cd's are 44.1/16. So that's the best quality from a cd. It's pretty good.
The flac vs. mp3 has a lot of variables. Mostly in the quality of the mp3 as you can encoded mp3's with a variety of different quality settings. I prefer flac, they sound better to my ears (playing them on my cowon s9 mp3/flac player).
My car stereo uses stock speakers so only being able to play mp3 on the car stereo isn't a deal breaker. Plugging in my cowon s9 via aux cable doesn't sound any better. The quality of the stereo, portable, speakers, and headphones are just as important as the device playing them.
No sense having a pono player if you're going to plug it into a set of $10 walmart headphones
btw what are people using for IEM's? I've been using a cheap set of brainwavz m1's which i quite like, but they never sounded as good as my Cyclone PR1 Pro's a few years ago (which had amazing sound quality but horrible build quality). I've never broken down to buy a set of IEM's that costs hundres of dollars because I'm afraid of buying a set and not liking them.
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KV4053
Mike's side, crushed up against the stage Posts: 1,469
cd's are 44.1/16. So that's the best quality from a cd. It's pretty good.
The flac vs. mp3 has a lot of variables. Mostly in the quality of the mp3 as you can encoded mp3's with a variety of different quality settings. I prefer flac, they sound better to my ears (playing them on my cowon s9 mp3/flac player).
My car stereo uses stock speakers so only being able to play mp3 on the car stereo isn't a deal breaker. Plugging in my cowon s9 via aux cable doesn't sound any better. The quality of the stereo, portable, speakers, and headphones are just as important as the device playing them.
No sense having a pono player if you're going to plug it into a set of $10 walmart headphones
btw what are people using for IEM's? I've been using a cheap set of brainwavz m1's which i quite like, but they never sounded as good as my Cyclone PR1 Pro's a few years ago (which had amazing sound quality but horrible build quality). I've never broken down to buy a set of IEM's that costs hundres of dollars because I'm afraid of buying a set and not liking them.
Shure Se535. Used to have UE TripleFi 10
I know I was born and I know that I'll die. The in between is mine.
I finally figured out how to open a second Kickstarter account and bought a second signed Neil poster. I received the email this morning where Neil says he's getting real good at poster signing but probably won't ever do it again after this! I still can't afford $400. for a PONO (I'll wait until the price comes down in the future) but can't pass up HAND SIGNED Neil posters for a hundred bucks. GOOD LUCK TO NEIL & PONO!
I finally figured out how to open a second Kickstarter account and bought a second signed Neil poster.
Sweet! Opening a 2nd KickStarter is easy.
From Kickstarter ..
It's only possible to pledge to a given project once on Kickstarter. That means no matter how many attempts are made, or how many authorizations are generated as a result of changing your pledge, you will only ever be charged once for your pledge. If a family member would also like to pledge to Kickstarter project, they'll have to create an account. You can certainly use your payment details to make the pledge, but it will have to come from a separate account.
I bought one of the PJ limited players and have been trying to learn for about FLAC (ALAC) and .mp3 quality, etc.... Still not totally sold on the quality difference between .mp3 and FLAC... I bought a good pair of headphones (Audio-Techinca ATH-M50s) over the weekend and fired up the Seattle boot that I purchased in ALAC and compared it to a few other boots from 2013 that I bought in .mp3 and could not really tell the difference in quality... The headphones made a HUGE difference in quality over the stock Apple ear buds... but the difference between ALAC and .mp3 in the 2013 boots I could not tell... whoever is creating the .mp3s of the 2013 boots is doing a really good job... IMO
As far as all those musicians gushing over the PONO player in the video... take it with a grain of salt.... I would say 99% of those musicians have some degree of hearing loss due to their jobs and probably can't tell the difference either...
Either way I understand and applaud the PONO folks for trying to preserve digital music at its highest level but if you have a cd of something or a good quality .mp3 do yourself a favor and by some decent headphones and that will make a bigger difference than anything...
i just scored a Pearl Jam Pono Player!!! i had a Neil Young edition in my cart yesterday, and tossed it back into their inventory...hoping a pj one would show up. refreshed a bunch yesterday and was thinking id made a mistake by not picking it up. a little mad at myself for not grabbing it sooner... i went to bed and thought on it. i figured it was hopeless... i started refreshing this AM and saw Tom Petty edition pop up a few times. almost sprung on it too... i just kept at it...being persistant...hoping it (NY or PJ) would show up...and it finally did! confirmation email and everything! woo hoo! now i can go shovel more snow... have a great day everyone! i know i will :bz
1996 - Columbia Maryland, Hartford
1998 - DC RFK Stadium, Virginia Beach, Columbia Maryland, DC Constitution Hall
2000 - Virginia Beach, Camden I+II, Columbia Maryland
2002 - Seattle Key Arena I+II
2003 - Raleigh, Charlotte, State College, Bristow, Camden II
2004 - Asheville
2006 - Boston II, Camden I+II, DC
2008 - Virginia Beach, Camden I+II, DC
2009 - Philadelphia I, II, III, IV
2010 - Bristow
2013 - Philadelphia II, Baltimore, Charlottesville, Charlotte
I bought one of the PJ limited players and have been trying to learn for about FLAC (ALAC) and .mp3 quality, etc.... Still not totally sold on the quality difference between .mp3 and FLAC... I bought a good pair of headphones (Audio-Techinca ATH-M50s) over the weekend and fired up the Seattle boot that I purchased in ALAC and compared it to a few other boots from 2013 that I bought in .mp3 and could not really tell the difference in quality...
