What decibel level do you listen at?

My "neighbors are out" listening volume seems to have peak levels of about 85 dB. I suppose climaxes in Bruckner, Mahler, or Shostakovich might get up to 90 dB. Hard to say what the average is for big Romantic and post-Romantic works.

I just put on the Clash's London Calling (2000 CD), and an 80 dB average level is really above what I'd normally find a comfortable listening level ("too loud to think"), and even 75dB average seems to be my "indulgent" volume.

Part of this may be that the default Vandersteen bass EQ procedure results in very warm bass. On music with lots of low, synthesized bass it can be kind of overwhelming.

~ 88 dbs tops. If any higher I know it is higher and that rare case I adjust volume down accordingly. My volume is optimized (for my room)for all sources (two CD and three TTs)-For Most recordings I don't have to touch the volume dial and it is loud enough.

My average is around 85dB, with brief peaks, on some recordings, as high as 100dB.

As several people have pointed out, my volume level is largely determined by the quality and dynamic range of the recording. I have also noticed, as has been mentioned, that when I "improve" my system, particularly my room, I can usually listen 2-3 dB louder with the same comfort level.

The other factor that seems to determine how loud I listen is the level of ambient noise inside and outside the house. Late a night, when the house and the neighborhood are quiet, I get the same impact with lower volume levels.

A lot will depend on the source music. The more lower frequency content the more likely you will get clipping or IMD. It is also not just an amp problem...speakers compress music because drivers quickly exceed their linear operating range - this also leads to a lot of distortion which will make the music sound harsh and perceptively very loud - most noticeable and uncomfortable in the mid range and tweeter.

There is no reason that good source music should not be enjoyable (i.e. not sound too loud) at 90 db SPL average levels - this is still far far lower than most live concert levels even for classical.

Trust your ears and not the SPL meter and calculations. If the sound is effortless crystal clear and undistorted then you should be able to play up to about 95 db SPL at the listening position before it may begin to sound uncomfortably loud ( a rock concert can be thoroughly enjoyed at levels above 100 db SPL with the odd dynamics up to 115 db spl).

If it all sounds way to loud at 90 db SPL this is indicative of high amounts distortion somewhere (for starters make sure you have a good source music - well recorded music and not modern compressed pop trash...good high quality source music played at 90 db SPL will vary from less than 70 to 100 db SPL on a Ratshack meter while a terrible pop recording may only vary from 87 to 93 db SPL)

Unless everyone is using the same reference source music (say for example the Sheffield Labs Drum track test CD) then it is hard to say whether there is a system issue or it is just a genre or source music issue.