[Koukol]

 

I think there are some info in the stereophile review?

Google is our friend
 
http://www.stereophile.com/content/pono-ponoplayer-portable-music-player-balanced-mode#S5MXj3ixBo7Udoq8.97

I did Google before I asked another question here
I'm beginning to think I need a Koukol's Questions On The Pono thread.
However, I did skip this review since I didn't think it would answer my question.
So...did it answer my question?
I can't find it.
Aren't I looking for wattage since my question is whether my 2i2 is pushing the 650's with similar power?
 
Anyways, something weird is going on.
Last night I ripped a CD, which sounded great in PMW into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, but when I loaded it onto the Pono it became too bright and shrill.
???

 

[flatmap]

I have contacted pono support regarding my unit did a ticket.
The answer was good, a bit of hope, they say thatthe internal memory of the player was in some wwy erased and that they can support to reset it. Cool. They asked me for the s/n of the pkayer my name adress which i did provide answering the email.
They closed the ticket the same day.
Now 48 hours have passed since they answer me, and i still waiting for help.
How is the experience here with pono support? Is it normal that takes this long? I am now with my player dead since Saturday and they only gave me one message of hope and then waiy and wait
I am annoyed....

Whenever they close my tickets, I email back immediately to have them keep it open if my issue is not resolved.   In all cases, they immediately re-open.

 

[hardpike]

Whenever they close my tickets, I email back immediately to have them keep it open if my issue is not resolved.   In all cases, they immediately re-open.

Many thanks

 

[bmoregnr]

Thanks for everyone's help earlier.  I received a replacement and the new one is much less wonky with the display noise.  I feel I can still pick up when the amp circuits are active, and when they cut out with lack of activity, but I suppose I am kind of sensitive to these things and also have not listened to headphone dac/amps in a while to remember how much of it was generally there.  That and perhaps the Cardas balanced-cabled IEM sensitivity is such that on this issue it is not the best match or needs a lower gain setting, I barely get the volume above 1/4 way usually although I don't listen loud.  This slight amp noise is not affected by volume, so I am not thinking it is anything terribly weird at this point, just an active circuit.  Cardas offered to test the cable and headphones if I wanted but I will wait a bit to decide. 
 
The Cardas EM5813 headphones are a great match when the music is playing though, really fantastic so far.  Through this process I switched from the balanced mode to my Etymotic ER4S to try and figure out what is going on and I was pretty shocked how they paled in comparison.  Recognizing that is a difficult headphone to drive I tried my Etymotic hf5 that gets used right out of the iPhone, and out of the Pono it was not leaps and bounds better than the iPhone; maybe over time the differences would become more apparent however, as I was more quick-testing, but then when going back to balanced, wow it just hits you big time, another world really and no doubt far closer to being in front of my main stereo.
 
Beyond that I cannot really add much as I don't have a ton of experience with a variety of headphones or dac/amps and this is my first DAP and first balanced headphone.  I know it is early to be making big judgements, but I will say I have been plenty disappointed right out the gate with a new DAC/AMP amp, the HP-P1, which cost more than this player, so I feel confident this is not a case of spending money and forcing yourself to like/justify it.  I am not going to win any Pono Scroller of the Year award, but I look forward to using this a ton, and maybe seeing what some other balanced IEMs can do searching for a great match.   

 

[doctorjazz]

I also found that, while I like must of my headphones through the Pono, the Etys were an exception. Not sure why, but didn't seem to be a good match (the HE-1000 through balanced works well).

 

[barondla]

The new Trinity Audio Engineering IEM campaign started on Kickstarter today. A Pono balanced cable is available for less than $20 when pledging for the IEMs. I am pledging for the Atlas which is a dynamic/BA hybrid in an aluminum body with mmcx connectors. Amazing price. An inexpensive way to hear balanced on the PonoPlayer. Previous Trinity IEMs have received good reviews from Head-fiers. I am kind of excited.

