How can I fix clipping?

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Matt_jones105
Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
I recently bought 2 sets of db 651's and put in my boat. They sound good until I turn them up loud on a hard hitting song they sound horrible. Just a bad sound. How can I fix this problem.
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  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,860
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    Glad to help! Make sure that you purchase an amp install kit with that amp. It will give you the needed power cables, fuses, connectors, instructions to make this work for you. Important to use adequate power cabling/fuses to protect your boat's electrical system. Let us know if you need any more help. I have installed system in my last three boats and it does make for a more enjoyable time on the water.
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    Did I wire it wrong??
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  • polrbehr
    polrbehr Posts: 2,826
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    What are you driving them with? If it's a stock 10wpc pioneer stereo (as an example, not to bash Pioneer), you are likely overdriving them to clipping.
    Think about adding an external amp, until then keep the volume at reasonable levels before you fry something.
    So, are you willing to put forth a little effort or are you happy sitting in your skeptical poo pile?


    http://audiomilitia.proboards.com/
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    Clarion. What came with the boat. What kind of amp do I need? And how do I go about hooking it up
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    I thought the amp would fry them. Sorry if this is in the wrong section.
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  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,860
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    The Polk speakers were made to handle solid power, more than factory models. You need to look at the back of your Clarion and see if it has connections for an amplifier. These would be RCA type red and white connections in the wiring harness. These will carry the signal to the amplifier and the speakers then hook into the amplifier. (Disregard the black connection in the photo as your Clarion won't have it.)


    xhynjdx4rnvu.jpg
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    Yes it has the white and black
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    I mean white and red
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  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,860
    edited April 2016
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    Matt_jones105 wrote: »
    I mean white and red

    With those connections, it is easy to add an separate amplifier. You do need to realize that loud music with lots of bass is very difficult to achieve in an open cabin area of a boat unless you add subwoofers and amps, so you need to understand that adding a single 2 channel amp will get you louder, cleaner sound, but to get real bump from it you whould need to add a sub/amp setup to handle just the bass and let the new Polks handle the mids and highs. Just understand that each addition is incremental.....
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
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  • daddyjt
    daddyjt Posts: 2,322
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    The only cure for signal clipping is an increase in clean power. Unless you exceed the mechanical limits of the drivers in your speakers, it is VERY difficult to damage a speaker from an excess of power....
    "Conservative Libertarians love the country, progressive leftists love the government." - Andrew Wilkow


    “Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
    ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    Oh I know I'm not worried about bumpin. I just want clear sound. That's it. Do I need 2 or 4 channel amp
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    So y'all are saying an amp will fix my problems and won't blow anything up? Is it hard to rig an amp up? So all I have to do is unhook all four speakers from radio, hook radio up to amp, then run a power supply to the battery
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,795
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    Isn't your motor enough noise?
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    Yeah it is. Why you think I need loud speakers
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,795
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    Typical power boater.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • polrbehr
    polrbehr Posts: 2,826
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    F1nut wrote: »
    Typical power boater.
    Whattaya call a sailboater on a calm day?
    Moored.









    ;)


    So, are you willing to put forth a little effort or are you happy sitting in your skeptical poo pile?


    http://audiomilitia.proboards.com/
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  • polrbehr
    polrbehr Posts: 2,826
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    Matt_jones105 wrote: »
    Oh I know I'm not worried about bumpin. I just want clear sound. That's it. Do I need 2 or 4 channel amp
    If you have 4 speakers, get a decent 4-channel amp. I'm not a 12volt guy, so I can't
    really recommend a maker or model or how many watts-per-channel you will need, I would guess minimum of 50 wpc though, that seems to be a good starting point?Maybe someone else can chime in for that.

    So, are you willing to put forth a little effort or are you happy sitting in your skeptical poo pile?


    http://audiomilitia.proboards.com/
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,906
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    You don't really fix clipping, you simply try to avoid it.

    Your turning the volume up too loud is the reason your clipping. Adding an amp will give some more headroom, a clearer and slightly louder sound, but you can still clip.

    When your turning up the volume and the music starts to sound like crap, turn it down. You should also add a subwoofer to help with that bottom end and overcome the open area of the boat and motor noise.

    Boat systems are much like car systems, only worse due to the noise factor and you don't have an enclosed cabin like a car for the sound to reflect back at you. Sound will dissipate quickly in that openness.

    Try an amp first and see how it goes, then add a subwoofer if you still feel like that bottom end needs more.

    Always good to hook up with other boaters and see what they are using while your out on the water, and get an idea of what it will take to get good sound. Hopefully your wallet doesn't squeak when it opens, because if the noise level is as you described, your gonna need some WD40 for the ol' wallet.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
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  • vmaxer
    vmaxer Posts: 5,116
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    I have an amp that will handle it.
    Pio Elete Pro 520
    Panamax 5400-EX
    Sunfire TGP 5
    Micro Seiki DD-40 - Lyra-Dorian and Denon DL-160
    PS Audio GCPH phono pre
    Sunfire CG 200 X 5
    Sunfire CG Sig 405 X 5
    OPPO BDP-83 SE
    SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
    Ctr CS1000p
    Sur - FX1000 x 4
    SUB - SVS PB2-Plus

    Workkout room:
    Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
    Onkyo TX-DS898
    GFA 555
    Yamaha DVD-S1800BL/SACD
    Ft - SDA 1C

    Not being used:
    RTi 38's -4
    RT55i's - 2
    RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
    LSI 15's
    CSi40
    PSW 404
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    I'm not worried about any bass. That's not the problem and I don't have room for a sub anyway. So I think an amp is gonna be the only fix or Just turn it down!
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  • notified
    notified Posts: 175
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    I know this is a no brainer suggestion so don't take it as being condescending but if your going to go the amplifier route either buy one intended for marine use or build some sort of compartment to house it in to keep it dry and out of the elements
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    Yeah I know I was going to buy a marine one. Do I need 2 or 4 channel for 4 speakers
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    And how many watts does it need to be?
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/mb-quart-nautic-series-class-ab-bridgeable-multichannel-amplifier-with-variable-crossovers-silver/4400247.p?id=1219098066406&skuId=4400247

    This is what somebody else said I needed
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  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,860
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    That amp would be just fine. 90 watts for 4 channels will work.
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    Okay thanks for the help!
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  • Matt_jones105
    Matt_jones105 Posts: 15
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    One more quick question!! Do I have to run anything to my fuse box?
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  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,860
    edited April 2016
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    Purchase an amp installation kit with that amp. It will have instructions and all the needed cabling for hookup of that amp. Basically it requires a fused line to your battery, a grounding cable and a turn on cable from your receiver along with the signal cables.
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
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  • notified
    notified Posts: 175
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    Type- "wiring a marine amp" into the google search bar and you should find most of the answers you'll need to know
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  • codycatalist
    codycatalist Posts: 2,662
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    If you DO end up wanting some bump look into Polk's MM line of woofers. Low profile, marine grade and great sound. I have mine in a car and have loved it for the past 3 years.
    Just a dude doing dude-ly things

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