Copied from the ponomusic.com site.
FAQ
Where is the PonoMusic Store?
Will the PonoMusic Store relaunch with a larger selection of content?
Can I still purchase a PonoPlayer while the PonoMusic Store is going through this transition?
How can we stay involved during this transition?
What is Pono?
What is a PonoPlayer?
Who is Ayre Acoustics?
What is the PonoRevealer and how do I use it?
How do I start my PonoPlayer?
Can I use my PonoPlayer with my Home Audio?
Can I use my PonoPlayer in my car?
How much storage does the PonoPlayer have? Is it expandable? How many songs can it hold?
Is PonoMusic a new audio format?
What's the difference between PonoMusic and MP3s?
Will I really hear the PonoMusic difference in sound quality?
Can I play digital music files I already own on my PonoPlayer?
What audio file formats are compatible with the PonoPlayer?
Can I use any USB charger with my PonoPlayer?
What is Balanced Mode?
What is the PonoPromise?
What is Music Transfer Mode?
How do I add music to my PonoPlayer?
How do I add my own music to PonoMusic Vault?
Is PonoMusic also available in streaming format?
My PonoPlayer will not connect to my computer.
My music download failed, what do I do?
The cover art does not appear. The wrong cover art appears.
I upload files into PonoMusic Vault and now they appear as Unknown Artist.
When I rip multiple disc albums and transfer them to my PonoPlayer, the two discs appear together.
My computer can read the microSD card, but the card is not recognized by my PonoPlayer.
I have multiple microSD cardsAt times the 'Scanning music library...' is quick, other times it takes a while, why?
I removed all the files from my PonoPlayer, but when I connect the player to PonoMusic Vault it still shows the drive has used space.
My PonoPlayer does not seem to charge while connected to my computer.
How do I submit a ticket to PonoMusic Support?
WHERE IS THE PONOMUSIC STORE?
The PonoMusic Store digital music catalog is temporarily offline while we move to a new partner, 7Digital, the leading independent music content/services platform. Our PonoCommunity continues as normal and is live and active.
WILL THE PONOMUSIC STORE RELAUNCH WITH A LARGER SELECTION OF CONTENT?
Initially the PonoMusic Store will launch with the same catalog as previously available. We will be continuing our policy of adding more label partners when we relaunch our store.
CAN I STILL PURCHASE A PONOPLAYER WHILE THE PONOMUSIC STORE IS GOING THROUGH THIS TRANSITION?
Yes. PonoPlayer and T-shirt purchases are unaffected by this transition.
HOW CAN WE STAY INVOLVED DURING THIS TRANSITION?
Via the PonoCommunity, where you can join our worldwide community in conversation about you favorite topics.
WHAT IS PONO?
Pono means righteous. It is a Hawaiian word, the one, the pureness. Pono is leading a revolution in music listening. Quality has now entered the listening space so that we can all hear and feel what the artists created, the way they heard and felt it.
This is done when the artist and the record label makes the best possible resolution and mastering possible, and wanting to share it with you. It happens when the artist lets you hear and feel more than what is on a CD or MP3 of any album. Some CDs and MP3s are derived from the original masters, and now, with the PonoPlayer, you can finally experience the master in all its glory, in its native resolution, CD quality or higher, the way the artist made it, exactly. That’s the beauty of Pono.
It’s been a long time coming. It was not easy getting this far, but our community made it happen by supporting Pono’s vision for this massive undertaking. We go to the source to find the best and bring it to you. We have been working with the labels, artists and producers, and we will continue to do that. Pono wants to preserve the history of music, in all of its beauty and expression, for all time. Forever. There is a way to do this right, and we are doing it.
PonoMusic was founded by rock legend Neil Young in 2011 to create a movement to bring back the soul of music, and to revitalize the vinyl experience in the digital realm. PonoMusic’s mission is to recreate all the feeling, spirit, and emotion the artists worked so diligently to capture in their original studio recordings. If you were to close your eyes when playing back PonoMusic, it will feel like the music is being performed live in front of you. Neil has put together a fantastic team who are also extremely passionate about music.
PonoMusic is a complete digital music ecosystem: the PonoMusic Store and the PonoPlayer together deliver stunningly clear music, the next best thing to hearing it in the recording studio. The PonoPlayer is a purpose-built device, designed by world-renowned audio engineers, to do one thing, and one thing exceedingly well - to let you hear high quality PonoMusic in its original quality for the original experience. The PonoPlayer does this better than any other portable device, including those that costs six time as much. The PonoPlayer can play music from all sources including your CDs, your music purchased from other sources (non-DRM protected), and music you may also have on your computer. Similarly, PonoMusic can be played on other devices because it is unlocked, although it will likely not sound as good as playing on a PonoPlayer or other high quality high-resolution player.
The PonoPlayer meaningfully improves the listening experience with any quality of headphones, speakers, or playback system. However, when using higher quality headphones and/or speakers, the PonoMusic difference is profound.
The PonoPlayer will show you, via its user interface and a special "light" (to indicate a certified PonoMusic song) exactly what quality level you are hearing - when you are hearing Pono quality, and when you are not. If the light is lit, then the music you are listening to is Pono-certified as the best available quality.
Should you invest in a PonoPlayer? If you want to experience your music, feel the sound of the soul in music, and have it run through your veins, then PonoMusic is for you. The PonoPlayer was created to bring PonoMusic to a broad audience of music lovers and not just audiophiles. It's a portable player that is easy to use and breathes life back into music. No other portable device sounds as good as a PonoPlayer.
WHAT IS A PONOPLAYER?
The PonoPlayer is a portable device designed to play the highest quality audio music. It is a small mobile device that plays high-resolution digital music files stored on its SSD memory and a removable microSD card. The internal audio circuitry has been developed by Ayre Acoustics and provides an exceptionally high quality distortion-free analog audio to a headphone, powered speakers or a stereo system.
The PonoPlayer’s characteristic triangular prismatic form is determined by important design considerations to allow the use of its large audio components to fit and for the product to equally usable on the desk and in the hand. The high quality of the audio is a result of the making uncompromising decisions to use the best components possible.
The housing is made of impact resistant ABS with a premium soft touch paint for a pleasant feel with robust characteristics. The player is designed to work in extreme environments and survive drops.
The triangular pocket player weighs 130 grams and measures 12mm x 5mm x 4mm. It has 3 buttons and a touch screen that are used as controls. The buttons are labeled +, -, and O. The device has one microSD SIM slot behind a hinged door, a USB connection for charging and sync, and 2 line-outs, one for headphones and the other for sound systems.
Your PonoPlayer is ready to use out of the box. And in order to ensure that you do, we have included your first PonoMusic track, Neil Young’s “There’s A World” in full 24/192 so you can experience the full sound of the PonoPlayer your first time listening.
The PonoPlayer is a very versatile music player. The PonoPlayer can be used as a personal portable hi resolution music player, it can be connected to a home audio system, a car stereo system, you can share music with others, there is a microSD card slot which supports all capacities of microSD cards, and a unique Balanced Mode feature which enables you to hear the fullest sound possible.
Navigating the UI of the PonoPlayer can be simple once you learn some of the basics. Swiping Left and right moves the menus accordingly. Tapping on the top menu headers directs the UI to that menu tab. Tapping objects selects them. Tap and hold any song or album entry and a long-tap sub-menu appears. When scrolling through long list a helpful thumb scrollbar appears allowing you to rapidly scroll through list by dragging the square box up or down.
When you power on your PonoPlayer a scan will begin loading all of the files stored on the internal and external memory of the player. You can use any of your favorite headphones or earbuds with the PonoPlayer, all except phones with a mono TS connector.