Why magic at 80 db?

that is right Levy03,I have experienced it with dynaudio and krell combo in free space outside house,then speakers really rocks ,amazing dynamic blast in overall sound presentation:)

I've read any sound over 85 db can cause hearing loss.

I suspect our ears are naturally tuned in general to perform best with levels somewhat below that.

For our ears to perform at lower levels than they are tuned to (<80 db?)normally requires extra effort, focus, attention, whatever you want to call it bu the result is we have to work harder to do it well so the results are less enjoyable, certainly not "magic" at its best.

The stars align when recording and system synergize to produce quality sound at our ear's "sweet spot" in terms of our ability to hear, at somewhat less than 85db I suppose.

Sound higher than 85db sustained over a long period can strip your aural gears, so to speak. Peaks in music can get somewhat higher and cause no harm, other than making you boogie around the room bumping into things.