[keenween]

My best listening experiences occur late at night, usually past 11pm...but after midnight is even better. I notice a quieter background, more spacious and wider soundstage, firmer imaging and increased clarity, and the magic of depth or 3-dimensionality. I would feel no need to change a thing in my system late at night, but during the day I couldn't stop considering what improvements I might need to make. Side note: I don't have any room treatments (coming soon hopefully), but with all the positive talk of room treating, I hope acoustic treatment might have a similar effect.

I'm guessing that several factors which may be involved in this phenomena are lower noise floor, more relaxed mental state, and better incoming power. I think of the three, power may be the most important. I can be relaxed and have a quiet house during the middle of the day, but almost never hear the same effects.

I have a Belkin PF60, http://catalog.belkin.com/PureAV_detail.process?Product_Id=178925, which I bought for my system while living at my last apartment in downtown Indy. The building was very old, and I really had no way of trusting the electrical system so I thought the surge protection was warranted. I was also caddy-corner from the electrical substation, so it was sort of neat being that close to the power source. Anyway, I would observe the voltage reading on my Belkin unit throughout the days, weeks, months. Voltage was overall lower in the summer, higher in the winter, lower during the day, higher at night. Usually it was about 2-2.5 volts between low and high during a daily cycle. After midnight it was usually pegged around 126V, on a few occasions during the winter I found it around 127V.

I have no real conclusion to my observations, except voltage was peaked at the best listening times, but that doesn't say anything else about the signal or the noise it carried.

So I sort of have these mental questions about system power and how the incoming power might be treated for overall improvement. I'm guessing the building had old AC lines, no idea how it was run. The electrical outlets were terrible...plugs would hang from the receptacles, I used electrical tape to hold the plugs in place. So, while it may be worthy to upgrade power cords, electrical outlets, run dedicated lines, or perform other such power related modifications...I wonder about treating the incoming signal first, as in my experience having crappy power outlets wasn't a problem as long as it was the right time of night for listening.

I have no real experience with power modifications and am unable to advocate or dismiss them. I am not looking for a discussion on power cords or hospital grade outlets so much. I just wanted to inquire on if others have similar thoughts on source power, and if anyone has been able to address this aspect in their system with positive results, to bring the late night listening experience to 24 hours a day. How might this be done, what options are there? Also, what might be the technical reasoning for this? Is it simply more available power, less signal noise, both, or something else?

BTW, my cheapest option is to keep serious listening late at night, so that is the one I'll be going with for now. But later...well, you know how this audiophool thing can get! Really, nothing will be done by me on this issue unless I think I have a house I will be at for an extended time period. I just find it fascinating how much better my system sounds at night.

[Dan Banquer]

It may not be power, it just may well be the ambient acoustic noise is lower.
Regards;
    d.b.

[Big Red Machine]

Hey Bill!!

Yeah, it's crazy because you'd want to call all your buddies over at 1 AM to hear how great your system sounds but of course you'd be hung up on and left off next year's Christmas card list!

I think this happens to a bunch of us and me included.  Sometimes late at night everything is just gelling.  We all expect the demand to be lower at night but that doesn't mean the power company then magically delivers cleaner power.  Maybe only that there is less noise on the line due to less activity which can pollute the line.  Therefore all your filtering has less work to do and maybe hits its sweet spot.

[K Shep]

I'm guessing that several factors which may be involved in this phenomena are lower noise floor, more relaxed mental state.

My mind slows down at night.  My system "sounds" different depending on my level of concentration.  I too find that later in the day I pay greater attention to the nuances of music. 

[jtwrace]

I'm guessing that several factors which may be involved in this phenomena are lower noise floor, more relaxed mental state.

My mind slows down at night.  My system "sounds" different depending on my level of concentration.  I too find that later in the day I pay greater attention to the nuances of music.

agree

I also find that the UberBuss has made the system waaaay more consistent.

