how do you gauge and judge "timing"?

timing piping  , audiophile bul-----et

Meridian marketed their DSP 8000 with timing for mainly the bass as the company's designer states something like in order for bass notes to reach the listeners ears at the same time as the higher fq's the drivers would need 20 ft behind the other. The feature has an on and off switch and tbh I can't really hear a difference.  I've heard a school marching band with their timing off and it's one of those things one really tends to notice.

Stereophile definition:

timing The apparent instrumental ensemble (synchronism) of a performance, which is affected by system speed. See "articulation," "rhythm," "pace."

PRAT Definition:

It is a feeling that produces the following external symptoms:

a) listener’s head rocks back and forth rythmically

b) wide grin from east to west

c) eyes semi shut in a gleeful fashion

If the music and gear didn’t do that, you ain’t in PRAT.

Stereophile definition:

timing The apparent instrumental ensemble (synchronism) of a performance, which is affected by system speed. See "articulation," "rhythm," "pace."

Pace, Rhythm, and Timing, originated in the British hi-fi community in the late 1970s and early 1980s, primarily associated with the brands Naim Audio and Linn Products»

it is a marketing concept with no serious relation to acoustics experience...

It is related to a subjective impression  "cooked"  especially for young consumers of this era buying rock and pop music some companies used as a publicity  tool...

Then it is significant to understand it as a result of the consumers focus on gear pieces  idolized as source of sound instead of focusing on system/room/ears  acoustics concepts...

it is marketing...

It is interesting to know that "P" at the origin was there for "pitch" accuracy not for  "pace"...

But consumers dont understand much acoustics then....

At the origin though this concept of PRAT made sense more than nowadays refering to turntable timing accuracy...For sure if you own a turntable you can claim that it gives you PRAT...

but the marketing of turntable cannot be extended  with this expression to describe our sound qualities impression in a system/room only in a very subjective and limited way for sure if you own a turntable ...

«My stereo PRAT became prout!» -- Groucho Marx