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Warm-up time.

It takes about an hour of loud playing for my system to come to life, whether it's digital or analog.
i was wondering if it's the amp or the preamp that needs the warm-up, or both.
i have a vintage modified CJ preamp, and modified NuForce Class D mono blocks.
128x128rvpiano
lissnr
365 posts
 
Even staying on contiuously I find my system still appreciates about 40-60 minutes playing before it really starts to gel. 2-3 hrs later it's magnificent... All tube: mono bloc amps, pre, and dac.
phusis's avatar
phusis
1,208 posts
 
Everything needs a warm up: Speaker surrounds, phono cartridges, amps, preamps. Every dang thing! Enter your text ...

The warm-up time of speakers (apart from the run-in time) is rarely mentioned, so nice to see it noticed here. I would say it’s equally important, perhaps even more so than warning up electronics. Prior to any serious listening session (and when the surroundings permit) I often start by turning up the volume significantly beyond my typical reference volume level with some "highly energized" music, and then leave the room for a while to let it "settle in" (half an hour is more than enough). This little treatment can be done, and is necessary I find from the very get-go of turning on the stereo or later on in the process to really have the sound "snap in" and become slightly more present/fuller and alive. Maintaining the lower reference volume level from the beginning seems not to do the same over time, so it’s not really about speeding up a warm-up process rather than having the speakers cross a threshold of sorts with higher levels, that frees the sound increments further. I’ve noticed the same effect with different speakers, so I would assume it to have general importance.

ddzstereo
84 posts
 
I like to play mine for at least 1 hour before any serious listening, it is all tube based except the DAC.  My speakers are electrostatic (M/L CLX), the claim is that it takes some time to build up a proper charge on the stators, I cannot claim to have experimented to attempt to hear this.

mdeblanc's avatar
mdeblanc
62 posts
 
Warm-up is definitely a phenomenon...and I can hear the transition. It's not distinct like going from dark to daylight but it's as much a revelation once you're in-tune to it. Speakers are affected as well. I give up my system for Lent. When I power up Easter morning, I am dejected because it sounds like a big waste of money. I have to remember it's like having a knee-cast removed after 6wks. Everything's stiff as hell. But after a couple days, it's back in the groove and so am I. 
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