CLIPPING: WHERE DOES IT START, HOW DO YOU PREVENT IT?

We all love to push our amps and speakers to the highest brink. This is why it so essential that we are regualting the frequencies and levels that our equipment is producing. Clipping is often a consequence of amps being pushed to hard therefor it is important to identify where clipping starts, and how to prevent it.
In this video, JP shares his knowledge on how to properly run your subs and amplifiers to avoid clipping, and what to check for if you notice distortion in your sound.
Check out the Down4sound JP 95 Amplifier on down4soundshop.com in the link below.
JP95 - 1500w RMS 5 Channel amplifier
www.down4soundshop.com/jp95-1...

[@robertholsopple9451]

I wish clip lights were standard issue on all amps. Very good idea.

[@arok_audio]

The "pushing runner" analogy was brilliant! Thank you sir❣

[@vincebowling1778]

I had a set of two 15s built to my spec from a well known builder and blew one in less than four months from a " by the ear" setup on two amps running the two subs. When I ordered my two Zv5s, I also ordered and religiously used my SMD DD1 and CC1 to set my head unit max volume and amp gains, and have been clip free for over two years now. No issues whatsoever. I'm a firm believer now.

[@daviddiosdado6558]

I also was getting my system tuned by these " People who say they can tune your audio system by ear. Dude told me he's been in car audio for 30 yrs. and my sub still blew. So I bought the SDM DD1.

[@Thezuule1]

It's entirely possible to tune by ear without damaging stuff and you shouldn't tune amps to never clip. There's a reason the DD1 disc comes with -5db, -10db, etc tracks. If you're not clipping at all you're leaving a massive amount of power on the table. If the only time you're getting the full power out of the amp is when a 0db note plays consider every other note is nowhere near the amp's real output and music is dynamic.

[@toniserenvert7919]

I put togethee my own system, nothing fanzy. 800w rms 1 ohm sub and matched it with amp with same rms. Running good for 3 years. Now the big mistake is also to bush it too hard. Sound pressure level? Think that is where some of the problem is. I personally do my builds on sound quality and keep the volume down a little to save my ears.

[@jasoncaine2600]

Tuned mine by ear it was just fine you could turn up to 40 🤷‍♂️

[@SeanOMatic]

Distortion is always present in some form, even with the best amps. Clipping, however, can be avoided.

[@natewest1201]

Thank you bro this helped me out so much, 3500w amp and my subs kept clipping at no so loud volumes. Realized i need an alternator/big3 upgrade after watching this video.

[@kodyburrows4276]

Good job man, although I’ve been aware of a lot of the information you’ve put out, it’s been very helpful and I know it’s helping a lot of people. Regardless of the knowledge that most of us seasoned Installers may have, it never hurts to always stay refreshed. Very much appreciate what you do for us J.B.

[@jayvog1601]

Thank you bro. That was about one of the best explanations for some of the tech terms used throughout the car audio world. Awesome content and I do plan on the future to go with some of your JP line. Now if there were JP branded speakers. . . Hint, hint, hint.

[@x.Elena_Rivera.x]

That was the baddest clipping video of ever seen it made so much sense wen he said about running and someone trying to make u run faster and making u trip nice awesome video D4S

[@minenachos]

Damn JP that's a good explanation. You know 30 years ago we didn't have all that fancy technology and oscilloscopes was expensive as fuck. Back then I used the multimeter and some test tones. I turned it up till I heard distortion watching the voltage and then turn it back 30%. So basically don't laugh we didn't have all this big power back then but you know we did have the same fucking decibels. I was doing 58's w/ four 12s walled. I think the amps was showing right at 280 volts when you could hear distortion and I'd turn it below 220. Car audio is just like everything else, you're already fucking something up when it starts feeling good.

[@austinpinkerman6675]

Great advice. Thanks man

[@2015gtbass]

Good job Jp.

[@tomcat5598]

The analogy about running is the best

[@MichaelBWare]

Voltage drop and tuning while loaded or unloaded and playing out of tuning aka bandwidth. Hopefully this is helpful as well. You are awesome brotha.

[@Supercharged1976]

The two biggest causes for clipping is system set up (gains matched to headunit output voltage and max clean volume on deck determined) and the music itself if more often than not clipped as well and if it's not clipped it's recorded louder than what the gain overlap is set on the amp thus again overdriving the amp past it's max rail voltage. There is so much that goes into making sure you never clip that most people don't even bother.

