recommend PRAT Integrated amplifiers (not Naim)


what are some modern integrated amps in the 5-10k range that offer a heavy dose of PRAT

not seeking anything Naim

for some frame of reference, was recently recommended Rega Aethos and Hegel H590...neither had the PRAT of my NAD C298 power amp (which is not an ntegrated and had some harshness to it)

please and thanks

Is the Yamaha A-S3200 or Bryston B135 known for PRAT?  Simaudio maybe?

 

 

 

 

audiocanada

I don’t think generally there is denial of what people hear. Just ignore those individuals if so but don’t throw out the baby with the bath water.  More that everyone hears and thinks differently and personal opinions alone may have value but are not a substitute for hard data. Nor is hard data alone enough for everyone to make a well informed decision. That’s the reality of it.

I would definitely not rule out good modern Class D amps in general. Atmasphere is a good example. I heard those then the Atmasphere tube amps immediately after and they were way more similar than different. I’d choose the Class Ds but others will always want tubes

I am a big Class D fan especially in recent years and find it very hard to justify buying anything else. PRAT is not an issue there for me. I think the term originated in the last century in regards to turntables. It’s a totally different day and age these days. Digital rules. Where’s the PRAT? Must it be artificially supplied somehow?

Hi mapman, up until a few months ago I would pretty much agree with you. But if I listened to vinyl for a few days and then went back to digital I would hear a difference in PRAT. It was clear that vinyl was much better. About a month after I got my new DAC I decided to spin some CDs one evening on my CD transport rather than listen through the music server. I was spellbound all evening. The music was amazing. I played 5 CDs straight through not skipping a single track. I couldn’t understand why it was so different from my NUC based music server running Roon/Rock. The next day I did some A/B between the music server and transport. I had my son listen too. The CDs and the FLAC files sounded very close to the same. Now I was confused. So I listened to several songs on CD and then switched to the music server and now I could hear the difference in PRAT. That lead me to try a better music server. Got one in on a 30 day trial. It not only sounds way better streaming but now has PRAT like my vinyl rig, like the CD transport.

I had no idea what PRAT was 30 years ago until another audiophile buddy came over to hear my rig one time. He told me that my turntable had terrible PRAT. He was a big Linn Turntable fan. I started to understand why some turntables that I heard just seemed to let the music flow where others just made sound. I made some mods to my turntable and back then and got some surprising improvement. It has been hit and miss over the years but very happy with my current turntable with respect to PRAT and other things.

I specifically asked AI the question and in addition to Naim (#1), Rega and Musical Fidelity both came up near the top as amps that users commonly associate with PRAT. So that. It also pointed out that PRAT is a subjective thing. Smarty pants! If pRAT is where it’s at then Naim is the bomb apparently. So why rule that one out?Also, who are we to argue when a computer objectively settles the score regarding subjective decision making?

Then again, PRAT sounds like a very British kind of thing.  So any surprise traditionally British companies do particularly well there? Way to go AI!

I can’t even repeat here the blasphemy AI delivered when I asked if fuses are directional. What audiophile did the training there? Look it up! Inquiring minds want to know. This place could become very boring if this keeps up. 😬