I think using pure black is actually more analogous to compressing your audio. Excessive compression (+ normalization) maximizes the recording's volume in the s

I think using pure black is actually more analogous to compressing your audio. Excessive compression (+ normalization) maximizes the recording's volume in the same way that using pure black as your default body text maximizes contrast; in both cases, you're losing headroom that you could have reserved for parts that need emphasis.