Most of you have probably read about Pono, the next Music Player, by Neil Young. If you Google you can find more about it than I can squeeze out of my keyboard.
What I am thinking about this, is: Will this Pono have a chance? Maybe. Because it’s the best? Because it has a certain pricepoint? Because it is related to Neil Young? Because guys like Meridian and Ayre have been involved? Because the record-industry is involved? Or because it has FUNNY COLORS and has a FUNNY SHAPE?
If it wins, it is -I think- because it is FUNNY COLORS and has a FUNNY SHAPE. And if CURRENT popular artists will be seen with it and will make it COOL for the YOUNGSTERS -not for OLDiophiles- to have the same gadget as their idols. That’s the FUN of it! The MARKETING will WIN and seeing the the video below, makes me believe PONO has a good chance.
And IF ….. these youngsters happen to discover a MUCH BETTER MUSIC QUALITY than the sound from their mobile phones, maybe, MAYBE, there are some smartasses in our industry who can translate that to a better quality inhouse music system. Just a thought. Maybe just a dream :-). Neil’s dream. Our oldiophile’s dream?
Dé Durob Audio blog - Le Blog de Durob Audio 
Pono is fine and the marketing is perfect. But speaking as an engineer, the Fiio X5 is much better, same price range, more audiophile but I’ll think worse marketing. So what will it be??
Jan, indeed you look at it as an engineer. Did you listen to both these units :-)? I know who has been involved in Pono and that gives an idea what to expect about the sound quality. I don’t know who has been involved in the Fiio X5. So don’t know what to expect from that. Time will tell.
Diio X5 is available at the end of March, so still have to wait …