Diet for your audio system?

[Vintage Pete]

You can call be crazy....and that's okay! But I've noticed an interesting phenomenon and wondered if anyone else has made the same observation.

I do go through periods that my system plays a lot of lower level background music. I may be busy doing other things, it may be days at a time when my system just sits and plays FM broadcasts, etc. Then, let's say a friend comes over and I do a couple hours of serious rocking...really getting the electrons flowing, the speakers moving...you know the drill.

Following these exercises, I'll notice a seeming improvement in the system. Warmer, fuller sound, on any source, even just FM. I've noted this a number of times, quite a few times actually, over the years.

More recently, I've ventured into hi-res audio, where the system is now being fed a pretty steady diet of really unrestricted source material, completely uncompromised, and of course I'm cranking it up! Once again, I seem to notice the system sounding better generally on any source.

An analogy may be when we take our car for a long trip, with highway miles instead of stop and go traffic. Following such a trip, the car runs better, smoother, quieter. It has appreciated the recent trip.

Is this just me? Does your audio system appreciate a certain diet? Has anyone else made this observation? Let's hear some opinions. If you think it's just a figment of my imagination, that's okay. But I don't think it is....

[prepress]

I've always heard about taking the car out on the highway and "blowing it out," as the phrase goes. It's good for the car. I never heard it for audio, but I did have a time last fall when a friend from church came over and I spent about 3 hours playing DJ/VJ. The system did sound good, and I noticed it. The system wasn't played louder than normal, though the CD I played (a Jobim anthology) was background music for dinner mostly. We were in the living room when I started the CD, and my company was amazed at the sound. In this case, I think the presence of the company influenced how I responded to the system. And it's not the first time.

It's almost as if I heard it through their ears. The company's reaction stirred my own. But this makes some sense too, in that one of the reasons I spent all this money was for the long-term idea of having company now and then and sharing the system. Both it and I are in our purpose when anyone comes over and I play anything. Psychological and spiritual benefit ensues. I'm not persuaded the sound gets better; I am persuaded I perceive it better. Or at least differently.

[BlueFox]

I just feed mine a diet of clean Shunyata power, so it performs optimum all the time.

[jdandy]

Pete.......All good components need to be romped from time to time, blow the dust off the woofers and get the electrons flowing. My living room system is the one that gets played the most at low level unless I have an audio enthusiast visitor. I'll crank it a bit then. Even after I move some air, so to speak, I really don't notice the system sounding better than it sounded all along. I tend to play the studio system at wholesome levels, so that system doesn't have the opportunity to slack off much. I am wondering if perhaps you are noticing the improvement in sound in the evening hours when power quality tends to be cleaner than during the mid day.

Originally Posted by Vintage Pete

Is this just me? Does your audio system appreciate a certain diet? Has anyone else made this observation? Let's hear some opinions. If you think it's just a figment of my imagination, that's okay. But I don't think it is....

Actually your theory is well founded. Isotek did a lot of research into this subject and developed their Full System Enhancer cd which works a treat. It is essentially a burn-in cd, but track 3 is designed as a quick 'refresher' for your system before a listening session. Works a treat. Here is the product description -

"The Full System Enhancer CD is an intensive ‘workout’ for your audio system. The disc includes specially developed signals to help ‘run-in’ new equipment, as well as demagnetising existing hi-fi components and rejuvenating your entire system.

It is important to exercise an audio system across the full range of frequencies and amplitudes it may encounter in real life, and to this end the tones on this disc have been devised to cover the complete audio band from top to bottom, also ensuring that, for instance, high-amplitude signals are combined with high-speed ones.

In electronic terms, the required signals feature lots of high-speed activity coupled to some high-amplitude excursions. All of these signals have been produced according to strict mathematical criteria, so as to place the greatest stress on the important parts of a system – without, it is important to note, endangering any part of it."

[Still-One]

In my case I believe that most of my listening is done at volumes levels below what is optimal for my speakers. When I have someone over I tend to play music at levels that show the true capabilities of the system orcas you say opening it up a bit.

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by Bodhisattva

Actually your theory is well founded. Isotek did a lot of research into this subject and developed their Full System Enhancer cd which works a treat. It is essentially a burn-in cd, but track 3 is designed as a quick 'refresher' for your system before a listening session. Works a treat. Here is the product description -

"The Full System Enhancer CD is an intensive ‘workout’ for your audio system. The disc includes specially developed signals to help ‘run-in’ new equipment, as well as demagnetising existing hi-fi components and rejuvenating your entire system.

It is important to exercise an audio system across the full range of frequencies and amplitudes it may encounter in real life, and to this end the tones on this disc have been devised to cover the complete audio band from top to bottom, also ensuring that, for instance, high-amplitude signals are combined with high-speed ones.

In electronic terms, the required signals feature lots of high-speed activity coupled to some high-amplitude excursions. All of these signals have been produced according to strict mathematical criteria, so as to place the greatest stress on the important parts of a system – without, it is important to note, endangering any part of it."

Ahhhhh.....so I'm NOT Crazy!!

Thanks for chiming in on this...that is very interesting.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by Vintage Pete

Ahhhhh.....so I'm NOT Crazy!!

Pete.......Yes you are and you know it. .

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Pete.......Yes you are and you know it. .

I guess I can't disagree here Dan....

[Yamaki]

Dan...I was thinking the same thing...