Your system is identical. The track is the same. But yesterday it sounded amazing—and today it doesn’t. It’s not your imagination. It might be the hour.
What to Do
Try listening critically early in the morning or late at night. Take note of changes in tonal balance, imaging precision, and noise floor. If your system sounds consistently better at those times, consider your local power grid. Run tests with and without power conditioning, and log voltage if possible.
Here’s Why That Works
Local AC power quality fluctuates with grid load. During peak usage—afternoons, early evenings—voltage sags and noise increases. These changes degrade component behavior, especially in DACs, preamps, and class A or tube gear. Quieter hours bring cleaner power, lower ambient noise, and better psychoacoustic conditions for listening.
Sometimes your best upgrade is setting your alarm. Systems love silence—and so do ears.
