Is Pono no more?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by conjotter, Nov 4, 2016.

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  1. Madness

    Madness "Hate is much too great a burden to bear."

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    I'm using a 256gb micro sd card
     
  2. Six String

    Six String Senior Member

    Where does one get a replacement battery? My player is fine but I'm thinking ahead.
     
  3. oneway23

    oneway23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY, US
  4. dtuck90

    dtuck90 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
  5. TonyCzar

    TonyCzar Forum Resident

    Location:
    PhIladelphia, PA
    thrivingonariff likes this.
  6. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    This is a huge "ouch" all around.

    The companies that drove all the indie stores out are cashing in their chips.

    The end of physical product, or will independent stores rise again without the big box competition? Honestly, it makes me think outlets like Bandcamp will be more popular with artists - selling directly to fans rather than incorporating a middleman to worry about stocking and manufacture. Not sure how many artists will have the stomach for that though - particularly the legacy ones.
     
  7. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    Wouldn't necessary agree on that.

    It was a marketing tactic, not unlike a lifetime guarantee for physical purchases. The problem of course with that is one assumes the company in question will actually be around long enough to actually leverage said guarantee.

    Remember The Wall's ""Lifetime Music Guarantee"?
     
    Vinyl Socks and Runicen like this.
  8. Waymore Lonesome

    Waymore Lonesome Forum Resident

    Over in the Neil Young archives thread, I was somewhat mocked for suggesting that downloads and physical media will be done away with by the big wigs. Just sayin'.

    On topic, I literally nearly bought a Pono yesterday. I found an ipod 5.5 for $89 AU and two days later at a garage sale for five bucks I found an iRiver H340 with box and charger, plus an ipod dock with line out for a buck! And I can't believe how improved this sound is from even 24/192 sound my onboard audio card puts out. Literally a dithered down 16 bit version of a 24/192 file sounds immeasurably better through either device's line out

    I was in the ignoramus camp, I figured 24/192 means better audio, and since the onboard can do that, it must be better, all these years I didn't understand about DAC's at all. So at the moment I just move an album over to the players to play them through the stereo, which I don't mind, so I was thinking I could get a Pono for the 24 bit and DSD files, but, I think I just need a USB DAC instead, the car already does pretty good 24/48 sound through a USB stick, plus, I like to make up playlists on the go sometimes and play single tracks from compilations. Since the DAC I want is nearly a grand, and since I doubt I'd take the Pono out anyway, and of course the big downside of Pono's seem to be that they break, I think I'll pass sadly. But I have read every single post in this thread, very helpful and interesting discussion. Poor Pono.
     
  9. Time Is On My Side

    Time Is On My Side Forum Resident

    Location:
    Madison, WI
    Speaking of DACs, how come it seems no one uses Wolfson DACs anymore? I thought that the line out from my 1st Gen Fiio X3 sounded a lot better than many other devices I've heard, probably because of the Wolfson WM8740 DAC.
     
  10. oneway23

    oneway23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY, US
    I know Cirrus Logic bought Wolfson in 2014, but I have no idea how any of their tech has been integrated into any commercial products since then. Any further info would be greatly appreciated.
     
  11. Waymore Lonesome

    Waymore Lonesome Forum Resident

    Wow, Cirrus Logic bought Wolfson? That confuses things since it was Cirrus Logic that replaced Wolfson in the ipod after the 5.5. I love that DAC and that's ancient. The USB DAC I want to get is the Cambridge Audio DACMagic Plus which uses twin Wolfsons.
     
  12. Rawkdude

    Rawkdude Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    Doesn't Ibasso use Wolfson? I have an old DX50 DAC that I really love sound wise and they come out with some new models the last few years.
     
  13. If iTunes is walking away from downloads, that's not good. The days of downloads are becoming a thing of the past as well (at least for lossy) who knew? The market place continues to fragment.
     
    Mike McMann likes this.
  14. oneway23

    oneway23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY, US
    Absolutely right, Rawkdude of NYC...Still have a similar ibasso device in my desk drawer, too!

    Edit: The DX80 used Cirrus ICs. The current, 10th anniversary DX200 has moved over to an ESS Sabre chip.
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2018
  15. oneway23

    oneway23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY, US
    You loved the Cirrus Logic which replaced the Wolfson, or you preferred the Wolfson in earlier models? I never really got into that debate, but I recall that being somewhat of a hot issue when I first started visiting audio forums. Can't recall what the consensus was on a preference, if one was reached at all.

    Listened to my Pono a couple of nights ago, and a film of moisture did start to develop in the corner of my eye. Quite sad. One more hippie dream floats away....
     
    Madness and jhm like this.
  16. Waymore Lonesome

    Waymore Lonesome Forum Resident

    It's all about moving everything to streaming, monthly subscription fees for each label with it's own app, particular artists having their own app, a "radio" app for all the new songs and particular selections from the past (think: Stairway, Heart of Gold etc), I think we'll see aggressive new attacks on the ability to make digital copies off of these apps as well as renewed interest in hardcore prosecutions of downloaders. Far too much money to be made this way to not get out of physical CD's and downloads.

    Actually I never heard a Cirrus Logic, I just found an ipod and then an iRiver, but from what I read it seems people generally thought the earlier ones with the Wolfsons were hugely better than the Cirrus Logic's. I absolutely love the sound of this old Wolfson DAC Ipod though, but I gotta say, the iRiver H340 I think sounds even better, no idea what DAC that uses. Anyone?
     
  17. jonboy71

    jonboy71 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oxnard, CA
    I bought an extra Pono as a backup in case mine fails or I don't feel like messing with the battery replacement. Great device and they are clearing them out for $200 brand new.
     
    BGLeduc likes this.
  18. oneway23

    oneway23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY, US
    According to the Rockbox Wiki on Rockbox.org, D/A conversion was handled by a Phillips UDA1380TT chip that was also used in couple of players by Meizu.
     
    Waymore Lonesome likes this.
  19. oneway23

    oneway23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY, US
    Did you buy from Fry's, Amazon, or direct from Phil Baker via his e-mail?
     
    TonyCzar likes this.
  20. 360-12

    360-12 Forum Resident

    I bought two backups (black & clear) from Phil. Black was $200; clear was $240 (and he has no more). My original black is purring along every day with a 200gb card, never had a problem with it.
     
    Scooter59 and Dino like this.
  21. Waymore Lonesome

    Waymore Lonesome Forum Resident

    Gee, $200 US? Does anyone know if he posts internationally? I was about to lay out $390 AU for a used one off ebay.
     
  22. oneway23

    oneway23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY, US
    Oh, man! Phil had a CLEAR left? Lucky you!
     
    Waymore Lonesome likes this.
  23. Waymore Lonesome

    Waymore Lonesome Forum Resident

    According to Wikipedia, apparently Meizu switched it up and started using Wolfsons at some point!
     
  24. oneway23

    oneway23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY, US
    Things are getting pretty incestuous now, Lonesome!
     
    Waymore Lonesome likes this.
  25. Waymore Lonesome

    Waymore Lonesome Forum Resident

    haha, I was just about to post, that the Basso DX 80 they went and changed it to a Cirrus Logic, by gawd!
     
    oneway23 likes this.
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