Dark background with white text vs. dark gray with off-white: which feels easier to read long term?

I've been going back and forth on this for my latest app project (a note taking thing people will stare at for hours). I started with pure black #000000 and white #FFFFFF, which looks super crisp but honestly strains my eyes after about 45 minutes of testing. Then I swapped to a dark gray #1E1E1E with a soft off-white #E0E0E0, and it feels way more relaxed but some testers said it looks "muddy" on their screens. Which camp are you all in for reading heavy interfaces? Do you prioritize that high contrast punch or go for comfort knowing users will be there a while?

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adams8217d agoMost Upvoted

Dark gray and off-white saved my eyes too, pure black is way too harsh after a while.