Clipping in a Bi-amped System: These pictures say a lot! * Figure 15-24: Effects of over-driving amplifier

(A) Spectra of single-amplifier (upper) and biamplified (lower) systems 6 dB into clipping at 200 Hz.

(B) Spectra of single-amplifier (upper) and biamplified (lower) systems 12 dB into clipping at 200 Hz.

* Sound System Engineering, Second Edition, Don & Carolyn Davis, Focal Press, ISBN 0-240-80305-1, pg 408

Charts of Art Ludwig's Multi-Amp Power Distribution Tables

Average Power   Talking Heads Diana Krall Shostakovich Maximum 1st order 4th order 1st order 4th order 1st order 4th order 1st order 4th order > 3,000 Hz 7% 3.5% 4% 1.6% 14% 4.4% 14% 4.4% 300 - 3,000 Hz 28% 21% 32% 25% 66% 64% 66% 64% < 300 Hz 65% 67% 64% 60% 20% 4.6% 65% 67% Peak Power Talking Heads Diana Krall Shostakovich Maximum 1st order 4th order 1st order 4th order 1st order 4th order 1st order 4th order > 3,000 Hz 36% 40% 53% 15% 15% 8% 36% 40% 300 - 3,000 Hz 39% 35% 83% 89% 53% 55% 83% 89% < 300 Hz 77% 87% 40% 31% 16% 4.3% 77% 87% All powers are shown as a percentage of the same quantity in the unfiltered music.  Note that the average power for the Butterworth adds to 100%, but the Linkwitz-Riley adds to less than 100%.  The voltage output of a Linkwitz-Riley coherently adds to unity, but the power addition is less than unity.