[@ghost-carnage8964]

So true.

[@commonsenseisdeadin2024]

how does a distorted audio signal clip a amplifiers output? If you match the max signal output voltage (Clean or distorted) to the amplifier input section with the gain you should never have clipping. A amplifier does not care what the signal looks like coming in, It only cares about the voltage and frequency

[@Thezuule1]

Tuning an amp to never clip is also a colossal waste of power and thus money.

[@Carlossteezyblunts]

@@Thezuule1 u say that because you didn’t get the proper amp to power your setup so without clipping ur bass is poor. So u have to clip to get it loud. U basically are going backwards in life sir..

[@Thezuule1]

@@Carlossteezyblunts I say that because it's the case with any amp in any setup. Music is dynamic and if you tune an amp to never clip at 0 db you're leaving a ton of power on the table. An amp should be tuned around -5 db generally, sub amps can be pushed more toward -10 db.

[@MrGreengiant4200]

The running analogy was nice!

[@chajonnori5751]

Good information. Also the head unit can cause it as there is a amp in there to. Amp feeding you amp. After everything is turned you need to know your systems limits.

[@niceguy1442]

Happy New Year's JP

[@chuckmalone2798]

That was well put

[@oscardanielflores4376]

That’s really good info thanks bro

[@lesteranderson3350]

Awesome video.

[@bradleyepperson5365]

Thanks that actually helped

[@bojow8102]

Good analogy. Tripping is clipping, nice 😎

[@TrevByTheTon300]

YEEOOO This is being downloaded and shown to my buds.

[@opstick9145]

This video low key helped hella

[@jeanettecranston]

Thx for the tips!😎

[@natedogg6126]

Thanks for helping man

[@stevemaniaci4750]

Jp thanks for explain clipping . An I love your line of amps. There are so awesome 👍👍 I don't just have one favorite amp,I like in your line up know there so many to choice from . Cool stuff jp .

[@gregblau8082]

That jp95 is beautiful

[@denniswalker1640]

Great content 👌

[@brucehoyer5030]

Nevermind, he just answered my question!

[@therealpaulyd9558]

Mr J-analogy. Lol. I love it. Dam good explanation

[@joseh9955]

Ordered a amp for my dad…cant wait to order mine next check 😆 maybe the 33

[@johndfsio9906]

Thank you, bro I have learned a lot from this video ❤❤

[@thatguyfromwisconsin1847]

Thank you 👍

[@FJB_obs7.3]

i appreciate these informative videos as somebody with not much knowledge in the hobby lol

[@anthonyperkins3216]

Yooooo biggest fan hear💪🏾

[@Nedsped0]

Yes, what I've noticed with my system is when I added more battery power, the amp doesn't clip as early. Your amp Is only as good as its power, same applies with speakers, your choice of speakers are only as good your choice amps

[@ChaosTherapy719]

Very good info on Clipping Jp!! But with some amps there just a crappy design like the Sundown SFB 2000 i bought from y'all this spring. As soon as i bumped the gain with it hooked to my xv2 it was clipping and the amp burned itself up in 6 hours. But i went and bought a Deaf Bonce AAB Atom 2000D afterwards and it plays perfectly fine even with a slight flicker of the clip light

[@Thezuule1]

Well if you didn't tune it right don't blame the amp. My SFB-1000 is tuned to soft clip on purpose and it's been running strong for like a year.

[@zackbalins658]

@@Thezuule1 I've been soft clipping the original Sundown SAZ1500 for years with no issues. Decent amplifier for sure.

[@shawnsanderson3695]

Good analagies.

[@ronnydisalvo80]

3:02 in that was some Socrates shit jp..mind blown😵😵great analogy .FR 4:53 into video and ANOTHER knowledge 💣......my brain hurts

[@Pittsburgh-412]

Bottom line... buy a amp that has at least 50% more rms power than what your subs are rated. Don't match the rms, so bigger than needed rms amps don't have to work so hard

[@Thezuule1]

Subwoofers never really play at the ohm load on the box either so you're never going to get 1 ohm power for more than a split second and the bulk of the time the subs will be at 1.8 or 2.1 ohms anyway while they're playing.

