PonoMusic - Elvis cameo

[MOJO]

Hey - Check out Neil Young's new project - Pono. The player looks promising. I am a backer. Get in on the action and pony up for PONO! Watch the video. It's classic. Neil RULES. EC has a little appearance near the end or middle somewhere.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/10 ... vers-music

[jardine]

I hope this is half as good as I hope it is (so to speak). However, be patient with me. is this a new player? a new type of file AND a new type of player? a new quality version of an old type of file and a new player? a large bird-like creature?

is this the beginning of having to re-purchase everything? is a pono something i can plug into my existing sound system at home the way i've plugged in my cd player? what about my cds? are the on the verge of obsolescence? it is so weird to once again be a neophyte who bought his first "stereo" in 1968...

as fontella bass once said so eloquently, rescue me! I need help being excited about the right thing here...

[MOJO]

I hope this is half as good as I hope it is (so to speak). However, be patient with me. is this a new player?

YES

a new type of file AND a new type of player?

It's FLAC. Nothing new there, but YES, the player is new hardware.

a new quality version of an old type of file and a new player? a large bird-like creature?

From PonoMusic.com's FAQ page:

PonoMusic has a quality spectrum, ranging from really good to really great, depending on the quality of the available master recordings:

• CD lossless quality recordings: 1411 kbps (44.1 kHz/16 bit) FLAC files
• High-resolution recordings: 2304 kbps (48 kHz/24 bit) FLAC files
• Higher-resolution recordings: 4608 kbps (96 kHz/24 bit) FLAC files
• Ultra-high resolution recordings: 9216 kbps (192 kHz/24 bit) FLAC files

Also take note: The DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) chip being used is widely recognized in the audio and engineering community as one of the best sounding DAC chips available today.

http://www.ponomusic.com/#faq

is this the beginning of having to re-purchase everything??

No and Yes. You can convert your own music into FLAC files for playback on the player, or purchase killer tracks from the PonoMusic store (once that opens). Check out the website.

is a pono something i can plug into my existing sound system at home the way i've plugged in my cd player? what about my cds? are the on the verge of obsolescence? it is so weird to once again be a neophyte who bought his first "stereo" in 1968...

See above link to faq: The PonoPlayer is designed to play PonoMusic with stunning clarity. However, the player can play almost any kind of music track including FLAC, ALAC, mp3, WAV, AIFF, AAC (unprotected). What this really means is the PonoPlayer can play all your digital music, and all of it will sound great.

[jardine]

this is wonderful and very helpful. thanks!

d.j.

[scielle]

I got to play with a prototype at around this time last year when doing some financial modelling for Pono's previous CEO. Nice toy, and does in fact sound great. I remember them toying with the idea of a Kickstarter fundraise at the time but honestly thought it'll be a fairly niche stereophile thing. Pleasantly surprised by the amount raised within just a few days of launch (and bummed I missed Neil at SXSW by just a few hours!)

[MOJO]

Cool. My friend, an audio engineer, attests to the quality of Ayre. He uses their products. I assume Pono locked in on an exclusive with them - for a few years at least - so Apple doesn't crush their biz idea/market share. I would hate to see a buyout, but it could happen. That would NOT be cool. I'm sure both companies are talking. Oh wait, the Apple way is, you talk to us, we tell you nothing. Unless that has changed since Jobs' passing. Who knows. Maybe Apple is already baking on a high-end player. Whatever. I'm backing Pono. Neil for CEO!

[charliestumpy]

I believe.

In music etc.

What a joy in real or next-best-thing analogue times.

Digital is convenient but a lie. How ever many times they make us buy it again again again again. 1-0.

1 Trickie Pono.