There's a few things that could impact audio quality. Judging by the fact you are using the ALAC format I assume your listening to your music on an Ipod or Iphone? The DAC (Digital to Audio Converter) in apple devices aren't the greatest. It could be your limiting factor. This is the mechanism that takes the digital information in the file and turns it into actual sound you can here in your hears. When using digital formats these are what can be limiting factors:
1) Source (low quality mp3 vs. high quality mp3 vs. flac vs flac hd etc...) 2) DAC - The quality of the Digital to Analog Converter on the device being used 3) The headphones and/or speakers 4) If using speakers, the quality of the receiver/amp being used.
I think the whole reason of Pono is because companies like apple, samsung etc.. put mediocre DAC's into their devices. That being said I think the PJ live mp3's are a pretty high bitrate (so fairly high quality mp3) so unless you're using some quality equipment (aka not an apple device) you're probably not going to hear the difference.
edit: I've always got the feeling that DAC's were an afterthought on devices like Smartphones. IE to keep the cost of the smartphone down they use an inexpensive dac in the phone, as the music player isn't its primary function. I'll slag on Apple all day long, but it's not only Apple that does this. My Samsung Galaxy S2 has a pretty mediocre DAC in too. This is why I use a separate player for my music. Cowon has a good reputation for making high end players with quality DAC's. I have to admit I am fairly interested to see what a PONO can do once they get released.
Maybe I am a bit jaded, but is no one worried about what happens if this project never completes? I understand Neil is putting his name on the line, but there are a lot of hurdles to cross before I would drop $400 on a promised player.
At this point Pono player is vaporware and has lots of artist support but what happens if the high quality components fail. I have seen no promise of warranty so there is a decent chance if these things develop issues a lot of the shiny limited editions will be high $$$ bricks.
Also the other phase being an online music store makes me worry that we are going to see $3.00 High quality songs.
I do admit I had a hard time not spending the money on the PJ one, but there were just too many unknowns and while one of the arguments is not having a phone call interrupt your music, the fact I have to sync with my computer again made me realize how much I enjoy keep my music online and just streaming whatever, whenever I want to listen to it and not having to manage my song library all over again to fit on the device.
While it maybe high quality audio there are just too many things I enjoy being networked that Pono doesn't have yet.
Raleigh, NC 8-18-92 Missoula, MT 9-30-12, EV Dallas, TX 11-15-12, EV San Antonio 11-16-12 London, ONT 7-16-13 - Wrigley Field 7-19-13 Charlotte 10-30-13, Dallas 11-15-13, OKC 11-16-13, Seattle 12-6-13 Tulsa 10-8-14, Lincoln 10-9-14, St. Paul 10-19-14, Milwaukee 10-20-14 NYC 9-26-15 Ft Lauderdale 4-8-16, Miami 4-9-16, Tampa 4-11-16, Jacksonville 4-13-16, Pemberton 7-17-16,Wrigley 8-20-16 and 8-22-16 Seattle 8-8-18; 8-10-18, Missoula 8-13-18 Earthlings 2022: Seattle 2-21-222 and 2-22-22, Los Angeles 2-25-22 EV Coeur d’Alene 7-28-23, St Paul 8-31-23 and 9-2-23, Ft Worth 9-13-23 and 9-15-23, EV Seattle 10-23-23 and 10-24-23
I bought one of the PJ PonoPlayers. I think some of the discussion here is hilarious. i consider myself an audiophile. i have been waiting anxiously for the PONO since Neil really started explaining it in his book a couple years ago. I have been waiting for a versatile player that was portable but would also play all the FLAC files that i have acquired over the years that previously have been down sampled to WAV in order to play. This also has the potential to cut into (slightly) my vinyl purchasing. example-Neil and Crazy Horse's last album went for $80 on vinyl. That is a ridiculous amount of money for a record even by master recording standards. I assume the PONO version would be decidedly less $ for the same quality.
You should get the blu-ray of Psychedelic Pill. It's the same quality as Pono albums will be, and includes an extra 30+ minute jam, which is great.