[@sergioh2015]

I was thinking of running a 1200 watt amp with some 800-1000 watt speakers soon. Should I go a little higher? I don't think so tbh.

[@Pittsburgh-412]

@@sergioh2015 it will be ok

[@Alex0992]

The amp don't know what the subs are rated for.

[@chris444b444]

Hmmmm so I have the sundown zv6 12 on a sundown 4k that’s almost 50 but still clips

[@anthonyperkins3216]

💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾 my boi

[@commonsenseisdeadin2024]

SOME amplifiers you can very distinctively hear the very beginning of it clipping the sine wave HOWEVER how will you know unless a clip light or Oscope (DD1 if only at 40Hz) is used to know which amplifier you can and can not. so I agree good luck. The reason clipping kills is because it causes excessive amperage, amperage equals more heat, and heat kills all. Clipping is a very specific form of distortion, , I wouldn't say they are one of the same.

[@BrandonCartwright04]

The jp23 is a very nice amp. The temp and clip light are very useful. When testing the clip light to an o scope, the clip light comes on before actual clipping occurs. It could be set at 1% and thats too little for me to see on my o scope. Nonetheless it guarantees that you will not clip the amp.

[@jeffreycattelino3996]

The head unit can clip to the amp then the amp can clip to the subwoofers or speakers. The audio controls lc2i loc tells you when the head unit clips. I learned that when I hooked up the dd1 to the amp.

[@lanetakata3495]

facts

[@mr_killjoy4205]

true. that's why I tell people to never use an oscilloscope or multimeter to set the gains on your amp. you need to know the maximum clean output of the head unit and you can't find that number without a DD-1 or DD-1+

[@livingthelife2wice]

If you watch Barevids on youtube, he showed an example of this, he proved that even if the head unit put out a clipped signal the amplifier if the amp has a low pass filter it will out any noise and re smooths the signal. this is because clipping adds high frequency noise to your signal so if the amp has a low pass that filters them out.

[@commonsenseisdeadin2024]

@@mr_killjoy4205 wow you couldn't be so much further from the truth. A oscilloscope is literally looking at electricity and waveforms You should learn a oscop and throw the DD1 in the trash.

[@commonsenseisdeadin2024]

@@livingthelife2wice he also sends a squarewave into the amp and it poops out a sinewave magically. People are so sold on the waveform shape they dont even understand what a waveform is. He litteraly shows you and people are still like "nuuu uhh" while gripping their beloved dd1 and in smd we trust pamphlet of how to be another basshead sheep

[@ruralrouteadventures8424]

Do you have one with clipping light and inclined for RCA? And even better if it had voltage meter

[@hangingwitthabrowns]

Yes sir love the vids, and the website! I have a Sundown x12 v3 on an JP23 plus dual inputs a 320 amp Alt mechman, big 3, 0Guage throughout the vehicle, xs Power 3400 under the hood and a kinetic 2400Hc in the back…is that ok?

[@jero1820]

Got to start at the head unit. If it’s clipped so will the rest of your signals to the amp. It’s only amplifies the signal. Got to check and set at every unit. Head unit, high output to RCA’s Dsp and the amps. It’s a process.

[@CHarris73]

I'm running two sdr 12s skar, RMS 1000 per and my amp is mono blk 1 channel 8000watts rated at 4 rms, my amp is turned down nearly to zero on all settings but my Xover is turned up pretty good and I'm clipping around 27 volume. But I'm only running 8 gauge power and ground, and a very old alternator, have two batteries but not upgraded yet on the big 3.

[@wilfredojimenez9359]

SO what would be a good amp for the sundown u12 d2? I'm currently running a pair of skar vd10's with an rp1200, with the gain on the amp less than half or maybe half and the knob half way I can hear it at times clipping.

[@misaelbarboza8753]

JP, I have been waiting for thid video since i bought my SUNDOWN X V2 D2 along with a SFB 3000D which I am doubting right now if I need to upgrade to a SALT 4 AMP or get an ALT or a JY LITHIUM BATTERY. good video like always I watch all your content. @DOWN4SOUND 🙌

[@dretey9072]

Kid you can’t run SFBS below 1 ohm. You will have to get a salt 4 and run it at half ohm. You’ll need a high output alternator and some good batteries

[@Thezuule1]

@@dretey9072 how would he run a single D2 sub at 0.5 ohm? Kid...

