Pono music player
#1
 
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Upcountry Maui, HI
Posts: 13,311
Pono music player
kickstarter campaign starts March 15. Who's signing up? More importantly what you are going to use to listen to it?
non-discounted price is reportedly $399 for 128G player. Will have its own music service.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/09/p...=rss_truncated
non-discounted price is reportedly $399 for 128G player. Will have its own music service.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/09/p...=rss_truncated
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 37,486
Vaporware. Just because Neil Young is behind it, doesn't make it more plausible that it'll ever show up. And why have its own music service when there is already HDTracks out there? Having it on Kickstarter means it'll be at least a year late (as is the case with all my other Kickstarter orders).
A Fiio X3 is only $200 and has about as good as you are going to get in a mobile high quality player: http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X3-Master...4491817&sr=8-3
A Fiio X3 is only $200 and has about as good as you are going to get in a mobile high quality player: http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X3-Master...4491817&sr=8-3
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,008
Anything that drives an awareness of music quality and the travesty that is MP3 is good in my book. I think Neil said something similar in one of the interviews - even if the product is a failure, it may be a success in the movement to broad availability and awareness of hi-res audio.
I'm also glad to see the limited 500 quantity of the Pearl Jam, Neil Young and CSNY versions of the player are sold out while the others linger in the 400+ available range
I'm also glad to see the limited 500 quantity of the Pearl Jam, Neil Young and CSNY versions of the player are sold out while the others linger in the 400+ available range
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 37,486
Anything that drives an awareness of music quality and the travesty that is MP3 is good in my book. I think Neil said something similar in one of the interviews - even if the product is a failure, it may be a success in the movement to broad availability and awareness of hi-res audio.
I'm also glad to see the limited 500 quantity of the Pearl Jam, Neil Young and CSNY versions of the player are sold out while the others linger in the 400+ available range
I'm also glad to see the limited 500 quantity of the Pearl Jam, Neil Young and CSNY versions of the player are sold out while the others linger in the 400+ available range
#8
 
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Upcountry Maui, HI
Posts: 13,311
That's partially why I asked what are people going to listen to it with. Are there portable noise canceling headphones that are up to it?
I guess some people can tell the difference, or think they can. I know people who swear they can and they have higher quality USB DACs, etc and I suppose they must have the rest of the equipment to go along with that.
Their kickstarter funding crossed over $2M today.
-David
I guess some people can tell the difference, or think they can. I know people who swear they can and they have higher quality USB DACs, etc and I suppose they must have the rest of the equipment to go along with that.
Their kickstarter funding crossed over $2M today.
-David
Last edited by LIH Prem; Mar 12, 2014 at 9:41 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 89
#12
 
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Upcountry Maui, HI
Posts: 13,311
No idea, since they don't exist yet (does the X5 exist yet?), but we can certainly make a comparison to the X3 which you can buy today for $199.
http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X3-Master...pr_product_top
$199 for what seems like it's basically a very similar device. Built-in memory is smaller, but both take sd cards, etc, etc.
-David
http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X3-Master...pr_product_top
$199 for what seems like it's basically a very similar device. Built-in memory is smaller, but both take sd cards, etc, etc.
-David
Last edited by LIH Prem; Mar 13, 2014 at 7:59 pm
#13
 
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Upcountry Maui, HI
Posts: 13,311
#14
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: Amex Platinum, Amex HHonors Surpass, HHonors Gold
Posts: 207
Yes X5 exists and will be available for US sale on Amazon in upcoming months.
No idea, since they don't exist yet (does the X5 exist yet?), but we can certainly make a comparison to the X3 which you can buy today for $199.
http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X3-Master...pr_product_top
$199 for what seems like it's basically a very similar device. Built-in memory is smaller, but both take sd cards, etc, etc.
-David
http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X3-Master...pr_product_top
$199 for what seems like it's basically a very similar device. Built-in memory is smaller, but both take sd cards, etc, etc.
-David
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,008
btw, you'd be surprised how many "meh, I can't tell the difference" friends and co-workers have sampled what I have and suddenly realized that they could. And like you don't need to eat at Le Bernardin to get good food, hi-res audio is available at reasonable price points. Just not from Best Buy. I think that education process is exactly what this effort is aiming to do.