I disable internal volume completely, but only do so if you have another way of changing the volume - amp/etc. That is just personal preference, though. The KS settings I would recommend for best sound are: (1) the highest *integer* bitdepth that your hardware supports. Try 32 and if it gives you an error, drop down to 24, and so on. (2) Use the lowest buffer size possible for best sound. The lower you go, though, the more likely you are to get dropouts and clicks/pops - so start low and work your way up until any problems go away. I personally have no issues at the lowest possible setting.