Yeah, I have been meaning to. I got the "Le Noise" blu-ray for about $15. and the sound quality was amazing. The vinyl was going for around $50. I just had some issues converting it from Blu-ray format. That's why i am so excited about PONO music store.
2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN
2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA
2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)
2006- Cincinnati, OH
2008- Columbia, SC
2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2
2010- Bristow, VA
2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL
2012- Atlanta, GA
2013- Charlotte, NC
2014- Cincinnati, OH
2015- New York, NY
2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA
Just a note on the shape. A lot of people are criticizing it but I think it's pretty cool. Especially if what they say about needing space for the components is true. In that case, I think it's a perfect compromise. Sure, a triangle isn't the most comfortable in the pocket but neither was my Walkman and I made that shit work just fine. Plus, I think this shape works great on a desk. The way I figure it, with the type of headphones you'll be using for this, it's not the player you're going to bring to the gym anyway so who cares how it looks in your shorts? (Unless that's your thing.)
Just a note on the shape. A lot of people are criticizing it but I think it's pretty cool. Especially if what they say about needing space for the components is true. In that case, I think it's a perfect compromise. Sure, a triangle isn't the most comfortable in the pocket but neither was my Walkman and I made that shit work just fine. Plus, I think this shape works great on a desk. The way I figure it, with the type of headphones you'll be using for this, it's not the player you're going to bring to the gym anyway so who cares how it looks in your shorts? (Unless that's your thing.)
The shape is just fine if you don't plan on walking around with it in your pocket. But that's the only thing I use my mp3 player for. There is no way I'm walking around with that thing in my pocket - it would look ridiculous and feel even worse. It's the main reason I probably wouldn't ever buy it. The size and shape of my portable music device is a major consideration for me. It's the reason I don't use my phone. It's too big and bulky for my front pocket!
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I accidentally wore my mom's jeans to work one day and was shocked at how small chick pockets are. I got almost nothing done that day with those pants on. I don't think most men appreciate this.
I accidentally wore my mom's jeans to work one day and was shocked at how small chick pockets are. I got almost nothing done that day with those pants on. I don't think most men appreciate this.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
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KV4053
Mike's side, crushed up against the stage Posts: 1,469
I accidentally wore my mom's jeans to work one day and was shocked at how small chick pockets are. I got almost nothing done that day with those pants on. I don't think most men appreciate this.
bwaahahahaaa wtf?
I know I was born and I know that I'll die. The in between is mine.
Project Update #5: More Rewards Monday! Posted by the PonoMusic Team Black heart (cards) Like
Hi everybody!
Many of you have asked for more t-shirt color options, so your wish is our command.
Those who pledged for a t-shirt, or want one in the future, we now have white and black options in addition to the yellow. At the end of the campaign, we will send out rewards surveys and you can pick which color you prefer.
We also added 30 more VIP DINNER & LISTENING PARTY WITH NEIL YOUNG rewards--in NEW YORK (again) & CHICAGO (hey Midwest!).
We continue to revel in your incredible support and enthusiasm.
I wonder what the band will consider their two favorite albums to include on their Pono? I really hope Binaural is on the Pono because I think that album was made for something like Pono.
"There's a $10,000 bill in it for you."
"Oh yeah? Which president's on it?"
"Uh, all of them. They're having a party. Jimmy Carter's passed out on the couch."
I wonder what the band will consider their two favorite albums to include on their Pono? I really hope Binaural is on the Pono because I think that album was made for something like Pono.
Who's to say that it will be one of their own albums?
I wonder what the band will consider their two favorite albums to include on their Pono? I really hope Binaural is on the Pono because I think that album was made for something like Pono.
Who's to say that it will be one of their own albums?
From the description - "These special edition PonoPlayers have laser-engraved signature of the artist, and ship to you pre-loaded with the artist's choice of their two favorite albums from their own body of work."
"There's a $10,000 bill in it for you."
"Oh yeah? Which president's on it?"
"Uh, all of them. They're having a party. Jimmy Carter's passed out on the couch."
I wonder what the band will consider their two favorite albums to include on their Pono? I really hope Binaural is on the Pono because I think that album was made for something like Pono.
Who's to say that it will be one of their own albums?
From the description - "These special edition PonoPlayers have laser-engraved signature of the artist, and ship to you pre-loaded with the artist's choice of their two favorite albums from their own body of work."
I wonder what the band will consider their two favorite albums to include on their Pono? I really hope Binaural is on the Pono because I think that album was made for something like Pono.
Who's to say that it will be one of their own albums?
From the description - "These special edition PonoPlayers have laser-engraved signature of the artist, and ship to you pre-loaded with the artist's choice of their two favorite albums from their own body of work."
Cool. Think that's a recent update.
I'm hoping it's something exclusive that hasn't been released yet. Ten, Vs & Vitalogy has already been released in 24Bit Flac over @ HDtracks.com .
