Optimal Volume Levels?

nms553 (nms553@discussions.microsoft.com) in
8E742CDF-4C18-47FE-A4A6-77BD8C4CCF2D@microsoft.com:

> Message: Hi I have looked all over the internet for years now and I
> have yet to find an answer to my question: At what levels do I set my
> Windows Volume controls to ensure OPTIMUM sound processing/quality.
> For example, I play music through iTunes on my PC. I always have the
> ITUNES VOLUME at maximum level, along with its equalizer set on rock.
> In WINDOWS' Volume Control, however, I'm unsure about what levels the
> WAVE and MASTER sliders should be adjusted to ensure optimal sound
> quality. Can someone please provide me with their professional
> opinion about the best configuration for my playback volume?
> SOME OF MY UNCERTAINTIES:
>
> FOR MAXIMUM QUALITY, SHOULD THE "WAVE" SLIDER BE AT ITS MAX EVEN WHEN
> CHANGING THE MASTER VOLUME?
>
> OR, WHEN ADJUSTING THE OVERALL VOLUME, IS IT BEST TO ADJUST BOTH
> "WAVE" & "MASTER" SIMULTANEOUSLY (AND AT EQUIVALENT LEVELS) FOR
> MAXIMUM QUALITY?
>
> AND LASTLY, IF I WERE TO HOOK UP EXTERNAL PC SPEAKERS, WHAT CHANGES
> WOULD I MAKE TO THE WINDOWS' VOLUME CONTROLS -AND- HOW SHOULD THE
> SPEAKER'S VOLUME KNOB CHANGE WITH RESPECT TO THE WINDOW'S VOLUME
> CONTROLS?

1) The Volume Control (accessible through the loudspeaker icon on the
taskbar, "bottom right") consists of sliders for the Master volume (the only
one shown upon single-clicking) and a number of sliders for individual
devices.

These individual sliders determine the input to the Master volume, so if you
should want maximum gain, the you set *both* the Wave and Master sliders all
the way up, and if you should have changing levels of environment noise,
then you'd probably adjust the Master slider only.

I happen to know that the SW Synth slider (that may matter when playing MIDI
files) determines the input of a synthesizer in software to the Wave slider.

2) I'm not a professional. I take these sliders to be working entirely in
the digital realm, adjusting the numbers that get translated into the
voltage levels at the output connectors.
I would not expect any response differences across frequencies in this
digital to analog conversion.
I would expect setting the sliders to "full" to have the source numbers to
be divided by exactly "1", which would result in more accurate output
(representation) than dividing by "1.005" or whatever. But would that be
audible at all?

3) Loudspeakers "always" have some frequency response curve. I'm under the
impression, that the settings of a digital equalizer (in software) amount to
manipulating the numbers to be fed to the digital-to-analog converter, in
such a way that the frequency response curve of the intended target device
gets compensated for, or even adjusted (like probably low frequencies
boosted in a "rock" profile).

4) Assuming that the computer output and the amplifier input match, I would
transport the signal at maximum level until the final Volume control - in
order to keep the signal/noise ratio as good as possible.

--
Chris Laarman