Speaker driver bottoming out or amp clipping? (1 Viewer)

[Yogi]

Last night I was watching Monsters and in the scene (forget the chapter number) where the child decontamination agency (CDA) puts the childs sock in the little dome to incinerate it with that explosion, its supposed to sound like a muffled explosion and my speakers sounded like they clipped. I removed the grill and replayed the scene and saw the bass drivers really move like I have never seen them before. BTW I was watching at refrence level so it was loud but what surprised me like a loud pop at the peak of that explosion. Now was it my amp clipping? or was it the speaker bottoming out? I dont know. I have never heard my amps clip or my speakers bottom out. My Proceed amp is rated at 125W@8 and double at 4 so its highly unlikely that it might clip.

It is worrying me that could it be something wrong with the amp that made it clip or was it the speaker bottoming out. The speaker is rated to take upto 175W peak so there shouldn't be a reason for it to bottom out. Everything is pointing to the amp. But I just cant imagine the Proceed clipping (which is supposed to be stable into 2 ohms). So my question is what does clipping sound like? Does it sound like a pop or like something else. BTW I had turned off the sub and was rerouting the LFE to the mains during this movie as I like the taut bass that my Proceed gives through the mains rather than the bass from my Velodyne even though the quantity of bass is less.

 

[John F. Palacio]

From your description it sounds like bottoming out.

Keep in mind that speaker wattage ratings are normally stated for "average program material". Also your amp could be conservatively rated and capable of more output than it is specked out to be.

Bottming out sounds like a "clack".

Regards.

 

[Geoff L]

Your mains bottomed out, the Amp more than likely did not clip...
Bottoming sounds like a lound clack or pop. Depending on over powering the speaker or truly bottoming to the drivers back plate.

Not good, repeated bottom of the driver or over driving it, will trash it. Once in a great while no problem. The spot in the movie mentioned is pretty deep (20's) and probley below tuneing of your speaker if ported, or if sealed your speaker rated freq responce. Thus the driver looses control and bottoms. At lower volumes you may get away with it but at referance not good....

Slighlty more complicated than this but a simple definition.

Regards
Geoff