Did you watch the video? If so, perhaps you misunderstood this part of the theory? To clarify, he’s not talking about earthquakes, or the type of seismic activity you’d feel.
Here’s a more in-depth explanation which specifically uses data from Britain and accounts for differences at different times of day -http://townshendaudio.com/PDF/Earthquakes%20on%20Hi%20Fi.pdf
Yes, it depends where you live, for sure, and when people tend to use a lot of electrical equipment. I live in the countryside at present. Here we get a “quiet” period mid-morning to mid-afternoon, then one around 11pm onwards. System sounds very good, especially on the late night shift!
Like I said, music also sounds better here late at night, but power is cleanest during daytime. I don’t just asume things, I measure them, otherwise things only lead to wild fantasies based on wrong assumptions. Late at night the environmental noise floor is lower, your state of mind is different, etc etc.
Same topic with some of the audio reviewers they experience the same and came to the same conclusion such as mood, happiness, tiredness, state of mind guess the mind of state has a lot to do with it ! Anyway it happens with me as well but one has to consider if you getting older like me over 70 the ears are not as crisp as before and can play a part as well .On top of that room acoustics can play around as well if the room placement for audio is problematic. I take it easy and play my music anyway .
It’s allready been mentioned that the power supply is an important element. But there’s more.
If you are using wired ethernet isolating the copper ethernet from your network bridge using optical isolation does miracles to.
Your network cable is also full with distortion. That distortion is too low to impact the data however it does enter your bridge and therefore it will impact your audio signal unless it has embedded isolation ( some DAC do have that)
I’ve bought 2 optical converters with a piece of fiber. With that I created galvanic isolation between the wired ethernet and the network bridge. It did miracles !.
( bought it in China and the bundle was around 30 Euro )
BTW, I believe that people can prefer Wifi over Wired ethernet for that reason ( Wifi is galvanic isolation)
It’s your ears and state of mind, level of concentration etc… I experience the same thing with various systems depending on the day. There are good and bad days for listening.
Of course it is more fun to speculate how our systems are changing because of humidity etc and that we can hear all those changes. Because our brain and senses are steady like a rock, of course.
The role psychology plays in how we listen and interpret music is the most underappreciated and least discussed aspect of our hobby in my opinion. There is no question that in most cases people hear what they want to hear, but why sometimes things don’t sound as good as they seem to at others times is interesting.I firmly believe that the vast majority of these cases have nothing to do with the system itself.
I have long held the view that the reason why many audiophile orientated gadgets get the positive review they do is exactly because of this.
Cynics view of audiophile gadget marketing 101:
Often a lot of these gadgets can justify their prices on craftsmanship and exotic materials etc (part of the whole purchase experience and opening the pretty box to get at the pretty gadget), but I think rarely/never when purely viewed as devices to fix a non-existent problem.
Listeners biorhythms, they go up they go down and sometimes everything is just perfect for the perfect listening session, other times not.
No, it is far more complicated than that. As some companies (including IsoTek mentioned earlier) sell a CD that is claimed to ‘demagnetise’ your hifi system from end to end, it is all to do with magnetic fields and how they interact with you and your equipment on a daily basis; or Astrology as some call it. Consult those horoscopes…
How can you tell the difference? That’s a key point.
Its one of the really hard parts about listening tests - if I’m not feeling well, everything soudns awful. Aftera great glass of wine, its all good. I have to remind myself of this nearly every day to keep me honest.
G
Possibilities: the total drain, and type of drain, on your electric feed from the power company. If listening to speakers, weather. Also your hearing isn’t constant, it often changes, sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically. If listening via internet, it has its ups and downs that affect SQ. Etc., etc., etc.
drain from the power supply? Elaborate please.
Audio Nervosa at its best!
Every single item on the AC grid is a drain. Some, like air conditioners, refrigerators and fluorescent lights create all kinds of noise. Ever heard of brown outs?? That can have serious influences on SQ.
So you are talking drain of other appliances - note in your post that’s not clear. Be careful also with terminology - I think you are confusing drain (power draw, typically) with noise.
I’m frankly losing the point here, but yes, AC power noise is a significant issue. A good power supply is one solution, as are isolation transformers and other noise filters.
A good noise filter, along with a reasonably regulated power supply will ensure that a) noise is attenuated (nothing’s ever eliminated) and b) that the brown-outs (rare) have no impact on supply levels. for example, the LPS I’m building for my NUC will have about 25% headroom (Vin - Vout) to allow the regulator lots of room to compensate for brown outs, noise and regular old fluctuations.
But be careful extrapolating. USB is typically no galvanically isolated; Ether net typically is. Yet i see the same logic applied to both. Engineering fail.
G
Lots of (useful) things to comment on here.
G
I’ve not read this yet but I’m intrigued to begin tomorrow…I’m interested in our auditory processing system and how it (and our other systems) have responded to our environment et al over the millennia
Have you guys considered switching your energy suppliers? Since I am with a company providing renewable energiy my sound has changed. It is so… green, I suppose;)
Definitely! I use Scottish offshore wind power and the sound is fresher, more open, airy, and confident.