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Amplifier Clipping,

  • Thread starter Thread starter mtrycrafts
  • Start date Start date
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
Aug 19, 2004
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There is a current thread discussing this issue with answers all over the place. I have posted three links to excellent articles explaining this but posters rather listen to other posters who may seem more convincing.

I would encourage the posters who want to know the facts to please call Chris Russell, chief designer at Bryston: 705-742-5325
don't take my word on the issue, go to one who knows amps.

But be forewarned. You may not like what you will hear.
 
Maybe you could ask him to write up a short explanation and post it for all to see. I'd certainly like to read it.

I've always thought the main problem with clipping is that the harmonics generated raise the power level to way beyond what a typical tweeter can handle and that is what causes them to blow.
 
Please do, I'll be happy to read it as well.
 
I always thought clipping was a problem because the amp will start to produce large amounts of DC which fry the voice-coil in a tweeter.
 
Francious70 said:
I always thought clipping was a problem because the amp will start to produce large amounts of DC which fry the voice-coil in a tweeter.
Click to expand...


An amp puts out a square wave when it clips. A square wave with a variable duty cycle. This is commonly known as pulsed DC.
 
MDS said:
Maybe you could ask him to write up a short explanation and post it for all to see. I'd certainly like to read it.

I've always thought the main problem with clipping is that the harmonics generated raise the power level to way beyond what a typical tweeter can handle and that is what causes them to blow.
Click to expand...

I will call him back when I return from my trip, or maybe before I go, and see if he is so willing.

Yes, if the amp clips because of a low frequency signal, that causes those harmonics as you indicate, to extend well into the tweeter's range at RMS powers above the amps RMS rating. Hence, tweeters smoke. But, the same will happen if you send the same high frequency, high power RMS to the tweeter, it smokes. Since most music doesn't contain such high powered high frequencies, speaker designers use low power tweeters. It doesn't take much power to blow the tweeters, no matter how that gets to the tweeter.
 
j_garcia said:
Please do, I'll be happy to read it as well.
Click to expand...


OK. Since this is such a HOT issue here, I just talked with Chris again. He thought this to be a great idea and will put something together and post it at the tech section at Bryston; may take a few weeks ;)

I asked, again, about the DC component causing the speaker burn up, smoking :D . He said it to be nonsense and the increased RMS power, whether in the low or tweeter, what the root cause to be for any driver to smoke. :p
 
mtrycrafts said:
There is a current thread discussing this issue with answers all over the place. I have posted three links to excellent articles explaining this but posters rather listen to other posters who may seem more convincing.

I would encourage the posters who want to know the facts to please call Chris Russell, chief designer at Bryston: 705-742-5325
don't take my word on the issue, go to one who knows amps.

But be forewarned. You may not like what you will hear.
Click to expand...
bryston, huh? Is this some attempt to advertise for Bryston amps? just curious.
 
MacManNM said:
From Mtry? No way, he believes all amps sound identical.
Click to expand...

:)


well, I just got back from Bryston's site. In the end it's Denon THD .05 vs. Bryston seperates (2) at .011THD. very clean indeed. Would I notice?
 
knownalien said:
:)


well, I just got back from Bryston's site. In the end it's Denon THD .05 vs. Bryston seperates (2) at .011THD. very clean indeed. Would I notice?
Click to expand...

Assuming you are a human being, and not something superhuman that many audiophools claim to be, you will not hear the difference between .05 and .011 THD (and they will “hear” it with their eyes seeing what they are hearing). Of course, there may be other differences between the amplifiers which could show up under some circumstances (e.g., with very low impedance speakers, or low efficiency speakers that require the additional power of the more powerful amplifier).
 
Indeed. Any Bryston amplifier is a BEAST. And they stand behind their products with a 20-year, transferrable warranty. If you're trying to drive difficult loads, a Bryston won't let you down.
 
jaxvon said:
Indeed. Any Bryston amplifier is a BEAST. And they stand behind their products with a 20-year, transferrable warranty. If you're trying to drive difficult loads, a Bryston won't let you down.
Click to expand...


what about cost? the Denon 5805 costs $6000. How much is a pre-amp and amp (all Bryston) gonna run you?
 
Much more than that, and it won't offer anywhere near the features and flexibility of the Denon 5805. If for some reason that monster of a receiver isn't enough power for your speakers, you could always pick up a 2ch amp for a few hundred. You've read the review here of the 5805. It's in its own class.
 
jaxvon said:
Much more than that, and it won't offer anywhere near the features and flexibility of the Denon 5805. If for some reason that monster of a receiver isn't enough power for your speakers, you could always pick up a 2ch amp for a few hundred. You've read the review here of the 5805. It's in its own class.
Click to expand...
you wouldn't even need the seperate amp. you could use one of the many assignable amps in the 5805 to bi-amp a set of speakers.
 
Eh, if for some reason you're trying to drive some 1-ohm planars, I'd go for a beefy external amp. As awesome as the 5805 is, it's not gonna handle that. But this is a very unlikely case.
 
MacManNM said:
From Mtry? No way, he believes all amps sound identical.
Click to expand...


You know this because??? Oh, sheer speculation. Try not to make things up, OK? Or, distort what has been said???
 
knownalien said:
bryston, huh? Is this some attempt to advertise for Bryston amps? just curious.
Click to expand...

Actually, no. But Chris Russell, their chief designer, is most knowledgeable and is willing to talk when time permits. A real white hat of a person, unlike so many others. ;)
 
Bryston amps are puny. I would rather have the Sony TA-N1 which weighs in at 154lbs. :eek:
tan1.gif
 
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