Oh, I'm not worried about it...I just was wondering if there was some kind of thing that took place when you went into overdrive, or if, like you said, it was just pretty much a marker to show the suggested limit.

I guess I don't really get the theory behind output voltage and amplifier gain levels...I just noticed that with my old sony head unit and the same amps as now, there was considerably more volume when the sound was 2/3 of the way up than now with the Empeg turned up to 0.

I don't have very powerful amps, but they did the job. Now they seem just a little weak. I have the gains turned all the way up. The sound is outstanding, breathtaking, no distortion or clipping whatsoever, just sometimes not quite loud enough.

The concept behind my asking was that I was wondering which would most effectively raise the volume level without distortion or clipping, cranking up every band on the EQ by one or two points, or venturing into the overdrive range. Of course I can just try both and use my ears to come to my own conclusion, but it's nice to know the facts and/or other people's opinions.