Warm-up time.

Those NuForce amps are very efficient, I would leave them on all the time.

I recently got to listen to an ARC integrated, and about 45 minutes is how long it took. It started out OK, then got really grainy for a while, then came out smooth and sweet.

Best,


E

Everything needs a warm up: Speaker surrounds, phono cartridges, amps, preamps. Every dang thing! 

Including ears and brain.

It takes 2-4 hours for my high-end SS amp and high-end valve CD / DAC system to warm up to hit its peak performance capabilities. It is a very common practice, especially with tubes.

But it does not involve playing it loud, or even playing it all during this start-up ""warm-up" logistics exercise. Rather  just letting it all calmly warm up slowly on its own and actually leaving it alone suffices. 

I'm puzzled by the OP's gear requirement to crank it up as his required modus operandi. 

It takes my rig about 40 minutes to start sounding awesome, an hour gets me where I want to be.  On vinyl, I hear improvement after the 1st side.  After a 2nd side, its pure bliss.