[afinch1992]

Has anyone noticed their headphones perform worse when its colder and get better as the warm up? both literally and just in a technical sense?
 
my q40s seem to sound better after a good 20 min play through if theyve been in a cool place like by a window

 

[buffalowings]

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Has anyone noticed their headphones perform worse when its colder and get better as the warm up? both literally and just in a technical sense?
 
my q40s seem to sound better after a good 20 min play through if theyve been in a cool place like by a window

IDK..but my cabling performs much better in warm weather than in cold...

 

[afinch1992]

i never even thought about the cables. good point

 

[wind016]

This is interesting. I always felt my headphones sound weird in the morning. I realize now my mornings are cold as heck. hmm... another variable to affect headphone performance...

 

[buffalowings]

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i never even thought about the cables. good point

you could take my post two ways, electricity flows poorly when it's cold, or my cables become all brittle and stiff while outside, or both 

 

[afinch1992]

i swear they sound so much better and have a bigger soundstage now that theyve been used on my head for a good hour

 

[buffalowings]

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i swear they sound so much better and have a bigger soundstage now that theyve been used on my head for a good hour

or maybe you have warmed up to them.....

 

[afinch1992]

another good point

 

[wind016]

I choose to believe that my head is making my headphones sound better
 
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i swear they sound so much better and have a bigger soundstage now that theyve been used on my head for a good hour

or maybe you have warmed up to them.....

 

[jasonb]

temperatures can effect sound in a few different ways, but how cold are you guys subjecting your headphones to? i know my car stereo sounds like crap in the winter because the rubber surrounds on the drivers stiffen up, but i don't think headphone drivers have rubber surrounds.

 

[afinch1992]

not that cold. like 50s-60s. definitely not as cold as outside, but noticeable compared to room temp

 

[jasonb]

from 50's to normal operating temps there may be a difference. mine stay in a room thats always between 66-72 and they sound just as good the minute i put them on as they do a half hour later.
 
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not that cold. like 50s-60s. definitely not as cold as outside, but noticeable compared to room temp

 

[Argyris]

That's what I was going to say. I've noticed that high end and sibilance bother me less once I've had my cans on for a goodly amount of time, as long as they're not excessive to begin with. I think the effect is at least partially psychological.
 
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or maybe you have warmed up to them.....

 

[R-Audiohead]

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temperatures can effect sound in a few different ways, but how cold are you guys subjecting your headphones to? i know my car stereo sounds like crap in the winter because the rubber surrounds on the drivers stiffen up, but i don't think headphone drivers have rubber surrounds.

My audio background roots from car audio.  I am quite the enthusiast when it comes to that category, and I can tell you absolutely that the system sounds better once the drivers warm up a little bit - amps, drivers, cap, power source, all of it.
 
It seems like headphones wouldn't be exposed to temps that could make a difference on a regular basis... but it wouldn't surprise me either if a little warm up helped.
 
Might be the ears "warming up" a little too, especially when talking about the morning situation described earlier... kinda like when the lights are really bright if you know where I am going with this.
 
Of course, I am just speaking out my a#@ with this, I have no numbers or data that suggest warming up makes a difference.  I can tell you that my car stereo system sounds much better in a dryer, mild temperature environment as opposed to a cold one.

 

[afinch1992]

the reason i think its something with the headphones warming up, and not me warming up to them, is i can literally feel more bass vibrating on my ears after the "warm up" time
 
i made sure with the exact same songs btw