I wonder what the band will consider their two favorite albums to include on their Pono? I really hope Binaural is on the Pono because I think that album was made for something like Pono.
Who's to say that it will be one of their own albums?
From the description - "These special edition PonoPlayers have laser-engraved signature of the artist, and ship to you pre-loaded with the artist's choice of their two favorite albums from their own body of work."
Cool. Think that's a recent update.
I'm hoping it's something exclusive that hasn't been released yet. Ten, Vs & Vitalogy has already been released in 24Bit Flac over @ HDtracks.com .
I think it's almost a guarantee that Lightning Bolt will be one of the albums. EV said it's his favorite PJ album recently. :-/
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I wonder what the band will consider their two favorite albums to include on their Pono? I really hope Binaural is on the Pono because I think that album was made for something like Pono.
Who's to say that it will be one of their own albums?
From the description - "These special edition PonoPlayers have laser-engraved signature of the artist, and ship to you pre-loaded with the artist's choice of their two favorite albums from their own body of work."
Cool. Think that's a recent update.
I'm hoping it's something exclusive that hasn't been released yet. Ten, Vs & Vitalogy has already been released in 24Bit Flac over @ HDtracks.com .
I think it's almost a guarantee that Lightning Bolt will be one of the albums. EV said it's his favorite PJ album recently. :-/
D'oh! Forgot to add Lightning Bolt is also available in 24 Bit Flac over @ HDtracks.com
I wonder what the band will consider their two favorite albums to include on their Pono? I really hope Binaural is on the Pono because I think that album was made for something like Pono.
Who's to say that it will be one of their own albums?
From the description - "These special edition PonoPlayers have laser-engraved signature of the artist, and ship to you pre-loaded with the artist's choice of their two favorite albums from their own body of work."
Ahh thanks. It didn't say that before, clearer now.
I kind of liked the other way better, the idea of getting something kind of obscure kind of appealed to me.
I wonder what the band will consider their two favorite albums to include on their Pono? I really hope Binaural is on the Pono because I think that album was made for something like Pono.
Who's to say that it will be one of their own albums?
From the description - "These special edition PonoPlayers have laser-engraved signature of the artist, and ship to you pre-loaded with the artist's choice of their two favorite albums from their own body of work."
Ahh thanks. It didn't say that before, clearer now.
I kind of liked the other way better, the idea of getting something kind of obscure kind of appealed to me.
+1. Interesting clarification. While I'll gladly receive PJ's choice of two of their own albums, it was more exciting to imagine them selecting their favorite albums across the whole spectrum of music. Those buying the PJ-engraved Pono will most likely be purchasing PJ's catalog anyway. I like the idea of Pearl Jam, and the other Pono artists as well, "introducing" into their fans' musical libraries some of their own favorites albums.
As our CEO John Hamm stated this morning, we are working on staffing up to better respond to your questions in a timely manner.
In the meantime, we compiled more frequently asked questions from the comments and messages. Here are our answers. Thanks so much for your support!
1. I currently use iTunes software to manage my system but don't buy music from Apple. Instead, I try to lay my hands on the highest quality CD I can find and transfer the CD to my computer's hard drive as WAV files. Would my music files be managed by your app? Should I be recording in FLAC for greater realism?
Yes, you can use our app for exactly this purpose, either WAV or FLAC; they are both great. FLAC is a little better than WAV with respect to managing MetaData. Also note that the PonoPlayer supports numerous audio formats. Please see our website for a complete list of supported formats (www.ponomusic.com). For the PonoMusic.com Store we have chosen FLAC as our audio standard format.
2. Can I use your desktop app now in order to purchase music from you and to manage my music at home?
You can also use the Pono desktop app to purchase music from PonoMusic Store and to manage your music. But it will not be available until October 2014.
3. What is the expected life of the battery? Any chance of it being longer for this first edition or is that already a closed topic?
The battery should last for a day of use, about 8 hours of continuous playback. We continue to optimize our power management and strive to achieve even longer battery life.
4. How many cycles can the battery be charged before the PonoPlayer will be thrown away? Can it be replaced when it goes bad?
On average 500-800 cycles. The PonoPlayer is generally repairable and the battery can be replaced by Pono once it goes bad.
5. I have an email saying my Kickstarter pledge was successful, but it is not showing up in my Amazon account. What is going on?
Pending transactions won't appear in Amazon the way a normal Amazon purchase would. The best way to confirm that your pledge is made correctly is via your Backer History, which you can view here: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/backings
6. Why is the PonoPlayer made in China? Why not make it in the USA?
Most all consumer products are made in China because that's where the parts are made, where the experienced factories are located, and where there's the flexibility to scale up rapidly as demand requires. We'd love to build products in America but unfortunately the resources and parts suppliers are unavailable. While cost is also an important reason, it's less of an issue than other factors mentioned. But we will be offering PonoPlayer cases and other accessories that are made in the U.S.