 

[doctorjazz]

Looked out of curiosity. Seems the campaign is over, don't know what kind of a deal it was, no longer available. They are selling/preordering the hybrid for 90 poinds, doesn't seem to include a balanced cable. And, I didn't see a separate place to order the balanced Pono cable, but maybe I didn't look hard enough. At any rate, would have been better if you posted this while it was still available. Not that I actually need this, or would definitely have gone for it (likely wouldn't), but still kind of a funny post. (I just completed getting balanced cables and adapters for the acs Encore ciems, hopefully that will be my end purchase along these lines...)

 

[turbo87]

Try the following link. Looks like they restarted the campaign again for whatever reason

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/157887895/high-end-in-ear-headphones-and-wireless-in-ear-hea

 

[doctorjazz]

That link works,thanks, google got me to the closed campaign. Do you actually know have any idea how good these things are? I have bought a Kickstarter iem once, Decibulz, had an interesting gimmick. You got sleeves for the iem's, heated them and molded them to your ear canals, making a home brew custom iem in a way. One problem...the headphone was really bad sounding (the molding didn't work all that great either, but I didn't try too hard after I heard toe sound I was getting).

 

[barondla]

Trinity restarted the campaign today. They lowered the price a little, fixed a glitch in the shipping cost, and added a Bluetooth option. Pledging for the Helio or Atlas gets standard cables. Adding 10 pounds gets the Pono balanced cable added in.

The original Trinity IEMs had design input from 3 Head-fiers. They got very good reviews here. Head-fiers are going to review the current sport models this week or next. If you search this site you will see the threads. Exciting to get aluminum body, hybrid dynamic/balanced armature IEMs with detachable mmcx balanced cables for ~$150. If they aren't what I am looking for I will sell them and keep the balanced Pono cable to use with Shure, Westone, Fidue, or some other IEM.

 

[doctorjazz]

Sounds good...

 

[BigTony]

Picked up my PONO this week, first impression out of the box - very nice, very good sounding player.
Now to match headphones with it.
HD650 are my go-to cans, but they didn't sparkle for me - my B&W P7's sounded extremely good.
I am toying with the idea of getting a balanced cable for the HD650s - maybe that will add the sparkle I am after.

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

To my ears Pono's treble is a tad polite (at least with 16/44). Pono sounds best with headphones that have some sparkle to begin with imo. My AKG's and Beyer's sound sooo right with the Pono.

 

[H20Fidelity]

I received my balanced Pono cable from Ted's headphone lounge after a total of 6 weeks waiting.
 
I'm disappointed in the differences running Aurisonics ASG-2 balanced.
 
Mainly the bass presentation is entirely bloated and over emphasised, ASG-2 is known to have a weighty low end considerably in mid-bass though either running balanced or Teds thickish silver plated wire (or both) is making a muddy mess a the entire presentation. On top of this the mid-range which I can have sounding quite crisp and detailed running Rhapsodio's mono crystal copper cable is entirely absent using the balanced combination with Ted's cable. Along with the muddy bass bleeding into the mids the mids themselves are far too thick on an already thick/warm presented IEM. What it does it makes the entire presentation lack detail and clarity sounding like its towing a large trailer of heavy weight behind it, lack of vibrance, like someone through a moderately cloudy veil over the sound. absolute downgrade in sound performance. 
 
I achieve a much better experience with ASG-2 using a single ended mono crystal copper cable than balanced with Ted's cable and I don't know which is blame because its the only balanced cable I have to try with Pono. Overall my "going balanced" with Pono has been an utter waste of time and money, everything from the extensive waiting period for the cable to the outcome in sound. There's simply no way to tollerate that messy low-end and fogged out mid-range.
 
Keep in mind I have tried several times over the course of many days before coming to a real conclusion, not just a 5 minute test.
 
If anyone wants to buy the balanced Westone 2 pin configuration Pono cable shoot me a PM. I'll ship it worldwide cheap.

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

^ Ouch. Ted's cable's are 24awg using neotech occ wires, nothing to blame there. Although, using high gauge copper is not always a good idea depending on the iem, technically it is a good thing as it lowers resistance etc, but subjectively it can change the sound for the worse in some cases. For example when I had Westone W60's I preferred the stock cable over a 24awg copper cable which made the bass muddy and indistinct, just like your describing. For iems I go pure silver or keep stock (usually low gauge copper), not a fan of high gauge copper with iems, but it is usually fine for headphones.