I’ve been retired for ten years and since my wife passed away two years ago I live alone. Morning can be my busiest time of the day washing machine, vacuum cleaner etc. The afternoon is my quietest time of the day and that is when I listen to my music. Evenings are for watching tv. I suspect most people’s days are different as mine were when I worked full time. Good analogy though Kelvin.

Whenever I've had a glass of wine my system sounds brilliant

Kelvin is a secret agent for the Council of Lava Lamp Production. He uses strategic subliminal, but quite nuanced placement tactics to make you buy lava lamps. It works, Ive just ordered one.

No washing machine, tumble drier, dishwasher, barking dog, doorbell, Alexa, children, phones, lawnmowers, traffic, or aircraft all help to make nighttime the better listening experience for me. (just the ringing left in my ears!) And oh not having to do anything, I can just sit down and relax without interruptions

The power grid is significantly quieter and cleaner late at night. People are more tuned in as well + many other factors come into play. Thanks for the video Calvin!

Caveman ears! Brilliant! I think its a combination of everything you mentioned

Hi Kelvin. I'm a qualified electrician and yes, the mains supply is a lot cleaner and quieter at night as high power consumption appliances are switched off or powered down, plus there is a rise in voltage because there are less appliances being utelised. In the UK, the Voltage spec is 220-240Volts @ 50zHertz AC. Most hifi power condidioners aim for 230Volts as a middle ground then smooth out the crud passing through. The mains is also the first port-of-call for your components and the cleaner that signal is, the cleaner they'll sound. Thanks Kelvin.

It's not a new theory, the caveman one, and I agree with it.

Your theories are spot on and the same as I thought. Cleaner mains during the evening is a much less convincing argument in my opinion. Most of the "dirtier" mains would get smoothed out in the power supply of the amp. anyway.

I live in rural Wales, no neighbours, no noise. I can enjoy my music at whatever volume I desire. My listening room is triple aspect, so I draw the curtains whatever the time of day. My power comes off batteries at night, supplied by thirty-odd solar panels, but I have no idea if it is cleaner than my mains supply, though that only has a handful of farms on it. I wouldn't be bothered thinking about all that though, what really makes my £1k vintage gear sing is a spliff, it's all in your head, after all. I pity 'top-end' audiophiles, I sincerely believe I'm hearing better.

Kelvin, i 100% agree with your theory. I also noticed my own hearing being more sensitive at night time - i discovered this through watching television - i always had to turn the volume down on my TV at night time as my ears became more sensitive...a natural survival tool to have better hearing at night time that is genetically hard-wired into homo-sapiens. Watch a recorded TV program or movie during lunch time on your television and make a mental note of what your TV volume setting is (mine is normally on '10')...then watch the same TV programme or movie at night time and I'm confident you'll turn the volume dowm to a 6 or 7 on the TV. Our eyes respond to a drop in light-levels and send a feedback-loop to our brain to increase the sensitivity of our ears to compensate. Great video...excellent topic you've covered that nobody else has bothered to cover.

I dont remember where but there was a study where they played a tone to people in a room, and then changed the lighting between different colors like blue, red, green etc and people perceived the same exact tone differently. State of mind is also objectively important, a song that is really beautiful in one settng can be boring in another. An intense song you love can be really loud and annoying if you are really tired etc. Human senses are more complex than we give them credit for. I can also believe that ambience plays a big role, probably in combination with the above. The mains power thing though, that one is going to be a 'citation needed' for me. Especially in setups where people pay good money for power conditioners and whatnot. The best experience ive had with audio was sitting outside, around a fire pit with good company, wrapped in blankets in the middle of a chilly autumn night with a cup of irish coffee and the Tom Petty anthology playing in the background, just loud enough that one could comfortably hold a conversation. It had been a long day and the "guard" was completely down. The speakers / amp used was good, but nothing special. I have never managed to recreate that moment and music have never in my life sounded so good to me. It was like when you are really hungry and even mediocre food becomes the best youve ever had, but the more I tried recreating the sound and feel of that evening, the more I realized that the fact it cannot be reproduced IS what makes it so beautiful, and that setting is everything. Doing the exact same thing again won't work, simply because you are now expecting or looking for it.