7. As a buyer from the UK will I have to pay for duty tax and VAT?
Yes.
8. What are the dates of the listening parties?
Sometime in the month of October 2014. Dates will be confirmed by June 1st, 2014.
9. Will the PonoMusic store support music purchases and downloads to non-US territories? Will people outside of the USA, UK, & Canada be able to download from a PonoMusic Store starting at the launch date in October? Or do they have to source their music elsewhere until a store is set up in their own country?
At this time, we only have rights to sell music in USA, UK, Canada. We are working to expand our geographic music rights in the near future. In the meanwhile, you can obtain your music from other sources and enjoy playing them on the PonoPlayer.
10. I am recording my vinyl collection into 96kHz/24bit files. Will I be able to play these files on the PonoPlayer?
Yes. As long as they are in a standard file format, i.e. WAV, FLAC, etc. Please check the supported formats on our website.
11. Will you be offering XXL in the t-shirt?
Many people have asked for the XXL, so we are now including this as a size option. S-XXL.
12. Will the PonoPlayer only play music purchased from the PonoMusic Store, or will I be able to play the music I currently own on the PonoPlayer? Can I play PonoMusic on other players?
You can play music from any source that is in a compatible format. We currently support FLAC, ALAC, mp3, WAV, AIFF, AAC (unprotected). But please check our website (www.ponomusic.com) in the future for file format compatibility. Also, since PonoMusic is based on FLAC format then it can be played on any other devices that supports FLAC. But we can only guarantee the sound quality when our music is played on our own player.
13. How much will PonoMusic cost?
About $14.95 - $24.95 per album. Pricing is set by the record company.
14. I ordered a Limited Edition PonoPlayer, and then pledged again for a T-shirt. The order must have deleted my original order. What happened?
Sorry for the trouble. Kickstarter only allows one reward per pledge and one pledge per account. It sounds as though when you updated your pledge, you inadvertently switched your reward from the player to the T-shirt. You can always verify the amount of your pledge and selected reward in your Backer History: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/backings. That said, you are free to modify your pledge as long as a project is still live. To make changes to your pledge, just visit the project page and click the blue "Manage Your Pledge" button. From there you can adjust the amount of your pledge, as well as the reward you'd like to receive. In addition, it's only possible to pledge once to a given project on Kickstarter. That means no matter how many attempts are made, or how many authorizations are generated as a result of changing your pledge, you will only ever be charged once for your final pledge and receive your final reward.
15. For Limited Edition players, will the serial numbers be assigned based on priority order of donation?
Yes, they will. So if you were the first person to donate to an artist LE then you'll get serial number 1 of 500.
16. For sold out Limited Edition players, will there be additional units made available later? What about the Early Birds?
Early Birds are sold out, period. Additionally, when the serialized Limited Edition artist signature series players are sold out, they are gone. There will be no more. It's important to note that the people who sign up for the VIP listening parties will receive a Neil Young special series PonoPlayer, which is different than the Limited Edition Neil Young PonoPlayer series that is already sold out.
17. Will you support DSD tracks?
Not in the initial release of the PonoPlayer. We may consider adding it via a firmware update depending on the demand from our user community.
18. Will you support Linux in addition to Mac and Windows for the Pono desktop app?
Not initially. We are considering adding Linux support for the Pono desktop app. However, Linux users have the option of side-loading both the microSD card and the internal storage of the PonoPlayer using the USB connection. This is not an officially supported means of loading the player with music tracks but we are not precluding our users from using it until such time that the Pono desktop app is supported on Linux.
15. For Limited Edition players, will the serial numbers be assigned based on priority order of donation?
Yes, they will. So if you were the first person to donate to an artist LE then you'll get serial number 1 of 500.
..
hmm .. so mine's 4 of 500? We'll see if this is true.
I call BS on that one. These things have been shuffled a lot as people cancel orders and others step in and buy them. I don't see why it actually matters to anyone but maybe that's just me.
About $14.95 - $24.95 per album. Pricing is set by the record company.
)
That's not bad if you think about it. Cheaper then what https://www.hdtracks.com/ offers. What's bad & laughable are the folks who buy MP3's from iTunes. Here you're downloading HD Flacs. ...
80MB (mp3) for 10 dollars or 1GB (24Bit Flac) for 15 dollars?
Comments
The flac vs. mp3 has a lot of variables. Mostly in the quality of the mp3 as you can encoded mp3's with a variety of different quality settings. I prefer flac, they sound better to my ears (playing them on my cowon s9 mp3/flac player).
My car stereo uses stock speakers so only being able to play mp3 on the car stereo isn't a deal breaker. Plugging in my cowon s9 via aux cable doesn't sound any better. The quality of the stereo, portable, speakers, and headphones are just as important as the device playing them.
