recommend PRAT Integrated amplifiers (not Naim)

PRAT is pace, rhythm and timing.  For me, I can’t just A/B a song and hear it.  I have to listen for a while to one setup and then switch.  I relate it to turntables because that is what I have the most experience hearing.  I could hear some turntables and the music just flows and captures and holds me.  Others, the music was just there- no big deal.  But the sound could be virtually the same.  

That was the big thing that put me on a quest for a new DAC and ultimately music server.  I would listen to records for a few days, switch to digital and the sound was great but I could tell that the rhythm and pace wasn’t nearly as good.

It’s like the difference between a good and great pianist to me.  The great ones make the music flow like water from the piano.

Hey the science stooges just showed up.  The ASR(AssesStoogesRetrobates) crowd to try and spread their disinformation.  

Go back to your own website where you will be appreciated secretguy.  Your nonsense is not needed here.

Of course, but when the starting premise is denial over what people hear- that’s pseudo science.

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.