Who thinks their gear sounds better after being warmed up?

[Marco]

My power amps, whether I use solid state or valves behave similarly. They make music when first turned on, but it's flat and two dimensional. After about fifteen to twenty minutes, it's as though somebody has flicked a 'magic' switch and the whole thing opens up and the soundstage gets more holographic, with a smoothness and lucidity coming in. My DAC does the same too.

+1. Exactly as I find it, and indeed have found it for years, no matter if I was using SS gear or valves - and the effect is not psychological or imagined, either.

Marco.

[struth]

Can be a bit of both I'd think. No doubts that some gear does improve when warmed up, but your ears probably do too.

[Marco]

I suspect this is why you see some really nice gear for sale, some people need to restore their feelgood factor, so they buy something new that doesn’t necessarily actually improve anything, but provides some retail therapy.

Indeed, such is the problem of adopting a box-swapping mentality, and falling in love more with hi-fi than music...

Marco.

[Marco]

Can be a bit of both I'd think. No doubts that some gear does improve when warmed up, but your ears probably do too.

Absolutely, but the point is that neither the effect of your ears or your equipment 'warming up' is imagined. Like Geoff says, it's simply too pronounced.

Marco.

[RobbieGong]

Absolutely sounds better when system warmed up in my experience.

Sound is a bit thin and hard right from cold, with limited dimension. The opposite once warmed up

[TazSob]

No doubt... Takes about 20/30 mins before it sounds right.
I'll switch on the amp and play Music at low volume for a while before turning the volume up

[Pigmy Pony]

I always leave it about half an hour for my Audion Silver Night, I haven't experimented with this, just seems to make sense, we all need a while to warm up before working.

My missus reckons it sounds better half an hour after I've turned it all off

[farflungstar]

Edited.

[Jimbo]

+1. Exactly as I find it, and indeed have found it for years, no matter if I was using SS gear or valves - and the effect is not psychological or imagined, either.

Marco.

+2

I was just thinking this last night when I turned my stone cold system on after a freezing weeks weather. My room eventually became habitable and 2 hours in I thought my system sounded right. It's not just amps that need to warm up, cartridges really need to operate at around 21oC for the suspension rubber to perform as intended.

I actually think my system sounds better when it's been working hard for an hour or so before I get that lush 3D soundstage and the grain and harsh brittle edge evaporates.

[paulf-2007]

Indeed, such is the problem of adopting a box-swapping mentality, and falling in love more with hi-fi than music...

Marco.

Content with my lot and buying more vinyl lately. May be less expensive swapping kit though. Half speed mastered vinyl from USA is eye watering and makes me nervous playing it.