No sense having a pono player if you're going to plug it into a set of $10 walmart headphones
btw what are people using for IEM's? I've been using a cheap set of brainwavz m1's which i quite like, but they never sounded as good as my Cyclone PR1 Pro's a few years ago (which had amazing sound quality but horrible build quality). I've never broken down to buy a set of IEM's that costs hundres of dollars because I'm afraid of buying a set and not liking them.
I finally figured out how to open a second Kickstarter account and bought a second signed Neil poster.
I received the email this morning where Neil says he's getting real good at poster signing but probably won't ever do it again after this!
I still can't afford $400. for a PONO (I'll wait until the price comes down in the future) but can't pass up HAND SIGNED Neil posters for a hundred bucks.
GOOD LUCK TO NEIL & PONO!
From Kickstarter ..
It's only possible to pledge to a given project once on Kickstarter. That means no matter how many attempts are made, or how many authorizations are generated as a result of changing your pledge, you will only ever be charged once for your pledge. If a family member would also like to pledge to Kickstarter project, they'll have to create an account. You can certainly use your payment details to make the pledge, but it will have to come from a separate account.
As far as all those musicians gushing over the PONO player in the video... take it with a grain of salt.... I would say 99% of those musicians have some degree of hearing loss due to their jobs and probably can't tell the difference either...
Either way I understand and applaud the PONO folks for trying to preserve digital music at its highest level but if you have a cd of something or a good quality .mp3 do yourself a favor and by some decent headphones and that will make a bigger difference than anything...
i had a Neil Young edition in my cart yesterday, and tossed it back into their inventory...hoping a pj one would show up.
refreshed a bunch yesterday and was thinking id made a mistake by not picking it up.
a little mad at myself for not grabbing it sooner... i went to bed and thought on it.
i figured it was hopeless...
i started refreshing this AM and saw Tom Petty edition pop up a few times.
almost sprung on it too...
i just kept at it...being persistant...hoping it (NY or PJ) would show up...and it finally did!
confirmation email and everything! woo hoo!
now i can go shovel more snow...
have a great day everyone!
i know i will
:bz
1998 - DC RFK Stadium, Virginia Beach, Columbia Maryland, DC Constitution Hall
2002 - Seattle Key Arena I+II
2003 - Raleigh, Charlotte, State College, Bristow, Camden II
2004 - Asheville
2006 - Boston II, Camden I+II, DC
2008 - Virginia Beach, Camden I+II, DC
2009 - Philadelphia I, II, III, IV
2010 - Bristow
2013 - Philadelphia II, Baltimore, Charlottesville, Charlotte
2022 - Camden
1) Source (low quality mp3 vs. high quality mp3 vs. flac vs flac hd etc...)
2) DAC - The quality of the Digital to Analog Converter on the device being used
3) The headphones and/or speakers
4) If using speakers, the quality of the receiver/amp being used.
I think the whole reason of Pono is because companies like apple, samsung etc.. put mediocre DAC's into their devices. That being said I think the PJ live mp3's are a pretty high bitrate (so fairly high quality mp3) so unless you're using some quality equipment (aka not an apple device) you're probably not going to hear the difference.
edit: I've always got the feeling that DAC's were an afterthought on devices like Smartphones. IE to keep the cost of the smartphone down they use an inexpensive dac in the phone, as the music player isn't its primary function. I'll slag on Apple all day long, but it's not only Apple that does this. My Samsung Galaxy S2 has a pretty mediocre DAC in too. This is why I use a separate player for my music. Cowon has a good reputation for making high end players with quality DAC's. I have to admit I am fairly interested to see what a PONO can do once they get released.
At this point Pono player is vaporware and has lots of artist support but what happens if the high quality components fail. I have seen no promise of warranty so there is a decent chance if these things develop issues a lot of the shiny limited editions will be high $$$ bricks.
Also the other phase being an online music store makes me worry that we are going to see $3.00 High quality songs.
I do admit I had a hard time not spending the money on the PJ one, but there were just too many unknowns and while one of the arguments is not having a phone call interrupt your music, the fact I have to sync with my computer again made me realize how much I enjoy keep my music online and just streaming whatever, whenever I want to listen to it and not having to manage my song library all over again to fit on the device.
While it maybe high quality audio there are just too many things I enjoy being networked that Pono doesn't have yet.
