I believe I experienced great PRAT for the first time

to me, good music makes me want to tap my feet, swing, move etc etc., whatever you want to call it 

a great hifi only helps in that regard

i have done a lot of foot tapping on many a long drive in car with very average car stereo

Congrats!  

Every type of component influences PRAT (if that is what one wants to call it) to one degree or another. We tend to be more comfortable describing issues of tonal and spatial distortion, but less so issues of rhythmic distortion. Sure, source components (tt’s, especially) tend to be the worse culprits, but I have experienced amps and preamps that are more rhythmically “alive” than others and some that sound rhythmically stifled; regardless of tonal signatures. I’ll let the more technically astute explain why.

**** I think descriptors such as micro and macro dynamics, transients, attack and decay are far more precise terms. ****

Agree.

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. 

Enjoy the music ;-) even a decent Pinot has PRAT…. you see unless we are experiencing vs. writing about it, we are reduced to imperfect…words….

How can an emotional connection be ..imperfect ?

I agree with those who say that PRAT belongs to the musician, However, it also belongs to the source component which is playing that PRAT which the musicians laid down on the recording. I've been an avid listener for 60 yrs and I only came to understand PRAT after I bought a TT which allowed me to hear  that PRAT. The TT I had previously did NOT have that. It sounded sluggish in comparison. Yes, it becomes automatic foot tapping as if you can't help but tap your feet. However, mood also has a great deal to do with it also