Clipping A Subwoofer What Is Distortion & What Is Clean Power? Skar Audio RP-1200.1D Amplifier Pt.1

[@z1berzerker]

🎉 Infinite ♾️ wisdom ✨️

[@SubzPawz]

@@z1berzerker thanks buddy. I'm going to make a couple of these videos for only members. The real one that really gets things into perspective will be dropping today. Thanks for your support 🙏

[@juanroque4452]

Awesome video once we learn the technical parameters we can definitely save money from blown subwoofers

[@SubzPawz]

This is part 1 of a series of videos I have coming. I tried too many times making a single video and my program kept freezing. So I broke it up and have several part's to the video. Thanks for your comment and support 🙂

[@JasonWW2000]

I can tell you want to learn this. So here goes. In car audio, the term clipping refers to a type of change in the AC sinewave from an amplifier. Any deviation in the shape of the sine wave is considered distortion and clipping is one type of distortion. The normally smooth sinewave will have the top and bottom flattened out. This is due to the amp being asked to produce more power than it has voltage available.

[@JasonWW2000]

You have to understand a little bit about how an amplifier works. Inside, you have two main stages. The power supply stage is what creates high voltage rails that get fed into the output stage of the amplifier. So 12v DC goes in and let's say it bumps it up to positive 50 volt and negative 50 volt. The output stage uses this rail voltage like a reservoir to create an output sinewave to feed the speaker. It can produce a sinewave that is 100 volts peak to peak. If you push the amp too hard, the output stage will hit the 100v limit, but still try to output a sinewave. Let's say you wanted to produce a signwave that is 110v peak to peak. The top 5 volts and bottom 5 volts will be missing or clipped off. You can see this on an oscilloscope.

[@JasonWW2000]

That's a clipped signal. You can get a clipped signal from the amp in a headunit also. Even from a headunits RCA outputs. From an EQ or DSP, etc. There's always a voltage limit to a devices output. If you push it too far, the otherwise smooth AC sinewave will start to clip. A mechanical device such as a subwoofer can not clip. You can feed it a clipped signal and you can hear the results of that. The cone is simply trying to move back-and-forth smoothly to match the sinewave. A small amount of clipped signal fed into a subwoofer is not going to be very noticeable, because the mass of the cone sort of covers it up. As the signal becomes more heavily clipped, it starts looking like a square wave. The cone will not move smoothly and you'll hear it. The cone will try to stop moving at the top and bottom of it's stroke to match the clipped signal it's being fed. When the cone's not moving, the voice coil gets much hotter than normal. This can lead to heat damage.

[@SubzPawz]

I'm just going to write on one comment. I have several videos to this video. If I missed something that you mentioned I will try to fit it in the videos. My computer froze too many times to count so I had to make several videos and different parts.

[@Triplej863]

​@@JasonWW2000spot on as per usual.

[@dougloyd5988]

Have to measure at the head unit, DSP, amp, etc. Furthermore, the mechancial limits of the enclosure/subwoofer combination (tuning) It’s crazy. Tools / equipment help.

[@QUAKEPOWERZ]

Yeaaa people don't understand that it swings in ohms when playing .... And there's another way to distortion just by playing a distorted bass-(it will sound buzze) FOR PEOPLE THAT don't know 👍💯..... John i did your test song 32HZ AND UP 👍

[@JasonWW2000]

There's definitely a big difference between DC resistance and AC impedence. For the most part, a DC voltage is going to show a fixed resistance. When you run an AC voltage through something, the impedance or "resistance" is going to change based on the frequency of that AC voltage. AC is weird like that. 😊

[@SubzPawz]

Nice. How did it sound? I have several part's to this video coming. I tried making a single video and it was too problematic. Thanks for your comment and support 🙂

[@SubzPawz]

I see you wrote several comments. I have several part's to this video coming in the next couple days and I will add on some of the stuff you mentioned that I might not have. Thanks for your comments 🙏

[@Thumper68]

Still clipping on 44s subs always distorting, vocals sound like robots everywhere I’m rolling. My freestyle so hard it makes my woofers start smoking that ain’t no joke son, hit me up for a feature so your shit be blowin! These bars ain’t for free boy you should of seen this 🫳🏻🎤 coming!💯

[@SubzPawz]

Very cool. Thanks for your comment and support 🙂 I appreciate it 🙏

[@myfavoritecolorisclear]

you can also clip your head unit output on the rca

[@JasonWW2000]

Yes, some amps can compensate for that and some can't. Some amps will take that clipped input and smooth it out. It's always best to make sure your signal is not clipped all the way down the signal chain. Especially at the amps output.

[@SubzPawz]

Thanks for your comment and support 🙂

[@roblinprasad528]

Takes power to make power. Gotta have proper electrical upgrade for the amplifier to work properly and not clip. Bigger amp alternator Big 4 upgrade battery reserves wire type (ofc). Properly tuning the amplifier using proper equipment.

[@SubzPawz]

Right. This is a group of videos I'm making. I couldn't put everything in one video so I made a few. My power in my house is too strong to get a clipped signal without hurting my sub by overpowering it. I have 3 cars and I did a video on one of the factory car's with no upgrades. Thanks for your comment and support 🙂 I appreciate it 🙏

[@kayone8571]

What’s your subsonic on

[@meckkz387c]

27 10” sealed comp r 20 liter box

[@SubzPawz]

Thanks for your comment and support 🙂

[@SubzPawz]

I believe off on all my amps. I will show or say it in my videos in the future. Thanks for your comment and support 🙂 I appreciate it 🙏