Where Should I Adjust Volume in this Signal Chain?

[Roller]

Don't worry blinkstar, it's not because you had a bit of clipping that it will have done damage to your headphones. Just adjust volumes until such situations where you usually had clipping no longer happens.

 

[blinkstar]

Thanks for the reassurance, Roller!
 
I listened to some different material last night and it sounded amazing, so I'm happy. I'm thinking I didn't damage anything but I will definitely be careful with the Prelude's volume level from now on.

 

[obobskivich]

Exactly. Fidelity arguments aside, if you can't hear the clipping, it's not happening. (I disagree on the other part, firmly, but c'est la vie). 
 
What kind of material are you testing with? If you're using very heavily compressed files, or if the recording has clipping in it (some recordings do this for effect or because they were recorded poorly, and that sound won't explicitly damage your equipment, because it's not actual clipping - I'm thinking of electric guitar and live recordings specifically here). 
 
If you'd blown the drivers you'd hear LOTS of bad things. 
 
Quote:

Don't worry blinkstar, it's not because you had a bit of clipping that it will have done damage to your headphones. Just adjust volumes until such situations where you usually had clipping no longer happens.