Fear of volume control

Not only is Fletcher- Munson at work but also the volume the record was mixed at. Every recording has a "right" volume depending. If you play a string quartet at the volume of a rock record the strings will cut your throat. If you under cut the volume of a rock record it will sound dull and lifeless. If you have loudness compensation you have a little more flexibility but still. 

People who shy away from louder volumes generally have systems that start distorting at lower volumes. Distortion is at lower levels registered as volume. Obviously, they enjoy their systems at lower levels thinking that volume hurts. Not true. You can destroy your ears, long before clean music becomes painful. This is why I use a sound pressure meter not wanting to get carried away. Very clean systems with adequate headroom can play deceptively loud. People will try to start a conversation not realizing the other person can't possibly hear them. 

This is why distortion in loudspeakers and powerful amps are so important. Powerful means power relative to the efficiency of the speaker. and and the maximum power the speaker can handle. IMHO as a rule of thumb 105 dB is a reasonable target. So, you figure out the power required to get your speakers to 105 dB then multiply by ten ( to handle transients). This is a reasonable power for your speakers. Every 3 dB doubles the power. I am of the belief the more power the better as in my experience powerful amps have an effortless quality missing in lower powered amps. I have to admit there is probably some psychoacoustics in this as I have never been blinded for this evaluation.  

high quality acoustical treatment is the way to keep the volume levels down. And stay sane.

Increase the dynamic range and reveal the more accurate shape and subtleties of the music --- by removing the noise at the bottom.

Not by cranking the volume levels, a tactic which merely makes it scream over the inherent noise levels in the room, and simultaneously pollute your low level signal subtleties. (you know, the subtleties in dynamics and signal that we are here -in this particular world of audio- to try and resolve)

room shook,

if not exaggerating, that's when Fear of Hearing Damage should set in.

it's worth learning about Fletcher & Munson's discoveries, 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-loudness_contour

It has always been poorly: named, implemented, mis-understood.

the use of 'loudness' control actually should be called 'Low Volume Listening'. 'Progressively' reduce the volume and boost the lows and highs so that we hear the content as enjoyably as when it is loud (as you discovered). The 'loudness' controls on vintage equipment did/do just that, much modern equipment skips tone controls, balance, loudness filters ...
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You can easily put this unit with Automatic Loudness Control in front of any featureless equipment:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274870895426?hash=item3fff950342:g:iiEAAOSw0tJg8tiE

The implementation needs to be done so that:

1. all or chosen sources into Chase Unit.

2. Chase RLC-1 default volume level (just unplug it, it goes to defaults). F-M is NOT engaged.

3. Sound System's Volume set at normal listening level. Leave it there.

4. Chase RLC-1 to remotely adjust volume. Up, just less attenuation by the chase unit. When you lower the volume, the Chase unit Automatically begins to progressively implement F-M curves.

thus progressively adjusting for our hearing system's properties. i.e. you still hear the Bass Player in a Jazz group, the highs are still there. You will find the music maintains it's Involving quality, rather than fade to background music.

5. Oh yeah, the Chase unit has remote balance, gotta love that if your system has terrific imaging ability. 

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Misunderstood: some people used to defeat the Chase loudness feature, they 'hated' the bass bloat. well, that's because they lowered it into F-M implementation and boosted that correction with the amp's volume, iow, Misunderstood Again. So poorly misunderstood that the feature has disappeared. 

IMO, if you call yourself an audiophile, you ought to fully understand our hearing system and go get yourself some 'Loudness'. And avoid needing to get some hearing aids if possible.

"Not a very bright statement. 2-3.00 o'clock is different on each set up. What it pushes out is a function of the gain in the system and the efficiency of the speakers."

clearthinker-you've provided a not very bright reply. Just going with the theme/spirit  of the OP's post. No system gain details, etc are being discussed. Maybe learn to...never mind.

"If you want to warn us about our aural health then please work in decibels, that are universal."
 
 I get aural health advice from a medical professional, not here.

This point is not intended to stoke the fire of vinyl vs all other media. This is why when you are streaming, using a tape player or cd player and you have the ability to set the output level from the source you set it as high as it goes or very close. I discovered this on a dac I had with built in amp (for headphones). I found the sound stage and openness of the songs were better with dac on 10 preamp volume lower. When needed they were both at 11 (spinal tap level) and sounded great but moderate volume levels were better delivered from the source set high.