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In Reply to: RE: Push-back on Pono push-back posted by Beetlemania on January 27, 2015 at 12:22:02
What sets the Pono Music Store apart from the other download stores such as HDTracks, SuperHiRez, Native DSD, Highresaudio, etc?For example, are 24/96 albums downloaded from Pono Music different than the same 24/96 albums downloaded from HDTracks?
Edits: 01/28/15Follow Ups:
Your first question: Who cares ?
Your second question: Who cares ?
For someone who always has an opinion, you're suspiciously unable to navigate a website & come to your own conclusions.
The Pono store as it is right now is difficult to browse. The search function reveals an incredibly deep catalog though. If you're thinking that a lot of it is in only 16/44, again: Who Cares ?
For the last 50 years there have been multiple: Record stores, Video rental stores, Book stores, Electronics stores, Gas stations, Burger joints, Restaurants, Coffee shops, Grocery stores, Department stores, Mini Marts....
Now we've got a music shop overseen by a musician. A musician who cares about sound quality !
Oh ! but there are already places where you can download music files ! Why do we need another one ? Are you complaining about NY or capitalism in general ?
Do you care about sound quality ?
I was really excited that 14 years ago, I became able to download lossless files of Phish concerts about 48 hours after a show. I've wished since then that more artists would do the same and sell their product from their own websites. Since CD shops are slowly becoming extinct, I think it's pretty cool to have a place to download a wide variety of music that is in decent quality. Unlike the crappy quality itunes store that comes in a BS proprietary wrapper.
I think the Pono player is pretty cool also. I've been waiting for an affordable FLAC player for the AUX input on my car stereo for a dog's age. Plus, it's made by Ayre ? I'm in. I plan to order one soon.
You think NY is keeping 30% of all sales on the Pono store ?
Given the DISMAL state of the record business these days. You tell me where are the negatives ?
THANK YOU!
...for not blindly and enthusiastically supporting this PONO Lovefest Forum so I'll gracefully bow out for now.
you're making pointed references to people you're not supposed be addressing for the twentieth time and they're reciprocating in kind.
Both you and Carcass' next vacation will be until June 1st, so knock it off.
Of all people to be complaining about somebody else being a fanboy, it's gotta be you, right?
What a joke.
Chris
"Pono boner" and "bromance" talk not so much.
You claimed you were bowing out before..and yet you appear again.
It was obvious to someone you are trolling.
"I've been waiting for an affordable FLAC player for the AUX input on my car stereo for a dog's age."
You don't have a cell phone?
In fact I just got a new one last friday.
I use it to talk on.
I'm not a fan of "multi-tools" I've got a specialized computer for video editing, a different one for audio & video playback, another one hooked up to a midi keyboard for music making.
Do you plug your phone into your home stereo ? How does it sound ?
The PONO player has 128GB of storage. How much does your phone have ? Was it designed by a high end manufacturer whose work you respect ?
Interesting fact is that the retail price of my phone is more than the PONO's price.
"In fact I just got a new one last friday. "
-Wonderful
"I use it to talk on. "
-Most people do.
"I'm not a fan of "multi-tools" I've got a specialized computer for video editing, a different one for audio & video playback, another one hooked up to a midi keyboard for music making."
-I hear you, I prefer real cameras to phone cameras etc.
"Do you plug your phone into your home stereo ? How does it sound ?"
-I have at times. It sounds pretty good for what it is.
"The PONO player has 128GB of storage. How much does your phone have ?"
I think I have a 64Gig in there now, plus whatever the internal memory is. That equals a fair amount of driving. Extra microSD cards are tiny if one needed more, or by a larger card if the phone supports it.
"Was it designed by a high end manufacturer whose work you respect ?"
Samsung? Yes I very much respect them as a manufacturer.
High end? One would have to know the actual components used to make the product before declaring one more high end then the other.
"Interesting fact is that the retail price of my phone is more than the PONO's price."
Is it really interesting? Can you call somebody from your Pono?
I guess the point I was trying to make is that it cost nothing to add VLC to phone which is definitely suitable for the aux in a car stereo.
I would like to think the Pono would be better then a phone, I don't disagree with that.
I've got a Samsung also. My worry is that once I add a file player & FLAC files, the whole thing will start to slow down. Seemed to be the case with my old tablet.
I'll try it though.
Other worry is explaining to the cop that pulls me over that I wasn't being distracted by my phone, I was being distracted by my stereo.
VLC is VideoLan player ?
Is your car stereo and AUX input resolving enough to be worthy of a hi-res player, hi-res files, and is your car quiet enough to hear any benefits?
I'm not slamming the PONO Player, just posing the question which would be applicable to any in-car player.
In my car probably not. Road noise will likely swamp any advantages of higher res. Plus the car stereo is nothing exceptional quality wise. 16/44 will be just fine. But it looks like a good player, & I'm in the market for one.
At least I won't have to down convert any stuff that I only have in Hi Res.
First of all, you have asked this question multiple times.
Secondly, all the vendors get the same albums, same files, unless there is some exclusive deal.
Lastly, Highresaudio is not available to US customers. NativeDSD has very few albums and the overwhelming majority is classic or esoterica.
