Clipping an audio signal during high volume would normally not cause the audio to go quiet for a fraction of a second, like a digital CD skipping, but the clipping would rather cause a change in the tone of the audio. If the audio does go quiet then it is the audio amplifiers possibly overheating and/or forcing a momentary shutdown of the audio signal.
Have you tried driving at a high RPM (set at a lower gear for the same speed) to see if the loud audio gets enough power from the higher reving alternator. You could measure the battery voltage at the cigarette lighter with a $10 Volt/Ohm meter as you drive with different audio volume and engine RPM.
Voltage drop from too small a wire may cause clipping of the amplified audio. The battery/cigarette lighter may be 12VDC and the radio only get, say 11VDC. You may be able to register an AC voltage level on the power wires, may be hard to read with a $10 VOM. I use a $500 oscilloscope for such measurements.
Have you tried driving at a high RPM (set at a lower gear for the same speed) to see if the loud audio gets enough power from the higher reving alternator. You could measure the battery voltage at the cigarette lighter with a $10 Volt/Ohm meter as you drive with different audio volume and engine RPM.
Voltage drop from too small a wire may cause clipping of the amplified audio. The battery/cigarette lighter may be 12VDC and the radio only get, say 11VDC. You may be able to register an AC voltage level on the power wires, may be hard to read with a $10 VOM. I use a $500 oscilloscope for such measurements.
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