Pono Music Store online and out of beta according to report

[ted_b]

I find the NY Pono 24/192 stuff to be excellent all around. Tonight I listened to Tonight's The Night (one of my all-time favorite NY albums), Zuma and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere. TTN is a literal breath of fresh air, with gobs of liveliness to it (I know, a depressing album but this remaster has a breathing live feel, as it should; it's almost a live album, and the subtle stuff is very loaded in the room). Zuma never sounded so good (take a listen to the acoustic guitar and the CSN harmonies in Through My Sails). And although EKTIN is a very early studio-based album (i.e a little flat compared to later things like Zuma) the cuts not already heard on the previously released Anthology series or his 24-96 Greatest Hits are like hearing them new. Round and Round is a favorite. Highly recommended stuff.

[ted_b]

The 2009 reissues were remastered to 24/192 from the original master tapes and then downsampled to produce the 16/44 CDs and the 24/48 limited edition USB version. So, one can only hope that Pono will be offering the 24/192 versions of the 2009 reissues.

 

That would be bigger news than everything Pono-related combined! Beatles in the original 24/192!! I kind of doubt it, but who knows. The USB was 24/44 BTW.

[ted_b]

Dog, I agree (and stated above that the USB was 24/44, too). The unpublished archived 24/192 gets around Neil's claim that all Pono releases will be in the highest resolution available from the artist (i.e the 24/192 may indeed be higher, of course, but it ain't "available"). It will be interesting, because if the 24/44 are available only, it significantly reduces Neil's claims, IMHO, that he will influence this renaissance to the highest rez possible.

 

But oh, what a release it would be if they simply sent out the non-compressed archives (call it Beatles Raw or something, like LIB Naked, except really truly uncompressed....would be tough to do without some EQ though). I heard a sample from Steve Hoffman's demo collection (he was on the semi-finals list to be involved back in 2009) during one of his CES talks back then, and wow! Paul's bass on I'm So Tired was impactful. Release them at 24/96 so you still have some left in the tank to re-sell 5 years from now.

[ted_b]

Well I bought both of them last week and they were 24/88. A little ticked off, as Pono said they would offer the "highest resolution available" and then after a week come out with 24/176.

 

I had only heard the earlier ones were mislabeled, not mis-sampled. Regardless, Pono's very public policy is they will replace the lower rez ones. Make sure you ask and remind them Neil said that.

[ted_b]

Wow, a misguided and misspelled form letter that doesn't address your question AT ALL. Not very encouraging. Laura should be fired, by the way.