Clipping does NOT create "DC"!

[GunForHire]

Sorry for the mini-techincal rant, but this old lie needs to be put to bed...

SO many people claim that a clipped signal kills speakers because it "sends DC" to the speaker which kills it. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!

A square wave is ais a summation of sine waves - pure and simple. Additionally, it does NOT have any components below the fundamental of the square wave!

Take a 40 Hz square wave - the LOWEST frequency component it will have is 40 Hz. And it will have frequency components ABOVE that point but NONE below.

Take a 40 Hz sine wave, and clip it. You add higher frequencies to it. THESE HIGHER FREQUENCIES are what contain the extra power. In fact, the average power of a sine wave is 1/2 its peak power (for example, assume you have a 50V peak signal into a 4 Ohm load - that is 50*50/4 = 625W peak, or 312.5W average). A square wave though - because of the higher harmonics - has an average power EQUAL to the peak power (fully clipped, that 50V sine wave would deliver 625W average).

So, to summarize - CLIPPING DOES NOT CREATE A DC COMPONENT - EVER!

OK, I feel better...

[sundownz]

*laughs*

Been reading caraudio.com lately?

[M-Special]

Theres a really interesting article on Audio Junkies right now about clipping and power in general as well.

[Electrodynamic]

Once upon a time I used to think that square waves caused the voice coil to blow because it made the coil stop and sit there for a split second, and the split seconds added up really quick to = a cooked coil.

[pKelly]

Originally Posted by Electrodynamic

Once upon a time I used to think that square waves caused the voice coil to blow because it made the coil stop and sit there for a split second, and the split seconds added up really quick to = a cooked coil.

Noob.

[GunForHire]

Originally Posted by Electrodynamic

Once upon a time I used to think that square waves caused the voice coil to blow because it made the coil stop and sit there for a split second, and the split seconds added up really quick to = a cooked coil.

NO SUB FOR YOU! NEXT!

[Megalomaniac]

well durr


actually i knew clipping does not cause DC power, but wasnt sure exactly HOW. so THank you.

[sundownz]

Originally Posted by Electrodynamic

Once upon a time I used to think that square waves caused the voice coil to blow because it made the coil stop and sit there for a split second, and the split seconds added up really quick to = a cooked coil.

My favorite is "distortion kills drivers" - when it's just the extra power from the clipped (eg: distorted) signal that does it. Nothing magical about distorted power or you'd see a whole lot more guitar cabinet speakers exploding.

I guarantee my 250-watt road gear amp sitting the the basement won't be killing off a big boy 4" coil SPL driver any time soon no matter how much I clip it

[Electrodynamic]

Originally Posted by sundownz

My favorite is "distortion kills drivers" - when it's just the extra power from the clipped (eg: distorted) signal that does it. Nothing magical about distorted power or you'd see a whole lot more guitar cabinet speakers exploding.

I guarantee my 250-watt road gear amp sitting the the basement won't be killing off a big boy 4" coil SPL driver any time soon no matter how much I clip it

You never know. If your amp touches a Funky Pup the power will increase to eleventybillion times more. That will blow any sub.

[killerb]

those higher frequencies are called odd order harmonics. the first odd order harmonic will add 1/3 more power, the second 1/5 more, the third 1/7 and so on. with a 100w rms amp the first harmonic will add 33.3 watts the second 20 watts and so on, you get the picture.