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5 steps in developing hearing

I got this from a dealer years ago:

1. Only cares about bass.

2. Start hearing tonal balance like warmer, brighter etc. These are more the mass market type.

3. This is the hi-fi entry level listening. We talk about soundstaging imaging, detail etc. all those technical term that you read from the magazine. Everyone who comes to my place I will try to get them into this level. It is not too difficult once we show them the audiophile recording.

4. People start talking about PRAT. From level 3 to level 4 needs a little bit more experience and listening to more systems and live performance.

5. This is my ultimate level of search. It is the complete disappearance of the system. It is the directness of the system. A lot of technically superb systems fail in this area. We call them technically perfect musically dead. Getting from level 4 to level 5 is even more difficult.
This is the area that many of my customers come back to me telling me that how come they didn't get the same feeling when doing the audition in other dealer's demo regardless of price. They cannot explain it so they use 'feeling' as the term.

cdc

Showing 2 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
7,782 posts
 

I prefer Rhythm and Pace… as PRaT sounds more like brat, but just a different term for what is probably the most difficult to directly focus your minds eye on (all right, in this case ear on), and yet is probably the most important sonic parameter to a great sounding musical system.

The OP brings it up in number 4 because unlike detail,  imaging, or slam you do not sense it directionally… as in right there in a certain place in the sound field are the cymbals and they have a certain sonic characteristic, or the bass… easy to focus your attention on.

PRaT is a characteristic of the whole system…. Of the music coming out. You cannot sense it from listening to the snare drum relative to the kick drum. It is the timing of all the music and effects you very subconsciously. It is what makes you tap your foot, or want to sway with the music. It is not what sparks your mind’s eye to listen to the whack of a drumstick or bowing of a cello string. It is what sucks you into the music and establishes that primal connection.

While you cannot be missing all the other good attributes of a system, this is the one that truly makes a system enthralling and engaging. This is the thing that makes it hard to drag yourself away from the system after hours of listening. So, if you can walk away from your system after playing and album or are ever fatigued, this is probably what you are missing and it is worth investing a lot of time trying to learn how to perceive it and get it into your system. There are a tremendous amount of high end equipment that is virtually devoid of it.

ghdprentice
7,782 posts
 

That’s a good way to look at it. 
 

While there are a few folks that go directly for the music and don’t get focused on details, slam at first. They are the exception. I certainly followed the steps.

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