[@Contact_Info]

Will those bass knobs work with the phone jack wiring? I want to switch my MTX bass control knob with one with a clipping light.

[@leonsines247]

Can you use the clip light on the jp to set the gains?

[@michaelperez9290]

Thank God my buddy has a dd1 and set all my stuff for me

[@kevinmontoya7318]

so I have a 160a alternator that puts half at idle, a new group 35 battery up front with the big 3, 1/0 ofc running to the back to 2 semi truck starter batteries powering a (true) 3000w ds18 amp putting out 2100 at 2 ohms. it's connected to 2 sdr 12s that take 650 each rms and 1200 peak. How am I getting clipping when my voltage doesn't dip below 13 and I have so much electrical going on.

[@bekkerthesokuangeldragon68]

i always have my Amp volumes / bass volumes on the 11 Point top middle of the 12 number clock type of number wheel of the volumes type so i don't overpower and clip my amps/subs/speakers. I got told that the top middle 11 point to 12 point top middle of the numbers clock volume knobs keep them around 11 and 12 points volumes so you don't overpower / so you don't blowout the subs/amps/speakers. It's the safest point of the volumes?

[@russsmith9042]

Good one JP somebody told me that when the sub is trying to mimic that sign wave, and when it stops where it goes straight across, that’s when the voice coil is heating up and it burns it and kills your subs or whatever speaker you got. You won’t be able to see it stop but when it momentary stops that’s when the voice calls is heating up and melts.

[@eliezerbrito301]

What about the protection light flashes on the jp23?

[@sarssars-hm2ox]

Hey I have this but one question. My head unit Max volume is 33 but it clips at 25. Does that affect my amplifier to subwoofer. We are using the tool plus your knob

[@ManuelHernandez-ko8sc]

I have 2 zvx15 d2 skar audio and a skar3500.1d and it's clipping it didn't last 2 weeks ...my question is do I need 2 3500.1 d amps 1 for each sub? I need help with this setup

[@mmike422]

You know he loves his job

[@angryace4017]

Most of the customers I service have done self installs and the source is usually clipping. I use the SMD DD-1+ and CC-1 to calibrate these systems and the difference in night and day. Most recently, a customer had a Boss mono block amp that supposedly put out 1125w rms @ 2 ohms. He did the 3/4 volume and DMM method and set the voltage at 47v. It sounded like crap. After going through the system, turns out this crap amp was clipping at 19.7v, barely able to put out 195w. Can't reliably use a DMM to set gains on a cheap Walmart or Amazon amp.

[@zenassolomon]

Is it true that clipping light flashing when the bass drop ok as long as you don’t have a solid light ?

[@deeznuttz7980]

I have a 8000.1d hcca so my and I can only go halfway on volume is and two sundown zv5 so I know the amp can do more and subs am I doing something wrong

[@thebeddoctor4273]

So if I have a small system. 300 rms with a 12 I dont have to worry as much since its not high power?

[@EZCustomzz]

Question. I have an amp that does 4000 RMS, and 2 kicker solo x 15” subs wired down to 1 ohm to the amp. Gain set to right before distortion and Crossovers set to 25hz of my 30hz tuned box, 80hz for LPF. Using the SMD DD-1 & CC-1. Have 350 amp HO alternator with a 2nd battery XS power 3100 with a 630F ultra cap bank. Im getting a soft clip at louder volumes 34/35 of 38. With Bass Knob turned half to 3/4 way up. I get soft clipping at dynamic kicks with like a flash of red clip light, and if i turn the volume or bass up more it will be more of a hard clip with a solid red clip light. should I get a larger amp that can feed the 4k RMS with extra headroom such as a 4500/5000 watt amp.

[@BigMeepsadventures]

I just installed a taramps md800.1 earlier this week, two ds18 z10 elites d4vc wired together to 1 ohm. I had to put a switch on one output wire from the amp to the subs and have it turned off at first otherwise when it powers up the subs thump and the clip light comes on and shuts down the amp and it does it repeatedly. Do you have any suggestions to fix this?

[@billionairemindset7]

Is there a bass knob that I can purchase for my amp because on my knob it doesn't have a clip light? Please let me know thanks

[@1970chevy]

Had a shop tune mine "by ear" five mins later started smelling coils. Bought a dd1 and have had zero coils smell.

