OBS recording

Using OBS screen capture and the recording tab, I record streams—for example, from Netflix, YouTube, TV channels, etc. (naturally, with hardware acceleration disabled to avoid a black screen). In Windows 11, for audio enhancements, is it better to set this to "Device Default Effects" or to turn it off entirely?

For recording streams via OBS, it is highly recommended to turn off audio enhancements entirely.
Here is why:

• Prevents Double Processing: If you bake enhancements (like bass boost or loudness equalization) into the video, anyone watching your recording will have their own system effects applied on top of yours, causing distorted or muddy sound.
• Preserves Original Mix: Streams from Netflix or YouTube are already professionally mixed. Leaving enhancements on allows Windows to artificially alter the audio before OBS captures it.
• Avoids Capture Bugs: Spatial sound and "Device Default Effects" can sometimes cause phase issues, echo, or stereo glitches when captured by OBS.

How to change it:
Go to Settings > System > Sound, click on your playback device, and change the Audio Enhancements dropdown to Off.
Keeping it "Off" ensures OBS captures a clean, exact replica of the original stream that will play back perfectly on any device.