Clipping ?

[admin_exported]

Iv've noticed it mentioned several times. Put simply please, what exactly is it?

How can one tell if an amp/Reciever is clipping?

 

[Big Chris]

Clipping is distortion. When you turn an amp up sufficiently high for it to struggle sending clean power and it starts sending spikes of distortion, you're clippping.

You can often hear when your speakers start to clip. If you slowly and carefully turn the volume up and with a single small movement the volume actually drops slightly, you've reached the point at which it's clipping (wait until the neighbours are out, you could be very loud at this point!). Continue to turn the volume up and you may well reach the point where the speakers will cut out altogether for a short time.

There's no easier way to kill you speakers than drive them so hard they clip. If it's a problem you're encountering often, you're gonna either have to learn to listen at lower volumes, buy an amp with greater output (allowing greater volume without distorting the power) or get used to replacing your speakers on a regular basis!

 

[Anonymous]

piobob:
I've noticed it mentioned several times. Put simply please, what exactly is it?

How can one tell if an amp/Reciever is clipping?

The term "clipping" comes from the shape of the waveform when an amplifier is driven too hard.
Imagine a sine wave where the tops and bottoms of the peaks are chopped off - they are "clipped" off! That's distortion coming from the amplifier which will eventually destroy your speakers.

See here

 

[Anonymous]

Many thanks for the replys chaps

Another tick on the learning curve.