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My power amp is clipping


Htaed

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If you're running your amplifier into clipping then you're asking for trouble. Trouble meaning damaged speakers. If the sound isn't loud enough for you before you get to the clip point then get a more powerful amplifier and speakers. simple really, but can you understand what i'm saying? hopefully. What amplifier and speakers do you have, well actually, what equipment are you using overall? Maybe I can help you.

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If you're running your amplifier into clipping then you're asking for trouble. Trouble meaning damaged speakers. If the sound isn't loud enough for you before you get to the clip point then get a more powerful amplifier and speakers. simple really, but can you understand what i'm saying? hopefully. What amplifier and speakers do you have, well actually, what equipment are you using overall? Maybe I can help you.

 

 

I understand but completely disagree. The clipping has nothing to do with what the speakers can handle for starters. My speakers can handle 10 times the continuous wattage I'm feeding them.

The amp is clipping but there is no audible distortion therefore the speakers aren't at risk because there is also no speaker distortion-an effect that would be due to too much frequency boost not a clipped signal being fed to them. Hence the reason guitar amps use wimpy paper speakers and survive a hard clipped signal just fine, even when it's taking place in the power amp stage say for instance with a tube amp. Now if I'm feeding the speaker a high SPL bass frequency that's clipping because the speakers can not handle the frequency level, I'm running risk of damaging speakers. If I'm getting harsh clipping in the mids to highs that is audible, I run the risk of damaging tweeters.

But if I'm into clipping yet it's not audible and my amp isn't heating up, explain the risk?

 

I don't mean to be rude but I have a good amount of experience and knowledge in preamp circuits, specifically signal clipping as I am a neo metal guitarist and design/build some of my own gear such as distortion circuits, analog synths, speaker simulators etc. My power amp knowledge is fair but I've never had to worry about power amp clipping until recently. There is a HUGE difference between speaker clipping and power amp clipping.

I'm dealing with power amp clipping. My concern is frying the chips, not my speakers.

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I understand but completely disagree. The clipping has nothing to do with what the speakers can handle for starters. My speakers can handle 10 times the continuous wattage I'm feeding them.

The amp is clipping but there is no audible distortion therefore the speakers aren't at risk because there is also no speaker distortion-an effect that would be due to too much frequency boost not a clipped signal being fed to them. Hence the reason guitar amps use wimpy paper speakers and survive a hard clipped signal just fine, even when it's taking place in the power amp stage say for instance with a tube amp. Now if I'm feeding the speaker a high SPL bass frequency that's clipping because the speakers can not handle the frequency level, I'm running risk of damaging speakers. If I'm getting harsh clipping in the mids to highs that is audible, I run the risk of damaging tweeters.

But if I'm into clipping yet it's not audible and my amp isn't heating up, explain the risk?


I don't mean to be rude but I have a good amount of experience and knowledge in preamp circuits, specifically signal clipping as I am a neo metal guitarist and design/build some of my own gear such as distortion circuits, analog synths, speaker simulators etc. My power amp knowledge is fair but I've never had to worry about power amp clipping until recently. There is a HUGE difference between speaker clipping and power amp clipping.

I'm dealing with power amp clipping. My concern is frying the chips, not my speakers.

 

 

You will figure it out, I don't mean to be rude.

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So do you mean to say that your speakers if they say, 600 watts, can handle 6,000 watts then? Haa haa haa. Or do you mean that your speakers can handle, for example, 2,400 watts peak and you're putting 120 watts into them? I didn't say that clipping has to do with what you're speaker can handle did I, you're putting words in my mouth. Actually you can damage a speaker without clipping the amplifier powering them. Its called thermal damage, caused by heating the voice coils too much, plus, also over excursion can cause driver failure too and you even have to clip an amplifier to cause that either.

 

I still stand by my first comment of "if the sound isn't loud enough and you have to clip your system in order to get more volume, then you're asking for trouble." You need speakers that are more powerful, capable of outputting more spl and a more powerful amplifier if the sound isn't loud enough. But if you have all this knowledge like you say, :rolleyes: then you figure it out yourself if you're not gonna accpet advice from us telling you, if the sounds not loud enough and you have to run the system into clipping, buy a more powerful system. Good luck. Hopefully your vast knowledge will stop you damaging your system :facepalm:

 

By the way, you said that you have "a good amount of knowledge in preamp circuits, specifically signal clipping". Well if thats the case, why exactly are you wasting our time asking us about clipping? Although your original post saying "there is no audible distortion but the clip light flickers or just stays lit when I really crank things up.

Should I be concerned?" says to me that you don't have the slightest clue about clipping. I dont mean to be rude, but your post is confusing.

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So do you mean to say that
your
speakers if they say, 600 watts, can handle 6,000 watts then? Haa haa haa. Or do you mean that your speakers can handle, for example, 2,400 watts peak and you're putting 120 watts into them? I didn't say that clipping has to do with what you're speaker can handle did I, you're putting words in my mouth. Actually you can damage a speaker without clipping the amplifier powering them. Its called thermal damage, caused by heating the voice coils too much, plus, also over excursion can cause driver failure too and you even have to clip an amplifier to cause that either.


