[tie_breaker]

For whatever reasons I seem to enjoy listening to music better during the evening or night time rather than day time. Music sounds better at night.  The sound quality of my system definitely sounds better to me at night.  We don't have much traffic or noise during the day or night so it's pretty quiet in my living room.  I have a dedicated circuit that I use for all of my components including the amps.  My 7b3 amps are connected directly to the wall.  My other components are connected to a Furman 20 Pfi.  Maybe it's my brain or state of mind but I don't think so.  Anyone else experience the same?  Thank you in advance for your comments..

[zoom25]

How's the lighting at day vs. night?

[Roninaudio]

Interesting question.  I'm not sure my system sounds better at night but I'm pretty sure I listen better at night.  I also try multiple times per week to have a MAH- Music Appreciation Hour.  These are always at night.  Even on weekends.  Music may be on during the day (usually is) but dedicated listening  is always completed in early evening.  Same with headphones,  those sessions are always at night.  For me I believe it has to do with my "duty" cycle and when I can actually just relax.  However I usually get up at 0430 (I could throw on cans then) but early evening just feels right to queue up a few songs and just listen...  Not sure if that helps but that's my habit anyway and has been for 20 years or more.....

[Bendingwave]

During the day people are more awake and active. During the evening and night one starts to slow down and relax to prepare for a good nights rest....Unless your sleeping pattern/time clock is off.

I prefer night time listening as I am more relaxed.

[JerryM]

At night there isn't nearly as many things "On" that there is during the day. As such, the electrical signal is much cleaner at night. 

[tie_breaker]

How's the lighting at day vs. night?

We have large windows so I don't need to turn on the lights during the day, but they are on at night.

[schmidtmike76]

I’m definitely with you night time is just more fulfilling.  Weather it’s electrical or psychological who knows but I’d lean more psychological

[FullRangeMan]

We have large windows so I don't need to turn on the lights during the day, but they are on at night.

You should listen in the dark.

[zoom25]

Behind my desk, I have large windows so I get lot of sun the whole day. Lighting can influence the mood and attention (overload or lack of stimulus due to what's lit) in many ways. Both the intensity and type of lighting makes a difference for me: natural vs artificial, temperature colour (Kelvin), CRI number for lights, diffused vs. hard.

Circadian rhythms can also play a part in influencing perception.

I have thought about the electrical portion and how it may be better at night. I do have a Torus for the audio, so the electricity portion shouldn't matter (hopefully). I definitely do find myself enjoying the music better throughout the day since I got the Torus, but it very well could be the switch over to Roon as well which happened around the same time. Roon takes out the brainwork and helps with the flow. Before I would sometimes feel as if the bass just wasn't there in the daytimes once in awhile. Not sure why. Found that odd.

I will say that now I can enjoy it 24/7, but perhaps experience it differently depending on whether I'm listening early or late in the day.

[dB Cooper]

I think I listen better at night á la Roninaudio and as FullRangeMan suggests, lights out makes me attend to sound more (especially enjoy lights out listening with headphones.) The night time is the right time...

[CanadianMaestro]

Brain melatonin rises at night, boosting relaxation, facilitating enjoyment of musical melodies and rhythms.

[JLM]

At night there isn't nearly as many things "On" that there is during the day. As such, the electrical signal is much cleaner at night. 

I've heard the same (at Decware during a DecFest).  After 11PM nearby small factories shut down for the night and the sound became clearer/cleaner.  Check to see how modern your area's power network is and how many older factories (the major loadings) are served by your substation.

At home I've never heard power aberrations (the technical term for 'dirty' power).  While my current place (built in 2005) is nearly ideal (few factories, our own transformer, all 12 gauge/20 amp wiring, dedicated circuit to each of my three 20 amp cryogenically treated hospital grade duplex receptacles) the former place was 50 years old and a rats nest of wiring.

[TJ-Sully]

hi tiebreaker, i've read some interesting articles over the years that have suggested night time listening provides better SQ. the explanations i've come across  mostly suggest less noise in the power grid, as suggested by others here...but also to diurnal patterns of earths' magnetic fields....go figure 

[FullRangeMan]

In my area it have less noise in the street too;

[Grit]

I figure the power line noise is one possibility, though those with power filtering should notice less difference, right?

I've also found that at night there are less distractions. I prefer to listen in the dark AND close my eyes because I've found that when my brain is processing input from my eyes, I get less involved in the music. I've found when I close my eyes during the day, I still don't notice all the nuances I do at night. It also might be that during the day, there's almost always something else in the back of my mind that comes next. At night, I'm getting to enjoy music with nothing else between me and going to sleep. I also usually have a glass of wine at night too, where as during the day, I don't.

It could be some or all of those things. For me, I notice a difference and have a preference for nighttime listening.

[Elizabeth]

I do not notice any difference.
But I am only about a mile from a big local power plant.. The main power lines run along the freeway less than a half mile away... With a large transformer station North of my building next to the power lines. Very rare to have the power go out. (the two times in ten years have been damage at the transformer station)

So perhaps my electricity has less than average grunge on it?

But the daytime background dB noise is higher.. Around 35dB day. and 20dB night.
(In city, but next to a park)

I have dedicated 20amp line, Furman REF 20i and a PS Audio P600 just for digital, Amp is currently from wall. (though over the years sometimes from Furman)

[tie_breaker]

Hi all, thank you very much for your valuable insight.  There is no question that our state of mind, mood, and ability to detach from day to day and focus on music makes a big difference on how much we enjoy the sound we hear from our systems.  Night time seems to be more conducive then during the day.  It seems most of you have some kind of power conditioner in your systems for good reasons.  I currently have a Furman Pfi 20 that I connect my source components to.  But I think I will try an isolation transformer unit from Torus to connect both my source components and my amps, and see if I get the sound quality I hear during the night.

[AndrewA]

Subjective impressions of music are one thing, but the level of hum/buzz coming from any component is much easier to calibrate.

You will notice a difference, depending on time of day, day of week, time of year.

[milford3]

Can someone explain to me how audio equipment sounds different from day listening or night listening?  My audio sounds the same to me no matter what time of day it is. 

[FullRangeMan]

The power grid is cleaner at night, after a shower, a dinner and some drinks the Stereo always sound better