What exactly is PRaT???


Ok, it’s like this thing and is associated with “toe tapping” and such.  I confess, I don’t get it.  Apparently companies like Linn and Naim get it, and I don’t and find it a bit frustrating.  What am I missing?  I’m a drummer and am as sensitive as anyone to timing and beats, so why don’t I perceive this PRaT thing that many of you obviously do and prize as it occurs in stereo systems?  When I read many Brit reviews a lot of attention goes to “rhythm” and “timing” and it’s useless to me and I just don’t get it.  If someone can give me a concrete example of what the hell I’m not getting I’d sincerely be most appreciative.  To be clear, enough people I greatly respect consider it a thing so objectively speaking it’s either something I can’t hear or maybe just don’t care about — or both.  Can someone finally define this “thing” for me cause I seriously wanna learn something I clearly don’t know or understand.  

soix

False orthodoxy is prone to pop up in high end audio, and PRaT is one such. I know what it is--and have successfully ignored it for decades.

Nevertheless, this is an amusing thread. I like that it brought out a couple drummers. My favorite comment:

"...it was hard to hum and toe tap to Schoenberg"

Mrs. Schoenberg would beg to differ....

I don't own Linn or Naim equipment so  I guess I'm not aloud to talk on the subject.But the feeling of the music and vibration, from the open track seem to tell the story. I GUESS....

IN high end audio it is the MUSICAL flow of the music.  When you hear a system does it give you foot tapping body moving experience?  Or is it analytical sounding where it could be clean sounding but dull dead and no foot tapping.    I always interpreted it to be the musical flow of the music!

Play this song, a not so great recording on a relatively crappy rig and it could still sound like great PRT.

A musician can give you good PRT even if everything else sucked.

 

Chris Rea - I can hear your heartbeat, 1983 version

https://youtu.be/OwOV8HyQyKk?si=4GdniWVv97YKRpn6