[rollo]

  It could be many factors rolled into one. Mood, less grid activity, voltage less airborne RFI and EMF and so on. A Variac can control the voltage to a desired one that suits pones gear. For me 117v sounds better than the normal 126V . Why ? Not a clue but it does. Does it even make sense on an Engineering stand point ? I will not quess so the brains here need to respond.


charles

[Wayner]

Believe it or not, there actually is an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) specification for delivered voltage. I forget the specification spread, but it's not much. I remember it being a +/- 2 or 3 volts. This is really not enough to affect performance of audio equipment. I will agree that late at night there may be some reduction of line noise, as many manufacturing or processing plants shut down for the day. However, the evil neighbors come home and are operating all kinds of goofy things like stereos and welders.

Wayner  aa

[gerald porzio]

Most utility cos. consider +/-10% as being w/in their tolerance limits. Con Ed uses an 8% reduction for brownouts. Most properly designed gear should operate flawlessly under these conditions.

[Wayner]

Thanks, gerald, but I think those numbers are high. I do believe you that voltage may at times, on older grids, get a bit out of hand and a brown out will raise hell with the grid voltage. That is not a normal operating mode however. I have a 120 volt meter on here at all times, and it's never more then a volt or 2 from the 120 volt nominal.

In the usual industrial mode, 120 volt is a derivative from a 208 volt (3 phase) system, 208 across the outer poles, 120 from the one leg of the outer pole and center tap. That would be considered a 4 pole 4 wire non-grounding configuration. Ground is obtained from the local by grounded earth rod.

If anyone is interested, 277 volt is obtained from a 4 pole 4 wire 480 volt (3 phase) system, 480 across the outer poles, 277 from one of the outer poles and center tap. It's really all just actual generator geometry. Each pole at 120 degrees. 3 Poles =  360 degrees.

There are super high voltage transmission lines, and that is where I will bow out. I know very little about that but do know that I have seen some videos of some "troubles" and they are very scary. Never, ever underestimate the fricken power of electricity! I been thru several NFPA-79e courses and the photos are vvvvvvery graphic. The poor SOBs. The good news is that their passing was very quick.

I just checked the voltage here and it's 122.5vac.

Wayner

[satfrat]

I live in rural hills here in Vermont with a minimal industry surrounding me and i have this same late night audio improvement, even thou my system's power is heavily conditioned. I can't explain it but my system has never sounded as good during the day as it does late at night which is really when I do most of my listening anyways as I'm devoted niteowl (35 years on 2nd shift) who like Dracula hits the sack at the crack of dawn.   
 
Cheers,
Robin

[jimdgoulding]

If your system were that good round the clock, you'd have less to look forward to.  Not a concern for me, I love my late nights.  More revealing and deeply experienced for whatever the reason.  Peace.

[ken]

There are super high voltage transmission lines, and that is where I will bow out. I know very little about that but do know that I have seen some videos of some "troubles" and they are very scary. Never, ever underestimate the fricken power of electricity! I been thru several NFPA-79e courses and the photos are vvvvvvery graphic. The poor SOBs. The good news is that their passing was very quick.

I just checked the voltage here and it's 122.5vac.

Wayner

Yes indeed, electricity demands the utmost respect!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHs14ZTo96M&feature=related

[werd]

  It could be many factors rolled into one. Mood, less grid activity, voltage less airborne RFI and EMF and so on. A Variac can control the voltage to a desired one that suits pones gear. For me 117v sounds better than the normal 126V . Why ? Not a clue but it does. Does it even make sense on an Engineering stand point ? I will not quess so the brains here need to respond.


charles

hello

All that and the fact everyone here has excellent gear that does well at low volume. I also think we use music as a form of meditation. We exercise our calm by sitting down infront of our hifi, with our poison of choice, and let it happen.

[hifiman5]

After becoming frustrated with the "late night syndrome", I made the move to a power regenerator.  Currently, a PS Audio Premier Power Plant version 2 regenerates the power to my complete system.  The quality of sound is now consistent at all times of the day.  Some of my favorite listening is after work just after supper.  No more compromises.

[pardales]

Late night is always good but I find that I can achieve similar satisfaction during the day if distractions are kept to a minimum. Lately I think I have figured out that my mood and state of mind/relaxation are the biggest factors in how much I enjoy a listening session.