I nearly always notice that most profiles on RigExchange come with very low volume on Rig volume and also on Amp level volume. So if I want to evaluate the sound they promote, I always need to push the Amp volume to a much higher level, and sometimes I also push the Rig volume. (My Master volume/Monitor out is at -12db.) Many of these profiles are low or at most mid gain. Ok, and there are other profiles with high gain, which to me sound loud, noisy and ugly. This impression I also had on commercial profiles I bought. I do not hear a special amp, but very artificial sounding profiles. So with those, the first thing I do: way down with the gain level, up with the amp volume, and then the profile begins to shine.
And then today I had another dubious experience. I came to the "Peavy 6534+ Clean" profile. It comes with an Amp volume at 12db(!), Rig volume at 1.1db. To make it loud enough, I changed the Rig volume to 7.5 db. On the other profile "Peavy 6534+ Crunch" from the same author, the Amp volume is at 0.0 db, Rig volume at 2.2db. I also changed the Amp volume to 7.5db to make it sound good to me.
So, while there is always a strong subjective factor evaluating, enjoying or disgusting a profile, the whole thing I am wondering: why do the authors of a profile make so much differences with their delivered settings? Is there some thing like good practices when making profiles?
And on the other hand, as a user of a profile: is there some recommended way for setting up the volume? At rig level? at amp level? On output level?