No dishwasher or washing machine running…Electrical buzz? The hunter at night is a good concept.

I always find my early Sunday morning sessions to be the absolute best, probably for all the reasons you've stated combined.

Very good point Kelvin, something I have noticed and I agree with you on. I really don’t know why. Glad other people realize this, not just me.

I'm glad that you mentioned other factors when enjoying music - live, environmental and sensory perception. Far more relevant than over priced gear and the type of cliched music that many 'audiophiles' seem to concentrate on. Thank you for a broader picture Kelvin!

It is probably a combination of all factors you named

⭐I find the cool night air and some fine ganja greatly improve the sound waves.😆

Kelvin, yes you are right my music sounds so much better at night. I'm not looking out the window so I'm concentrating more on my favourite CD. I never thought about the caveman side of it but you know what I think you could be spot on. Thanks once again I look forward to these weekly videos.

A few things to think about here, the night loudness thing happens with me all the time. good vid thanks.

We are generally tired in the evening, I find when its dark I like listening to music with my eyes closed, always helps me to get into my music collection better

During the evening, we relax more and have less on our minds because the days duties and labours are completed and we don't feel guilty about indulging in our favourite pastime, listening to music and appreciating our beloved hi fi stuff.

Music decreases harmful cortisol and increases dopamine levels respectively.Naturally inducing sleep reduces anxiety, stress and is good for our mental health. It’s a WIN, WIN 🧘‍♂️🔊🔉

It seems there's different energies in the night which our "scientific" world tends to ignore.

I'm more aware of my tinnitus at night! So probably defeats the object in that respect 😂

I mostly only play music in the evening as I find it hard to relax in the daytime even on a day off. I’ve also always put it down to the mains be cleaner during the evening, there’s less industrial use of heavy equipment at night but in all honesty I just prefer it when it gets dark. Totally agree with it being dark, it always better, even on a night out. Great video.

thankyou kelvin for the insight into night listening . its a funny phenomenon listening to music at night lol the same goes for watching a film at night things just sound sweeter and more detailed and better , i feel there isn't a definitive answer but music sounds good 😁

I haven't listened to the video yet but i think with the lights off you have less distraction. Plus your generally happier at the end of the day and maybe even have a beer in hand.

Really fun video! Thanks for sharing your insights and theories haha. Very different from other reviewers.

I like your cave man/girl theory I hadn’t heard. I listen to CDs all day in my 2014 Chevy pickup, the newer cars no cd player. As a farmer I’m in and out. I think Bose engineered a hella of pleasant sounding system with really cheap ingredients. Six full range drivers and a Delco radio/cd unit. When I get home I’m not listening until dinner if we’re eating at home. Dean Martin, Ella or Chet because that’s the only music we all like. It sounds like the singer is in the next room. After dinner I’m feeling good from the wine and that’s when I turn into an audiophile/caveman.

The human brain is a funny thing, one time I like my system with eq, another time i hate eq, even my car, one time I will feel it's fast, another time I feel it's slow.. But overall I don't like my stereo at night more than in the morning, at night I'm tired and I just want silence

It absolutely does.. especially when you live in the city or in a town

For sure i have this with my listening. I would add that for me my smell and vision really is different at time of the day. I also feel my stuff sounds better after about at least half an hour of use.And when i used less expensive gear that was not even a consideration!

Interesting subject and the points you make could all be contributors to better night time listening improvements. I dig the Lava Louts but you really should include a painting of a certain green faced Asian lady for the wall, and get your self a Amstrad TS 30 To sit in the kitchen, right next to the bin it belonged in..😂😂

The quality of power supply is better in the evening so all the equipment works in a better way

Perhaps you're more relaxed in the evening as the day's chores have been completed.

Must always sounds better when the lights are low and I’ve always believed it’s related to our eyes not being as stimulated and it makes our ears more sensitive.

That’s when the dr-s kick in.