I still stand by my first comment of "if the sound isn't loud enough and you have to clip your system in order to get more volume, then you're asking for trouble." You need speakers that are more powerful, capable of outputting more spl and a more powerful amplifier if the sound isn't loud enough. But if you have all this knowledge like you say,
:rolleyes:
then you figure it out yourself if you're not gonna accpet advice from us telling you, if the sounds not loud enough and you have to run the system into clipping, buy a more powerful system. Good luck. Hopefully your vast knowledge will stop you damaging your system
:facepalm:

By the way, you said that you have "a good amount of knowledge in preamp circuits, specifically signal clipping". Well if thats the case, why exactly are you wasting our time asking us about clipping? Although your original post saying "there is no audible distortion but the clip light flickers or just stays lit when I really crank things up.

Should I be concerned?" says to me that you don't have the slightest clue about clipping. I dont mean to be rude, but your post is confusing.

 

Gary, since you want to pick a fight, come to Madison Ohio and do it to my face. Otherwise shut your childish, ignorant mouth. You don't know ANYTHING compared to me and you've proven it. You think a clipped signal can destroy speakers which is funny because tens of millions of guitarists feed speakers hard clipped signals all the time.

 

My concern are the chips and sadly, I've probably known the difference between RMS and peak wattage longer than you've been alive. My speakers will handle a few THOUSAND watts RMS. I'm feeding them a fraction of that. Due to the power mismatch, it's hard for the amp to drive them so I'm feeding it a hotter signal which puts it into clipping but it's inaudible.

Do you even know what the word inaudible means?

Obviously you do not.

 

Now go be useless somewhere else.

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I'm not trying to pick a fight mate, I just know you dont have a clue that's all. And as for coming to ohio to say it to your face, i'm not a person for fighting, i've learnt enough to have restraint. I've got nothing to worry about anyway mate because I was in the british army for 10 and did tours in afghanistan and bosnia and i've been doing martial arts for 17 years. I'm a 3rd dan black belt in aikdio, 2nd dan black belt in karate and 3rd dan black belt in jujitsu. My advice to you is, if you dont understand if cipping is bad then read about it on the net, but you say you DO know about clipping and seem to think you know more than anyone on this forum by the way you talk.

 

So, if I was you i'd be careful who you go around picking fights with mate, because you never know when you're gonna be picking a fight with someone you think is weak, but who is really trained by martials arts experts and a friend who's in the special forces and who could take on you and all your mates at the same time. So be happy, calm the hell down and don't start threads you then claim during the thread, that you know the answer to already.

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I'm not trying to pick a fight mate, I just know you dont have a clue that's all. And as for coming to ohio to say it to your face, i'm not a person for fighting, i've learnt enough to have restraint. I've got nothing to worry about anyway mate because I was in the british army for 10 and did tours in afghanistan and bosnia and i've been doing martial arts for 17 years. I'm a 3rd dan black belt in aikdio, 2nd dan black belt in karate and 3rd dan black belt in jujitsu. My advice to you is, if you dont understand if cipping is bad then read about it on the net, but you say you DO know about clipping and seem to think you know more than anyone on this forum by the way you talk.


So, if I was you i'd be careful who you go around picking fights with mate, because you never know when you're gonna be picking a fight with someone you think is weak, but who is really trained by martials arts experts and a friend who's in the special forces and who could take on you and all your mates at the same time. So be happy, calm the hell down and don't start threads you then claim during the thread, that you know the answer to already.

 

 

LMFAO!!!!

Ok karate man, you pick a fight, I respond then you put this off on me.

You fill a post with innuendo and lies stating I stated things I did not state and insisting I'm ignorant when you very clearly know absolutely nothing about the subject at hand. You believe a hard clipped signal is going to destroy woofers. Afraid not dumbass.

If I hit some home audio tweeters with a hard clipped signal, sure I might damage or destroy them. But some piezo tweeters and aluminum cone woofers with 500 watts of RMS handling, not a chance in hell the woofer is going to blow and if I fry the tweeter, it's a few bucks to replace it.

 

In short, I'd stomp your face in until you were {censored}ting it out on the floor. OOOOOooooo Dan this Dan that go {censored} yourself chicken {censored} little dick. You assholes run your mouths about all your training and how it puts us all beneath you.

Kid, I'd wipe my dick across your mother's face after I buried you and you think I'm talking out my ass?

Come to Ohio and start running your mouth about your amazing martial arts and military background and while you're busy trying to inflate your ego and intimidate me, I'm going to hit you so {censored}ing hard you'll fear for your life.

 

Yes, I better watch what I say to people, you sure showed me!

You're a big mouthed coward running on about how you are a trained killer and the world must fear you blah blah blah go {censored} yourself.

Anyone so very dangerous, doesn't TELL people they're dangerous.

 

Now go back to 8th grade and sell little kiddies on your bull{censored}.

I know from my own experience in martial arts that anyone that tries to use a belt ranking to intimidate and claim ability is like some retard pop star flashing around a Grammy they won for songs they didn't actually right.

MMA training is {censored} and so is every word coming out your mouth.

 

Yes, please, come show me a thing or two Terminator.

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Gary is right Htaed...

Clipping your amp can damage your speakers because it effectively chops the top and bottom off your waveform essentially creating a squarewave which holds you speaker in one position for too long causing the voice coil to heat up and expand, thereby wrecking you speaker. The speakers power rating is meaningless in this situation..

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But to educate any of those who might be following this thread...

 

The problem with clipping a power amp might indeed not manifest itself with a guitar amp woofer. The problem is with high-frequency elements ("tweeters"). These are not designed to take the same kind of high wattage signals as paper cone speakers because most signals have comparatively less high frequencies than low frequencies. Clipping can generate sustained harmonics that produce an abnormally high amount of high frequencies, thus potentially damaging tweeters.

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