Neil Young's Pono
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: Tech Talk
Forum Description: Discuss musical instruments, equipment, hi-fi, speakers, vinyl, gadgets,etc.
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=97487
Printed Date: November 22 2024 at 21:35
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Neil Young's Pono
Posted By: Finnforest
Subject: Neil Young's Pono
Date Posted: March 11 2014 at 18:12
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Anyone interested in Pono, a higher quality digital player that Neil is pushing....? http://time.com/18027/neil-youngs-high-fidelity-pono-music-player-is-still-coming-and-itll-cost-399/" rel="nofollow - http://time.com/18027/neil-youngs-high-fidelity-pono-music-player-is-still-coming-and-itll-cost-399/ Will it make a splash? More than a splash? |
Replies:
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: March 11 2014 at 18:42
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I;ve listened to a few speeches/rants Neil has done on the subject - and i'm glad he's found a place to put his passion into. $400? Too much, in my opinion, for something that is supposed to change how people listen to music on-the-go. Anyway. I think it'll appeal to some, but not really dent the masses.
------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: March 11 2014 at 23:10
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When it comes to a portable player, there are so very few people who really care about sound quality, its about portability. $400 for a hyped up I-Pood or Zune.....wish him luck but people use their phones now to listen to music on the go, the days of the I-Pood and Zune to listen on the go are done. I still have 3 Zunes in my house and use my ZuneHD daily, but have zero desire to buy another portable player.....WMA files at 320kbps is more than good enough. -------------   
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Posted By: AsFollows
Date Posted: April 20 2014 at 18:10
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I just read about this in the new issue of Sound On Sound. The general consensus is that, while a good effort, this will completely fail as a product simply because the average consumer has drifted so far afield of high quality audio reproduction and hardware that there is no turning back. I work in the audio business and while I find it incredibly sad, I have to agree. Streaming is the future. As a musician and songwriter, I pine for the days of LP presentation and the ritual of vinyl playback ... but you have to face facts. While LP is still considered a novelty it will hold a (very) small audience ... a smaller, lunatic fringe element will attest that it sounds better than CD (a group I agree with, but with certain caveats ... I do not hold that analog is inherently better than digital). But otherwise, mechanical sales are dead for all intents and purposes. When I see many magazines insisting on a physical CD for reviews, not even CDR's ... I shake my head in disbelief. They are antiquated dinosaurs about 10years out of touch with what is going on in music today. ... just my 2 Cents. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 20 2014 at 18:22
| Mis-read this as Neil Young's Porno......... |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 20 2014 at 20:24
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The big problem for me, and others, is that these hi-res players need hi-res music files to bring out the better in them and justify the cost.
Problem is I am not going to spend $15-$25 for a hi-res download like 24/96. Especially when nothing really I listen to is available in hi-res. Redbook CDs are perfectly fine and wma 320kbps downloads are fine for mobile listening. I would never use a Pono for critical listening at home...that is reserved for my analog vinyl rig. -------------
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Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 24 2014 at 11:29
You kill me Tom!  ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Tom Ozric wrote:Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: April 24 2014 at 11:33
 ------------- 
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Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 24 2014 at 11:34
I new this topic would show up here on PA at some point. Listen, I have gotta here it before I can say anything and by then I will give my full honest opinion. So far, from what Neil says about Pono when he describes it it sound like he is centering his thoughts in subjectivity. Something to be superior to Analog? Man...I gotta here it. Wonder if it will really take flight? ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 24 2014 at 11:38
Not this progger! I take my DAC and connect it via AUX to my I pod everywhere I go. Worth the extra little weight.
Anyway. You are right Jose. 320kps is more than amicable for the streaming world. ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 24 2014 at 11:39
Double kill!!! ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: April 24 2014 at 11:41
I am afraid I have to agree with you as well. It's sounding like a marketing gimmick. Not cool.  ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 24 2014 at 12:38
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Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 24 2014 at 17:13
My ZuneHD stays connected to my Grant Fidelity DAC via toslink, so it sounds super better than straight connect to my integrated amp. For sure the GF DAC is much better than the Zune one, makes it sound like redbook CD. And since there are sooooo very few hi-rez 24/96 or 24/192 prog downloads available.....I doubt I will ever make that switch. Cheers! -------------
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Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: June 20 2014 at 23:35
That's why it's great to buy albums and import those albums (CDs) into your say, I tunes library and then you can choose whatever audio format you wish. This is what I do, so I'm guaranteed to have all the 24/192 I desire from all of my favourites. Not as efficient as live streaming, but as you said availability is a problem. Still haven't tried the Pono yet.... You? ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: June 21 2014 at 10:02
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^ Nope and I have zero plans to....I don't need another digital portable player.
