PRat: a DAC or transport thing?

prat is misunderstood. if you play a cd on two stereo systems, and both cd players are spinning the cd at the same speed, the elapsed time will be the same for each stereo system. thus, the pace must be the same as well as the timing. if one perceives that one stereo system seems "faster" or another "slower", it's in the mind, not the music.

what is it in the presentation that creates the psychoacoustic effect of speed ?

if you listen to live unamplified music, the playing exhibits a tempo, and within that structure the individual notes may vary. for example, in 4/4 time, there are 8th notes, quarter notes, etc.

if a composition takes 10 minutes, there is a sense of pace based upon the markings. thus, for example, adagio, presto, etc. .

musicians play can play fast or slow. once it is recorded the tempo is set and the timing is set. if you play a recording on 5 stereo systems, the tempo is still the same and the elapsed time is also the same.

if you are talking about perception, that depends upon the listener.

i think the concept is a construct used by audiophiles but has no value as to communication.

i would like to hear a demonstration of this concept. any suggestions ?

as i understand, prat is an acronym--pace, rhythm and timing.
these words are metrics, they can be measured.

i have listened to 100's of stereo systems at ces. i have not been aware of prat on any of them.

sean, if you were with me, you could have pointed out at least one instance of this.

perhaps you could explain the terms in such a way that i could understand them.

it is easy to define the individual words, but i suspect there may be a conotation that i am missing. it is also possible that this phenomenon is irrelevant to me, i.e., i may experience it but pay no attention since i am listening for other attributes, such as spectral balance and a pleasing sound.

sean, i proably ignore this aspect of recorded music, as i tend to concentradte on timbre and tonal balance.

i believe it is a term which applies only to recorded music.

i tend to think in terms of live music and try to relate to recorded music as if it were live.

my reaction to music in the home is more dependent upon how i feel and how much i like the music. it is much less dependent upon the sound of a stereo system.

i own an acoustic guitar and when listening to the raio, i would sometime try to play along with the melody.

it's about the music and the person more thanm about the stereo.

if you want to enjoy your stereo, relax, rid your mind of extraneous thoughts and overlook flaws in the stereo system.