Who will not buy a PONO player, but download a PJ record or two and see?

2-feign-reluctance

You don't have to have a player to buy the HD records from the PONO store once it goes live. As far as I can tell, my iMac and iTunes plays these HD files without an issue. I have a few 24 bit live shows and they sound fucking incredible through my iMac and my AT studio monitor headphones. Just waiting to see how the studio stuff sounds.....

2-feign-reluctance

I see HDtracks has some PJ records. Anyone give Lightning Bolt or the original version of Ten a try? thoughts?

buck502000

I will. I already have a DAC. And it will play hi-res to my loud speakers. Just need a different program to play, not iTunes.

2-feign-reluctance

Is a DAC necessary to play FLAC directly? The HD files I downloaded, I used Toast to covert to WAV - and when I play them in iTunes, and click the track info, the specs are exactly the same 24 bit, 96khz as the FLAC. Granted, I'm only listening through good quality headphones, and not through a quality set of speakers. If I were to outboard them from my iMac to a good set of speakers, I'd think I'd achieve the same quality (well, not exactly the same) as your set up yeah?

Zod

I would guess you need 3 things to take advantage of the high quality files:

1) The Source Material
2) Good Hardware - IE a high quality DAC
3) Good Stero/Reveiver/Speakers or Excellent Headphones.

I don't doubt the PONO will sound great, but I do wonder if it'll be any better than other high end players out there. I'm pretty content with my cowon s9. I think the biggest audio upgrade I could make would be to direct $400 to a pair of IEM's opposed to a new player.

As for your idea. I'm not sure it's worth buying a few albums in HD unless you have a system that would benefit from it. HD files are a bit pointless if you don't.

2-feign-reluctance

Well that's sort of my question here - I can tell a difference immediately between the HD Pearl Jam bootlegs and any other non-HD file in my iTunes. If iTunes says that's what the file is being played at, then how is that any different than streaming through a player or a DAC? Essentially my iMac is a DAC, its how I'm listening that is different than what you guys have said. I'm going through studio monitor headphones and not outboard speakers. If my iMac or iTunes was not equipped to play HD files, then it wouldn't right?

buck502000

2-feign-reluctance said:

Is a DAC necessary to play FLAC directly? The HD files I downloaded, I used Toast to covert to WAV - and when I play them in iTunes, and click the track info, the specs are exactly the same 24 bit, 96khz as the FLAC. Granted, I'm only listening through good quality headphones, and not through a quality set of speakers. If I were to outboard them from my iMac to a good set of speakers, I'd think I'd achieve the same quality (well, not exactly the same) as your set up yeah?

No, a seperate DAC is not necessary. You do need a different program to play FLAC files directly. I used a free trial of the pure music program. http://www.channld.com/puremusic/ I downloaded a vinyl rip of a 45 half- speed version of OK Computer and it sounded like I was in side a spaceship. It was awesome.

I use a DAC because the sound card in my macbook computer is not the greatest. You could try one of these - I hear they are great, and relatively inexpensive.

http://www.amazon.com/AUDIOQUEST-DRAGONFLY-V1-2-USB-DAC/dp/B00H00VLZQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1397485183&sr=8-7&keywords=dragonfly

Let me know your thoughts.

Justin

2-feign-reluctance

buck502000 said:

2-feign-reluctance said:

Is a DAC necessary to play FLAC directly? The HD files I downloaded, I used Toast to covert to WAV - and when I play them in iTunes, and click the track info, the specs are exactly the same 24 bit, 96khz as the FLAC. Granted, I'm only listening through good quality headphones, and not through a quality set of speakers. If I were to outboard them from my iMac to a good set of speakers, I'd think I'd achieve the same quality (well, not exactly the same) as your set up yeah?

No, a seperate DAC is not necessary. You do need a different program to play FLAC files directly. I used a free trial of the pure music program. http://www.channld.com/puremusic/ I downloaded a vinyl rip of a 45 half- speed version of OK Computer and it sounded like I was in side a spaceship. It was awesome.

