What does 'Fast mean?

Again, my 1970's hand held, transistor radio sounded fast. Why? Because it produced threadbare sounding music without body, soul and foundation. It played a 3 minute song in 3 minutes just like a Lamm SET amp - no faster.

A Mcintosh 402 amp won't sound fast, but rather it will sound beautiful and full. A Toshiba 3950 DVD player (I own one and like it for the money - $49 after rebate) sounds very fast due to its lack of body and weight. Perhaps I am to simple here, but it sure seems that way to my ears.

Michael Johnson in the 200. THAT's fast!

Boa2, that does sound fast. You got anything faster? In regards to this hobby I do, how about a vacuum cleaner set to maximum suction hooked up to your wallet. Now that is fast! If you hear a sucking sound, you know where I've been. If anybody finds a wallet with my initials, please at least return the credit cards & drivers license, you keep the wallet & what little money if any, remains.

Two points to answer:

"Fast is nonsense.... Same applies to PRAT."

No, Porziob, this statement is nonsense, at least to me. It is beyond me why people who have never experienced systems that do PRAT well insist that it doesn't exist. It most certainly does exist. Whether these systems are your preference is another matter entirely.

"Fast usually means the sound is thin and without body/weight making it seem faster! That is what I have found when auditioning "fast" gear."

Now I do not think this statement is nonsense, Grannyring. While I wouldn't put the matter in such pejorative terms, I think there is truth here. As far as I can tell the subjective experience elicited by systems that we say are fast or do PRAT well does seem to come at a cost of reducing the fullness of the sound, creating at least some degree of leanness in the music. What one gets in return is a musical tightness - a rhythmic coherence - that many of us find captivating and involving. Too much of this leanness can be as dissatisfying to some ears as bloated tube gear is to mine. (I don’t find all tube gear unpleasant - just the soft, mushy-mouthed stuff.) We all have our preferences.

Agree with Proziob.
Fast means nothing in electronics 'cause you should neglect the speed of a sound to a speed of an electron.

In speakers it's a proper mechanical response of a driver. The fastest speakers in this issue are heaphones period.