Warm-up time.


It takes about an hour of loud playing for my system to come to life, whether it's digital or analog.
i was wondering if it's the amp or the preamp that needs the warm-up, or both.
i have a vintage modified CJ preamp, and modified NuForce Class D mono blocks.
128x128rvpiano
Everything needs a warm up: Speaker surrounds, phono cartridges, amps, preamps. Every dang thing! Enter your text ...

The warm-up time of speakers (apart from the run-in time) is rarely mentioned, so nice to see it noticed here. I would say it’s equally important, perhaps even more so than warning up electronics. Prior to any serious listening session (and when the surroundings permit) I often start by turning up the volume significantly beyond my typical reference volume level with some "highly energized" music, and then leave the room for a while to let it "settle in" (half an hour is more than enough). This little treatment can be done, and is necessary I find from the very get-go of turning on the stereo or later on in the process to really have the sound "snap in" and become slightly more present/fuller and alive. Maintaining the lower reference volume level from the beginning seems not to do the same over time, so it’s not really about speeding up a warm-up process rather than having the speakers cross a threshold of sorts with higher levels, that frees the sound increments further. I’ve noticed the same effect with different speakers, so I would assume it to have general importance.

I like to play mine for at least 1 hour before any serious listening, it is all tube based except the DAC.  My speakers are electrostatic (M/L CLX), the claim is that it takes some time to build up a proper charge on the stators, I cannot claim to have experimented to attempt to hear this.

Warm-up is definitely a phenomenon...and I can hear the transition. It's not distinct like going from dark to daylight but it's as much a revelation once you're in-tune to it. Speakers are affected as well. I give up my system for Lent. When I power up Easter morning, I am dejected because it sounds like a big waste of money. I have to remember it's like having a knee-cast removed after 6wks. Everything's stiff as hell. But after a couple days, it's back in the groove and so am I. 
I'm definitely on board the "warm it up" boat. It's strange how the sound becomes more present and liquid once everything is warmed up. Using good old fashioned class AB amplification, it takes some actual listening to get things really warmed up, which thankfully won't be the case when I finish the class A amp. Even leaving the old unit on for a few days makes a difference that's hard to quantify. 
When I had my Atma-Sphere rig, a 1 hour warm-up with no music playing was sufficient (but necessary).  Later on, with an all-Rowland system including a Model 5 power amp, that amp just sounded better and better the longer it was on.  When I was off for the weekend, I would leave it powered up all the time.  It did sound okay after about a 30-45 minute warm-up; the Capri preamp was always on as was the CDP.