Better listening after midnight?

[pauln]

Since NewYears I have been doing all my listening after midnight. Is it the lower noise floor, better cleaner power, or my imagination? I read somewhere ages ago that hearing is more accute when you are a little sleepy.. my rig is sounding really great late at night.

[oldbuckster]

I do alot of listening like that between 2 and 8 am before I turn the volume up.After listening like that, to turn the volume up just alittle, makes it sound alot louder than it really is. That has kinda' been a point I always have made about low volume listening, and my Klipsch's ability to reproduce the sound so well at LOW volume. There is usually so little background noise, that you don't have to play loud, and every increase in the volume is noticed. My wife is usually sleeping, and it would be unfair and rude of me to blast it and wake her up. That's why when I read some of the volume levels people listen at, they either live alone, or they don't care about others in the house. That was always my time, more so, when my 2 kids lived home, no added distractions, nice quiet, peaceful, music listening, concert watching, Dad's time. Which I guess in the end makes my point about more low volume listening than loud listening, in my case. I like cranked up music for awhile, but the bulk of my listening is low volume. Really, I always thought the main points about Klipsch speakers is their ability to sound so full at a lower volume level, being able to reproduce sounds with little wattage, and a lifetime of use, if taken care of. I don't know about more accute hearing when sleepy, because that time of day, I'm just getting up, but I know what I hear, and I like it..............but, I'm an old fart anyway, who cares what I think?...........................I do.!!!!!!!!!!!

[maxg]

I think most people agree that listening late at night does sound better but as to why.....

There are so many factors at play aside from the cleaner power and the lower noise floor it is hard to tell whether it is the listener or the system that is "performing" better. It is fully possible that it is actually a combination of both.

Helps if you are sitting / reclining comfortably too.

[SET12]

I posted this quite awhile back since I started using these my listening sessions are far more consistent!

I am using a pair Furman Power Factor Correctors the cheapest verison retails 315$ I paid just 196$ for my last one from Full Compass a pro sound cataolog company. On their web site it goes for 260$ with a phone call I got it for the 196$

This a unique design as some designers feel this is a more important issue to go after this device can source current up to 45 amps peak it is ratted for 8 amps continous unlike many others that use current limited transformer couplings and other tactics.

Power Factor Correction in now mandatory on all computer power supplies in Euroupe and Japan due to largely poor quality power cause by line becomeing highly inductive which is bad for sourceing current needs for music! Nagra Electronics has designed this into their Referance Power Amps. Furman uses this in their referance conditioner retailing for 2500$ and this is available for 200$! A no brainer for me!

Here is some comments on my experiances with my second Furman.

SET
NEWAS Exhalted GURU




SET




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Re: Furman Power Factor Correc
« Reply #25 on: 25.08.2006 at 16:18:51 »

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Well people I have purchased a second Furman!

I was not prepared for its benefits! and I have been impressed enough that I will purchase another one for my front end componets!

The best way I think to describe its effect on my system is to say that it enhances the effect of having monoblocks to a larger degree then I have previously ever heard puting more isolation between them perhaps preventing crosstalk on the AC line and of course each amp has its own AC current sourceing of up to 45 amps each! Way over kill but it is very audiable!

This further enhanced the systems lateral imageing expanding more of the stage size bringing more recorded room ambiance out.

It also makes everything more solid and rounder.

SET

[boom3]

I think part of it is less ambient noise (spouses/SOs are asleep [] and part of it is an ancient acuteness of hearing for danger at night. Last night I was just about asleep when I heard a crashing noise. It was probably the cat(s) jumping on a plastic blanket box, but it sounded a lot louder. Then I heard a persistant high-frequency beeping, like a cell phone being dialed. I turned off the bedroom air cleaner and it went away. I think at night I am more sensitive to harmonics from devices like fans or A/C motors, even though the white noise masks other sounds.

[jcmusic]

The world is a much quieter place late at night, I read about people having this same expirence some time back. What I did as an expierment was to start to listen late at night, to find out what all the fuss was about. After having done that for a while I found it to be true, not that the music sounded any better; but the area around the music was less noticable. This is what was making the music seem to sound better, when in fact it was just simply standing out more because there was nothing for it to overcome.

I also noticed that the best time to bias my 2A3 amp was about 2:00 am, with it having a digital bias meter built in. I could watch how much the power would fluctuate up and down, to get it set at the proper setting I had to wait until after 2:00 am. During the daytime there was so much fluctuation that I could not get it to the proper setting, without turning the bias control all the way up. Late at night I could set it exactlly where I wanted it with no problem.