[@kaamiljahmezjaanfoster5795]

I have a sundown 1750d mono block amp on two skar sdr 10’s and I get clipping and I blow fuses how can I prevent that ? Up grade subs or upgrade amp and subs ?

[@chrisluvsu]

Is the Jp23v2 good for the sundown 12x v3?

[@jessieallen4435]

Hey JP you got your own amps and tweeters when you going to do a Subwoofers that way you can supply a completely JP system????

[@russellcrabtree5314]

When adjustments to the gain for clipping do I need to have the bass volume control, on the head unit, at what setting. Say for instance the bass control level, on the head unit, has a 0-10 levels what number level do I need to have that set at when testing for clipping?

[@EdgarMendezz]

I believe that is extra power for the sub. Take this with a grain of salt but I have a headunit that has the similar volume thing, but I just leave it at 0. I believe it’s just for those who want to add more volume to your subwoofer.. I think it depends on your power and your subs limits… Just use your maximum undistorted headunit volume and leave the bass thing at 0 and I think you should be good. But I used a -10 sub test tone for my sub, on the amp gain. Basically see what works for you and what sounds good. Experiment with it until you get it right. Hope this helps as I see no one has replied to you.

[@Contact_Info]

God Bless you JP, Your sister appreciates and needs your financial help, I am glad you are a good brother. Help.her continually when you can since you are in a position to do it. It's only money and it's not important relatively speaking.

[@ssc7453]

I need some help. I have the sfb1000 amp running a SA classic on 1 ohm. the amp keeps clipping. I sent it to sundown for testing. they said amp is good and issue is cause by bad rca signal from the radio and music source bluetooth. They said it was premature clipping. Is there such thing? How do I fix this?

[@robinthrill3r7]

I got your JP23 amp and from what I hear the clip was not a problem unless it is a solid yellow color. If it's just flickering it's not a big deal. Dunno much about audio but my bass still hits even when it's in clip city lol ..

[@robinthrill3r7]

@BEATING NCP93 I plan on adding a 320 alt with big 3 .. nothing happened yet I just don't turn it passed half way on the knob yet

[@robinthrill3r7]

@BEATING NCP93 I have the the D4S lithium battery 🔋 😎 and 0 gauge wire running to the amp already. My other battery is a Optima yellow top 👏 But yeah I wanna get a new alt next most deff. What's a good brand?

[@jeffreycattelino3996]

Back it down if it flickers

[@robinthrill3r7]

@BEATING NCP93 no dimming lights. Just the yellow clip light kinda flashes like every 10 seconds sorta flocker

[@robinthrill3r7]

@BEATING NCP93 yeah my setup is 4 SKAR EVL 8" with a jp23 amp. Still hits but I can't turn the gain up high or the voltage drops. (Hope the new alt solves that) What system u running?

[@ra200]

What’s the difference between amp protect mode and clipping

[@fifitafamily7611]

Or would the D7500 XS batt be better? Thank

[@K3NetworkZ06]

What if my amplifier gain is almost all the way left, turned up just about 1/10 but still clipping when I turn the head unit to volume 22/50? Also I have the big 3 upgrade and 3 batteries.

[@ShatterS10]

Ty for this video. But I have a question I hope you can answer. I have a JL 1000.1 mono amp and 2x 10 inch pioneer Z series subs. My amp has a clipping indicator on it. Only on some songs and certain bass lines does the light flicker for a second and goes back off. Of course if they hold a certain bass line for 3 seconds the light will light up for that 3 seconds but that is very rare. Is this safe?

[@EdgarMendezz]

I’m no expert but my best guess would be power issue. Sounds like on some bass parts of songs your amp clips cause it’s trying to use more power than your vehicle can provide. Again that’s just my guess. Maybe try to test it with an amp clamp and a multimeter.

[@santanabori]

I have 2 15’’ xmaxx subs from American bass 4K rms 8 k peak power . Which amp do I need

[@terrancemorrisey7723]

Do you all carry those bass/clipping controls?

