How loud do you like to play your music?

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.

With rock and roll the bands seem to play it at one level only which is very loud and purposefully distorted.

Yeah - it is all noise today...no Stairway to Heaven or Bohemian Rhapsody anymore...since Oasis and U2 proved that hyper-compression sells there has been little else but constant monotonous noise for the last decade.

Albertporter: What is the app for the iPhone?

It's not decibel Sonofjim, below is an active link to it. It's more expensive than the fun ones but according to posts I've read from engineers it's pretty darned accurate. It's also capable of being calibrated if you want it to be like a studio tool.

http://www.faberacoustical.com/products/iphone/