Is this clipping?

Clipping is the consequence of over driving.

" If it is clipping on rock then it will clip on jazz too... "

Wrong.

A primer on clipping and other challenges in faithful reproduction of musical peaks was written by Simon Thacher of Spectron and published in EnjoyTheSound:

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/manufacture/0708/index.html

That's a nice article.

My technical intuition tells me that fast and highly efficient Class D switching amplifiers like the Spectrons or Icepower are tailor made to accurately address the issues associated with dynamics, transients, and clipping better than conventional SS or soft clipping tube amps. What I hear on my BelCanto ref1000m Icepower monoblocks support that. For my application and speakers, in that I want realistic dynamics and transients as much as possible with minimal fatigue causing distortions, none of the power or current available in the ref 1000ms are optional or unneeded I believe. The OHMs in particular are capable of very good dynamics, articulation, detail and and muscle (a tough combo to achieve together) if provided the power needed fast enough and the BC icepower amps have set the bar in regards to that for me.

Food for thought. I recently produced a hard rock album that was master at sterile sounds in NYC. We sat in with the engineer and after about 4 to 5 hours of listening to the same few songs we left. In the mastering studio is sounded awesome, like yes right there drum hits perfect, guitar loud and controlled.

So we get in the car modest stock car stereo sounds terrible.

So I bring it home and put on this one song and on my Primare I normal listen with the volume on 25 or 26, 40 is half. Well the recording was so HOT is blew my right tweeter and just before it blew the sound stage just disappeared. So as much as I want to agree with MAPMAN that there is never anything wrong with the recording this makes me disagree but at the same time under powering a speaker is just as bad, so what it comes down to is process of elimination. I don’t think either one is a 100 true argument.

Oh MAPMAN DEATH MAGNEGTIC Metallica’s latest album play that and report back. Oh and don’t listen to the one from Guitar Hero it’s a different recording, there are bootlegs around of that one.

Ted Jensen doesn’t even what credit for mastering that one LOL

pardon my english corrections "Sterling Sounds NYC" and "want credit"