Clipping Comparison

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Greg_A

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Clipping is a disaster for "normal" tweeters but what is the impact from clipping to the M/L Summits?

Is it the same or more forgiving?

Somewhere along the path... blown tweeters have occurred or may have occurred from clipping but now that I have the Summits... Is the impact from Clipping the same as a conventional tweeter?

Thanks
 
I'm no engineer, but in an earlier tread someone claimed that M/L's could not be overdriven because the signal power is converted to charge the strator panels and their is a built in safety.

I think any excessive clipping could blow the conventional bass/woofer drivers, not sure about the panels, don't think it could be good for the electronics though.

Clean power is a requirement not just a suggestion. These speakers will reveal all flaws further up the signal chain - they are that good.
 
ML's Can't Be Over-Driven...

Greg_A said:
Clipping is a disaster for "normal" tweeters but what is the impact from clipping to the M/L Summits?

Is it the same or more forgiving?

Somewhere along the path... blown tweeters have occurred or may have occurred from clipping but now that I have the Summits... Is the impact from Clipping the same as a conventional tweeter?

Thanks
Greg,

:D Welcome to the ML Club!
I'm glad you asked this good question... :) But the ansewer is, No..., ML's can't be over-driven. kach22i, is quite correct, I started a thread a while back discussing this very topic:

http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1716&highlight=driven

ML speakers are soooo wonderful and state-of-the-art they can not be blown by clipping. If they ever have a problem, along this line, ML wants to know about it immediately, as it would be a first... ;)
 
Please note: Clipping is not over-driving. Clipping occurs when the amplifier is not powerful enough for the load it is driving at that level. Clipping refers to turning a sine wave into a square wave. Conventional tweeters blow out when they face this condition. I don't know if ML electrostatic panels are subject to the same concerns. If the volume level is low, it will not be an issue. Otherwise I don't know what the consequences would be.
 
Well, I dont have a scientific answer, but I do have a real-life experience that may shed some light. :)

I delivered and setup a set of brand new Ascent i along with a brand new Krell KAV-400xi integrated amp. She was asking me how high the volume readout went to. There was some orchestral music playing on the MLs in the other room (the amp was in a remote location). I said I didnt know and just told her to turn it until it stopped.

151 is the highest it goes. :) And it was PLENTY loud. It played at full tilt for several seconds until I could walk into the room and back to tell her she could turn it down now. It still sounded clear as a bell when I was in the same room with the speakers. No ill effects from the demonstration at all.
 
As long as you don’t arc the diaphragm with a stator, you can literally push the diaphragm onto the stators and there is no problem (mechanically or electrically), it won’t sound nice, but it won’t hurt the units.

As noted above, you can play them loud or clipped and no sweat.

All that said, give them clean and plentiful power to get the most out of them
 
aliveatfive said:
Please note: Clipping is not over-driving. Clipping occurs when the amplifier is not powerful enough for the load it is driving at that level. Clipping refers to turning a sine wave into a square wave. Conventional tweeters blow out when they face this condition. I don't know if ML electrostatic panels are subject to the same concerns. If the volume level is low, it will not be an issue. Otherwise I don't know what the consequences would be.

Hi,
I beg to differ with the first sentence, clipping most definately IS over-driving the amplifier. The next part of your post is correct.

The reason clipping blows tweeters is that clipping produces distortion, i.e. square(ish) waves. If you look at the spectrum of these distorted waves, you will see that they have LOTS of harmonics. These harmonics are at multiples of the fundamental frequency, in other words, high frequencies. All the additional power contained in these harmonics gets routed to the tweeter by the speaker crossover, and it is this additional power that causes the tweeters tiny voice coil to overheat, and toast the tweeter.

In a ML electrostatic panel, this power is dissipated throughout the entire panel. There is much more area to dissipate the heat, and no damage occurs.

HTH,
Peter
 
Clipping Info - Thanks!

Thanks to All - & Robin, your original thread covered it very well.

I feel much better now!

'Gloria' from the Doors - Alive she Cried, has Never been successful at full volume without disaster.

Last Night ... Jim Morrison screamed in completion -

P.S Merle Haggard and a slide guitar has been the most impressive change -

These Summits are amazing........
 
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