how do you gauge and judge "timing"?

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

I usually ask audiogon members which speaker has timing etc. I don't trust my own judgment, Neither did my X wife

Timing for me is about clean immediate attack alleviating smearing.  That has in recent years been my mainstay of component selection.  Immediate attack allows space between each vocal and instrument giving resolution/detail.  My 2 cents.

As I listen to the "musicianship" of each and every recording, timing imo, is when every musician is in sync with each other. My system is fantastic at this, and yes, I have heard many expensive systems in my lifetime that failed miserably at this, specifically in the bass region between drummers and bass players. Messy, sloppy, soggy, ill-defined...you get my point. It is a major "characteristic" of music listening that I enjoy, and I find extremely important. There is zero perfection with this hobby, and one needs to place these characteristics in an order that are most important to them. BTW, when listening to many of these systems, it did not matter (to me) if the sound staging was excellent, as this seems to be the trend for most listeners, which is fine. All about what you like.....I know what I like. I apologize for my "attitude" by those who take this the wrong way. My best, MrD.

If I have to listen to AC/DC to hear PRAT, please count me out… I far prefer Krall or Jones.