Why do amps not have a clipping indicator?

[Lucky 76 5]

What is the reasoning for not putting one on? It should not be that hard or cost effective since many line drivers and whatnot have clipping indicators.

[loudcav 1]

they arnt really that accurate anyways

[filtor1 13]

What is the reasoning for not putting one on? It should not be that hard or cost effective since many line drivers and whatnot have clipping indicators.

I always wondered that too. My HT subwoofer amp has one and when I have parties and push the sub hard I always make sure I am under that point.

[Lucky 76 5]

they arnt really that accurate anyways

Minor clipping is fine. It won't do harm to a subwoofer or midbass. It is nice to have an idea of where your gains should truely be set.

[loudcav 1]

the only way to truely know is by useing an Oscope

[SQLMonte 0]

What is the reasoning for not putting one on? It should not be that hard or cost effective since many line drivers and whatnot have clipping indicators.

My amp has one via the bass knob

[Duran 387]

they arnt really that accurate anyways

Minor clipping is fine. It won't do harm to a subwoofer or midbass. It is nice to have an idea of where your gains should truely be set.

That depends on power level

[///M5 2,833]

If you could design a clipping indicator that worked and was cheap to manufacture they would include one.

[shizzzon 461]

someone made a topic about this a while back about clipping indicator accuracy and i went out to my car with an oscope and found on my audioque amps, the clip light would start to light up just before you could even visibly see the square wave forming on the scope. It wasn't until the clipping indicator was fully red til the square wave was finally visible on the scope.

[Impious 1,476]

Clipping indicators, even if accurate (which isn't a given), are only useful if the individual setting the gains understands how to use them.

[SQLMonte 0]

someone made a topic about this a while back about clipping indicator accuracy and i went out to my car with an oscope and found on my audioque amps, the clip light would start to light up just before you could even visibly see the square wave forming on the scope. It wasn't until the clipping indicator was fully red til the square wave was finally visible on the scope.

Well that's comforting!

[///M5 2,833]

someone made a topic about this a while back about clipping indicator accuracy and i went out to my car with an oscope and found on my audioque amps, the clip light would start to light up just before you could even visibly see the square wave forming on the scope. It wasn't until the clipping indicator was fully red til the square wave was finally visible on the scope.

It is REALLY easy on a sine wave, try that on music. Of course I know you can't as you couldn't read it on the scope but neither can your amps. That was not a valid test of the light, lol.

[shizzzon 461]

how am i suppose to do that?

Like u say, rapid changes will be impossible to detect on an oscope..

However, speaking of music, because music has peaks, it's likely possible for equipment to clip without worry when it's just caused from peaks.

[///M5 2,833]

how am i suppose to do that?

Like u say, rapid changes will be impossible to detect on an oscope..

If you can't do it, how do think the indicator can? As I said, sine waves are easy.

However, speaking of music, because music has peaks, it's likely possible for equipment to clip without worry when it's just caused from peaks.

You realize you just stated that it is okay to clip on music and implied you shouldn't on sine waves. That isn't right. It is NEVER acceptable to clip. Do yourself a favor and run a clipped sine wave through an FFT analyzer once and see what happens. Then do the same exercise with music. You will never say that it is okay again.

[shizzzon 461]

well since i dont have one what happens..

I say it's ok because it won't thermally hurt when it's instantaneous.... Unless your point is to prove that wrong...

[///M5 2,833]

well since i dont have one what happens..

I say it's ok because it won't thermally hurt when it's instantaneous.... Unless your point is to prove that wrong...

Do you know what a sine wave looks like in the frequency domain? How about a square wave? Now picture something in between the two.

And by your second sentence I am now under the impression you have no idea why clipping is bad in the first place. What do you think happens to the average power when you clip? What do you think causes thermal issues in drivers?

Do you understand now?