Jay

[Guest " "]

Yeah, I do a lot of listening between midnite and 6am.  Problem is if your system is properly setup, and if you dose off, you wake up startled thinking someone else is in the room.

I think it's a combination of all the above, less noise, better available power, human thinking process might switch into listening mode at night to alert of tigers, lions and bears lurking about.

[Allan Songer]

I do most of my listening between about 8 and 11 in the evenings, but I often get up way before dawn on the weekends and have been know to start spinning records at 4-4:30 AM and I have to tell you that all alone downstairs with a cup of fresh coffee at 4:30 AM on a Sunday morning, the hi-fi sounds it's absolute best . . .

[russ69]

No question about it. Night time is the right time!

Thanx, Russ

[oscarsear]

Many here describe the need a good power conditioner fulfills at any time. I could listen to my system faulter as the lights dimmed during brownouts. After installing a power condition the difference in the quality of sound was easily noticed. I can plug a lamp into the same conditioner and it suffers no affects from brownouts while other lights in the home dim down or flicker. Constant power delivers unflinching performance from every component while protecting them all from line surges.

[IndyKlipschFan]

Could it be a good drink or with someone special at that time that makes it sound so incredible too?

Works for me.. LOL..

But yes, I agree like seeing a band live.. 10 pm to 2 am... it just feels better as your body relaxes and you appreciate it more.

I doubt even Van Halen sounds good at 7 am ...Unless it is game day....Then bring on Eddie... and let er rip!

One of my fav times in the wee hours was when I had Cornwalls outside at a bonfire. Somehow in that open air.. the misic cranked... like 1- 2 am... It was just nirvana, trust me...

[dtel]

Could it be a good drink or with someone special at that time that makes it sound so incredible too?

Works for me.. LOL..

But yes, I agree like seeing a band live.. 10 pm to 2 am... it just feels better as your body relaxes and you appreciate it more.

I doubt even Van Halen sounds good at 7 am ...Unless it is game day....Then bring on Eddie... and let er rip!

One of my fav times in the wee hours was when I had Cornwalls outside at a bonfire. Somehow in that open air.. the misic cranked... like 1- 2 am... It was just nirvana, trust me...

Indy we did the same thing where we lived before we moved here. It was a old house on 18 acres which was surrounded buy the Pearl River swamp, no neighbors for miles.

We would have parties with a bonfire ( in the winter ) about 100' from the house. I would put the speakers on the front porch and when it got late and everybody settled down with chairs around the fire, the sound was great. We would sit out there for hours under trees over 100' tall by the fire and listen, the only light was the fire. It's kind of like when you listen to music and close your eyes, it always sounds better. There is something about the open spaces that makes it sound better, I always liked outdoor concerts better.

[m8o]

Since NewYears I have been doing all my listening after midnight. Is it the lower noise floor, better cleaner power, or my imagination? I read somewhere ages ago that hearing is more accute when you are a little sleepy.. my rig is sounding really great late at night.

I dont' think you are imagining, or you and I (and whoever else agrees) are all imagining the same thing. I noticed this months ago. When watching music videos or listening to the digital MusicChoice channels up in the 800s (cablevision), I came to the realization there is less (or -no-) noise from outside, the power is cleaner, and the audio signal off the cable line is cleaner. I sometimes find myself listning to music 'till 4am as it's so much sweeter then.

[m8o]

Many here describe the need a good power conditioner fulfills at any time. I could listen to my system faulter as the lights dimmed during brownouts. After installing a power condition the difference in the quality of sound was easily noticed. I can plug a lamp into the same conditioner and it suffers no affects from brownouts while other lights in the home dim down or flicker. Constant power delivers unflinching performance from every component while protecting them all from line surges.

what brand and model do you use?

[pauln]

Thanks for the observations... I did not even consider the "fear factor"... I think you guys that suggested an ancient instinctual increased alertness to sound after dark hit it right on the head. It's not cause of sleepiness. Most of our ability to localize sound sources stems from the benefit of identifying potential danger ASAP. I'll bet this really kicks into high gear after dark when the visual clues are gone.

[laurenc319]

hi,

in addition to the lower noise floor, that your mind is free of all the daytime "clutter" may be another reason. Psychoacoustics and neurochemistry may play a role. In the brain the dopamine and serotonin and melatonin levels change at night. Here's one link of many about this http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/full/19/18/8071. Anyone willing to do a 1 or 2 month google search about this.

Larry

[pauln]

Nice preamp for that Wright, how do you like it? Active, right?

[Speedball]

That is a nice looking Preamp.

At night time it sounds way better without a doubt, maybe something to do with electricity and maybe surrounding noise at your home, inside and outside.