Mains noise - it's true. I lived across from a factory. It was better when the factory wasn't running.

Theory 2 is what we discussed on the phone, your response was your theory and I liked it. I still feel it’s a mixture of them all.

If there actually is a difference it is definitely taking place within the human brain. Any talk of "dirty" or "clean" electricity is magical thinking.

Those living close to the arctic circle get to enjoy more and better sound for longer each day!

Also the environment is usually quieter.

YOU ARE COMPLETELY RIGHT!!!!!

The darker it gets outside and the less we can see, the more we have to rely on our other senses, in particular our hearing. We have been doing that for hundreds of thousands of years and we have no control over it. Artificial light has no impact on that since it has been around for a short time only. That’s the reason why a stereo system might sound better at night and that’s what I believe anyway.

Because I'm stoned.

SO. THE Ultimate sound room would be in the basement in a dark quiet cozi room

alcohol helps with sound, weed maybe too / i don't do drugs 😅

Great talk as usual very good 👍

Listening to music in a dark, and I do mean dark, room sounds better to my ears.

Every species has one sense that is more important than the others. Dogs smell is 200,000 times better than ours but they see in black and white and not so well. Ours is sight, one of the few species that see in color. In the dark our vision is reduced and our hearing is more noticable as a compensation. Blind people hear way better although I wouldn't want to make that trade

Also depends what your mood is, plus at night you're tired and less critical..

As a BSc power electrical engineer, and over 40 Years audiophil as well I would like to confirm that the main reason is el. power polution (electromagnetic interference) in the daylight hours. (Mainly industry and other workshop services during working hours)

I have just retired having hung up my soldering iron, well at least for a while. having spent a lifetime repairing Hi-Fi at all times of day and night, there is definately something that changes when listening to music later in the day. The cleaner mains supply could be a factor except my workshop has heavily filtered and stabilised supplies isolated from the mains, so that rules that out. I agree that as we settle down for the night our senses and perceptions change, if your neigbour goes out in their car during the day you just take no notice, but at night you hear their every movement including closing the door and starting the engine. Perhaps humans are night owls after all.

Really interesting video thanks for thinking of such an engaging topic to discuss with us … I think you are right with your theory

It's your ears and brain, imo. Perception is going to have far more impact than stuff like main supply. Any mix engineer will tell you that a song can sound completely different depending on time of day, number of hours spent listening, mood, etc.

Beer, wine & Whiskey all make my stereo better....

It definitely does for sure and when system warmed up

Interesting. I find my hifi sounds better when the room is warmer as opposed to being cold. By quite a bit. 🤔

I think a combo of couple things.. noise floor does seem lower and I'm chillin' in one spot and not moving around the room doing things while the music is on... not to mention internal noise.. thinking about other things and not paying as much attention to the music. Good vid sir.. makes us think.

Your right I’d does sound better at night 😊

All the points raised and the carbon based lifeform is receptive to the music

I don’t buy the bad daytime power theory either. The only time I notice a problem with my house utility power was when my standby generator transfer switch magnet started buzzing for some reason. My guess is that people are fed and more relaxed in the evening and feeling the music vibe better.

It's all electrical noise, distortion of the mains frequency due to electrical demand etc. At night when businesses have closed and people stop cooking etc all that load and noise us greatly reduced. I've measured this and it's quite obvious to see all the noise and harmonics. There is probably a physical element to it as well. We're are more relaxed and chilled out at night. The stresses of the day are over 😊

I kept sort of a log, and I found that there was one week of horrible electricity, three weeks of good electricity, and one week of excellent electricity. That seems to be the cycle. After 10 PM everything definitely sounds better. This past March break, however, was excellent.

If you have ever camped out etc at night and , gone to sleep then had to get up again for say radio watch or anything, during that two hours your eyes and ears adjust to the silence , which isn’t silent really because you hear better and the eyes adjust. Has anyone ever noticed the effects on sound when you are in a forest covered in deep snow. To me it travels further and also you can sense the direction of the noise much better. Also if the grey matter is going into a silent watch mode, the hearing is enhanced. It’s well known in intensive care you have to act like the patients are awake because they can very often still hear even though though are intubated and in a comatose state. The brain works different at night.

