Anybody else in the UK found their system sounding unusually good in the last few days - say since Xmas?
The Nova is on particularly fine form at the moment. A more stable power supply than usual perhaps? (Just a layman’s guess and probably complete rubbish).
I haven’t as such, but you may be affected by any local industries sharing your mains substations, which may be in shutdown currently.
Last night listening to some LPs on the main system I have to admit I did pause to think that it was all sounding particularly good. Possibly all those horrible cheap switching supplies powering Christmas lights in the area have now been switched off and unplugged. Or maybe it was just ours…
I haven’t listened to my Nova since before Christmas because the bloody tree is in the way but I’ve just put the tree away and the Nova certainly is sounding fine, it may be because I’ve not listened to it for four weeks though? Really enjoying radio 2 HD at the moment.
Perhaps it’s because a lot of industry is in lockdown, and which has inadvertently caused domestic household electric to be conditioned far better than usual…
I think that must be it.
Just checked on Radio 3 bitrate in case BBC had sneakily increased it. They hadn’t. 
I’ve noticed it as well - there have been moments when I’ve thought that sounds really good.
I’ve been thinking the same. There have been many times over the past few weeks when my system has sounded distinctly off which I have attributed, rightly or wrongly, to the proliferation of Christmas lights etc. It’s reinforced a growing sense that the sound quality of my system is, to some extent, simply beyond my control.
It could be a complete coincidence but I have invariably found the system sounds better when the neighbours are away. All of which leads me to wonder whether it might not be time to consider a Niagara power conditioner. Either that or give up on AC altogether and buy a high quality DAP. I seem to recall BertBird saying that he could, if need be, live with his Sony NW-WM1Z Walkman in place of his 500-series system.
I noticed an improvement in the last day or so - had attributed to a power cable switch I did on the Radikal.
Don’t think it’s Xmas lights in my case because there are still plenty on around here and this is also a noticeable uplift beyond the norm rather than a recovery to pre Xmas levels.
I’ve also noticed that my system is sounding better than usual since New Year’s Day. Mrs. G. also noticed an improvement and remarked on it unprompted. That’s how I knew it wasn’t wishful thinking on my part. Interesting that others around the country have had the same.
Stress levels going down.
Rishi Sunak has paid elves to install 20mm dedicated hifi radials to cheer up the nation.
I wish!
Now there’s an idea
I guess Santa was nice enough to bring us all an uplift in sound quality this Christmas… and here I thought he didn’t exist. 
For myself, I put it down to less alcohol in my body after the Christmas madness. Contrary to what seems to work for others, I usually (though not always) experience a deeper connection to the music when I have a totally clear head.
I suspect as said above… it’s helped by the recent removal of all those cheap horrible electronic twinkly flashing lights from your neighbourhood mains supply… and possible removal of that Christmas decoration clutter…
I’ve noticed something. The very high top end seems smoother and with less noise. Making details easier to form and shimmer. Sometimes I’ve noticed things creeping towards a brittleness that stiffens the flow and masks things slightly.
As I mentioned before, don’t forget how you electricity is now generated. The days of large (660Mw) rotating ( analogue) 3 phase generators are behind us. A significant amount is now produced by wind or PV cells. DC that is then chopped to AC. That AC is noisy when it hits the grid.
Saying that, the remaining traditional large machine generators ( nuclear and gas) are usually flat out at this time of year.