Missoula, MT 9-30-12, EV Dallas, TX 11-15-12, EV San Antonio 11-16-12
London, ONT 7-16-13 - Wrigley Field 7-19-13
Charlotte 10-30-13, Dallas 11-15-13, OKC 11-16-13, Seattle 12-6-13
Tulsa 10-8-14, Lincoln 10-9-14, St. Paul 10-19-14, Milwaukee 10-20-14
NYC 9-26-15
Ft Lauderdale 4-8-16, Miami 4-9-16, Tampa 4-11-16, Jacksonville 4-13-16, Pemberton 7-17-16,Wrigley 8-20-16 and 8-22-16
Seattle 8-8-18; 8-10-18, Missoula 8-13-18
Earthlings 2022: Seattle 2-21-222 and 2-22-22, Los Angeles 2-25-22
EV Coeur d’Alene 7-28-23, St Paul 8-31-23 and 9-2-23, Ft Worth 9-13-23 and 9-15-23, EV Seattle 10-23-23 and 10-24-23
I have been meaning to. I got the "Le Noise" blu-ray for about $15. and the sound quality was amazing. The vinyl was going for around $50.
I just had some issues converting it from Blu-ray format. That's why i am so excited about PONO music store.
livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=446
1995- New Orleans, LA : New Orleans, LA
1996- Charleston, SC
1998- Atlanta, GA: Birmingham, AL: Greenville, SC: Knoxville, TN
2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN
2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA
2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)
2006- Cincinnati, OH
2008- Columbia, SC
2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2
2010- Bristow, VA
2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL
2012- Atlanta, GA
2013- Charlotte, NC
2014- Cincinnati, OH
2015- New York, NY
2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA
2017- ED VED- Louisville, KY
2018- Chicago, IL x2, Boston, MA x2
2020- Nashville, TN
2022- Smashville
2023- Austin, TX x2
2024- Baltimore
Posted by the PonoMusic Team Black heart (cards) Like
Hi everybody!
Many of you have asked for more t-shirt color options, so your wish is our command.
Those who pledged for a t-shirt, or want one in the future, we now have white and black options in addition to the yellow. At the end of the campaign, we will send out rewards surveys and you can pick which color you prefer.
We also added 30 more VIP DINNER & LISTENING PARTY WITH NEIL YOUNG rewards--in NEW YORK (again) & CHICAGO (hey Midwest!).
We continue to revel in your incredible support and enthusiasm.
Our very best,
the PonoMusic team
..
Close to 4 Million raised!
"Oh yeah? Which president's on it?"
"Uh, all of them. They're having a party. Jimmy Carter's passed out on the couch."
Columbus 2000
Columbus 2003
Hershey 2003
Toledo 2004
Cincinnati 2006
Chicago/Lollapalooza 2007
Columbus 2010
Chicago/Wrigley 2013
Pittsburgh 2013
Portland 2013
Cincinnati 2014
"Oh yeah? Which president's on it?"
"Uh, all of them. They're having a party. Jimmy Carter's passed out on the couch."
Columbus 2000
Columbus 2003
Hershey 2003
Toledo 2004
Cincinnati 2006
Chicago/Lollapalooza 2007
Columbus 2010
Chicago/Wrigley 2013
Pittsburgh 2013
Portland 2013
Cincinnati 2014
:-/
Ten .. http://www.hdtracks.com/ten 88kHz/24bit
Ten Redux .. http://www.hdtracks.com/ten-redux 88kHz/24bit
Vs. (Remastered) .. http://www.hdtracks.com/vs-remastered-135581 96kHz/24bit
Vitalogy (Remastered) .. http://www.hdtracks.com/vitalogy-remastered 96kHz/24bit
Lightning Bolt .. http://www.hdtracks.com/pearl-jam-lightning-bolt 44.1kHz/24bit
Maybe the Pono Music Store will sell these @ ultra-high resolution recordings: 9216 kbps (192 kHz/24 bit) FLAC files?
I kind of liked the other way better, the idea of getting something kind of obscure kind of appealed to me.
Mar 18 2014
More Answers To Your Questions
Hi all,
As our CEO John Hamm stated this morning, we are working on staffing up to better respond to your questions in a timely manner.
In the meantime, we compiled more frequently asked questions from the comments and messages. Here are our answers. Thanks so much for your support!
1. I currently use iTunes software to manage my system but don't buy music from Apple. Instead, I try to lay my hands on the highest quality CD I can find and transfer the CD to my computer's hard drive as WAV files. Would my music files be managed by your app? Should I be recording in FLAC for greater realism?
Yes, you can use our app for exactly this purpose, either WAV or FLAC; they are both great. FLAC is a little better than WAV with respect to managing MetaData. Also note that the PonoPlayer supports numerous audio formats. Please see our website for a complete list of supported formats (www.ponomusic.com). For the PonoMusic.com Store we have chosen FLAC as our audio standard format.
2. Can I use your desktop app now in order to purchase music from you and to manage my music at home?
You can also use the Pono desktop app to purchase music from PonoMusic Store and to manage your music. But it will not be available until October 2014.
3. What is the expected life of the battery? Any chance of it being longer for this first edition or is that already a closed topic?
The battery should last for a day of use, about 8 hours of continuous playback. We continue to optimize our power management and strive to achieve even longer battery life.
