Always set the output level, of everything, as high as it will go. Don't back it off out of caution, turn it all the way - to '11' if necessary. That doesn't include the power amplifier! Now you've got that fixed, it's the simplest thing in the world to set the input levels correctly, starting from the signal source, working through the chain To do this, open Control Panel, and go to Hardware and sound. Right-click Sound and select Create Shortcut. This will create a shortcut on the desktop. You can use this shortcut to open the Sound window. You won’t go through the Control Panel with the shortcut however, it has shortcomings. This shortcut can’t be pinned to the Start Menu The level controls of the power amps should be set so you maintain consistent gain staging throughout your system, while allowing ample headroom. If you need to turn them up all the way to achieve that (as is often the case) then you certainly should. The [Default input] and [Default output] are decided by the 'Default Device' for Playback [Default output] and Recording [Default input] set on the Windows Sound Control Panel (Right-click the Windows speaker icon and choose 'Open Sound settings > Sound control panel'). You can also click this control and specifically select other inputs and The effects of clipping will be loss of treble and a dull, lifeless sound or added distortion. Should this be the case, turn your send level down until everything sounds right. Once you have this set, any return level controls can be turned up in conjunction with the master volume. This will help get the desired output volume from your amplifier. MrOt.

setting sound system level controls