[jimmers]

Originally Posted by Ham Sandwich /img/forum/go_quote.gif
A professional reviewer wouldn't make that mistake.

You think?
Some I've read are appalling in comparison, and I'm no S G fan.

 

[gikigill]

How many balanced HD580s are in this world?
 
Not a lot to begin with and the common man might even not care about balanced cables considering most DAPs are single
 
ended. Its great to have balanced but for something claiming to be for the average person a balanced mode is not
 
really what most people are looking.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

There are balanced cables for the HD580 on eBay.  If he really felt the need to test the Pono with a higher impedance headphone he needs to do it the right way.  Sucks for him that he would have needed to buy a cable or adapter.  Part of being a reviewer is having the necessary things to be able to review.  He should be able to make his own cables if necessary.
 
The point is that Steve didn't need to engage in the cannibalistic behavior too often seen in the audio industry of the industry eating its own for no valid reason other that misguided fanboyism or pride.  There was no reason to be so negative about the PonoPlayer. It is a very good player that plays to certain strengths.  Review it for those strengths.  Inform the readers what those strengths are.  The pros and cons.  The PonoPlayer is a very excellent player if you are looking for something with a set-back and spacious and enveloping and 3D soundstage.  Gear with that sort of soundstage tends to be expensive.  If you can't afford $3000 tube amps to be able to explore that sort of sound how about offering the $400 PonoPlayer as an alternative?  Experience that sort of sound that has normally been a high-end exclusive sort of thing for only $400.  However, if you prefer a sound that is more aggressive and forward then choose a different player. That's the way you should do a review.  No need to engage in a cannibalistic review that eats its own young.  Point out the positives and help grow the industry instead of trying to kill a product that is trying to do something new and good.

 

[StanD]

  we need more of these articles in the general public: http://www.cnet.com/news/this-just-in-most-audiophiles-arent-rich/

I'm afraid that the "projectionist" can be all over the map with his praise and over imagination. It is not hard to find him singing wild songs over some very expensive gear.

 

[paradoxper]

   
No we don't need any more articles by that idiot.  He's part of the problem that Jason was talking about.  The audio industry eating its own.
Read his review of the PonoPlayer: http://www.cnet.com/news/the-ponoplayer-whats-up-with-that/
 
A very poorly done review that trashes the Pono because Stevie was upset because he didn't get special superstar reviewer treatment from Pono and had to borrow a friends player to do the review instead of getting a special reviewers box and gratuities from Pono.  He's the problem. And his review was a total amateur job.  He tried the HD580 headphones with it single-ended and complained it didn't drive them well.  Didn't bother to try them balanced when it was well known that the HD580 significantly improves when driven balanced on the Pono.  A professional reviewer wouldn't make that mistake.
 
He says audiophiles aren't rich.  And just a month ago trashed a $400 player that is delivering performance way above its price.  I'm listening to it right now driving LCD-2 in balanced mode.  It has a wonderful enveloping soundstage listening experience that you'd normally have to spend thousands to achieve with select tube amps.  If you aren't rich and want a taste of what high-end can sound like the PonoPlayer will give you a taste of that style of sound for just $400.  This month he says most audiophiles aren't rich.  Last month he trashed one of the most promising inexpensive high-end component available.  He needs to make up his mind and stay consistent.  Which is it?

You need to stop being so defensive. I don't agree with SG'S reviews, but I also generally don't trust reviewers. Such a subjective hobby I rather rely on my own ears.
I read Steve was a little disappointed in the Pono, didn't seem like he trashed anything. 

 

[nicolo]

Just read the article. He seems slightly disappointed overall it doesn't sound as good as the Fiio X5 and was not up to his expectations. How can that be considered trash talking?

 

[Coq de Combat]

The Pono seems like a hot issue for some people. Which is really amusing when reports are coming in and people are preferring ordinary iPhones to left and right, and some owners are handwavingly responding about healing crystals and stuff. 

 
Personally, I don't know. Maybe it is good, maybe it isn't. I won't be investing in one, and each to their own.
 
Edit: LOL, I'm sorry, Pogue had the comment about the magic crystals. The audiophile remarked about emotions instead. I am sorry for the mix up, my bad but still, it's pretty damned amusing.

 

[TTNK]

I can't speak for SG's other articles, I'm just saying that the audio word needs to let people know that the perception that audio gear can only had if you are super rich is false and that great sounding gear can be had cheaply. That is what that article I posted is doing. That is part of the message that will help the audio world grow.

 

[StanD]

I can't speak for SG's other articles, I'm just saying that the audio word needs to let people know that the perception that audio gear can only had if you are super rich is false and that great sounding gear can be had cheaply. That is what that article I posted is doing. That is part of the message that will help the audio world grow.

He can also write articles praising a really cheap, poorly constructed amp that is riddled with distortion once you turn up the volume control. You can also find his articles that praise very expensive stuff. He's all over the map so once in a while he gets it.

 

[cggkevin1976]

Hey Jason,
     Did you mean to Hi-jack your own thread
 
here's the Schitt I want.
 
Balanced rollable tube amp to drive High impedance headphones. DT880, T1, HD 800 etc...
Upgradeable preamp with at least 4 balanced inputs with space to put DAC and Phono preamp cards inside.
If you can think of something I don't even know I need yet, would be coll too.

 

[wahsmoh]

  Just read the article. He seems slightly disappointed overall it doesn't sound as good as the Fiio X5 and was not up to his expectations. How can that be considered trash talking?

I agree. Nothing in that article seemed substantial enough to be trash talk. I posted in a Facebook group called Computer Audiophile on a post about Neil Young and the Pono player. I basically said what Steve said, if Neil is just jumping on the bandwagon of hi-fi sound he should have spent more time studying the competition like Fiio, GeekWave, and Astell&Kern. Hi-fi geeks are going to compare all of the aforementioned and if the player doesn't sound as good it simply doesn't sound as good and needs better implementation of DAC or power use.

