PONO - Neil Youngs portable hi-res music player
Sep 28, 2012 at 7:20 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 4,858
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http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/09/neil-young-unveils-his-new-pono-music-player/
 
Edit: 
 
Impressions thread is here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/737093/the-pono-player-impressions-thread
 
Please discuss the merits or otherwise of high-res in Sound Science, not this thread please.
 
Sep 28, 2012 at 7:38 AM Post #3 of 4,858
Looks to be working up to a cloud based music acquiring service associated with major labels. I wonder how dependant it may be. There's money in them thar hills which is how you get the labels to play along. Apple and Jobs were in early discussions here but without Jobs, they're now pretty much on there own. Makes you wonder if it had anything to do with ALAC becoming open source whether for this or to just stay competitive in an emerging market.
 
 I hate the shape but there's always room for something that sound good.
bigsmile_face.gif

 
Sep 28, 2012 at 8:38 AM Post #5 of 4,858
Taking into account the fantastic tracking, mixing and mastering the all Neil Young records exhibit i'm looking forward to that thing. He does care a lot for sound quality.
 
Sep 28, 2012 at 9:05 AM Post #6 of 4,858
I'm far from sold yet, so far a lot of what I've seen from him on his sound quality crusade has been overblown rhetoric. Hoping for something special though.
 
Sep 28, 2012 at 10:18 PM Post #10 of 4,858
http://www.collegenews.com/article/neil_young_reveals_pono_music_player_to_compete_with_ipod
 
 
 
Young says he repeatedly contacted the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in an effort to share the high-resolution music technology with the company, but Apple has not yet commented on the exchange. Young says he hopes releasing Pono on his own "will force iTunes to be better” and improve its MP3 music quality.

 
 
 
Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, has tried out the system and said that the difference in sound quality is far from subtle. Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Sony Music have all backed Pono, and Warner has already started converting files to high resolution.

 
Sep 29, 2012 at 5:47 AM Post #11 of 4,858
Shame it doesn't have a quarter inch headphone socket. Might hold off buying a DAC for my phone until I hear more about this.
 
Sep 29, 2012 at 5:59 AM Post #12 of 4,858
Quote:
Shame it doesn't have a quarter inch headphone socket. Might hold off buying a DAC for my phone until I hear more about this.

It will be a long long wait! 

First of all I dont think he would find anyone crazy enough willing to take part of the risk of producing a triangular DAP! Sure the headfi community would buy it if it sounds good but I dont think they want to sell in thousands, their aim is to sell in millions!
 
Someone should introduce Niel to Altmann Tera-player, maybe he would buy that unit design and add a screen to it and we all would be happy about it! 
 
Sep 29, 2012 at 10:19 AM Post #13 of 4,858
Quote:
I'm far from sold yet, so far a lot of what I've seen from him on his sound quality crusade has been overblown rhetoric. Hoping for something special though.

 
Really? Really? You write that? He goes on National US TV to showcase a prototype, confirm he's talking to all major labels and that there is progress and you - because you've done so much yourself for the advancement of mankind worldwide - go on record and write "overblown rhetoric?". Well, when the worms will slowly eat up your dead flesh, six feet under, I am sure they'll comment on the amazing contribution you've made for the progress of high quality audio!
 
Edit: oh, and it's not a comment on the player / system. I have not heard anything yet myself, so I wouldn't dare commenting on what its worth (although if it start pushing labels to records HD audio again, well, that's a positive).
 
Sep 29, 2012 at 11:00 PM Post #15 of 4,858
Quote:
^Someones a little grumpy today, huh!?!?!?^

 
LOL.  It's because inevitably this will go down that path of whether or not hi-res (the media format itself- not the content) is better than simple 16/44.  I've been reading around on a few forums and many note how we can already purchase and play hi-res on existing players- no need to start all over with a new ecosystems.  I find it somewhat telling that Apple has yet to introduce hi-res (via ALAC) in iTunes.  We all know by now they've done the market research behind this and Apple has never been afraid to make a little money if it's out there.
 
Also, when you make statements like, "The MP3 only has 5 percent of the data present in the original recording. … The convenience of the digital age has forced people to choose between quality and convenience", you lose a lot of credibility.
 

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