Grid calms down w less use 20amp dedicated line with SR Denali 6000s v2 20amp Shunyata Alpha XC 2m cord

you can test one of those theories by making your listening room dark during the day.

Yes , all of the above

Theory 1. probably not stuffing about with the fridge as well. The fridge motor is the biggest thing at work and finally is left alone

No distracting noises and the tendancy to be relaxing and focusing only on the music.

By the way, your theory of the cavemen thing has some points, but: The more your sense of hearing varies at later hours, the more the quality of your HiFi Equipment becomes important! When your hearing improves in the evening, and you have excellent Gear at home, your HiFi sounds better! But if you have a shitty system, then your better hearing ears will suffer at night, because you also hear the minus-points of your system better at these hours. That said: If your System sounds better at night, you know, you have a decent or good system! And if your system is crap, then this is also revealed at night - without any mercy, and you´re screwed! Despite all this, your Cavemen theory is a proper and nice conclusion imho, and I certainly appreciate people who are able to think for themself, and don´t follow the mainstream without questioning the basic, or the roots of a topic - especially before talking about it! So, I prefer the opinion from you, or from People like Michael Fremer, way more than the gabbling of people who just follow the rest who just follow the public opinion, because it´s just "what everyone knows"! Everyone who thinks this is strange should remember that we had times when it was dangerous to talk about a sun that´s in the middle of our system, with all the planets circulating around our sun, because this was something everybody knew for sure!! (OMG), I am so happy we overcame this BS from back then! OMG!

I think you're right Kelvin. I have never bought the mains is cleaner in the evening theory - suburban power networks are far more congested at night than during the day when people are at work. Even a car stereo sounds better at night and it doesn't use mains!

Psychoacoustics :) we are calmer and more focused, it's all in our brain (yes, expensive cables also work only in our head).

really interesting Kelvin, i think a lot of audio nonsense comes down to our own perceptions which are totally subjective. Nothing can be replicated in a test or review, which i guess makes it all the more interesting!

I m buying a lava lamp definitely

Another interesting topic ! Yeah, I feeling just so much more relaxed and able to listen better, once door shut and no visitors around ! But, nothing like a little Chopin or Beethoven with a Sabertooth tiger out side ye old cave to put a little tension in the musical mix ... Lol Maybe thats why I listen to Horror soundtracks all the time ... Lol Best all

It's to do with air temperature. At night, the cooler air is more dense and it conducts the sound better. I get the same effect in summer during the day with air-conditioning on. Temp goes from 45 c down to 23c.

Happy Brain at night. But not all music sounds good at night. Brain retaliates against it. Go with the brain, it knows better. My brain tells me it is time for Japanese ENKA singing at night.

I think the air is pressurized differently, after the sun goes down all the hot air is rising

It's because of a change in atmospheric ptessure

I'm certain that the Captain Caveman theory is right, at least, it's what I've thought for a long time.

The best way to figure this out is to buy a decent conditioner or dc blocker and see if you can hear any difference night vs day then. My bet is you can’t, well… from my experience there’s no difference anyway.

My hifi sounds better when I'm stoned om it opens things up

The energy of the environment is stronger during DAYLIGHT, which is an interference in the either, which is congesting and muddying the movement of the sound energy.

I think my problem is caffeine. I drink coffee in the morning and it seems to have an effect on the way I hear not just my stereo.

Yes it does ...at my place too

Closing the curtains might improve room acoustics.

In the evening: you want to relax, you're tired and you don't analyse what you hear, you just enjoy the global sound. On my side it's quite diffrent than you: I compose in the morning, my hears and my brain are accurate. I hear the details of orchestrations and mixing/sound-designing. And I listen others' music in my bed, when in go asleep, just enjoy what they did, simply. But I'm definitely not an "audiophile", I'm a composer/musician. And yes, at nightime/evening/darkness, everything becomes "magic"; even more signifiant, meaningful, like fairytales from the elderly people of the tribe near the fireplace. The intelectual "things" which control our brain and our analysis potential are weaker, and you envoy more as an audience. Not as a maker.

