[lukevp]

Sounds like your hardware isn’t set right. The volume of your hardware device should be set so that it’s barely above comfortable listening volume when your device is at 100%, and then the device attenuation works from there. You probably have the hardware volume maxed out, which is also bad because it tends to run the amplifier all-out which will use much more power and generate more heat, as well as having lower dynamic range because you’re only using a subset of the amp’s range if you’re keeping it at a comfortable listening volume.

[zelphirkalt]

I never have my hardware "maxed out". Usually barely 50%. But anyway, all of my Windows using friends have the same problem and find it equally ridiculous. Seems like whatever Windows does by default on our machines is just a not working so well default.

[bongodongobob]

I've worked with hundreds and hundreds of users over a decade and this is not a thing, no idea what you're talking abut. Learn to set your gain properly on your external amplifier, it's a you problem, not Windows.

[zelphirkalt]

Your experience does not invalidate my experience. I have had the same bad behavior across multiple versions of Windows, using multiple different loudspeakers, headsets and headphones, all the while it worked perfectly well in GNU/Linux distributions, where I can set volume like a sane person would, instead of like on Windows, where I need to micro management between 1 and 5 out of 100.

The fact, that this is a well known issue, that basically all my friends know about, having it right now, and in the past using various audio output devices themselves, tells me, that it is not a "me problem", but actually something that in general does not work so well in Windows. They have all accepted, that Windows volume mixer simply does this and that there is nothing that they can do. They are not regular GNU/Linux users like I am, so they are stuck with that.

Consider, that you might be in some kind of bubble, with your fortunate experiences. Consider, that maybe you did not understand the problem I am describing well. Since you are talking about "external amplifiers", makes me doubt, that you understand correctly what I am talking about. Note, that I have already stated, that I do not put volume externally to any maximum, like someone claimed earlier. So either you claim, that I am lying, or you do not understand what I wrote.

Perhaps you should rather ask questions about the issue and try to be helpful, instead of going on assuming and pretending the problem does not exist, when it very much does and you simply seem blissfully unaware of it.

I also find your tone quite in conflict with this site's rules. It is quite rude.

[bongodongobob]

I think it does invalidate it. Working for MSPs and contracting I've seen more in 10 years than someone at one company sees in their entire career. I've never heard of this issue ever. 100s of users > than your one anecdote sorry.

[zelphirkalt]

Meh, not really. The same way I could claim that yours is also just one anecdote. Otherwise we would be in the business of comparing how grand an anecdote we each can come up with.

But how about we add more anecdotes from other people?

You will find a lot of posts online, if you search for something like: "windows volume mixer too loud". For example:

[1]: https://old.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/lfi6yr/default_s...

[2]: https://old.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/e7j44w/minimum... (ooops, this person even mentions the 5% like I did, haha)

[3]: https://superuser.com/questions/1760843/how-do-i-make-the-wi...

[4]: https://superuser.com/questions/432040/how-do-i-lower-the-ha... (yep, juuust like I remember, even back to Windows XP this issue goes)

As another data point, one friend of mine bought an external audio interface, because of these and other annoyances in Windows and now regulates the volume using that.

[npteljes]

Windows is complex, and the hardware people run Windows is also complex. Shit can be weird. For one, I had a problem with my Ryzen 5600 CPU and RX-5700XT video card combo. There is some kind of incompatibility between these two, and one that I only experienced in Windows, and only in a few specific games, and only in specific scenarios in those games. One such was looking up on the sky in Anno 1800, a strategy game. Look up the sky, and Windows reboots in one minute.

This experience is rare, evidenced by the many normal benchmarks and gameplays that exist with this, and similar combos. But other people also experienced it, such as this user:

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/xxrg3h/my_pc_rx_5...

I have since swapped my 5700 xt to a 6600 xt, and the issue went away. The new owner of the 5700 xt is also happy as a clam at high tide. I'd wager that maybe a few hundred of people experienced this at most.