Schu Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 (edited) they must have gotten the idea for the shape from Sleep Number... Edited May 19, 2014 by Schu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 (edited) My Pono player is due to arrive any day. I'll post a report. As a Kickstarter supporter of this device, I've exchanged several emails with Pono support. My original query was whether the $299 black unit I purchased months ago would come with any music loaded. To my surprise and dismay, the answer was, "No," but music could be purchased from the Pono site after delivery. I replied that my confidence in the business wisdom of those backing Pono was shaken. To send an empty unit is foolish. At least a sample tune from Neil Young was appropriate. Imagine the disappointment after receiving a silent player after all these months. I compared the scenario to the Monty Pyhton Dead Parrot bit. "That bird's dead. No it's not. Yes it is. No it's not." A dead bird can't sing, It must have shamed them into sensibility. Pono recently announced that the Kickstarter units will now include a demo track from Neil Young. Of course it will. What were they thinking? Nobody had the sense to realize that delivering music-less players was absurd? Edited October 29, 2014 by DizRotus 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I should also be recieving my pono in the next few days. Should be interesting! Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 Has anyone here awaiting a Pono player received the long awaited email? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 Rather have: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungkiman Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 No results found for "My Pretty Pono"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 (edited) Where do you get the hi res music to play on the PONO? How is it different than playing lossless music on an iPod or on my PC music server? Edited November 3, 2014 by mark1101 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 (edited) My Pono player is due to arrive any day. I'll post a report. It must have shamed them into sensibility. Pono recently announced that the Kickstarter units will now include a demo track from Neil Young. Of course it will. What were they thinking? Nobody had the sense to realize that delivering music-less players was absurd? Good for you for shaming then into doing the right thing. One person can make a difference. I hope you haven't bought into the modern version of the Betamax story. I invested heavily in Betamax stuff because it had superior video and audio quality over VHS. Did you ever try to rent a Betamax movie? I couldn't, they didn't make them. No one else could, either. Betamax then went quickly the way of the do-do bird. Great equipment, no content. Edited November 3, 2014 by wvu80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 This is what I'm trying to understand. Where does the music that is supposed to sound so much better actually come from? Is is up to the owner of the device to only put really good sounding music on the device? What makes a PONO so great? I'm just trying to understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I saw a YouTube on Pono. Participants seemed excited but I didn't see anything technical why this would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 (edited) It appears they have a web site that has music for sale https://ponomusic.force.com/ Quote Audio files can be loaded onto the PonoPlayer using the Pono Music Center desktop application (soon to be released on Windows and MacOS). The PonoPlayer can also be sideloaded as a USB storage device (Windows, MacOS, Linux). Edited November 3, 2014 by joessportster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 specs link https://ponomusic.force.com/ccrz__ProductDetails?viewState=DetailView&cartID=e31507b0-a6b5-4087-b7b3-05c8c4b81f03&sku=NY001Y&store=ponomusic Uses the ESS chip for the dac (Saber, known for higher resolution although IMHO sounds a bit drier and lighter bass in other applications) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 It sounds like you have to buy "their" music for the whole concept to work...........and the player (PONO device) is just a good portable DAC. I'm guessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudeJ1 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 (edited) It sounds like you have to buy "their" music for the whole concept to work...........and the player (PONO device) is just a good portable DAC. I'm guessing. Yep. A friend of mine came over yesterday with a portable FiiO X5 portable DAC that used up to two Micro SD cards for a total of 256 Gigs (128 per slot). It looked like a larger iPOD with rotary control. He had HD tracks on there that sounded mighty fine when plugged into a PCM digital input on my receiver. Most were 24/96. None were PONO proprietary. Only $349 at B&H Edited November 3, 2014 by ClaudeJ1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I guess Ole' Neil hasn't told everyone if his new music library plays on other DACs that are as good or better than his little player. I'm guessing that they don't. I hope I'm wrong. it would be good to have a library of such high quality tunes available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Good post Diz. I agree with every point. Just now I am playing a 180 gram Tom Waits/Crystal Gale LP, bought new and played maybe five times. I put it through the record vac twice, cleaned the stylus with the ZeroDust twice, used anti static brush, played it at perfect speed according to the strobe with an $800 dollar cartridge and still the grit sound remains. The recording is fantastic but the surface noise is distracting. Too many disc are like this....quiet ones are the exception. I have a large LP collection but I long for the day some format surpasses the status quo. The problem is that the music I like (and probably most of all the music you folks like too!!) will simply never be able to "become" ultra-high quality like Neil is suggesting. Your music collection is probably as good as it is ever going to sound...........with rare exceptions of digital remasters that actually do sound better. The point is.........going forward the PONO concept seems like a great thing to support...........it's just like 50 years too late for me. That is why I simply got used to listening to the music I like..........regardless of sound quality...........rather than listen to some high quality recordings I could care less about just to hear my equipment and how nicely it can provide sound. I'm past all that. When I run into a really nice recording of something I like..........well that is cool for sure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 It's my understanding that the Pono player will play other high resolution files from HDtracks, etc. Conversely, I expect Pono music files can be played on other devices. Only time will tell if one, both or neither of the foregoing is correct. The first comment is supported by information on the Pono site regarding how to rip CDs to high resolution files for use on the Pono player. Similarly, vinyl can be ripped to a high resolution file to be played from a computer or the Pono player. I suspect the Pono player has a better than average DAC. It will be interesting to compare high resolution FLAC files downloaded from HDtracks and now played on my Samsung S4 Android (which sound very good) to the same files played through my Pono player ( if it ever gets here), as well as comparing Pono files played on Pono to the HDtracks on the Android. If there isn't a noticeable advantage to the Pono player, a one owner low mileage black Pono might be available for quick delivery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet_Hollow Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Samsung S4 Android (which sound very good) FYI - There's a "width" sound field algorithm embedded in its DSP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet_Hollow Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Rather have: Already have: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NBPK402 Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Good post Diz. I agree with every point. Just now I am playing a 180 gram Tom Waits/Crystal Gale LP, bought new and played maybe five times. I put it through the record vac twice, cleaned the stylus with the ZeroDust twice, used anti static brush, played it at perfect speed according to the strobe with an $800 dollar cartridge and still the grit sound remains. The recording is fantastic but the surface noise is distracting. Too many disc are like this....quiet ones are the exception. I have a large LP collection but I long for the day some format surpasses the status quo. The problem is that the music I like (and probably most of all the music you folks like too!!) will simply never be able to "become" ultra-high quality like Neil is suggesting. Your music collection is probably as good as it is ever going to sound...........with rare exceptions of digital remasters that actually do sound better. The point is.........going forward the PONO concept seems like a great thing to support...........it's just like 50 years too late for me. That is why I simply got used to listening to the music I like..........regardless of sound quality...........rather than listen to some high quality recordings I could care less about just to hear my equipment and how nicely it can provide sound. I'm past all that. When I run into a really nice recording of something I like..........well that is cool for sure. Pono music is digitally remastered from the original untouched masters (pre cd mix). This is what we were told at a private demo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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