ACK CLIPPING!
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=34033
Printed Date: July 07, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Topic: ACK CLIPPING!
Posted By: vrmaniac
Subject: ACK CLIPPING!
Date Posted: June 16, 2004 at 8:40 PM
Why is it in my 96' ford ranger, when i set the fade to full rear, I hear nothing but clipping after I turn it up only half way.
I got 2 cheap roadmasters which are rated at 200w, but I took those back thinking that was the problem, and upgraded to some lightning audio ones. but still....same problem.
No amp, No eq, Nothing but the stock radio and the new speakers o_O
Replies:
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: June 16, 2004 at 8:46 PM
That would mean you are at full volume, even though its only at the halfway point on the dial. That's why we upgrade.
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Posted By: vrmaniac
Date Posted: June 16, 2004 at 9:25 PM
Ok so help the newb out, what is causing the clipping.
I have a hard time beleiving that i max'd these speakers with half volume on a stock deck. So what am I doing wrong? Do i need a new deck entirely? Do I need to amp the crappy deck.....HELP! =(
Thanks in advance =\
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: June 16, 2004 at 9:33 PM
You are not maxing the speakers...they are just playing the sound coming from the deck. At that volume level, the stock deck is distorted. The speakers can play much louder than that. You can either replace the deck and add an amp, or use the existing deck and add an amp. The choice lies in your wants and needs. If the deck gives you everything you want, except for quality sound, you can keep it. If it doesn't, and you would want to add a CD or something, replace it. But the common factor is the addition of an amplifier. ------------- Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.
Posted By: auex
Date Posted: June 16, 2004 at 9:34 PM
Speakers don't clip, amplifiers and decks clip.
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Posted By: vrmaniac
Date Posted: June 16, 2004 at 10:08 PM
Understood, and well spelt out for a newb like me, thanks! =D .....off to the local best buy to drool at the expensive goodies.... 
Posted By: DYohn
Date Posted: June 16, 2004 at 10:10 PM
When you say "2 cheap Rodamsters" are these subwoofers? And you connected them to your factory stereo, right? Did you leave the original rear main speakers connected too? If so, then the main thing you are hearing is indeed clipping due to the fact that you are now completely overloading the factory stereo. You have placed the Roadkill, err, masters in parallel with the original speakers and are now placing as little as 1 or 2 ohms load on the poor little amplifier in the factory head unit. Stop. Disconnect your cheap roadkills or you will fry your head unit in short order. It is not designed for this kind of load and it will smoke. If you want to run subwoofers, you will need to invest in a seperate amplifier to power them. ------------- Support the12volt.com
Posted By: vrmaniac
Date Posted: June 16, 2004 at 11:02 PM
They were 6x9 3 way's, but i traded them back for 2 6x8 lightning audio 2ways....... so no, not subwoof's, and my original rears are laying in my garage =P
Posted By: vrmaniac
Date Posted: June 16, 2004 at 11:05 PM
Curious tho, how would the factory amp be effected by the speakers?
I always thought power went (deck->amp->speaker)
With more unpowered speakers added on, wouldn't it just play quieter the more you add?
Posted By: stevdart
Date Posted: June 17, 2004 at 6:27 AM
A person can whack his car audio gear out in short order by not understanding the principles of impedence, voltage and current. That is, Ohm's law. Read through the first few pages of this illustrative tutorial for a primer on these principles. Be sure to read the page titled 'Installation Primer', too. In short, an amplifier produces voltage, and requires a load of resistance to send current. Speakers connected to an amp provide the resistance, in this case its called impedence. If you put a high load of impedence on the amplifier, it sends out very little current. You get very little sound and the amp is fine, not doing much work. But if you put a low load on the amp, Ohm's law shows that the amp will respond by sending out a large amount of current, which is what fries its circuitry. So if someone were to add speakers to existing ones, either in car or home, they will typically connect positive wires to positive and negative to negative to add the speaker. That is called parallel wiring. It reduces the impedence by half, and in most cases will kill the amp. The factory deck has a small amp in it which provides the power. When an amplifier is added to the system, the deck is then a preamp. The power would come from the amp you added, with the input signal coming from the deck. The speakers' impedence rating and their number provide the resistance for the current to flow. Bookmark that link I gave you, and refer to it often when you make your changes. I'll bet you read through several of the posts on this forum and they didn't make much sense to you... but soon they will, and you'll get a lot of useful information by reading them. ------------- Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.
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