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Is it the beer or do speakers/electronics really need some extended warm-up period?

To me, one of life's best times are a cold beer and listening to good music.  I have noticed that the longer the listening/drinking session, the better the sound.  Is it the beer or do the electronics/mechanical components mellow out after some burn-in period?  Thought about listening with no beer, but that's not happening.
gvlandin
gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
In all seriousness (is that even possible?), I think the desire to turn up the volume is sometimes a desire to get 'more' you are there-they are here/immediacy/verisimultude (great word) out of the system. The trick for me is getting the volume/gain/amount of loudness just so for the particular recording on my system in my room. Turning it up too loud doesn't make it better. I also tend not to listen at super high db, but like the dynamics when they are there; the other side of it is that dead quietness on soft passages that is no so easily achieved on old records.

+1 

I tend to listen around 85db, however, the dynamic range is often such that it can vary between 65db and 105db.
phd
1,320 posts
 
You have choices, you can settle in with inferior gear but you will need a case of beer each and every time to make it sound better or you can buy quality gear and dispense with the beer entirely. Either way it's going to cost you.
hifijones
118 posts
 

It’s definitely not the beer.

Just turning my rig on and letting it warm-up for an hour or so has never paid any discernible sonic dividends. Of course it’s better than no warm-up time at all but I discovered years ago that at least 20 minutes of actual system playing time is the magic number for me. Don’t know why....

whart's avatar
whart
3,052 posts
 
Just to be clear, I think the 'warm up' (at least that i'm referring to) involves playing it- not simply letting it stand idle after turn on. @hifijones -thanks for bringing out that distinction. 
phd
1,320 posts
 
But kidding aside at least an hour warm up will start to bring out the beginnings of what will sound better and leaving it on over night (which I prefer) sounds the best in my opinion. At one point and a few years back I had some components that the longer they were left on the worse they sounded, no doubt a poor match for the speakers.
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