Air is cooler at night During the day the sound travels faster near the ground. This causes the sound wave to refract upwards. At night the opposite happens. The sound further from the ground travels faster at night causing the sound wave to refract back towards the earth.

While the evolutionary process of natural selection does involve the survival, proliferation and therefore reproducing by beings with favorable traits, characteristics and skills; whether perception increases at night is something that would be interesting to do some research on. Or to see if there is any research studies done on it If our perception does get sharper at night, It would have to involve our body knowing it is night. Experiments using thick blindfolds or experiments in pitch black dark rooms, testing our perceptual acuity would be possibilities. When we hear a loud or alarming sound, our head slightly turns and shifts its attention in less than 1/10 of a second. Would it do it any faster at night? Instant perceptual reflexes like that, could be explained by evolution and survival of the fittest. But the idea that those instant reflexes are better at night might be a stretch. Of course it might be correct, for all we know. A very interesting theory Kelvin, and a refreshing change of pace from the usual reviews of equipment!

Is the energy cleaner at night? Definitly it is. You can hear this with your HiFi Equipment. It sounds better at night! (lol) Just: Lets think about when we work in the garage and start a heavy angle grinder. We can see that the light begins to flicker sometimes. And, the same happens to the whole power line during the day: Thousands of machines are started or shut off during the day. In the night hours, more people sleep. So the over all disturbance in the power is less than at daytime. Why does this effect the HiFi sound? That´s an easy one: What we hear in our Loudspeakers is nothing than the electric power from the energy grid. This electric energy is filtered so that the 50 (or 60 Hz) cycles are not hearable, and then the energy goes through to a modulation prozess with the - in this here for example - made with Transistors. Transistors modulate the high power energy with a low power source signal. That´s all what an amplifier does: We simply hear the grid electric energy, but modulated. And, the less distortion is in the grid, the less distortion comes to the speakers. If one has a independent power source like Solar with a giant source of batteries, to power his HiFi equipment, then he has the equal energy the whole day, and without any distortion. An DC to AC Converter of a solar plant is nothing but a Power Amplifier. But instead of music, this Amp delivers just a modulated source of 50 (60) Hertz. And this, without the disturbance of the neigbours running machines in the grid. Thisis the reason why some energy cleaners work really fine. The only thing the need to do is the right storage in other words: Caps! That all said: A HiFi Amplifier is not an engine that works with electric energy! The music we hear IS the electric energy from the grid, only modulated from steady 50 Hz to various frequencies called music...

In Malaysia most of Audiophiles, listen to their hifi, after their wives go to sleep, to enjoy their best music quietly😂

That magic 3D experience happens to me suddenly after hours of listening and not always. This is not a subjective sensation since if my wife enters the room immediately she perceive the changement too. I'd like to unerstand the reasons of this changement in order to repeat this condition from the beginning of my listening sessions.

No one has mentioned the fact that background noise is considerably reduced at night. You may have double glazing but urban noise still pervades. I didn't realise this until I moved to rural Wales, where it is mainly silent at night, I can hear a car engine miles away. When I last returned to London I was acutely aware of the constant noise, even if I couldn't have pinned down individual components. it makes me laugh when audiophiles talk about the noise floor, because if you're urban you have a huge one, right outside your window!

Just buy some heavy long quality black out certains then its always dark. also great for blocking out that glass

There's always background noise near my apartment. It's quieter at night. At 9 or 10 I move to headphones and then my stereo sounds even better.

My theory is that as the speed of sound increases due to higher relative humidity at night, there is less resistance for the speaker cones to project sound into the room. So speaker sensitivity increases at night and sound relatively louder and more dynamic.

Howdy. PS Audio advocates power quality. But yeah, PS Audio operates in the domain of Hi-End only. Regards.

For the exact same reason we prefer to watch a film in the evening ... relaxation and focus. And just as the TV isn't any better neither is the HiFi ... just another example of the audiophile's tendency to delude themselves .