StillAlive2029

iTrader: (1)

so i installed my amp and sub, infinity amp 4 channel with 1 ten inch sub and 2 front components hooked up to it. The sub is bridged and is wired in parallel since it is a dual coil. anyways when it isnt even turned up very high at all, like i can stil talk to someone in the car, there is already distortion in the sound. i have heard the term clipping and thought that maybe this is that but i am not sure. I have 2 of the same sub...dont ask long story...but they both do it so it is not the sub. not matter what i set the settings at on the amp, the distortion or rattling sound is still there. what do you guys reccomend i check next?

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

Once you hear clipping you'll always know it. Clipping can be electrical caused by the head-end, equalizer/processor, or the amplifier. Mechanically you could also be over driving the subwoofer bouncing the speaker cone off the limits. It doesn't sound like you're driving the speaker that loud.

However if you've fried the speakers you can actually cause the speaker's coil (bobbin) to come off internally causing it to rub against the magnet structure. With the speaker off gentle push the speaker in about 1/3" to 2/3" and feel for roughness - it should be nice and smooth feeling.

For setting up electrical clipping the easiest way is with an oscilloscope running a nice smooth sine wave into the head end and checking the output with the o'scope. Play with the volume control up and down looking for the nice smooth waves to tops or bottoms (or both) to start distorting with the tops squaring off. Even the smallest amount of clipping of the wave is very noticable. Next check the output of the amplifier - adjust the head end volume control and the gain of the amplifier.

To check for the acustical distortion you'll need a microphone and o'scope to listen for clipping. Again the o'scope will display the squaring of the waveform.

I've burned my own CD with 20, 25, 30, and 40 Hz tones just for such an occassion.