal it cannot supply enough current to reproduce.
Note the clean peaks in the first pic below and then the same waveform, but clipped, in the last pic. An example of the sound of this type of distortion (although obviously at a much higher level) would be when a rock guitarist intentionally clips his amps output by overdriving the pre-amp, and sending either a vacuum tube or transistor more voltage then it can cleanly reproduce. Another example of clipping is when you turn a clock radio higher than its amp (and/or speakers) can handle.
Loudspeaker clipping is kind of similar. When a driver is sent more current then its voice coil can handle, any energy that is not converted into sound is absorbed as direct current into the voice coil, which produces immense heat. This is how most voice coils are fried.
thanks for the info its not my amp tho. its my buddies. he blew a L7(750 rms) with a legacy predator amp (600rms)..and someone told me he blew it cuz his amp was clippin.....
When you AMPLIFY it is when it becomes a problem to the amp and driver. Take into consideration the build quality of both components and you have your fail rate and how long it occurs.
I this is what I tell my customers that blow up amps/speaker:
Me: You were clipping the amp.
Tard: ???
Me: Think of it like dropping your car in 1st gear and running it 60mph down the highway. It will do it for a little bit, but something is going to die in VERY little time.
"When you AMPLIFY it is when it becomes a problem to the amp and driver. Take into consideration the build quality of both components and you have your fail rate and how long **before** it occurs."
I first look at the gains and bass boost. 9 out of 10 times when something comes back fried, they are pegged to the max. Or, the person thinks they are slick and turns every control on the amp all the way down (crossover and all).
You have to see how the people are running the equipment. For instance, had a guy show up w/ a for vehicle and they had the wrong harness on their HU. It would play, but they had a factory amp and needed the RCA style harness not the line-level one that the other local shop install (morons). He could turn the volume on his HU up to ~20% before every speaker in the car sounded like it was about to explode...factory amp was getting too high of a signal.
I installed his amp (gains and BB down) and 2 DD512's, told him to take the car back to the other shop for warranty on the BS install they did (he didn't want to pay me to fix it). Same guy comes back a week later w/ a blown DD512 and wants it warrantied. I look at the car, he didn't get the HU install fixed and had turned the gain/BB all the way up...and the SSF all the way down for some dam reason.
