DISCUSSION: "It only comes out at night". Does anyone else have this experience!?

Well said Sir Robot 👍

Oh, there is no doubt speakers have to warm up. Both the VC and the surround. It is most obvious to me in my Jeep. First thing in the morning my sub seems basically non-existent. After driving for a bit, ambient temps go up, woofer warms up, BIG difference. 
 

I am a Replicant.

The car at night - Its cooler at night , therefore more oxygen molecules available for combustion . Result more power . Of course turbo charged cars will benefit even more.

Hi-Fi at night. Electro-Magnetic radiation from the sun is shielded by the earth during the night.EM is a known audio noise , that has significant effect on SQ.

I don't buy the AC supply being quieter at night in  a normal residential environment . 

once I lived in a house with such a horrible electrification, that I could only listen to music after midnight.

I highly reccomend to buy a AC iPurifier. It will sound much better!

A simple environmental factor-darkness or a lack of light plays a significant roll to sharpen our hearing.  This simple factor allows our brain to decrease visual processing and devote more focused cerebral attention to our hearing.

One would believe that the power grid may be cleaner at night but difficult to quantify.

For whatever the reason(s), my current system sounds much better at night.  I first  noticed this back in the 80's when I was stationed in Munich Germany.  I'd get off work and turn on my all SS system (Pioneer SPEC-4 power amp, SoundCraftsman EQ/Pre, Teac X-10R R2R, dbix 224 and dbx 3BX, Technics SL-1200, and Bose 901's).  After about 3 or 4 hours, the R2R sound would be so sweet.  At the time, I had no clue about warm-up time.

Now it takes about 30 minutes for my PS Audio stack to warm up and the SQ is really good.  Later in the evening, the SQ goes to another level.   

Had this same experience, that is until I put in a dedicated 20 amp line and purchased a PS Audio P20.  Power conditioning is a must and it has to be with a product that has super low impedance.  The grid is super noisy.  I am not necessarily pushing PS Audio but I am a fan of power regeneration and in my experience it will get you the best sound at all times of day.  Now it is always midnight with regard to my sound.  I also keep my kit on standby always. Also, during the day, you may want to try a eye sleep mask.  I know that may sound silly but if have found it puts you in a different space when you cannot see anything and can just focus on the sound.  

Just saw a PS Audio video on that same topic....

@gumbedamit  could be interesting to watch. Where might a fellow like myself find such an alleged video sir!?

@axpert ,

"For most, in addition to the factors that you mention, the human body tends to go into a more relaxed state, at least for most people anyhow."

Definitely true for me, but tiredness creeps up on me a little earlier nowadays. However, if I can make it to after 2am I usually start to wake up again.

If most people are either morning larks or night owls, then I'm in the latter group, as I suspect that most music lovers are.

I think we can be sure Romeo wasn't wooing Juliet first thing.

@perazzi28 

"A simple environmental factor-darkness or a lack of light plays a significant roll to sharpen our hearing.  This simple factor allows our brain to decrease visual processing and devote more focused cerebral attention to our hearing."

Makes sense.

There's just a lot less need to be on alert at night.

For a start there's no need to keep checking your smartphone every 20/30 minutes.

Or to worry about the doorbell ringing.

Apropos the OP's original query, ask yourself, no matter what time of day it might be when you sit down with your system to listen to something new/old/borrowed/blue; Do you find yourself listening with your eyes closed ... ?? Reading the preceding made me realise this is with the majority of people the default "listening" mode. Your 'wetware' is told to concentrate on one sense and automatically (temporarily) attenuates others, especially sight.

Listening in a darkened room or at night just helps this process. You're probably still sitting there at night, listening, with your eyes closed.

@kmckenn 

@gumbedamit  It was interesting hearing him read the question. Having not seen that, it come pretty close to the opening post & topic.

Forgive me if I have not read all the amusing (I do use that term loosely) comments about why a system comes out at night, so if I hit upon an answer that has already been posted but I did not see one. I know for me I like it dark as a lot of the responders said. That means you lower the blinds or close the drapes, thereby eliminating the biggest sound distorting source in the room those windows. The second reason is metaphysical you intentionally have eliminated all other stimuli (phone computer) {or at least I hope you do} with the sole goal of listening to music and nothing else therefore your mind can is working at full capacity to hear the music and nothing else! I know that sounds crazy because we're not accomplishing anything, but the music sure sounds better!

As my time is mostly occupied with other things during the day, most of my listening, serious or casual, is late at night.

Aside from a cleaner electrical grid, without the clutter of the usual cacophony of daytime noise, subtle sounds become more vivid.

During the day, I have to strain to hear the ticking of any of our clocks. Setting on my audio sofa, at night (If I listen for) I can clearly hear the distinct and unique ticking of nearly every clock in the house or the click clack of the dogs nails as he walks across the floor. When the music goes on those sounds disappear and I am pulled into the performance and become aware of the many subtle nuances of instruments and vocals, that the quiet and calm of the night allows me to appreciate.....Jim 

@jhills “During the day, I have to strain to hear the ticking of any of our clocks. Setting on my audio sofa, at night (If I listen for) I can clearly hear the distinct and unique ticking of nearly every clock in the house”…

Yes, excellent point. Most are so immune to all the subtle background noise… your observation is exactly what it takes to be aware of all the components of the ambient room noise floor. When coupled with a quieter power grid you get the best time to listen. 

kmckmnn - you certainly do a LOT of Buying Off!!!

Moderator - - Why can't our answers/comments to a specific post, be posted after THAT post, rather than it being lost at the end of the post list?? Ya know, like every other forum on the planet does it!?

@daveteauk  buying off, on? Talking about the coincidentally phrased question response, and what answer that as such phrased question got, alleged buying off?

Could you repost that answer, but this time in English please!

Moderator - - Why can't our answers/comments to a specific post, be posted after THAT post, rather than it being lost at the end of the post list?? Ya know, like every other forum on the planet does it!?

There may be some legitimate science to support the idea that, as a result of a multitude of factors, electronics may produce better sound quality at night.

I agree with the others here that say such a perception is mostly psychological.

Mood, lighting, the fact that you’re probably not having your scotch (and/or whatever) at 2:00 pm (no judging here) etc.

Certainly if you just had a fight with your wife… that preconditioning will have an impact. This kind of stuff can be relevant. But I have honed my listening skills for fifty years. I can over time differentiating conditioning from real sonic differences. Also, one of my pursuits as been philosophy with an emphasis on developmental and cognitive psychology… so I am familiar with stuff that influences perception. I detected this quiet time decades ago.

Most homes are measurably quieter, no trucks and cars creating mini seismic events, quiet power grid. I don’t drink scotch any more and am retired so, Sunday nights are not less stressful. No psychology required. Even when I comes down Sunday night and do not turn on my system the quiet is palpable.