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I believe I experienced great PRAT for the first time

Pace, Rhythm and Timing - I've often heard about it, mainly in the context of certain turntables, but I don't think I've really experienced it in a highly satisfactory way until today when I mounted my new Soundsmith Hyperion, an upgrade from my Sussorro. Halfway through side two of Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium, it suddenly dawned on me that there was more going on than improvements in clarity, detail, neutrality, bass punch and other rather specific traits that I've until this point used to refer to what I'm hearing. For the first time in the 30 years I've had this album, I was struck by a sense of flow, ease, relaxation, and my feet were tapping! Yes, this must be it. I connected with the music at a higher level just now, something new to me. Get all the details correct, and the PRAT appears in front of you. So, this was nothing to do with the fact that my turntable runs at the correct speed with low W/F, as it was performing well at that before. I had assumed that's what PRAT meant. Perhaps it means that too, in a speed stability sense.

earthtones

Showing 1 response by audioquest4life

audioquest4life
778 posts
 

Congratulations on your new OCL Hyperion. It is a stellar sounding cartridge and without a doubt, the Hyperion is providing you with new musical satisfaction. Regardless of what you call it, the information that is being retrieved and how it is conveyed to you is all that matters. I too had many many such moments with my OCL Hyperion and still do. I would say that finesse of the Hyperion and the fact that it just plays back music without accentuated lows, mid, or highs. It is to me, the epitome of what a cartridge should sound like…nothing, just making beautiful music. 
 
Before I had the Hyperion I had several Benz LPSs, Sussaro MKII, Benz Ruby Z. I researched and researched on a cartridge that would appeal to my senses. The Hyperion does that. It does compete above its price range and in that class, some things are different sounding, maybe the same, or offer up something a little better sounding in one way or another. 
 

I am in awe at how it is so balanced. I have my Hyperion installed on an SME V arm and I am running it wide open into an Aesthetix Io Partial Eclipse with dual power supplies. I tried the recommended loading and slowly kept inching up after a few months and settled into no loading at all, it sounds the best to me, open, airy, and organic, with a humanizing aspect to the voices. I just finished setting up my new Air Tight Opus 1 and the Hyperion can be proud to compete with such a higher priced cartridge, albeit, in different ways. Let’s leave it at that, don’t want to change the subject. 
 

Agree with others about the total system synergy…if your system is up to it, then you will have great listening sessions. From what you posted, you identified a system deficiency in so much that your cartridge was holding everything back. Now that you have added the Hyperion, the chain, your system, is complete with all of the attributes to make music sound really good. See, you were probably thinking new speakers, amps, preamps, cables, or whatever…and there it is, a brand new OCL Hyperion saves the day. Congratulations. 

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