Is Pono no more?

Wow, dude.

 

If Pono was touted as an 'in door' device with a dock and streaming capabilities, and doubled as a portable device, it would have done much better.

 

Pono music store will be back up at the end of this month.

 

Has this been confirmed? I can't see any posts about it.

 

I think it was pretty DOA as a mainstream device. I think the initial hype, artists signing on and such boosted it, but at the end of the day most people aren't going to be re-buying music for higher quality that is debatably of any benefit whatsoever. That's the crux of it.

 

like he did with pacific microsonics and HDCD and then he, and a whole lot of others, was using it and all of a sudden it was gone.

 

i expect some change form neil young in the next few months, he is going to be needing money. it wouldn't surprise me to see 'time fades away" and "archives 2" sometime next year. form all indications pegi took him to the cleaners.

 

All good points, but don't forget Ayre design. For less than $400 (a lot less if you shopped smart) you got an analog section cribbed from true high end equipment.

Of course, if one thinks that's all BS and does not contribute to better sound, then I guess you can always stick with whatever player has the best specs.

 

Neil was, and possibly still is, using the Pacific Microsonics Model 2 for high-res transfers. The Pacific Microsonics can do 192 kHz high-res as well as 16-bit HDCD CD. The high-res transfers done with the Pacific Microsonics won't show up as HDCD or be identified by DACs that detect HDCD, because they're not HDCD. That converter is possibly why his high-res transfers sound so good and demonstrate the benefits of high-res over CD.

 

It's too bad if this is the case. I really wanted Pono to succeed and was hoping it would get labels to do proper remastering work.

 

I haven't heard the FiiO, Sony or A&K players to compare, but I was blown away by what Ayre did.

I was skeptical of high res and assumed it was the record companies sticking it to us yet again. But this morning I was listening to early Elton and some Peter Gabriel in balanced mode 96/24 and it was stunning.

 

Try listening to high res NY files on the device. Even one of his CDs ripped to ALAC sound phenominal - had live Cellar Door on last week and felt like Neil was in the room with me.

Those with high end systems likely get that with his LPs, but for us poor guys with modest gear the Pono elevates the SQ tremendously.

 

They don't have the ambition of Pono, but on the other hand it appears they know how to run a business.

 

You're a nice guy, a rarity on the internet. Bravo, sir!! Keep up the good work.

 

Source??

 

But the V20 is a mutlti-use device, whereas the Pono is a one-trick pony.

I don't write this in a negative way btw as I carry a DAP with me almost every day. But the days of consumers carrying iPod-like devices, or Cowon-like devices for that matter, are long over. These are niche devices now.

Personally I think the Pono's larger size / pocket unfriendliness and crappy battery life is its main undoing. Sure, you could use it with your stereo but then it's no longer a portable device anymore. For something to be truly portable and something you don't mind carrying with your smarphone, it had better be small and have great battery life then. And BT / Wifi is a nice perk too for the car and for quick sync. Was hoping for a Pono 2.0 that may have addressed some of these items.

Just my opinion of course.

 

Thank you. I work real hard at it and it's nice to be recognized for my efforts. I appreciate it!

 

Could be? He's been seen living aboard his sailboat in the marina near my house. However, that may not mean anything.

 

You make a lot of great points, I love my Pono and wish I could carry it with me more, but the battery really starts to drop at around half power, especially is I'm listening to 24/96 files or above. I actually use the Pono more at home, I'm a headphones guy and right now the Pono sounds just as good as my stereo stet up. I guess it is kinda like that study about portable gaming, something like 90% of gamers polled said they use their DS/Vita/whatever system at home only, even though it's a portable device.

Pono's website has said they are trying to figure something out, but I'm afraid it will go the way of the dodo. I'm still glad Neil and his team put this all together, the Pono really has changed how I listen to music.

 

Thanks. And even if it does die (device and store both) there are at least some options out there for the short-term. It's not like the Pono was the only game in town, even at its $350 price point.

You could also do the power cell option. It's not a great solution but still better than the device running out of juice during an all-day excursion.

 

I'll have to check into that. I've been reading in the Pono community about battery issues after you mentioned it can be replaced, if ever needed, some interesting stuff. And you're right, The FiiO X5 series is a great player, I have an old model and I've read good things about the X7.

 

Since it sounds like you are looking at options, I am just learning that the fiio x5ii folder view or category artist/album view structure like Pono as you ask is based on the file name not the tag name, so your file names need to be in order.

I haven't played the x5ii much yet, but navigation and tag handling of it while not bad is making the Pono look tons better than one might have previously considered it.

 

The PonoPlayer actually is the only game in town for a portable player at its price point with its style of sound quality. Even spending a couple hundred dollars more I don't think I'd find something with the PonoPlayer style of sound quality.

I happen to really like the style of sound that Ayre put in the PonoPlayer. The little player is able to deliver midrange magic. It's able to pass the Bing Crosby midrage test to my satisfaction. It can give me goosebumps as I listen if I listen to the right songs. Those goosebumps are my personal gauge for midrange magic. I've listened to some $1000+ full size headphone amps and DACs that aren't able to deliver those goosebumps. That a little $300-$400 portable player is able to do that is something very special.

The PonoPlayer also has a style of sound quality that demonstrates the benefits of high-res audio. That combined with the ability to do midrage magic (when used with the right headphones) is the reason for the PonoPlayer. How do you sell high-res as being better when almost everyone is listening to portable gear that doesn't show off the benefits of high-res? The PonoPlayer is a necessary part of Neil's message about lossless and high-res.

 

You don't think the FiiO X5, as an example, doesn't reach that same level? I don't own either one of them so I have no direct input here...used to own an X1 but wasn't too impressed with the sound (granted, it was cheap). Or one of Cowon's mid-range offerings?

 

No. The FiiO stuff does not do it. I'm not impressed at all with the FiiO amps, DACs, or DAPs. The FiiO gear sounds flat and unresolving. That's not how you do midrange magic. The FiiO gear is also not good at driving the headphones I like the way I like them.