[@johnCjr4671]

I have an older unit in my 1991 Mustang, it plays nicely on startup but starts distorting after the Car warms up ? Can the unit itself be overheating ? Thats what it seems like to me ??😅

[@MannyGunzz]

I turned to gain n the sub actually had a weird sound almost like coil scratching type noise, subs are new and so is the amp. Have u ever experienced that noise

[@Timberwolf35546]

I'd love a jp series amp just for the clip indicators although I only have 800wrms worth of sub..

[@mr_killjoy4205]

they make the JP8 which is an 800W @1ohm amplifier

[@2v_media]

JP8 would be great for you then

[@murrayshekelberg9754]

I have a JP8 and it is nice. It would suit your needs. You typically want more amp than sub because of impedance rise and other factors, a sub will never see the full power of the amp pushing it. At least no for more than a brief moments when playing music. Some channels on youtube show real time numbers while playing music and it is not unusual for a 3k amp to push between a couple of hundred watts up to maybe a bit over 2k while playing music. It is a whole rabbit hole to go down but if you try to match numbers, you will sell yourself short and possibly wind up clipping because it doesn't sound that loud. I have had my JP8 for a while now and love the clip light. I don't think I will ever get an amp again without a clip light. Songs are recorded at all sorts of different levels and picking one for setting your gains makes the others a bit, or a lot, sub-optimal. This gives some wiggle room and I can just nudge things up to just before clipping and roll with it without worrying. Not sure on your setup but if you think your ride could handle it, I would almost say get the JP23. Gives you room to upgrade and no one is ever "finished" with their system it seems. Always wanting a bit more power and volume. If not you can get a second JP8 later. It is strappable and gives 2300w @2 ohms.

[@mrarikara975]

My 8k taramp clips if i rilly crank it up on 1 zv5 15. So my sub is taking 6.7? When im not? And i got mechman 320 titan 8 cap and d3400r

[@deeznuttz7980]

Does clipping come from head unit or amp?

[@21slo-moboy58]

okay but how do i tell the difference between clipping and a blown sub it sounds blown but the guy at the audio place said my amp was just clipping

[@eddiemaravillas9879]

What if it's clipping on the amp but not on the smd dd1?

[@undisputedtruth2075]

Hi. I have a JL Audio HO112R-W7AE Ported H.O. Wedge. I purchased a JL Audio JD1000/1 1000 Watt Class D Mono Amplifier to power the sub. The W7 is a 3omh sub . The amp can push 800W RMS @ 3 ohm. Will this be under powering the sub? IS it going to be clipping ?

[@jasonwelborn1903]

Hey Jp...thanks for the video...I just got my first full setup from d4s including the jp95...I'm a newbie and would like a tutorial on which channels to wire my mids and my super tweeters...any suggestions?

[@Bobcatspiritdude]

yeah , i have the jp95 also . Can't wait to install it . Did you watch the video by Williston Audio Labs ? He explains what you're asking about . Have you installed any of your equipment yet ?

[@jasonwelborn1903]

@@Bobcatspiritdude yes I have and yes I have lol thanks brother

[@Bobcatspiritdude]

@@jasonwelborn1903 Np 👌 sorry for the late info😎 How are you liking it so far ? I'm stoked about bass knob & clipping indicator

[@jasonwelborn1903]

@@Bobcatspiritdude I like the clip light too. I'm happy with the amp but ready for more power but I've gotta get a ho alt first. One thing at a time

[@sabrinapollad5235]

Hello my name is Sabrina I have A question about my Gemini speaker the sound started distorting how can I fix it

[@basedlord88]

I have the JP8 and the JP84, running a 13 inch Focal Polyclass on the JP8, it’s clipping so early, right before any kinda power is felt from the sub, sometimes it sounds okay if I’m walking the threshold. Do I need the upgrades for just the JP8 and JP84? Doesn’t seem right

[@basedlord88]

I’ve tried 2 different subs and same issue

[@THELIFEOFPRICE]

Get a bigger amp like the jp23

[@jordanbecker2121]

gotta sundown x8 v4 d2 with the 2800rms jp23. has this clipping issue figured this would be a winning combo. would upgrade to bigger but my fear of this not being the issue holds me back

[@eugene9941]

Still waiting for a JP 8k.

[@moneycat3789]

JP it can be electrical too when it hits the 11s

[@mr_killjoy4205]

hence why you should always work on your electrical first; before you even power the system on for the first time.

