[Mython]

A great article and review in Sound and Vision magazine by a writer/audiophile who had a private listening session with the pono device.
http://s975.photobucket.com/user/bis_cuit/media/PAGE1.jpg.html

 
 
I appreciate that Ayre have made the effort to create a zero-feedback circuit design, and that's nice, but, in that article, Charlie Hansen is quoted as saying they've made the PONO 'roughly 5 ohms' output impedance.

 

[thegrobe]

I'm wondering....on July 23, an invitation was sent out to kickstarter backers to attend a Pono listening party in San Francisco on Friday August 1st. The invitation was limited to the first 50 backers to RSVP.

Were any of our Head Fi brotherhood lucky enough to get in on that? If so, I would love to hear thoughts and impressions. I tried to RSVP, literally about 9 minutes after the email went out but it was already sold out

 

[miceblue]

Ironically, this appeared right on the front of Head-Fi again.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/715795/dr-cheskys-ultimate-headphone-demonstration-disc-head-fi-tv

I bought it when it was on the front page the last time, but I'm just now listening to it.

[video]http://youtu.be/HzRYsw-WRPk?t=2m13s[/video]



Basically dynamic compression ≠ data compression, which the Pono campaign suggests with the MP3 format sounding like crap, to be frank, which we all know isn't necessarily true.

 

[SilverEars]

Basically dynamic compression ≠ data compression, which the Pono campaign suggests with the MP3 format sounding like crap, to be frank, which we all know isn't necessarily true.

Precisely.  Data compression will create aliasing that can be audible at certain sampling rate.  Dynamic compression is reducing the difference in amplitudes of different frequencies involved in the recording is my understanding.  Here are examples.  Top is Miles Davis Kind of blue, and bottom is a popular track, in the red is clipping.  Dynamic compression doesn't always mean bad SQ as Daft Punk RAM has heavily compressed tracks, but it sounds pretty good.  Wave forms are not always revealing of the output SQ.  For example, vocal with minimal volume of music around it, will not look compressed.  
 

 

 

[rickhawk22]

The Pono store and forum is live! Music will be available by October. You can preorder the Pono players now.
http://ponomusic.force.com/

 

[VictorRomeo]

Fascinating - in so far as their use of the Force.com platform....  

 

[Brendo09]

The more I look at this the more I'm keen on grabbing one for my office. 
 
The on board storage is plenty, even if I need to get two cards for different lists. 
 
It will hook straight into my amp, and I can avoid needing a dedicated DAC to make the output decent (my PC is pretty average). 
 
I can whack my headphones / iem's straight into it.
 
It will sit flat on the desk, at a great angle, and be touch screen operated. 
 
It will play my flac files (200gb of them), saving me converting them to 320kbps MP3.
 
And, it's portable too, should the need arise. 

 

[Spadge]

I'm really interested to see the music they will offer at the store when it opens. (Quantity, Completeness and Quality). Not really interested in the player itself (that design!!) but want to give the much-hyped music a go on my ZX-1.

....but alas I fear it will be only open to USA purchases.

Paul

 

[estreeter]

I'm really interested to see the music they will offer at the store when it opens. (Quantity, Completeness and Quality). Not really interested in the player itself (that design!!) but want to give the much-hyped music a go on my ZX-1.

....but alas I fear it will be only open to USA purchases.

Paul

 
Good point - still dont get why the rest of us are denied access to certain services. I can only assume that its a record company thing.  

 

[Llloyd]

  The more I look at this the more I'm keen on grabbing one for my office. 
 
The on board storage is plenty, even if I need to get two cards for different lists. 
 
It will hook straight into my amp, and I can avoid needing a dedicated DAC to make the output decent (my PC is pretty average). 
 
I can whack my headphones / iem's straight into it.
 
It will sit flat on the desk, at a great angle, and be touch screen operated. 
 
It will play my flac files (200gb of them), saving me converting them to 320kbps MP3.
 
And, it's portable too, should the need arise. 

 
You just described the benefits of the majority of portable media players.  Sounds to me like you are trying to convince yourself of something.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

I am looking forward to the match ups with Fiio X5 and ibasso DX90.

 

[fleasbaby]

The Pono store and forum is live! Music will be available by October. You can preorder the Pono players now.
http://ponomusic.force.com/

 
This is news to me...did anyone notice that the Pono will have a "balanced" mode that uses both 1/8th jacks to separate left and right channel?

 

[OICWUTUDIDTHAR]

interesting using a single ESS ES9018M as dac, thats the same one as the dx90 all be it a single piece.

 

[estreeter]

  interesting using a single ESS ES9018M as dac, thats the same one as the dx90 all be it a single piece.

 
That is interesting - I believe its the same chip as Oppo uses in my BDP-105D, albeit in a very different implementation. My ADL X1 uses the ES9023 and I consider their SABRE implementation a lot easier on the ears - even straight out of the box - than the Oppo. It will be interesting to see how what kind of feedback the Pono gets if it doesnt sound great from the first minute of operation - not sure that the mass market is ready for something as contentious as the burn-in debate, particularly given that audiophiles cant even agree that burn-in is real for anything beyond tube amps and speaker drivers. 

 

[flatmap]

   
This is news to me...did anyone notice that the Pono will have a "balanced" mode that uses both 1/8th jacks to separate left and right channel?

So far as I know, this recent announcement was the first to mention that the player has a balanced mode.  Happy to see this.