I and several people I know have noticed that every high end DAC we've ever owned benefits from a quick power recycle. I have no idea why but I suspect it has something to do with resetting clocks and flushing data (no need for knowledgable people to flame here....I'm just theorizing) I'd love to know why but the effects are clear enough to my ears that I now do it as a matter of course before most listening sessions.
Power Cycling Mystery
I have a Meridian G68 that I use as a dac and preamp. I leave it on 24/7. Here's the mystery: When I power it off and then back on, it sounds better. I know that sounds crazy. Maybe I'm crazy. But I've noticed it a number of times over the last year.
I originally thought maybe it was heat. I turn it off, it cools down, I turn it back on, it sounds better. Hence it's the heat. But here's where it gets really weird...
If I power the G68 down and then turn it back on IMMEDIATELY, it still sounds better. So the change in sound can't be attributed to heat.
And it gets weirder...
The improvement lasts for WEEKS. Then, very gradually, things deteriorate. Eventually I notice a subtle harmonic distortion in the high frequencies and a general "haze" in imaging. So I power cycle the G68, and the distortion and haze go away. And things start all over again.
Is this even possible?
Bryon
I originally thought maybe it was heat. I turn it off, it cools down, I turn it back on, it sounds better. Hence it's the heat. But here's where it gets really weird...
If I power the G68 down and then turn it back on IMMEDIATELY, it still sounds better. So the change in sound can't be attributed to heat.
And it gets weirder...
The improvement lasts for WEEKS. Then, very gradually, things deteriorate. Eventually I notice a subtle harmonic distortion in the high frequencies and a general "haze" in imaging. So I power cycle the G68, and the distortion and haze go away. And things start all over again.
Is this even possible?
Bryon