I wish him luck, it may open peoples ears to what they are missing with low rez digital files....but again you have to have the redbook source or download hi rez files. -------------
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Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: June 22 2014 at 12:12
Right you are my hi-fi friend. I'm not one for compression either. It's too crispy and the bass is lifeless. I can't listen to straight digital music in my home anymore. Only do it when I'm at the gym. That's it. ;) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: June 27 2014 at 00:33
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The whole idea has always sounded like a total bust to me. Forgetting for a moment that almost all people who use portable music players don't care about hi-fi, the thing looks like a goddamned Toblerone bar. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: June 27 2014 at 03:50
Maybe they'll put one in every hotel minibar so people will inadvertently use it and get charged ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: June 29 2014 at 00:57
hahahaha!!! Finnforest  you shocked me there, I read Neil Young's PoRno  hahahaha .... sorry my blimmin' eyes fooled me
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Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: June 29 2014 at 01:19
Add me to that list. |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: June 29 2014 at 04:48
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I read it as Neil Young's pony
Seems like a doomed business venture to me tbh, but I applaud him for trying to get back to a higher quality of sound. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: June 29 2014 at 16:36
I agree with most of what you said. The only thing is that with mobile devices such as I phones or Androids if you pair them with the right HIFI gear, they can be a very efficient device to carry great, hi res music. For instance I put 24/192k digital bitstream file formats on my I touch and run it through my HIFI gear And it's absolutely lovely, but my ears still enjoy the standard red book CD lossless audio of 16/44k or PCM 24/48k Stereo mix. Really great with a good DAC. Analog in those formats is amazing and your mobile device can retrieve 16/44 lossless audio formats that are compression free. :) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: June 29 2014 at 16:43
Young claims that taking file formats such as FLAC, 320kps, 24/192 and 128kps are naturally converted to be a warmer analog sound through the use of file compression to obtain these bitstreams. I do not buy it. Not one bit. You want warmth or anything that resembles true analog sound you have to either by a high quality DAC or A warm tube amp to creat that vinyl warmth. No digitally compressed file can ever sound like analog! It's impossible. The signals are totally different. I'd beware. ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: July 11 2014 at 01:15
Yes i've been interested in since my Imod/Iqube combo is dead/sold back. I've bought an Hifiman DAP which sound good but is very fragile. So the Pono could be my next portable purchase. But i'm changing job these days and i've been told that my new company is about to give me an IPhone, so i'll add a portable amp and that may be a nice combo (still using re-cabled HD25). |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: July 11 2014 at 01:36
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Ok that's it! I am going to open a new topic called "David Bowie's Pono! I bet he sounds like an even better porno
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Posted By: oliverstoned
Date Posted: July 11 2014 at 01:40
| You sound funny! |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: July 11 2014 at 01:52
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Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: July 11 2014 at 11:56
Hey oliverstoned! I remember your pics of the re-cabled HD25... -------------
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Posted By: The Doctor
Date Posted: July 11 2014 at 11:59
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I read that as "Neil Young's Porno" and was thinking "Ewwwwwwww!" (leaves again). ------------- I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you? |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: July 11 2014 at 12:23
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You can see from all the jokes here that the name itself will doom this product to failure. Otherwise, an expensive audiophile-only gadget that even audiophiles will probably eschew. I can't comment on 24-bit sources as I've never heard any, but doubt I could discriminate from 16-bit. 192 kHz is just outright silly (at least the article author admits as much). |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: July 11 2014 at 17:14
I agree...too expensive to be successful IMO. And again you have to buy those hi-rez files to get the full experience. In a proper digital setup designed to take full advantage of 24/96 or 24/192 files you can hear a good bit of difference from standard redbook 16/44, 24/96 is more than sufficient, I agree that 24/192 is overkill. Ears are different and I am sure some can tell that difference too, but to me it is not a night/day difference. I have heard 24/192 on a digital setup that is pretty sic, I would never spend that kind of money for digital replay though. -------------
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Posted By: Intruder
Date Posted: September 04 2014 at 10:45
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I thought it was Neil Young's poon....thought they were going to discuss his sexual exploits over the past few decades.....he'd probably corral the Horse and make an album out of it. ------------- I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there..... |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: September 05 2014 at 00:52
Padraic, I understand what you mean with dooming this product to failure, however I completely disagree with you because not many might be interested in the product anyway. However many and especially me a simple minded nincompoop, I smile every time I get an email notification relating to this topic :) makes me most curious and open the link just to read who, what anyone says :) thus for those interested in the main topic and the none interested it works, we all want to read all replies and it's not necessary about the joke, mainly more because it makes us smile and happy even if this might sound weird right now lol but I mean it in a none porno related way
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: September 05 2014 at 09:11
My sincerest apologies Kati, but I'm not sure what you were trying to say here. What is our disagreement? |
Posted By: Kati
Date Posted: September 05 2014 at 09:16
Awww your question now seems hard to reply. What I meant is in reply to this: "You can see from all the jokes here that the name itself will doom this product to failure." .Anyway that doesn't matter plus even I too, am confused now.
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