I am always curious about certain things. Planning and preparing for what a certain action's result may be. With most things, outcomes are not too uncertain. With speakers and amplifiers, limits are a little less certain. Of course audible distortion can be heard when problems are occurring but I am interested in some level of literal certainty.
Consider a typical receiver which has a pre-amp portion that outputs a signal to the amplifier. You adjust volume by reducing the volume reduction (-95.5 dB to 0 dB). Am I correct in thinking that if you are at 0 dB, the input signal is basically passed through directly?
Now consider positive readings (+0.5 dB to 35.5 dB). It seems to me that at this point, the input voltage is intensified and there is not necessarily an upper limit like there is in digital (digital 1, or the absolute maximum value). Voltage can be increased as much as desired. So my question is, if you have a 100 watt amplifier and you are at 0 dB, would a digitally maxed input (all 1's) output 100 watts?
The thinking is that the amplifier should amplify fully only if the signal is not diminished. If speaker ratings are appropriate and accurate, understanding that the weight could be swayed to the treble or the bass, wouldn't you theoretically never surpass the speaker handling capability if you don't pass 0 -- if the amp is rated the same as the speakers?
On the same topic: is it impossible to clip an amplifier if staying below 0 dB? I keep realizing that input is critical and it seems that digital inputs would only be allowed because any analog input could probably be pushed beyond because there is no voltage limit (within reason).
Just something I've been thinking about and wondering...
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Topic: Amplification Clipping Uncertainty (Read 5200 times)