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How Do Digital Amplifiers Clip?

I will be moving the speakers from the current "A" system to a secondary system where the current solid state amplifier is underpowered. I am fond of the old speakers and do not want "kill" them as the ads used to say by clipping the amp. This got me wondering how digital amplifiers clip and how an underpowered digital amplifier affects the speakers when over driven?
zmrs13
zmrs13 OP
15 posts
 
Many thanks, Bombaywalla. Helps a lot.
mapman's avatar
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mapman
15,679 posts
 
It's a good question. If my Class D amps have clipped, I have not heard it yet. Avoiding clipping like death is a big reason I went for 500w/ch Icepower amps. I like my music loud and my large OHM speakers are not particularly efficient (87db or so I believe). I've heard a lot of amps both SS and tube clip over the years. If the BC ref1000ms have ever clipped, I am not aware of it. Nothing I throw at them can seem to make them even break a sweat.
swanny76109
380 posts
 
I have the bel cantos too. They have a soft clipping feature to smooth the waveform and cut output slightly as clipping approaches. I believe that feature is built into the B and O ICE module. Like mapman above I never run out of steam. I just keep turning it up and the soundstage gets bigger, deeper and wider.
vicdamone
850 posts
 
Its manufacture specific.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
3,575 posts
 
Yes, soft clipping is built into Icepower amps.
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