What exactly is PRaT???

@gregm Ivor Tiefenbrun was a brilliant marketer for sure. He took the essence of British Hi-Fi and translated that into words to get awareness in the US market. I think Linn's products back in the 70s and 80s were not so different from other audio components from the UK, but the main difference was that Ivor created a "philosophy" to describe what that British Hi-Fi sound did well.

He got what many engineers miss about marketing. It's about trying to sell your strengths, not covering up all weaknesses.

My perception at the time when the phrase first appeared was that it was an anti spec approach to SQ evaluation.

Back then perceived quality of all audio components was based on spec analysis. 

@richardbrand

Of course, the actual music does not really slow down, nor change in pitch, nor timing (unless stylus drag actually slows a turntable down!)..

But our perception of when the beat starts is affected by the arrival pattern in time of the first transients of a note. If the leading edge is sharp, not smeared in time, your brain will snap into recognising the start of something special. I am suggesting microseconds here! Get this right, and you’ll likely find your foot tapping ...

Seems plausible.

@calvinandhobbes

The type of music you’re listening to matters in term of whether PRaT is relevant.

 

Perhaps I simply don’t understand how you are defining PRaT or perhaps it’s the fact that how rhythms are presented by a system is vital to my engagement as a listener, but either way, I’m having difficulty grasping how any genre wouldn’t benefit from a system that presents PRaT well. . . unless one is solely listening to ambient music that "hovers" in space. 

Unfortunately it’s not a given that people understand or are receptive to “prat”
And that is not a criticism, hence why many folk are quite happy with Alexa music , car stereo music Blutooth speakers etc .
Naim equipment does it very well.

PR&T is simply an essential component in well reproduced music. We all strive for well reproduced music.  I often say ‘wow, listen to that tune, listen to that PR&T’. I also say ‘wow, that’s great music’.