14 out of 15 listeners can't tell the difference between PONO & iTunes Store downloads on an iPhone

I agree but that is what Neil is trying to change.

 

Anyone interested in reading a less technical article about the bitrate test should check out this article in Mix magazine.

 

starts at 2:01

 

I encourage you to read these articles and the links provided in them.

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/gizmodo-wont-post-my-comment-so-im-posting-them-here

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/your-brain-cd-resolution-sound-read-study

 

Hell, I just rolled capacitors in one of my headphone amps for a tiny improvement. I sure would like to hear the PONO! I bet it's great.

 

The player does offer a big leap in performance. But you have to use the right headphones to get the most out of it. With the right headphones the magic that the player does will come out in a very noticeable way. That magic is not very noticeable at all on stock Apple earbuds.

 

I admit it sounds like that is what he is saying but he didn't specifically say Apple earbuds. They do make nice earbuds (Sennheiser, Shure etc.)

 

Yes through a cheap Radio Shack switch box and cheap headphones. We also don't know if the players were level matched or if the tracks he played were the same mastering or not.

 

Steve Jobs listened to vinyl? I hadn't known that before. What table? What system?

 

Yeah, I've seen those articles, and was not impressed. Loads of ad homin attacks, and a claim that the peer-reviewed science in the AES Journal has been "thoroughly debunked" without providing any evidence.

Sorry, but a rant is a long way from evidence. His original, rejected post reads like something from an Art Bell broadcast.

 

http://www.wired.com/2014/04/steve-jobs-stereo-system/

 

Oh, it had to be. It's just wires and connectors. It doesn't have to be Cardas litz wiring to carry a decent signal and transmit a high rez signal.

 

Do some more research and read the linked article on the second link. I think you will find you are wrong.

 

Good stuff!! I must have that table.

 

As someone who has been listening to a PonoPlayer with Audeze LCD-2 headphones through a $3000 home headphone amp and a $500 Schiit Lyr headphone amp. Yes there is a quantum leap in sound quality compared to an iPod or iPhone. I would never connect an iPhone or iPod directly to my big amp and find it enjoyable. But with the PonoPlayer as a source for those amps there is magic. The difference isn't subtle. It's obvious. But it's also something that is better in audiophile ways. Smoother and more spacious sound. If you're after something that hits harder, has more bass, and makes the cymbals more tishy then the PonoPlayer will not fare well in a comparison. If you're after something that is more enjoyable to listen to and makes you want to listen to more music then it will fare well in a comparison.

 

which is all well and good but completely defeats the purpose of the Pono Player's business model.

 

That was an example that it can play as a source with good home gear and not be embarrassed. It also sounds good just as a straight regular portable driving headphones. I've been using it as a true portable with $100 headphones and it sounds good and has its magic.

 

I hereby state that I now fly the white flag of surrender for all things "Hi-Res" related.

I now strongly urge every single person on this community to buy at least one Pono player...and then re-purchase their entire music catalogue, yet again, costing 10's of $1000's. That 1-2% improvement in quality is just too much of a gift for mankind. Please also provide screen shots of waveforms for everyone to view.

 

If you buy a PonoPlayer you are not required to buy a single high-res album. In fact, you're not required to ever listen to high-res on it at all. It actually sounds pretty awesome with plain old CD rips. Which is the vast majority of my library. Most of what I have been listening to on the player is just regular old CD rips. I have no plans to be buying lots of high-res.

 

and then there are completely ridiculous posts like this from people who seemingly don't have working ears.

 

I think their intentions are good. Everything that can raise the awareness of better sound quality is always good for music lovers as long as the marketing departments don't go overboard.

 

I could respond to that reply in detail. In all honesty it's best if I just don't. I'd rather "others" just view your words and come to their own conclusions..

 

According to the article those promo videos with artists saying how great Pono is were done by comparing to hi-res to low bitrate MP3s. That is silly and deceptive. Pogue compared Pono tracks to the same tracks purchased via iTunes - they might not have been the same mastering, but that is the real-world comparison for most people.

Tim

 

Well let's cut right to the chase.

If PONO was a scam, it would have been called out and ridiculed in loads of tech and audiophile journals. That hasn't happened, so from that we can conclude that it has something going for it.

Right now it's bleeding edge tech, which means if it fails you're stuck with a junk piece of gear nobody wants, and if it succeeds, you're ahead of the curve. So you've really only gotta ask one question. Is it worth the investment to discover what the experience feels like?

 

which is internet slang for, "I can't defend my baseless opinion."