I use a DAC because the sound card in my macbook computer is not the greatest. You could try one of these - I hear they are great, and relatively inexpensive.

http://www.amazon.com/AUDIOQUEST-DRAGONFLY-V1-2-USB-DAC/dp/B00H00VLZQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1397485183&sr=8-7&keywords=dragonfly

Let me know your thoughts.

Justin

First off, hilarious comment about the Radiohead! Love that record. As far as the soundcard goes, I guess that's in the eye of the beholder so to speak. The iMac wouldn't play those HD files that I convert to WAV if it couldn't handle the load. Now outboarding to a set of good speakers FROM my iMac? Totally different question. My thinking is if it sounds fucking awesome through my headphones, why would it be any different through a set of quality speakers running out of my iMac?

buck502000

I sometimes use just a headphone jack/ RCA plug right to my amplifier. That works nice too. I rip all of my music off cd's to AIFF files.

2-feign-reluctance

Ok, thinking about this and probably a bit too much on a Monday morning. Just because iTunes says the file specs are HD in nature, does that mean iTunes is PLAYING them in true HD? Wondering if iTunes covertly downgrades these HD audio files into a playable format. Hmmm. There is the information I think about, but then there is what I hear with my ears. My ears can tell a difference for sure. Why would I need confirmation of what I think is happening to make it any better? Would a tree make a sound if nobody were around to hear it? Will Sheldon ever get busy with Amy? Things to ponder.....

buck502000

iTunes output is 16 bit - hd is 24 bit - that is why you would need a different program or player for your computer. I still not sure if the human ear is totally able to realize the full sound difference between the two rates. :-B

2-feign-reluctance

I was able to go into my iMacs audio settings though and change it to 24 bit, 96 khz. Science does say our ears can't tell the difference, but I can.

Zod

I use WinAmp on my computer to play the HD files. There's a website out there, but I can't remember what the name is. It has the first 3 studio albums (the newer remastered ones) in HD for sale. IE you don't have to wait for pono if you want hear a PJ record in HD quality.

I think PONO is more about the hardware and having a high quality DAC outputting the music. PONO isn't the only device that does it. Smartphones do a mediocre job, some music only devices do a great job, and PC's are all over the place due to the wide variety of component's they can be built with.

tribejammer05

Zod said:

I use WinAmp on my computer to play the HD files. There's a website out there, but I can't remember what the name is. It has the first 3 studio albums (the newer remastered ones) in HD for sale. IE you don't have to wait for pono if you want hear a PJ record in HD quality.

Was it hdtracks.com ?

2-feign-reluctance

tribejammer05 said:

Zod said:

I use WinAmp on my computer to play the HD files. There's a website out there, but I can't remember what the name is. It has the first 3 studio albums (the newer remastered ones) in HD for sale. IE you don't have to wait for pono if you want hear a PJ record in HD quality.

Was it hdtracks.com ?

Yes, it is. They have the original Ten, both re-released Ten and Vs and Lightning Bolt.

MedozK

2-feign-reluctance said:

tribejammer05 said:

Zod said:

I use WinAmp on my computer to play the HD files. There's a website out there, but I can't remember what the name is. It has the first 3 studio albums (the newer remastered ones) in HD for sale. IE you don't have to wait for pono if you want hear a PJ record in HD quality.

Was it hdtracks.com ?

Yes, it is. They have the original Ten, both re-released Ten and Vs and Lightning Bolt.

So from what I am reading...Downloads from hdtracks.com is the SAME quality as the CD?

2-feign-reluctance

MedozK said:

2-feign-reluctance said:

tribejammer05 said:

Zod said:

I use WinAmp on my computer to play the HD files. There's a website out there, but I can't remember what the name is. It has the first 3 studio albums (the newer remastered ones) in HD for sale. IE you don't have to wait for pono if you want hear a PJ record in HD quality.

Was it hdtracks.com ?

Yes, it is. They have the original Ten, both re-released Ten and Vs and Lightning Bolt.

So from what I am reading...Downloads from hdtracks.com is the SAME quality as the CD?

The specs on everything look to be graded 'higher than CD quality.' Even the original TEN listed is higher than the 44 khz sample rate, at 88.