Objectivity is generally in short supply around audio and music. It's all in our heads. But it doesn't seem hard to imagine that some speaker and amp combinations differ in how quickly the drivers respond to transients and how quickly a large diaphragm can reverse direction. It might be measurable but it's certainly audible. I think it's just a term someone coined to describe systems that do it well.
What exactly is PRaT???
Ok, it’s like this thing and is associated with “toe tapping” and such. I confess, I don’t get it. Apparently companies like Linn and Naim get it, and I don’t and find it a bit frustrating. What am I missing? I’m a drummer and am as sensitive as anyone to timing and beats, so why don’t I perceive this PRaT thing that many of you obviously do and prize as it occurs in stereo systems? When I read many Brit reviews a lot of attention goes to “rhythm” and “timing” and it’s useless to me and I just don’t get it. If someone can give me a concrete example of what the hell I’m not getting I’d sincerely be most appreciative. To be clear, enough people I greatly respect consider it a thing so objectively speaking it’s either something I can’t hear or maybe just don’t care about — or both. Can someone finally define this “thing” for me cause I seriously wanna learn something I clearly don’t know or understand.
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@dogearedaudio Why is it that people here are having such a hard time defining it? We can define tonality. We can define imaging and 3D soundstage. We can define a speaker’s disappearing act. Seriously? I’m a drummer and if I’m locked in with my bass player the band is on, so pretty sure I get timing, rhythm, and pace. What you’re talking about that should be so easy to hear isn’t so in my book. Do you even play an instrument? |
@soix Yes, I've played instruments, though not very well. But I've been an actor, singer, stage director and audiobook narrator for over 40 years. I certainly know what pace, rhythm and timing mean. They're essential to the work I do every day! I utterly fail to see what it is you want defined. Surely you've played with musicians who can't keep time, or who don't "swing," or who don't convey any nuance or subtlety in their performances. There are audio systems that fail in this regard as well. Whether you've heard them or not I couldn't say. You seem to be highly resistive to the idea that such a thing could exist. I have no idea why. Woolly, sloppy bass in a speaker or amp is simply not going to convey the basic snap of the rhythm properly. If the midrange is bleached out I'm going to miss some of the subtle timings a singer might inject into a performance. I can't understand why this is hard to grasp. |
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