PONO Feedback? Anyone have one yet?

I didn't, how could I? Get away from the straw man and check out the claims these guys are making instead of being an apologist for hokey marketing. That wouldn't get the remotest pass in the UK and for good reason. Tripe of the highest order. And whether you consider it the best thing since sliced bread isn't the issue. Your views mean nothing in the context this sits on the Amazon site.

 

I've never seen an audio product get such polarized responses!

From what I've read:

From many that have not heard one - angry or very angry.

From all that have heard one - very happy.

How does one know who to believe?

 

Buy one and find out if you're that keen to know! I simply found the claim on the Amazon site a nonsense that wouldn't/doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

 

Bought one from Amazon so I could easily return it if I didn't love it.

I've been enjoying it for several months, now. It is the best that I have heard digital sound.

 

I think he missed your nuance.

I think your post says it all, btw.

 

I'm an avid cyclist and have been using my Pono almost daily while I pedal the backroads and cycle trails in my community.

Love it.

Sounds great. Light as a feather. Easy to use. Fits in the chest pocket of my jacket or in a small nylon mesh camera bag that I wear around my neck.

My advice is to ignore the haters who haven't used one.

 

So does everyone who doesn't have one that questions some of the marketing ethics a "hater" then?

I'm glad you like your player. Sounds just like my iPod Touch 5G: sounds great, light as a feather, easy to use, fits in my coat pocket, or my shirt pocket when I use it at work.

 

Yes, I thought as much. I've not heard one being based in the UK and it's only available in the US. Then again, I am delighted by the high quality audio off my iPod Touch (5th gen) and my Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. No real need to spend another £300 on a portable player. Glad you like your DAP.

 

Mmmmm, no. Sorry to burst the bubble. You'd have been nearer the mark if you'd considered that my response was maybe intended to draw his comment.

Works every time.

 

So you get to make gentle pokes, but others don't?

Awesomely maneuvered.

 

I've been had!

I guess...

 

You could always report it to a Gort when your feelings are hurt....

 

I thought about putting this in the Windows 10 thread, but it applies here first and foremost. I made the upgrade today to Windows 10 and I tried to open PMW and it said that I would have to re-download the program first (PMW). I did and have had no problems since. If you're a Windows user, tuck this info away for when you come across it. It's not a big deal when you know what the fix is, but you have to know that you have to re-download the PMW program. It works!

 

Right to reply's barred in Pono threads? Oh my.

 

I'd like to try one in a store so I can determine if I want to commit the $$$, as I'm not a big fan of buy-and-return though everything I hear about the player is great. Unfortunately there are no retailers in Mass.

Aside from that I have no need for a portable unless I find myself commuting into a city and using the train more frequently than at present.

 

You won't be returning it.

 

Any JRiver users completely make the switch over to Pono Music World (I'm on Win8)? I'm using JRiver as my primary software player for PCM/DSD to my DAC. From this post by the CEO, PMW is the exact same sound engine as JRiver?

 

The salient point "Brother" is that I have used a Pono extensively and you haven't used one at all.

Why crap on something your haven't actually tried?

My apology for using the term "hater".

But I just don't understand why people rail against products (or films, or books, or music) they haven't actually experienced first hand.

 

I'm running both JRiver Media Center and PonoMusic World side by side. And I will continue to do that.

One reason is that I also use JRiver Media Center for video. PMW doesn't do video.
I also use JRMC for managing my iPod Classic. PMW doesn't do that.
And there's other features in JRMC that I use that aren't in PMW.
Plus JRMC won't time-out. PMW has hard-coded time-outs when the software will stop working.

I use PMW for managing the PonoPlayer. And for accessing the PonoMusic Store.

Eventually I hope they add the ability to manage the PonoPlayer and download from the PonoMusic Store to JRMC so I won't need PMW to do that.

The sound quality when playing from JRMC or PMW should be the same. They're using the same audio playback features and same audio playback engine.

 

The salient point,"conjotter", the one you missed, is that I haven't claimed to have heard nor commented negatively on its sound but I can still comment on the marketing the company is employing.

And unless you've listened to every other digital player out there, then you're in no position to bolster their nonsensical marketing blurb either. If you're also suggesting that people can't comment on any other aspect of the the thing, then good luck with that. Cult behaviour gets no breaks.

Glad you like your player though. Enjoy.

 

Is this because it's being treated like a JRiver trial/demo/limited use license? Or is it buggy software?

I don't use any of the other features in JRiver like the video bypassing Windows sound, EQ, etc. All I'm using it for is as a music player to my USB DAC. I like my CAPS computer to have as little software on it as possible (plus JRiver isn't exactly a streamlined, bloat free program).

 

Are you 100% sure PMW won't manage your IPod Classic? Believe me it never occurred to me that it would, but here's what happened yesterday.

I was "multi-tasking" on my Mac yesterday.

I was using iTunes to swap out music on an iPod nano that I use on my office system.

I was using PMW to load another album onto my PonoPlayer.

To my great surprise, what do you think I saw show up in the lower left corner of PMW?

"Apple IPod"

I didn't want my applications fighting over the IPod, so I closed out "Apple IPod" in PMW, so I really don't know if PMW could have loaded anything onto the IPod. However, it sure had no issues recognizing it.

 

I'm not 100% sure.
The setting for iPod support has been removed from the Options >> General dialog.
JRiver Media Center has an option to enable iPod support. PMW does not have that option. I assume the iPod support has been removed from PMW.

 

I don't know how Pono has licensed the use of PMW from JRiver. The licensing agreement may force them to have time-outs. Or maybe the time-outs are there to force people to keep the software up to date as they flesh out features and support. I don't know. I don't consider PMW to be buggy. I do consider it to be in constant development where features get added and fixed regularly, just like JRiver Media Center.

 

You might try giving Natural Sound in Framingham, MA a call. They're a dealer for Ayre products, which the Pono essentially is.