Stupid Mistake

Interesting how these little accidents prove so many things a lot of so-called audiophiles claim are impossible. In the first place its impossible to remember what anything sounds like for more than a millisecond. Since you didn't swap amps at the push of a button no way. Yet you heard it. Amazing. There's no such thing as warm-up, and certainly nothing needs to be left on all the time. Yet you heard it. Amazing. These amps all measure near perfect, so they must all sound the same. Yet they don't. Amazing. Why its almost like those people don't know what they are talking about. Yet they keep right on talking the same nonsense. Amazing. 

I've done a bunch of stuff just like this. Brought home a phono stage for demo one time, thought not worth the hassle to put it on the Shelf and Cones, we'll just use the factory power cord, should be good enough. Sounds like pure crap. Well they usually do. Very few make the cut. Then later before boxing up to return it thought why not I have time, moved everything around and now with the good power cord etc (and having been on overnight) dang this thing sounds pretty good! Not quite good enough to keep, but at least now its close. These things really do make a difference. 

Another time, once again rushed for time, came home new interconnect on the porch can't wait to hear this! In a big rush I hook it up and sit down and what the??! Absolute crap! Okay well its cold. While later, now listening to warmed up crap. About the only difference now I can hear more clearly the crap. By crap I mean it was like my system was broken. It was a used IC, thought who knows....? But that can't be. Really bugged me.  

Finally next day at work occurs to me, did you check which way it went? No, you did not.  

Get home, sure enough, flip it around, all is well. Rookie error, yet more proof we can hear these things, stuff like warm-up and directionality is real. 

Some just deny, deny, deny. Some of us learn from it and are able to figure things out. Congratulations. Welcome to the club.

Well said Millercarbon! All these small to large nuances form an accumulative balance of sound within ones system. From my components, dedicated circuits, outlets, to cabling. All though  I did stop at the carbon Furutech cover plate! 
 The strange thing (and you picked up on it) Its very difficult for the brain to cultivate sound, especially  component to component! I listen to my system a lot!. Yet because I was so focused on the 116's (which are great amps) and my ears/brain became so in tune with the 116 amps I basically forgot what my Classe' sounded like!  Until I had my delayed brain storm and remembered I never warmed the amps up!  3 days later! It was almost as if my brain couldn't digest what happened!
  As far as the naysayers go, I don't pay much attention to them. I've come to the realization most don't know how to evaluate what they are hearing.
   I'm actually happy this occurred! It gives one pause to pay attention to what they are doing. Still disappointed in making such a basic blunder!

"The only man that never makes a mistake, is the man that never does anything."      Theodore Roosevelt

Of course there is warm, and rock solid no matter the signal liquid cooled rock solid stable warm..... :-)