Glossary
PRaT
What does PRaT mean in hi-fi?
Pace, rhythm, and timing
PRaT (pace, rhythm, and timing) is What Hi-Fi? shorthand for whether music grooves and drives. It is not a separate HiFi Score facet at MVP — timing energy usually shows up in our Dynamics facet and in how “alive” a pocket feels on funk, soul, and jazz records.
Albums in the catalog that show this
What PRaT is (and is not)
PRaT is reviewer shorthand, not a measurement. A system or a master with PRaT makes you tap along; without it, even a “detailed” mix feels sluggish or mechanical. HiFi Score does not ship a separate PRaT score. Timing energy shows up in Dynamics and in how a funk, soul, or jazz pocket feels on honest gear.
If you searched “prat hifi”, you are in the right glossary. Use the Dynamics hub and demo tracks that actually groove — then Upgrade Paths from a record whose pocket you already trust.
How to hear it
Play a record whose pocket you already trust — James Brown, D’Angelo, a tight jazz quartet. If the groove turns mechanical or sluggish on a “detailed” system, you are hearing PRaT fail even when treble sparkles. Dynamics facet albums and best-sounding Upgrade Paths are the product path for that search.
Questions listeners ask
- What does PRaT mean in hi-fi?
- PRaT stands for pace, rhythm, and timing — Whether music grooves and drives. On HiFi Score that energy is reflected in the Dynamics facet, not a separate lab score.
- Is PRaT a HiFi Score facet?
- Not as its own facet. Timing and drive usually appear in Dynamics and in path reasons for funk, soul, and jazz. Browse best-for-dynamics albums if you care about an alive pocket.
- What albums show PRaT?
- Funk, soul, and jazz records with a live pocket. Start from a title you already tap along to, then open Upgrade Paths — similar keeps the groove, best sounding asks which next album still drives on speakers.