Who thinks their gear sounds better after being warmed up?

[Primalsea]

My active monitors seem like they need to be on for about 30 minutes before the sound seems to really gel and be more articulate. Having the amps in the speaker box means that everything inside gets warm.

Anyone else thinks this is the case with their gear?

Just wondering if it is me convincing myself.

[hifinutt]

i have had amps in the past like that but now it sounds good straight off

[Wakefield Turntables]

My kit sounds better when my room in warm, I'm 100% positive of this.

[paulf-2007]

My listening room is at the bottom if the garden and only heated when I use it. Yes it needs some time to sound it's best. I did have PX25 monoblocks that needed an hour to sound their best and when partnered with lowthers sounded dreadful from cold.

[Ali Tait]

Yes without a doubt to my ears takes a wee while to come on song.

[mikeyb]

Yes without a doubt to my ears takes a wee while to come on song.

Aye my ears are the same [emoji4]

[57charles]

Yes - I experience this all the time after my Yamaha Z9 has been on for around an hour.I still don't want to believe this because I'm not sure if there is an explanation (I'm a non techie) but I know there is an effect here. Just the same as the experience I had experimenting with speaker cables (I know, a can of worms and I don't want to get off subject) but I will never forget the difference biwiring some Celestion SL700SE'S with Chord Epic made (with the Yamaha Z9). The difference was huge - the problem was I found it disconcerting - the treble became completely detached from the bass/mid - they didn't seem to integrate - it was bizarre. I went back to Belkin Pure AV in a non biwire config - everything settled down again. However, I've been tempted recently to revisit the Chord Epic (albeit discontinued?) in biwire again because I' be interested to see results with my latest speakers Spendor SP2/3r2. I'm not fully on board about speaker cable differences but I have to admit I was shocked with that episode with the Chord Epic.

[Pete The Cat]

I'm in the better-after-half-an-hour camp, even though mine's solid state. But given that I often enjoy a beer with a listening session I'm mindful that my mood may be part of it :cool:

Pete

[Gazjam]

Absolutely with valve gear, takes a good half hour or so for my amp starts to open up properly.

[hifi_dave]

Half an hour is usually adequate for most gear and it's not just subjectively better, it can be measured. Take a look at some of the measurements in Hi-Fi News or Stereophile, where the distortion etc, stabilises after 30 minutes or so.

[walpurgis]

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.

[Macca]

I find it hard to distinguish between what may be happening with the equipment and what may be happening with my brain.

30 minutes may be long enough for the equipment to settle down, open up etc. Also about the right length of time for me to relax and start getting properly into it. So I don't know. When I was using valve equipment I would probably come down on the side of warm up improving the sound. With solid state I am more doubtful. If the first few bars of music of the session sound good, it stays good. If they sound bad, it stays bad and I eventually get up and start checking the wiring and so on before switching it all off and having a think.

[Scooby]

Yes the kit sounds much better when it's warm, but I also enjoy listening much more when I'm toasty warm too.

[paulf-2007]

I don't think it's my brain that adjusts, as when I had the PX25's I would leave Spotify running and go back to the house for an hour, then it sounded spot on, if I listened from cold it sounded distorted and thin, so I didn't bother until it warmed up. I reckon speakers need warming up too, especially if left in a cold room.

[Primalsea]

Good to see that it’s probably not me imagining things. The active monitors I have are effectively the preamp, amp and speakers all in one box. When they warm up everything warms up including the drivers and their rubber suspension. But also I do find that I have to be in the right mind sometimes or everything sounds crap.

[wee tee cee]

57s are bloody awful for about an hour if they have been off for a while.

I agree that warming up the room also helps.

I also find a few glasses of your favourite tipple can reap sonic benefits!

[walpurgis]

I know it's not 'psychological' or acclimatisation.

I can fire the system up and hear that it doesn't sound great immediately. I leave music playing and go back in half an hour later and think 'wow this is good'.

The difference is very marked. Too much so for it to be other than real.

[walpurgis]

I also find a few glasses of your favourite tipple can reap sonic benefits!

Some suggest a huge joint can offer similar enhancement. I wouldn't know! :whistle:

[Pharos]

Martin, IMO you have struck at the core of the difficulty in identifying equipment changes.

It is very easy to dismiss the human psyche as a factor in evaluation of SQ, but a big mistake, and if people think that we are all stable and rational beings who can assess things very cerebrally and accurately, they are very wrong.

One only has to look at the state of the world and most human relations, to see how much irrationality, emotionality, mood changes and health variations are superimposed on our out perception of the objective world, and this on top of our internal biological changes.

[Primalsea]

Martin, IMO you have struck at the core of the difficulty in identifying equipment changes.

It is very easy to dismiss the human psyche as a factor in evaluation of SQ, but a big mistake, and if people think that we are all stable and rational beings who can assess things very cerebrally and accurately, they are very wrong.

One only has to look at the state of the world and most human relations, to see how much irrationality, emotionality, mood changes and health variations are superimposed on our out perception of the objective world, and this on top of our internal biological changes.

I do agree that there is an element of feelgood factor. Whether this be a good mood or owning nice stuff and this can enhance your listening. But overtime I think objectivity bears out. 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.

Once everyone has run out of ludicrous ideas for magic cables and RFI sucking charcoal, etc., how long will it be before we see Audiophile Pills that help you hear and feel far more than you can without them?

Hell, it could go the full hog and there will be special tights and bracelets that have batteries that bias our magnetic fields that no doubt cause distortion in our equipment.

Maybe we should launch our own AOS range of hifi cakes that really expand your perception.

[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 :D

[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.

[Blueflash]

I turn the speakers on, put a CD on repeat for an hour or so at low volume then it is ready to go. Otherwise I have to sit through a rather two dimensional stuck between the speakers uninvolving sound for about 30 - 40 mins.

[Primalsea]

Does anyone find their idler takes about 30 to 40 minutes to to stabilise, not only rpm but speed consistency as well. This is the case with my 401.

[Minstrel SE]

Yes about twenty to thirty minutes which must be to do with the components like capacitors reaching optimum temperature and working conditions to settle in. Even the Royds have a recommended temperature range for the drivers

I can clearly hear it in three budget amplifiers so I would have thought high end equipment is similar in this respect.

Leaving things switched on has been recommended advice for the best listening experience. At the very least I would think a good warm up is necessary to experience the best sound from track 1

[sq225917]

Ten minutes for my phonostage, my amps sound fine from cold.

[speedracer]

Despite saying I wondered if part of the reason was down to psychology in a recent thread I firmly believe kit needs to warm up for a period before it sounds right. I don't just mean turning it on 20 minutes or so before you listen, but actually playing a record or two, which points to loud speakers & cartridges needing to flex & so warm themselves up so to speak. Just turning it on & not playing anything is a waste to my ears, but when the moment is reached there is a clear difference to hear, in my system at least.

[wee tee cee]

Some suggest a huge joint can offer similar enhancement. I wouldn't know! :whistle:Likewise I cant speak from personal experience but have been led to believe John Martyn and Pink Floyd are somewhat enhanced sonically.

[paulf-2007]

Does anyone find their idler takes about 30 to 40 minutes to to stabilise, not only rpm but speed consistency as well. This is the case with my 401.yes my 401 was like that, fortunately it has the strobe so I could adjust as it warmed up. The lenco took longer. My Denon DP80 runs spot on from cold and one reason why the idlers have gone.