I don’t know if it’s a question of “warming up,” but I agree that it takes playing at least one side before a cartridge starts to sound right.
Equipment Warm up, but What About Listener Warm up?
Tube amps and even solid state amps have varying requirements to warm up, but what about the listener? Do you find that it takes you a few minutes to settle in to really start hearing the nuances in the sound? It seems that even if I've had my Hegel H390 on all day, it still takes a few minutes after I sit in my listening position before I start to hear everything I know is there. I then start the recording from the beginning and enjoy.