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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
ab_ba
11 posts
 

I greatly enjoyed this discussion. I moved up to a Sussurro about a year ago, and it was a real revelation. Fun to think what a Hyperion could bring. But first, other aspects of my system will need some attention. 

kingharold
304 posts
 

I don't remember ever hearing good music, live or recorded, when I didn't hear PRAT. 

lewm
14,650 posts
 

Pesky, in response to your rhetorical question, i dunno. DO Rega turntables produce PRAT, in fact? You suppose they do, but that’s an opinion to which you’re entitled.

cd318
2,636 posts
 

Pace, rhythm and timing are desirable commodities no doubt.

However, in my experience, systems which do them well often fall down heavily in other areas.

This realisation is the reason I moved away from a Linn/Naim system in the first place.

Apparently Naim amps can do far more than PRAT these days but for me tone is king, PRAT are mere accessories.

It's a shame that these 2 qualities often seem to be at almost opposite poles to each other.

earthtones OP
116 posts
 

In my system that I described earlier, I think the Hyperion does everything extremely well, PRAT, tone, whatever. I think it’s a simple matter of superior tracking ability combined with ultra low moving mass and resonance- how do you beat a cactus thorn, lol, in combination with the Ortofon Replicant profile?

Another thing I’ve noticed is that this cartridge scales like nothing I’ve heard - it sounds clean, steady and articulate right up through the highest crescendos in symphonic pieces, which is another testament to it tracking ability and high resolution.

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