FFBookman
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2015
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I love my ponoplayer version NY001 but I agree with Neil saying that the small Pono company being the only builder of a Ponoplayer is a temporary situation. Their real long-term play is licensing the brand and hooking things back to their store, not with DRM but with passive reminders and convenient links.
What tech do they have that other don't? I think just the Ayre analog signal design after the DAC, bringing everything discreet and without other interferences. Neil said they aren't trying to own or lock out anyone, anyone can build a Ponoplayer and they will show them how, then put their stamp of approval on it and their brand. He wants "Pono" to act as a quality stamp of approval in the HD world. As long as they avoid DRM and other vendor-lock in, it could work.
Harman, who owns about 10 consumer audio brands, is already on board. Supposedly they will have a ponoplayer built into a car head unit next year. Could you imagine just needing a MicroSD cardslot in your dashboard to have true 24/192 in the car? That could be amazing.
Everyone downplaying the car listening experience hasn't grown up like me. We crank the music in the car and connect perhaps more than anywhere else, regardless of road and engine noise. I'm a rock 'n roller though, most my stuff powers right through that noise. But I also listen to classical & jazz in the car and any sonic improvement will be appreciated. The volume and clarity of Ponoplayer will go far in the auto environment and could move HD mainstream.
If they start putting HD players in cars we will have to make it a service to leave some HD music in those cars to entice people.
As far as portable players, do you see anyone else getting into the DAP market? I could see the well-marketed brands like Bose wanting a Ponoplayer, and might prefer to license the guts without having to design their own player and explain the differences.
I'd think about buying a Ponoclone from Sennheiser, JBL, or AudioTechnica. I'd like to see Samson put a decent one out for $100 less, but hopefully Behringer doesn't put out a crap one for 1/3 the price, like most other gear.
Android phone makers could do it, if they commit to some dedicated audio hardware in there. I don't think they will, I expect them to market that they are 24bit but have nothing inside to back it up.
Then there's Apple. They might push their phones to a 24bit audio chain so they can sell and market, but I'm skeptical they will bother with the rest of the work on the signal chain either. Apple has to build millions of each device so they use commodity parts, and each device has to perform millions of other tasks.
So - in 5 years, what does the average music lover listen to? Mp3 through phones still? Streams through laptop still? Or does the Pono idea spread and various makers have solid HD players while us musiclovers carry around MicroSD like the new thing?
What tech do they have that other don't? I think just the Ayre analog signal design after the DAC, bringing everything discreet and without other interferences. Neil said they aren't trying to own or lock out anyone, anyone can build a Ponoplayer and they will show them how, then put their stamp of approval on it and their brand. He wants "Pono" to act as a quality stamp of approval in the HD world. As long as they avoid DRM and other vendor-lock in, it could work.
Harman, who owns about 10 consumer audio brands, is already on board. Supposedly they will have a ponoplayer built into a car head unit next year. Could you imagine just needing a MicroSD cardslot in your dashboard to have true 24/192 in the car? That could be amazing.
Everyone downplaying the car listening experience hasn't grown up like me. We crank the music in the car and connect perhaps more than anywhere else, regardless of road and engine noise. I'm a rock 'n roller though, most my stuff powers right through that noise. But I also listen to classical & jazz in the car and any sonic improvement will be appreciated. The volume and clarity of Ponoplayer will go far in the auto environment and could move HD mainstream.
If they start putting HD players in cars we will have to make it a service to leave some HD music in those cars to entice people.
As far as portable players, do you see anyone else getting into the DAP market? I could see the well-marketed brands like Bose wanting a Ponoplayer, and might prefer to license the guts without having to design their own player and explain the differences.
I'd think about buying a Ponoclone from Sennheiser, JBL, or AudioTechnica. I'd like to see Samson put a decent one out for $100 less, but hopefully Behringer doesn't put out a crap one for 1/3 the price, like most other gear.
Android phone makers could do it, if they commit to some dedicated audio hardware in there. I don't think they will, I expect them to market that they are 24bit but have nothing inside to back it up.
Then there's Apple. They might push their phones to a 24bit audio chain so they can sell and market, but I'm skeptical they will bother with the rest of the work on the signal chain either. Apple has to build millions of each device so they use commodity parts, and each device has to perform millions of other tasks.
So - in 5 years, what does the average music lover listen to? Mp3 through phones still? Streams through laptop still? Or does the Pono idea spread and various makers have solid HD players while us musiclovers carry around MicroSD like the new thing?
