It's a DAP. See plenty of other reviews and marketing covering it's various functions and screenshots.
The true beauty of the PonoPlayer is that it does nothing but play music. It comes without games, browsers, video, texting, radios or social media. It can’t tweet your favorites or alert you of another shooting. Your boss can’t contact you on it. You can’t install apps. There are no alerts and nothing interrupts the music.
It’s focus is beautiful.
It will play albums with the songs in their original order, it allows you to pick individual tracks, shuffle all songs on the device, and it can play playlists built with the Ponoworld computer software (a rebranded JRiver, much like iTunes Pro). It has volume controls, shows album artwork, a very flexible output, and not much else.
There’s not even a built-in EQ because this goes against the ethos of the device. It is meant to play master recordings as they were released with no outside interference or compromises. Move or replace your speakers, treat your room, don't worry about the EQ on the device, it's perfect.
It’s like a record player and an iPod had a baby – it acts like an MP3 player but sounds like a record player – or better.
When you factor in the sadness of knowing that everyone won’t hear what you just did, and what we as a society have thrown away, you go there. Tears often follow. That lump in your throat that only the finest artistic moment can give you.
Your body moves and reacts. The beauty of the music shines through and you recall every time you heard that song and how it should always sound this good. Tales of tears and lots of the pono smileabound from those who have heard it.
Common responses: “this can’t be digital!”
“Oh wow, it sounds like vinyl”
“I feel like they are in the room with me”
Most people over 35 shout “FINALLY!” and people under 25 start to look around as if they are being tricked. Some literally get confused due to their own ignorance of good sound.
But everyone smiles and focuses on the song. You can play it on speakers at high volume and still talk and hear yourself think. There is no pain at full volume, no artifacts or digital distortions. The bottom stays big and round and music is wide, full, deep, natural, and exciting again.
Dynamics are huge, from digital silence all the way up to the most booming section. Riding the volume is sometimes needed since the full dynamic range is back. Instruments compliment each other and don’t compete for space. Vocal harmonies don’t mash together like sharing a seat on a bus. Each part in the mix has it’s space in the EQ and the pan.
A new part sung or played does not mask the previous part, it just keeps building. Delays sound real and you start to hear breaths and fingers on strings that you’ve never heard before (no matter how many times you have enjoyed that song).
Synthesizers squawk, snares sizzle and pop, basses snap and warm your heart. Of course hi-hats express themselves (remember hi-hats?), reverbs decay naturally, you can hear the room it was recorded in, and in many songs entire new parts will appear, magically uncovered for the first time. It can be thrilling listening to this little devil.
If you’ve been in a professional recording studio or enjoyed listening to an expensive vinyl rig, you have heard this sound before. If you’ve enjoyed classical music in a concert hall, you’ve heard this sound before. If you play an instrument yourself then you’ve heard this sound before. Yet it has to be heard to be appreciated, despite my many words.
Note: this is an excerpt of a long-form review I published here:http://wfnk.com/blog/ponoplayer-review/
The true beauty of the PonoPlayer is that it does nothing but play music. It comes without games, browsers, video, texting, radios or social media. It can’t tweet your favorites or alert you of another shooting. Your boss can’t contact you on it. You can’t install apps. There are no alerts and nothing interrupts the music.
It’s focus is beautiful.
It will play albums with the songs in their original order, it allows you to pick individual tracks, shuffle all songs on the device, and it can play playlists built with the Ponoworld computer software (a rebranded JRiver, much like iTunes Pro). It has volume controls, shows album artwork, a very flexible output, and not much else.
There’s not even a built-in EQ because this goes against the ethos of the device. It is meant to play master recordings as they were released with no outside interference or compromises. Move or replace your speakers, treat your room, don't worry about the EQ on the device, it's perfect.
It’s like a record player and an iPod had a baby – it acts like an MP3 player but sounds like a record player – or better.
So how does it sound?
So how does it sound? It sounds perfect. Load it up with your favorite albums at the highest quality you can buy and you will be a very happy person. The smugness you have about your music will for once be justified and offset by the pure joy that will come through your senses.When you factor in the sadness of knowing that everyone won’t hear what you just did, and what we as a society have thrown away, you go there. Tears often follow. That lump in your throat that only the finest artistic moment can give you.
Your body moves and reacts. The beauty of the music shines through and you recall every time you heard that song and how it should always sound this good. Tales of tears and lots of the pono smileabound from those who have heard it.
Common responses: “this can’t be digital!”
“Oh wow, it sounds like vinyl”
“I feel like they are in the room with me”
Most people over 35 shout “FINALLY!” and people under 25 start to look around as if they are being tricked. Some literally get confused due to their own ignorance of good sound.
But everyone smiles and focuses on the song. You can play it on speakers at high volume and still talk and hear yourself think. There is no pain at full volume, no artifacts or digital distortions. The bottom stays big and round and music is wide, full, deep, natural, and exciting again.
Dynamics are huge, from digital silence all the way up to the most booming section. Riding the volume is sometimes needed since the full dynamic range is back. Instruments compliment each other and don’t compete for space. Vocal harmonies don’t mash together like sharing a seat on a bus. Each part in the mix has it’s space in the EQ and the pan.
A new part sung or played does not mask the previous part, it just keeps building. Delays sound real and you start to hear breaths and fingers on strings that you’ve never heard before (no matter how many times you have enjoyed that song).
Synthesizers squawk, snares sizzle and pop, basses snap and warm your heart. Of course hi-hats express themselves (remember hi-hats?), reverbs decay naturally, you can hear the room it was recorded in, and in many songs entire new parts will appear, magically uncovered for the first time. It can be thrilling listening to this little devil.
If you’ve been in a professional recording studio or enjoyed listening to an expensive vinyl rig, you have heard this sound before. If you’ve enjoyed classical music in a concert hall, you’ve heard this sound before. If you play an instrument yourself then you’ve heard this sound before. Yet it has to be heard to be appreciated, despite my many words.
Note: this is an excerpt of a long-form review I published here:http://wfnk.com/blog/ponoplayer-review/