[@moneycat3789]

@@mr_killjoy4205 I bump at 15volts and I'm not clipping

[@chrisspear5397]

So I have audiopipe 3000 on 4 sundown 12s the economy 12s 300 rms I believe and some crap Amazon 1 guage wire kit the subs hit pretty good but certain songs when it turned up I can really hear the subs sound like wires touching but there not so is amp bad or not enough power to amp even tho amp way more than subs need I believe or is it rca problem or Indash just in bass u can here it sound like crap lol but othere than that it pounds great and amp is turned way down any thoughts

[@freddewittii8469]

Hi im new to this but wanting to get subwoofers but I have a question please can you listen to subwoofers for hours or do you need to let them cool down I'm looking at low power subwoofers and not showing off just my personal use probably a 12 inch with about 300 to 500 watts any information is truly appreciated thank you for your time and have a great day fred

[@murrayshekelberg9754]

A lot of it depends up your setup. I drive about a half hour to work and a half hour home and go full tilt most of the time. I don't give it a second thought when I do. I occasionally will go out for and hour or two with it and will glance at the temp on my bass knob but it is just habit. My present amp (JP8) has always stayed at a reasonable temp and has a cooling fan. My kids(one is a teenager and the other in early 20s) both love it so we will roll around 4 or 5 hours playing it sometimes with occasional stops for the restroom or something like that. My setup is behind the seats and I will sometimes reach back and feel the dustcap on the sub. In a lot of subs they are designed to help whisk heat of the coil and help air move around the coil. If it feels like its getting more than just warm, I will maybe play something that isn't as bass heavy or even load up a tone generator app on my phone and push a tone at moderate volume for a minute to get good airflow on the coil. If you smell the coil, its best to get a tone going or some moderate music , just not so loud that it continues warming. I have had a lot of different setups over the years and you really get to know the quirks of yours after a while. Those inverted mounts allow better cooling to the voice coil and a sealed enclosure gives the least, I believe as its the same air that is heating up inside the enclosure. You don't get a chance to smell the coil, at least not in time, on a sealed enclosure with a regular mount so it is something to be aware of. Theres no reason most setups couldn't go for a few hours but you probably wouldn't want to go full tilt the whole time and maybe strategically select your playlist. I listen to a bit of everything and the old 90s "mini-truck bass" stuff like Techmaster PEB, Bass Cube, Bass Boy, Magic Mike, and others of that sort can be pretty hard on a sub. The "rebassed" stuff is probably even harder but I don't typically play any of that. I would not expect to play either of those all out and non-stop for hours unless maybe you have a supplemental cooling system for everything. I would also suggest you get bigger wire than you think you will need. 500 watts sounds huge, and it is good power, but most people get used to even a 3000 watt amp and start craving more. It can be an addictive hobby and there is no harm in good wiring, plus if you upgrade, you have that in place and aren't pulling the whole install just to upgrade the power line. Some people don't get like that and you may be one of those but it is just something to consider. I have so many old wires laying around because I just kept buying the minimum of what I needed. Last time I ran 2/0 and put a reducer on the wire to fit it to my amp. Check out Williston Audio Labs and there was a channel called "Budget Gems or Budget Bust" (he hasn't been active in a while but really liked his specializing on budget friendly amps), they both do amplifier tests on an amp dyno to see if they hit their listed numbers. You can do a 500w setup or more without breaking the bank now days. Parker the Basshead used to show more subs and is a decent channel as well. Not sure if you are looking for a budget build but I would say get the next model up from the Skar SDR(seems really popular with people starting out, used to be $99 but not sure now) if you go that route. Its not a terrible sub but after doing a side by side with the Skar SVR(was $139 last time I looked but could be had for $125 with a coupon code), it was worth the extra extra $25 for it. More musical and hit lower. Sometimes there are coupon codes if you poke around online and sometimes not. I am not necessarily recommending you go or not go with Skar, just an example on the lower priced side of things.

[@sanchezmatt54]

I have a salt2k for two sa10s and the clipping light comes on

[@russsmith9042]

Explain it to them like the subwoofer is trying to follow the sign wave but it stops at the point it clips and it’s when it stops. The little voice coil wire starts heating up. So the subwoofer moves up and then hits the clip and stops the moves down. Hits the clip and stops momentarily. You can’t see it but it’s happening and then when it does that that’s when the voice coil starts heating up and the wire burns into