Perhaps but having to wade through all the buzz and hype, I haven't seen any straight forward and concise answers until now.
Altho' John Darko indicated that Talking Heads "Remain in Light" from Pono is a new remaster whereas that album from HDT is an older remix of a multi-channel recording. The pricing is also essentially the same. The main difference, I think, is that the Pono catalog is far larger (already) albeit most of the titles are 16/44. I've typed in some pretty obscure artists in Pono's search engine and only stumped it twice, so far. I've also found a 24 bit album (Kasey Chambers) not available at HDT.
So, it's nothing too earth-shattering (altho' is there any other source of downloads at CD or better resolution with even one-half the catalog?). But, I think (hope?) NY's efforts will result in most new titles being recorded and released as 24 bit files, as well as older analog recordings remastered, digitized and released as 24 bit .
I visited the Pono Music store, which BTW is a PITA to navigate IMHO, and I saw plenty of 16/44 downloads.
Which raises the next obvious question: Do those 16/44 downloads differ in any way compared to buying the same CD and ripping it yourself?
Thanks.
If you want to know why Pono is GOOD...
HDT just put out a 20% coupon...something they have done maybe a handful of times in 5 years or so.
COMPETITION is GOOD bubbie.
Off to HDT for some purchases:
Code: HDBlizzard20 btw.....
Not true. I get the HDTracks 'coupons' in my email all the time and they send them several times a year, not a 'handful' of times in 5 years.
Of course competition is good but I've never seen this much hype around a music download site and player before. It must be the Neil Young effect. I thought there was going to be something genuinely earth shattering about it.
No....I was referring to TWENTY PERCENT off coupons.
MOST of their coupons are for 10% off, with a few 15% off as well.
What's a couple percent +/-? IMHO, they're all over priced. Yes, competition is good. Not arguing that point.
Moronic response.
Answers:
You are CORRECT. And Pono has addressed to no end.
Search function will be overhauled, and the store will be made to be a much better experience.
They already offer btw, user reviews and comments, something that their competitors, have chosen not to do, after repeated requests.
CD vs Pono Downloads:
The Pono downloads are NOT ripped from optical discs, they are the CD master files, unless there is no other option. They have this in writing.
FYI, they have thousands of out of print CDs.
The Pono downloads are NOT ripped from optical discs, they are the CD master files, unless there is no other option. They have this in writing.
What is the benefit of downloading the CD master files vs ripping them yourself off CD media? Plus you retain the CD media as a backup. The resolution (16/44) will be the same and the sonic quality should be the same.... unless there is a huge sonic degradation in ripping it yourself.
BTW, I don't think anyone here is arguing AGAINST better audio quality (as one inmate suggested). Some are just raising the question, "why PONO"?
Mostly 'cuz Pono has Neil-freaking-Young telling everyone who will listen that mp3s suck and that hi-rez > CD-rez (he's also hinted that compression bites).
Davis Chesky and the rest of the high-end community have been saying this for years but the media hasn't been especially interested in sticking a mic in their faces.
Whether you like NY/Pono or not doesn't change the fact that it took a rock star to get the attention of the labels (and other artists). I fully expect many more 24 bit titles to be released going forward, for both new and old albums. Moreover, we may see the compression needle swing back in the direction of quality over loudness.
THANK YOU, NEIL YOUNG!
Yes, exactly what I summarized in an earlier Pono thread. It is about Neil Young creating buzz and awareness. I do not (yet) see the benefit of the Pono Music store (we have many other download stores) and certainly not the Pono Player (we have many other worthy players).
It's not like there was a reservoir of 24 bit albums waiting for a retailer. The dividends will be paid going forward. (Like I wrote above, their catalog is already massive for 16/44 altho you might as well just get the CD from Amazon for less $).
As far as the player, it seems that the SQ is competitive with much more expensive units yet is priced similar to an iPod (see reviews from Darko, Lavorgna, Hull). Pono is probably not keen to sell 24/192 files to novices and have them use an iPhone and earbuds for playback. Thus, a high-quality player priced competitively. Moreover, the Pono player can be used as a transport/DAC in a home system (see LaVorgna's review).
True. It will be interesting to see how Pono Music pans out.
I'm not real keen on the player though since I have a capable music server in my listening room, don't want to carry a 2nd device while walking around, and I can already play 'hi-res' in my car.
I passed on the initial kick starter phase. Like you I was waiting to see how it would pan out.
Recently I finally took a look at the website, & searched a couple of old CD's that I couldn't find anywhere else. Surprisingly they had them & I DL'ed them. It seems to be a pretty nice store. You also get a free (for now ?) version of J River V20. I stopped paying for J River at V18. Use it every day though.
I'm always burning discs & than scratching them in my car, & than burning another...I got too many discs around my house. My car stereo sounds lousy playing CD's but fine playing FLAC files through a Sansa portable unit. Recently the CD player jammed. Now I have the choice of replacing the unit or getting a PONO. My wife thinks I jammed it intentionally.
Yes, I bought 3 jack bruce albums LONG out of print and available only on Amazon as very expensive imports. THANK YOU NEIL YOUNG!
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