4. How many cycles can the battery be charged before the PonoPlayer will be thrown away? Can it be replaced when it goes bad?
On average 500-800 cycles. The PonoPlayer is generally repairable and the battery can be replaced by Pono once it goes bad.
5. I have an email saying my Kickstarter pledge was successful, but it is not showing up in my Amazon account. What is going on?
Pending transactions won't appear in Amazon the way a normal Amazon purchase would. The best way to confirm that your pledge is made correctly is via your Backer History, which you can view here: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/backings
6. Why is the PonoPlayer made in China? Why not make it in the USA?
Most all consumer products are made in China because that's where the parts are made, where the experienced factories are located, and where there's the flexibility to scale up rapidly as demand requires. We'd love to build products in America but unfortunately the resources and parts suppliers are unavailable. While cost is also an important reason, it's less of an issue than other factors mentioned. But we will be offering PonoPlayer cases and other accessories that are made in the U.S.
7. As a buyer from the UK will I have to pay for duty tax and VAT?
Yes.
8. What are the dates of the listening parties?
Sometime in the month of October 2014. Dates will be confirmed by June 1st, 2014.
9. Will the PonoMusic store support music purchases and downloads to non-US territories? Will people outside of the USA, UK, & Canada be able to download from a PonoMusic Store starting at the launch date in October? Or do they have to source their music elsewhere until a store is set up in their own country?
At this time, we only have rights to sell music in USA, UK, Canada. We are working to expand our geographic music rights in the near future. In the meanwhile, you can obtain your music from other sources and enjoy playing them on the PonoPlayer.
10. I am recording my vinyl collection into 96kHz/24bit files. Will I be able to play these files on the PonoPlayer?
Yes. As long as they are in a standard file format, i.e. WAV, FLAC, etc. Please check the supported formats on our website.
11. Will you be offering XXL in the t-shirt?
Many people have asked for the XXL, so we are now including this as a size option. S-XXL.
12. Will the PonoPlayer only play music purchased from the PonoMusic Store, or will I be able to play the music I currently own on the PonoPlayer? Can I play PonoMusic on other players?
You can play music from any source that is in a compatible format. We currently support FLAC, ALAC, mp3, WAV, AIFF, AAC (unprotected). But please check our website (www.ponomusic.com) in the future for file format compatibility. Also, since PonoMusic is based on FLAC format then it can be played on any other devices that supports FLAC. But we can only guarantee the sound quality when our music is played on our own player.
13. How much will PonoMusic cost?
About $14.95 - $24.95 per album. Pricing is set by the record company.
14. I ordered a Limited Edition PonoPlayer, and then pledged again for a T-shirt. The order must have deleted my original order. What happened?
Sorry for the trouble. Kickstarter only allows one reward per pledge and one pledge per account. It sounds as though when you updated your pledge, you inadvertently switched your reward from the player to the T-shirt. You can always verify the amount of your pledge and selected reward in your Backer History: https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/backings. That said, you are free to modify your pledge as long as a project is still live. To make changes to your pledge, just visit the project page and click the blue "Manage Your Pledge" button. From there you can adjust the amount of your pledge, as well as the reward you'd like to receive. In addition, it's only possible to pledge once to a given project on Kickstarter. That means no matter how many attempts are made, or how many authorizations are generated as a result of changing your pledge, you will only ever be charged once for your final pledge and receive your final reward.
15. For Limited Edition players, will the serial numbers be assigned based on priority order of donation?
Yes, they will. So if you were the first person to donate to an artist LE then you'll get serial number 1 of 500.
16. For sold out Limited Edition players, will there be additional units made available later? What about the Early Birds?
Early Birds are sold out, period. Additionally, when the serialized Limited Edition artist signature series players are sold out, they are gone. There will be no more. It's important to note that the people who sign up for the VIP listening parties will receive a Neil Young special series PonoPlayer, which is different than the Limited Edition Neil Young PonoPlayer series that is already sold out.
17. Will you support DSD tracks?
Not in the initial release of the PonoPlayer. We may consider adding it via a firmware update depending on the demand from our user community.
18. Will you support Linux in addition to Mac and Windows for the Pono desktop app?
Not initially. We are considering adding Linux support for the Pono desktop app. However, Linux users have the option of side-loading both the microSD card and the internal storage of the PonoPlayer using the USB connection. This is not an officially supported means of loading the player with music tracks but we are not precluding our users from using it until such time that the Pono desktop app is supported on Linux.
Yes, they will. So if you were the first person to donate to an artist LE then you'll get serial number 1 of 500.
..
hmm .. so mine's 4 of 500? We'll see if this is true.
What's bad & laughable are the folks who buy MP3's from iTunes.
Here you're downloading HD Flacs.
...
80MB (mp3) for 10 dollars or 1GB (24Bit Flac) for 15 dollars?