 

[Ham Sandwich]

  You need to stop being so defensive. I don't agree with SG'S reviews, but I also generally don't trust reviewers. Such a subjective hobby I rather rely on my own ears.
I read Steve was a little disappointed in the Pono, didn't seem like he trashed anything. 

 
He didn't trash it other than getting the capabilities of the player completely wrong and coming to the conclusion that compared to the competition from Fiio, Sony, A&K, and HiFiMan the Pono has no reason to even exist as a product.  Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?
 
The Pono can drive the HD580.  Just got to use balanced.  He got that part wrong.
 
He compares the soundstage to the X5.  Says the Pono has a narrower soundstage and therefore bad.  Completely missing the fact that the Pono has a very deep and 3D and holographic soundstage that trounces the X5 in that respect.  The Pono has a style of deep, set-back, open, enveloping, and holographic soundstage that you could pay thousands of dollars for in a tube amp to achieve.  To have that sort of a soundstage presentation in a $400 solid-state portable player is a minor miracle.  And Steve completely misses that.  That sort of a sound presentation should be obvious to a professional and competent reviewer.
 
His review reads like he borrowed his friends Pono player for two hours and sat in a Starbucks to do the review.  A purpose of a proper professional review is to help inform the people reading it about the sound and capabilities of the gear so they can make better informed decisions as they decide what sort of gear they want to audition and potentially buy.  Steve's review does none of that.  It does the opposite.  It actually manages to disinform and create a needless division adding fuel to the fire of those mocking Pono and audiophiles.  Ha ha, Pono is just another audiophool toy.  How about a new $160 special audiophile Sony microSD card to go with it?  Phools.  
 
The purpose of my bringing that all up was to show that the audio-industrial complex be its own enemy.  People involved in the industry needlessly trashing on other gear for no valid reason.  That sort of behavior does not help to ultimately grow the industry or make hi-fi more accessible to new general audience and bridge that gap.

 

[evillamer]

It would be interesting to know what is Jason's take or opinion on crowd funded audiophile projects or if ever schitt would go to that route or something along IFI's crowd designed project route?

 

[paradoxper]

   
He didn't trash it other than getting the capabilities of the player completely wrong and coming to the conclusion that compared to the competition from Fiio, Sony, A&K, and HiFiMan the Pono has no reason to even exist as a product.  Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?
 
The Pono can drive the HD580.  Just got to use balanced.  He got that part wrong.
 
He compares the soundstage to the X5.  Says the Pono has a narrower soundstage and therefore bad.  Completely missing the fact that the Pono has a very deep and 3D and holographic soundstage that trounces the X5 in that respect.  The Pono has a style of deep, set-back, open, enveloping, and holographic soundstage that you could pay thousands of dollars for in a tube amp to achieve.  To have that sort of a soundstage presentation in a $400 solid-state portable player is a minor miracle.  And Steve completely misses that.  That sort of a sound presentation should be obvious to a professional and competent reviewer.
 
His review reads like he borrowed his friends Pono player for two hours and sat in a Starbucks to do the review.  A purpose of a proper professional review is to help inform the people reading it about the sound and capabilities of the gear so they can make better informed decisions as they decide what sort of gear they want to audition and potentially buy.  Steve's review does none of that.  It does the opposite.  It actually manages to disinform and create a needless division adding fuel to the fire of those mocking Pono and audiophiles.  Ha ha, Pono is just another audiophool toy.  How about a new $160 special audiophile Sony microSD card to go with it?  Phools.  
 
The purpose of my bringing that all up was to show that the audio-industrial complex be its own enemy.  People involved in the industry needlessly trashing on other gear for no valid reason.  That sort of behavior does not help to ultimately grow the industry or make hi-fi more accessible to new general audience and bridge that gap.

All I'm saying is you're talking out of your ass because you disagree with Steve's assessment of the Pono. Write your own glowing review so you can feel better about it.
 
[Deleted by Mod]

 

[David Aldrich]

Wonder no longer. I for one am glad, I've seen a few of those crowdsource products become laughable sit and wait releases.
 
Quote:

It would be interesting to know what is Jason's take or opinion on crowd funded audiophile projects or if ever schitt would go to that route or something along IFI's crowd designed project route?

   
Every business model is valid, as long as the customers aren't hung out to dry. If it works for you, great.
 
That said, crowdfunding isn't for us. 
 
Why?
 
Well, partly because we're old-skool. We prefer to sell a product after it's on the shelves, rather than before. Because anything can happen to delay it, change it, make it different than what we expected in the first place. One audio venture that got funded ended up having the critical part for their product disappear before they could launch (the company that made it actually went out of business.) That kind of uncertainty causes lots of headaches that we prefer to avoid.
 
Second, because your focus instantly changes with crowdfunding, simply because you have a crowd. A very demanding crowd. They've given you money. You're beholden to them. Communicating with them becomes your top priority. This isn't in itself necessarily bad, but if you have a small team, it could take the focus away from the product, making the risk higher.
 
Third, because hey, what if you mess up? What if you use all that money in customer support while waiting for the product to come out? What if your initial estimates of production cost were an order of magnitude off? What if you find you're going to be losing money, when all is said and done?
 
So for us, it's always going to be (a) develop, (b) prototype, (c) work out the final cost, (d) do some first articles, (e) beat on them, (f) fix anything that needs fixing, and (g) announce and put it up for sale. And even with all that in place, you can get bitten. We never expected the Asgard 2 transformers to have mechanical hum, after 10 protos that didn't. But they did. And we didn't hear it. And we got bitten.