I believe that the equipment warm up and the listeners warmup go hand in hand and both are creditable.
Equipment Warm up, but What About Listener Warm up?
Tube amps and even solid state amps have varying requirements to warm up, but what about the listener? Do you find that it takes you a few minutes to settle in to really start hearing the nuances in the sound? It seems that even if I've had my Hegel H390 on all day, it still takes a few minutes after I sit in my listening position before I start to hear everything I know is there. I then start the recording from the beginning and enjoy.
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slaw ...
True, that Slaw. I've said for years that the cartridge has to warm up. And as you said, it takes a good side to really get things sounding as they should. Frank |
Absolutely! Behind your ear drum are three little bones called ossicles. Attached to one of them, the Stapes is a little muscle called the Stapedius. As sounds get louder this muscle tightens and decreases the ear's sensitivity protecting you from louder volumes. It also changes the ear's frequency response. It is always good to start at moderate levels before turning it up to a realistic volume to let your ears adjust. |
I’ve noticed that the music sounds best if I’ve had a good day, everything in my life is going well, I’ve exercised pretty hard that day, I have nothing left to get done that day, and it’s night time. If all of these things come together, it’s usually a recipe for a good listening session. I’ve also noticed that its best to take a 10-15 minute break every hour or so from the music... I’ve also noticed that I can pick up more detail in the music at low to medium volume levels. It’s not such an onslaught of sensory overload that I sometimes get at higher volumes, yet sometimes high volumes are whats needed to get me fully engaged in a musical experience. I also like to listen first thing in the morning (or even if I’ve woken up in the middle of the night...low low ambient noise is a plus) when my ears and mind are totally fresh. I even tried wearing shooting ear muffs (I know, I’m strange) for 30 minutes before listening in order to “prep” my ears. Akin to closing your eyes in the dark and picturing the darkest black you can, then reopening them and being able to see much better. I didn’t notice much of an improvement doing this particular method. Last way I warm up my ears is with routinely cleaning them thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide and a steady stream of warm water to help loosen / soften ear wax buildup. |
Interesting thought, that the listener and the equipment have a "warm up" time. I remember reading the results of a study of blood pressure changes while watching TV, and if my memory serves me, it took the subjects about 10 minutes for their blood pressure & respiration to find their rhythm after sitting down to watch TV. |
b_limo, +1 To put 2 and 2 together, I always start a listening session in the morning at lower than normal volume, and gradually increase it. Morning listening can be problematic as the sound through one ear canal is sometimes less clear than the other. I have found exercises online to address this. A doctor says it is the settling of fluid inside the inner ear. I have a shungite cap that covers the ears. I sometimes wear it for 15 minutes before a session. Looks and feels weird, but it works, improving the sound. I am a fan of Debrox as an ear canal cleaner, about once a month. And I agree, mental and physical states are "key," and it's great when everything "comes together." |
don_c55, Well said. I’d like to go further and add that the wish to change our mood/mindset is the main reason we all listen to music and pursue our audiophile habits in the first place. For the great majority of us musical entertainment is almost as necessary as breathing. As consumers, rather than creators, it’s also an addiction that’s comparatively benign compared to many others, although some of us might become cross addicted, unable to enjoy music without the additional support of recreational drugs or alcohol.* Outside of a club (where the trance like effect of the bass can be enhanced), it doesn’t work for me, but each to their own. *Or in a few extreme tragic cases - compulsive tweaking. A situation where very little musical pleasure can be attained. The advocates of tweaking usually have little concern or consideration of the distracting, sometimes neurotic effect of their propaganda. In fact some even seem to exploit it by an almost constant active encouragement. If you find yourself afflicted don't despair. A way back can be found by the development of other interests, by regaining some control over your life, by spending more time with family and friends etc. Some audiophiles have shared their experiences where they found it necessary to take the drastic step of a dramatic downsizing/downgrading of their main systems before they could begin to enjoy music once more. |