If your mic is too loud, it clips and sounds distorted to others. Lower the input gain: on Windows go to Settings > Sound > Input and reduce the Input volume. On Mac, go to System Settings > Sound > Input and lower the input level. If your USB mic or audio interface has a hardware gain knob, turn it down until peaks stay below clipping. Move the mic slightly farther from your mouth — even 2-3 inches makes a big difference. In Zoom, uncheck "Automatically adjust microphone volume" in Settings > Audio and manually set the input to about 70%. On Windows, also check for Microphone Boost: right-click speaker icon > Sound settings > More sound settings > Recording > your mic > Properties > Levels > reduce or disable Microphone Boost. Use a mic clipping test to verify your peaks stay below 0 dBFS.