How loud do you like to play your music?

Calbrs03,
I recently got an I-phone myself and I think the app Albert's speaking of is called Decibel. I intend to add this to my phone as soon as I figure out how. My Radio Shack meter stopped working. I usually try to keep it at 85 or lower of I can help it by the way. Levels above 85 for prolonged periods are what studies seem to indicate are dangerous. How long is prolonged? I don't know.

Most of my music is acoustical jazz small combo ie quintets and sextets which usally includes a piano. My range is 65 to 80db with 85db plenty loud. I still want to hear fine music 20 years from now.

I should have said peak on dynamic recordings with the average RMS being lower.
I always set the volume too high for well recorded classical symphonic pieces. With rock and roll the bands seem to play it at one level only which is very loud and purposefully distorted. Those can have relatively constant/compressed sound levels.
Oddly its those rock or blue/rock which I will crank and even change the rig for. Nothing like Janis Joplin played at 70 db or the Delaware Destroyers played at Stardust volume. Never played Stardust intentionally louder 80-85 db.

Its funny, when I was younger I think I played that system pretty loud.
But it was mostly midrange and with the louder sound I was always trying to pull out (feel) more bass.

Now, as my current system is significantly better with better natural bass and soundstage, I dont need to play it as loud to get the same satisfying feeling.
Even with playing Led Zepplin !

Of course my wife will still say I play it too loud...

P.S. I still will crank it up from time to time though.

When I had a bigger system, I liked playing it over 100dB continuous at times because it sounded great but like a few folks have mentioned, it depended on the recording. I suppose the average was mid to upper 90's.

With the monitor/sub system I now have, I stay in the mid 80's to low 90's (continuous) range, which is also determined by the quality of the recording. This system simply lacks the impact the bigger system had & is not as much fun to listen to at higher SPL's.